Gift of Blue

Friday was one of my days off and I took the time to drop off the 3 bead bracelet I made for my friend Sarah. I mostly wanted to be sure it would fit her wrist. It fit perfectly, thankfully! While I was chatting with her my other friend Jennifer, who works with Sarah, came outside and I showed her the bracelet. Later in the day I felt bad that I had not made something for Jennifer, as she is my best friend. Plus we have been having a hard time making our schedules work out, so we haven't spent much time together.  SO... I did a bit of shopping and got a rough idea in my head of a project.

After work Saturday I sat down and planned out a neckless that I had in mind for Jenn. My original plan didn't work out entirely well, so I changed it up, but only a little. I found this great center piece, so I wanted to show case it. I changed the beads attached to it and added a few of my own. I wanted it to be bright, summery, classy enough for her to wear to work but not too classy that she couldn't just wear it whenever. My original idea was to string some smalled beads that matched the stones flanking the center piece, but the clamp beads rubbed alot so I decided against that idea. Instead I used cream medium pearls linked together with eye pins. I think the colors worked out pretty well.

This is the center piece and the main focus. I wanted everything to filter out from this piece.

I used two smokey blue stones to flank the center ring to draw more attention. 

I found these fire cooled gems in a light turquise that matched with the beads I had originally wanted to use in a solid string. I was going to match it against the turquise gems on one side for visual interest. The connector piece allowed for two strands and one on the other side and had a little detail to it that I thought fit with the center pieces detailing.

Since the strand of beads didn't work out as planned (I had it all finished, but when I tried it on the clamp beads rubbed more than I wanted, so I threw that idea out.) I decided to just mimicke the eye pin connected gems but with pearls for a more vintage look.

I have gotten MUCH better at makeing eye pin loops now, so this was a snap to do. I only screwed up once, but it was just too big a loop. Yay the practicing really worked! (I also picked up a "close edge clip pliers" to do smoother, closer cuts.)

I think the finished product looks pretty good. I really like the one sided detail look on necklesses.

I was rather proud that I got it done in one night and in about an hour and a half. (mostly because my first idea didn't work out as aspected) Jenn and I went to breakfast and hung out... and ironically I left the neckless sitting on my desk. I showed her pictures though and she loves it. I'm going to try and drop it off at her work on Wednesday since its my next day off.

What do you all think of my one sided neckless? Let me know!

As always if you have any projects of your own, please feel free to share!