Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Beading for a Cure 2010

Once again this year I have participated in Layne's Legacy, Beading for a Cure. Every year they sell a kit, and you make something using at least 1 of every bead in the kit, and by July 15Th send your project back to them. In march (which is Colo-rectal cancer awareness month) all of the beaded goodies are auctioned off to raise money for cancer research. I didn't know Layne personally, but she had a lot of good friends who make this possible every year with all of their hard work. This year I really liked the colors in the kit, but I still had a hard time getting the ball rolling on this one. I am happy with how it turned out though.
I made a Cellini spiral, which I then strung onto 49 strand, 0.019 diameter soft flex wire. I finished it off with sterling silver bead caps, crimp covers, a lobster claw, and a chain to make this necklace 18 - 20" long. The center pendant can be removed, so you could also wear just the spiral.
The center pendant is a peyote bail, with the swarovski montees sewn onto it. The lampwork bead is surrounded with sterling bead caps (matching the ends of the necklace) and caps that I made with some of the 4mm crystals. I added 5 little fringes coming out the bottom, which Ive been told makes it look like an octopus or squid.
Here's a close up of the spiral, where I used most of the seed beads.
There was just one color in the kit that I didn't like, but I managed to squeeze a couple of them into the beaded bead that I put on the end of the extension chain. Now that its all done, I just need to name it, and get it mailed off. Have any good ideas for a name for this piece? Let me know...

1 comment:

williamsburg beader said...

I really like how you used the kit. I was going to do something similar - hand the lampwork from a piece of kumihimo - but I could figure out what to do with those rose montees. I like what you did.
Catherine, Williamsburg VA