WELCOME!

WELCOME!

Hello everyone! I am thrilled to have you visit with me and I hope you enjoy your stay. I absolutely love company, sharing, and making new friends so I hope you find something here that inspires, motivates, or just pleases you in some way.

Of course, I love to visit and be inspired also. So if I don't already drop in on you, please let me know where I can find you and I'll hop on over to see what you're doing or to just say "hi".

Before you go, I would love it if you'd please leave me a comment letting me know you dropped in! Actually, I'd just love to hear from you -- comments, opinions, or questions you'd like me to answer.

In the meantime, relax and make yourselves at home... you're family here!!!

I'll be seeing you!


Friday, August 19, 2011

IF I CAN MAKE THIS NECKLACE, YOU CAN TOO!!!

Hello, everyone!  Another weekend is here already and I'm still wondering where the week went!  LOL!!!

Today's project is also my DT project over at Pam's, so if you missed it there...  Of course I can't imagine anyone missing any project featured on The BugBytes!!!  LOL!

Making jewelry is so much fun and this project was really very easy!  Let me get going because this is a picture-heavy tutorial but, before I begin, please note that I did this in somewhat of a hurry without letting glue dry and/or catching up some loose ends.  Of course, after I finished the tutorial, I went back and took my time to clean it up.  If you do this project, you'll take your time on every step!!!  You'll let all the glue dry between each step and tuck in every loose end!!!  Right?!!!   LOL! 

Here's the necklace I made for my DT project today:


Now I'll get started on how I did it.  I began with a piece of cord 24" (2 feet) long (NOTEI added a dab of glue to each end of the cord to keep the twisted ends from separating after cutting the cord and before beginning this project);  a strand of pearls 30" (2.5 feet long), 2 wooden beads, 2 large cord end caps, 2 jump rings, 1 clasp, and a glass dichroic pendant; you'll also need a needle-nose and a flat-nose set of pliers, and E-6000 glue.


Starting with the cord, I evenly folded to double it then added a drop of glue to the connected middle tip-end to keep it together and to avoid it separating while working with it (I did not glue closed the open end of the cord):


Next I taped the glued end of the cord to the table and began loosely but evenly twisting the cord, one end over the other, until I came to the very end of the cord:


Once I got to the end of the cord, I then glued the two ends together to keep them from separating.  This is what I got:


Next, making certain I was working from the very middle (center) of my cord,  I added the glass dichroic pendant onto the cord and slid a wooden bead on each side of the pendant -- making certain it was directly in the middle of the cord:

I then took the strand of pearls and starting from the middle of the strand of pearls I laid them beneath the glass pendant and brought one of each end of the strands of pearls over each of the wooden beads; I applied  a dab of  glue to each pearl on the sides of the beads to secure them in place:


Starting on one side of the pendant, I began to loosely but evenly wrap the pearls around the cord until I got to the end of the cords, then I glued the last pearl to the end of the cord (it's easy if you follow the twist in the cord):


I did the same thing to the other side and this is what I had:


Before going any further, I first held up my necklace with the ends together to make certain it draped properly!  If the cords and pearls would have been too tightly wrapped and didn't drape evenly, I would have unglued the ends to re-wrap the cord and pearls to make sure it draped as evenly as possible.  After I did this I added the end caps to each side of the necklace ends.  To do this I first added glue E-6000 glue to the inside of the caps and taking one cord/pearl end, pushed it into the end of one of the cord end caps (NOTE:  This is where you'll take your time!  You may need to use a skewer to get all the ends tucked in).  When I finished adding both end caps, I had this:



Now the last thing I had to do was add my jump rings and the clasp.  Here, you'll have to pay close attention in the reading because this is a two-hand operation, and I can only use one hand with having to hold the camera and take the picture.  I grabbed and held one side of a jump ring with my  needle-nose plier making sure the end of the jump ring that opens is at the top (facing up); next I took the flat-nose plier to  grasp and hold the other side of the jump ring; once I had each end held, I  very slightly twisted the flat- nose plier gently towards or either away from myself while holding the end of the jump ring held with the needle-nose plier still -- I do not just pull the jump rings open by pulling to each side.  Once opened the jump ring will have one end opened slightly in front of the other  to look like this:


Now I slid the opened jump ring onto the connecting end of the cord end clasp.  To close the jump ring, I did the same thing in opposite to how I opened it; I grabbed one end of the ring with the needle-nose pliers and the other side with the flat, and twisted until the rings connected to close.  If done properly you will feel a slight pressure or a slight snap when the ends of the ring lock in place. When this side was done, I did the other side.  One last step and my necklace was done!

