If you have been following my blog you will know that I moved to Jersey City less than a year ago. I have no family here and at that time knew nobody within many hundreds of miles. When I needed to be picked up at the doctor's office last week following a test I asked a new friend. I did the usual, said thanks and wrote a thank you card. I also made her a necklace.
The original plan was to create a necklace using black and white beads with wire-wrapped connectors. I grabbed a focal from my stash- a nice piece of onyx, some agate, a vintage white crystal, some Czech fire polished crystals, one resin and shell bead, and got to work. The original plan looked like this:
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| Original Plan |
Now this is a very fine necklace with great components. I used spacers to embellish the ends of the beads and silver filled wire.
However, I am a bead weaver, and being inspired I grabbed another piece of onyx, bezzeled it and then embellished the bezel with more seed beads and some 3mm fire polished crystals.
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| Embellished bezel on onyx |
Here is another view:
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| From the top |
I had to cut out the onyx that I had at the center of the original necklace, which left the strands:
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| Strands |
Here is the finished necklace. Now, if anyone can offer some tips on capturing the length of a necklace and capturing detail I would appreciate it.
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| Finished necklace |
One more closeup. I received Cindy Wimmer's The Missing Link book for my birthday so I have been playing around with wire. Rather than add a clasp that I purchased, I made a clasp. The clasp is not part of Cindy's book, but without the book I would have just gone with a purchased clasp.
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| Hand made clasp |
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It is good to have friends. It is good to be able to create.
If I don't post again before the holiday, you have a safe and happy holiday.
What a lovely, lovely thank you gift! She's going to be thrilled, and she'll be calling you regularly to see if you need a ride anywhere...
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear you're feeling more at home in your new home. Have a wonderful holiday!
She loved it Bobbie.
DeleteThis is beautiful! It was before the weaving and even more so after the weaving...it is always nice to add the extra touch of the thing you love. Your friend must have been very pleasantly surprised by this "thank you" necklace.
ReplyDeleteThank you Christine. Adding something woven was in keeping with my self-imposed brand to always have something woven. It didn't hurt that it was fun. My friend was very pleased with the necklace, which was also fun
DeleteBeing grateful and saying thank you is so important. You have done it in the utmost style. What a lovely necklace and I have to say that clasp is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteThank you. My friend was very generous with her time and I will remember for a long time just how generous. It was fun to make something for her but even more fun to give it to her.
DeleteThank you for the compliment on the clasp. I will be working with wire a bit more in the future.
Awesome wirework! And handmade gifts are always the best ones. I imagine you are will on your way to a great friendship. I love the clasp, which is totally beyond me. Happy Holidays to you KJ!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marsha. I would like to get better with wire; all it takes is more practice. The clasp was trial and error, but fun. Of course bead weaving is still trial and error, but I am a bet better informed as I begin my trials.
DeleteHappy holidays to you too Marsha.
KJ - What a lovely way to show your appreciation and thankfulness. The necklace is gorgeous and you did a fantastic job on making the pretty clasp. I'm sure your friend was delighted with your beautiful Thank You gift, I know I would have been. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the compliment on the clasp- this is something I have experimented with off and on for a few years. I would like to do more.
DeleteMy friend was absolutely delighted. It is good to be able to give back.