Designing a New Necklace Part 2

Designing a New Necklace

Part 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week, I walked you through the steps I took to design this necklace and mentioned I had another necklace in the works. I have finished the second one made using the Chain Maille technique.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you know, I love making Chain Maille bracelets and necklaces. I truly love the results. This piece started with a pendant as did the Kumihimo necklace I featured last week. Though, as I mentioned before, the real start was a new gray top I had recently purchased. The gray really needed some color. Silver Chain Maille does not add color to the piece. I needed to add some colorful beads to the design.

 

 

 

 

 

With pendant in hand and a Byzantine bracelet, I went off the bead store. When matching colors it is a must to have the pendant in hand. Not even across the store works, at least not for me. This trip was to Canton, MA and pflora's beads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the help of Phyllis and her helper, I came home with two possibilities. The plan was to make some Byzantine segments and add a colorful bead then more Byzantine segments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It took a few  minutes to decide I would use both of the possibilities in the necklace. It just looked right with both.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is the result:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Close up of the added beads and the

Byzantine segments. I use Argentium Sterling Silver. Argentium is tarnish resistant.

 

 

What do you think? Will it look good on my gray top?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until next week,

 

Bev

 

PS I found my missing Bulldog clips! They were hiding in my basket of Softflex and wire.

 

 

Designing a New Necklace

Designing a New Necklace

 

 

I've been thinking about "How do I design a new necklace?" lately. I used to make most of my own clothes and had a similar dilema. Start with fabric first or a particular pattern? Well, it is much the same with a new necklace design.

 

Start with a particular technique (Chain Maille, Kumihimo or stringing) or design around some particular pendant or beads? Right now I need some new necklaces to go with a new top I recently purchased. That brings up another thought. Do I purchase clothes to go with my jewelry or make jewelry to go with new tops? (Mostly, I buy clothes to go with my jewelry)

 

The answer to all of the above questions is much the same. It all depends! And I use all of the methods and sometimes even combine the different methods. All that said, here is how I came to make my latest creation.

 

 

 

 

 

It started with a new top that required a necklace with some color to it. (The top is a neutral gray) I have about 5-8 pendants that I've collected over the last year from my trips to bead shows. One vendor in particular has great choices and it is hard to come home with only 6 - the quantity you need to purchase to get a better price per pendant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next decision was technique. I decided on Kumihimo for this one. (No particular reason other than I liked the colors in the pendant and thought I could find some nice seed beads that would go with the pendant) So, off the my local bead store where I found these two seed bead colors. Transparent Dark Topaz and Gunmetal Iris.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I usually always have cord on hand to make Kumihimo braids but when I got home with my seed beads, I found I was all out. But I did find some  red/maroon/purple/?? C-Lon. and added that to the mix of supplies. It adds some extra color to the finished braid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loaded up my Kumihimo disk, mixing up the colors with 5 cords of the Gunmetal Iris and 3 of the Dark Topaz. If you make it an even number , 4 and 4, you end up with a spiral. That is very nice but I didn't feel it would look right with the design on the pendant. This is to be more "mixture".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing seemed to go smoothly in this project and after I started, I soon discovered that I had cut the cord too short for a necklace. So, the necklace project turned into a bracelet. No problem since it is nice to have a matching bracelet.

 

Here is the bracelet next to the pendant.  I do like the colors together. What do you think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I admit, I still have not finished the project yet. I still need to add clasps to both pieces. (Thus the sort of "cut off" look in the pictures) I plan another trip to the bead store this week, or maybe search my stash here and finish the project. Sometimes I need to take a break in the process. ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've started another necklace project to go with my new top. Very different design. Much the same process, though, as this one. I started with another one of my pendants. And yes, I'll make a matching bracelet and probably earrings. This is a chain maille design. So far I like both projects. You'll see some pictures next week.

 

 

Fall Panton Colors

Fall Pantone Colors

Ring by Ring  Designs Silver Jewelry - Plus www.ringbyringdesigns.com September 4,  2012

Fall Pantone Colors       In the past I've featured the current Pantone colors for the current season. Well, Fall is almost here and school has started. So, here are the latest Fall Pantone Colors.   They feature some versatile neutrals and add some bold hues that they hope gives something for everyone.       One of the nice neutrals is called French Roast. They suggest it as an alternative to black and classic fall colors of charcoal grays. They refer to it as "rich and robust".   I love the words used in talking about fashion.             Rose Smoke in another neutral refered to as a "veiled rose tone"     and Titanium the "quintessential cool gray"         Now to spice up things a bit, how about "Bright Chartrese"?             Or "Pink Flambe, a delicious vibrant pink with a bit of heat to it"       Now getting in to one of my favorite colors "Olympian Blue"                     Tango Tangerine, the color of the year (You may remember from my spring post.) is front and center.       Then another favorite color of mine, "Ultramarine Green"     You can see all the colors and read more about them in the "Magic of Color 2012" on the Pantone website.   I hope you enjoy hearing about the new Fall Colors. Until  next week,   Bev   website:http://ringbyringdesigns.com