To complete the necklace, I  opened the connecting end of the clasp and secured it to the end of one of the jump rings!!!  That's it -- easy peesy!!!  A pretty handmade necklace:



Your turn!!!  I purchased all my jewelry supplies from either Michael's and/or Hobby Lobby.  However, you can use any old jewelry findings, buttons, coins, etc. and just glue it on!!!   You can even recycle old jewelry for parts like the clasp, jump rings, etc.  You're the designer!!!

That's it for this month!  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to leave me a comment.  I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

I hope you like my project today, and thank you so much for stopping by. 
I'll be seeing you!

21 comments:

Unknown said...

I just love this, I may try this. Great job awesome

papillon digital design said...

Love how the jewellery turned out . Have to make myself one like this soon now that I have a great tutorial teaching me how . TFS

MyCuriousCrafts said...

Oh lovely, you did a fab job! ~Shen

Rhonda Emery said...

beautiful necklace your rock girlfriend. Is there anyhing you cant make. love it.

shari said...

Audrey, your necklace is just beautiful, is there anything you can't do? Shari (cricutrookie)

Nicole said...

Too cute!! Love your pictorials!

Dawnll said...

What a fun design- I seen these glass jewelery pieces and thought they would look lovely.
Thanks for sharing your tutorial,great pics by the way.
blessings to you, Dawn ll

Sheila aka SassyLady said...

Audrey this is an AWESOME necklace. Love the look and your tutorial is easy to follow. I bet you look GORGEOUS wearing it too! TFS

~BridgetL~ said...

Simply gorgeous. Im supposed to make 20 charms by the 31, but have not gotten the crafting bug to bite. You want to send it my way? lol have a fabulous weekend my friend :) HUGS!!!

Susan said...

This necklace is stunning! You are so very crafty!

Jean said...

How pretty! Love this necklace.

Scrappin Sista said...

You did a amazing job, the necklace is beautiful!!! Your always coming up with cute new projects!! your just so talented!! thanks for sharing that talent with us!!
Alice

lisa808 said...

Very pretty necklace.

"Um Buggin" said...

Gorgeous Audrey! You do such awesome work on anything your little hands touch! This is so nice, might have to try this with my daughter who like to make jewelry. Thanks for the tutorial.

~L~

yyam said...

Oh wow! This looks aweome Audrey! :)

The Archiving Angel said...

Ms. Audrey...you are just brilliant!!! I am loving this necklace. I was catching up with your post since I had been away a few days and I am in awe of your fabulous creations! The leather belts recycled into bracelets...genius! You are just an all around crafty STAR! I have thoroughly enjoyed catching up with your blog. Thanks for stopping by my blog & leaving me lots of love. I feel honored. I also wanted to let you know that I received the stamp. It is great. I look forward to using it.
You are just one special lady who inspires all who are lucky enough to know you. Big hugs to you my crafty friend.
God bless & best wishes,
Sonia

Cricut Couple said...

Too Much Talent!!! Have to look away for a bit.... Ok... I am ok... The necklace is gorgeous! Jill said that she thinks she has almost everything to make one in purple! She is really excited! TFS!

Sandy from Ukiah said...

ABSOLUTELY gorgeous. You aren't going to convince me that THAT was easy. That definitely took some amazing talent to do that. I hope you have a wonderful weekend my friend.. hugs

Monica said...

Audrey!!! This is so beautiful!! I love it!! Now I want to try to make my own jewelry!!!! Thanks so much for the inspiration!!

Angi Barrs said...

Wow..this is gorgeous Audrey. Love your necklace. I would need a one-on-one class to do this. Amazing project. Have a happy weekend. :)

silvia haynes said...

Audrey~Gorgeous necklace!!TFS!!!