Thursday, June 16, 2011

Cup of Bead Soup with Miss Molly's Designs -- #2

This is my second design with the bevy of beads from Miss Molly's Designs.  This time, I chose to work with the pale blue and brown set, with beads that ranged from the chunky to the more sedate.


Enameled beads by nature are lightweight, and I wanted to make a "half-and-half" necklace, meaning, half the necklace would be predominantly enameled beads, and the other half would be something else.  What that Something Else would be remained to be seen.


The challenge was three-fold -- one, find beads that matched the size of the large enameled beads, two, find complimentary colors for the unique blue shade, and three, find beads that were of equal weight to the enamel beads.


After much poking around, I found a solution.  Large fluted bleached wood rounds, natural wood triangles, and these awesome Czech glass beads that couldn't have had a more perfect coloration if I'd designed them myself.



My other challenge was to NOT use metal spacers between any of the beads as I'm used to doing.  I just automatically go for them every. single. time.  I was determined this time to just leave it alone, choosing to finish the necklace with an antiqued vermeil clasp.  


Question is, what do you think?  Do you think I SHOULD have used small gold spacers between some of the beads?  Is the bleached wood too pale?  I know I got the size right, but tell me what you REALLY think.


You can find more of Miss Molly's work at the following:

Molly Alexander

Shop:  Click here
Blog:  Click here
 
 

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off.  She's also a contributor to Art Bead Scene.  She is also the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.
 
 
 

13 comments:

  1. I'm the exact opposite. I have to force myself to use spacers.

    I think it works- it's bleached and beachy and soft.

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  2. Girl, you are frustratingly amazing! That necklace rocks! And as I imagined checking out a bin with those large wood beads, I just knew I would have passed them by. I love how you can see possibilities in unusual beads like those and the little wooden triangles. You're right, the czech beads are perfect. I'm not a fan of gold, so I definitely wouldn't put them in anyway. I think it looks great just as is. :))

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  3. You got it perfect. Right colors, textures, sizes, and definitely NO spacers. LOVE this!

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  4. I like the turquoise and brown spacers! I'm no expert but I like the way it looks and the texture!

    http://bbonnieblue.blogspot.com/

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  5. I really like the necklace and the bleached wood beads make the colored beads pop. I wouldn't change anything about it, adding gold beads may be to much.
    Therese

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  6. Another beautiful work of art! I love the necklace as is; it evokes summery breezes and sandy beaches. The bleached wood and Czech beads perfectly compliment the enameled colors. Love it - you are truly amazing! :)

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  7. A perfect example of you making something wonderful with some very pretty beads! There's no question about it - it's perfect! And Miss Molly's beads are over-the-top scrumptious! Love it!

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  8. Stunning work Lori! I wouldn't change a thing with this necklace, you nailed it girl!!!!

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  9. I love it, I think it is absolutely perfect, you hit it out of the ball park with this design. I am really digging the color combination of the enameled beads.

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  10. I love watching what you create with these challenges.

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  11. Absolutely perfect! Love the Cheq beads too; gold spacers would have taken away from them.

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  12. Funny that you asked about it because when I saw the picture I thought that the bleached wood went so well with the beads. It's like a movie of a beach house in New England somewhere I think or maybe somewhere further south but definitely east coast. Really nice.

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Thanks so much for commenting! It always makes my day!