Just popping in to bring news of the March project ~ Pearls on The Halfshell.
Unfortunately, there has been slight delay for the start of the project. I accidentally had my Pearl order shipped to my Daughter’s house. I am truly sorry for the delay.
The Good news is .. I should have the Pearls by Saturday the 16th and we can get started.
I was really pleased with the way this Set came out and I actually sold it for 65.00.
And that was using Plated Base Metal wire and findings.
While I wait for my order to get here, I thought we could talk about the Techniques and Materials so those of you who want to make your own will have time to gather your materials.
Below is the Basic Materials List, but I will give you all the specifics in detail when we start the project.
Tools and Materials List:
- 1 – 14 mm Swarovski Pearl
- 2 – 12 mm Swarovski Pearls
- 3-4 grams 8/0 Round Seed Beads
- 3-4 grams 11/0 Round Seed Beads
- 2-3 grams 15/0 Round Seed Beads
- 3 – 11 mm Teardrop Beads
- 3 or 4 – 4 mm Round Faceted Crystals
- 1-2 feet 22 Gauge Jewelry Wire
- 3 – small Head Pins
- 5-6 feet Beading Thread of your Choice
- 1 – Size 11 Beading Needle
- Round Nose Pliers
- Chain Nose Pliers
- Flush Cutters
- Scissors or Thread Burner
- Optional – One Marquis or 6mm Crystal for the Pendant
The Bead Weaving
The Bead Weaving Technique used to create the Beaded Half Bezel is a modified version of Tubular Herringbone Stitch.
To make the bead work curve the Rope is stitched with one column of 8/0 Seed Beads and one column of 11/0 Seed Beads.
Round Seed Beads work best for this project and lend themselves naturally to the curve.
Once formed into a Tubular Rope, tiny 15/0 Seed Beads add an extra layer of texture and cover the slightly exposed stitching between the columns of the larger and smaller beads.
The Pearls should be all the same color and the Crystals should be similar or compliment the Pearls.
In the Sample above, the Pearls are Powder Rose and the Crystals are Light Rose AB.
I ordered new colors of Swarovski Pearls for the project – Night Blue and Rose Gold.
Once I get the Pearls, I will be able to choose the Seed Beads I want to use.
The Seed Beads in the Sample mimic the colors of an Oyster Shell so well and provide a nice contrast to the pink of the Pearls.
- 8/0 – Czech Black Diamond
- 11/0 – Toho Antique Silver
- 15/0 – Toho Permanent Finish Galvanized Aluminum
The Wire Work
To create the rest of the Earrings and Pendant, we will use the Jewelry Wire to add the Crystals using Wire Wrapped Loops and a Simple Loops for the Drops.
Finally, we will make our own Ear Wires and add a Chain to the Pendant.
You can use any Jewelry Wire, from Sterling to Artistic Wire.
The only real requirement is that the Gauge will fit through the completed Pearl Component and through the crystals you choose for your project.
However, for the Ear Wires, a sturdier 20 Gauge round is the preferred choice.
I will be using Round Nose and Chain Nose Pliers for the Wire portions of the project and Flush Cutters of course.
I recommend having a Sharpie handy, which we will use to mark the Round Nose Pliers to insure all our loops are the same size and professional looking.
You can choose any type of Accent Bead you like.
I recommend that they match in color and manufacturer for a more polished look.
They do not have to be Crystals, you can choose any style you like, even matching pearls.
I do like the look of the Smooth Drop bead but Faceted ones will work too.
You can use whatever beads you want, but a few different sizes will add to the overall appeal of the design.
I am very excited to get started on the Pearls on the Halfshell project.
Thank you for your patience but it won’t be long now.