A Touch of Grey for BeadsDirect UK

A Touch of Grey

Margot Potter for BeadsDirectUK

I’m a fan of big, bold, simple, striking jewelry (or if you’re in the UK make that jewellery.)  Lots of fussy details and gee-gaws and doo-dads don’t really float my boat.  You must make jewelry that floats your boat.  So feel free to add more here, more layers, more beads, more mesh!  Sometimes more is more, but in this case, less is more.  I’ve combined soft jade green chrysotene beads with sponge coral and added some gunmetal mesh bows to keep it from looking to Christmas-y.  I’m quite pleased as punch with how this turned out.  And you could make a set just like this in under and hour, just in time to wear it out on the town!

And you can find everything you need to make this set at BeadsDirectUK online!  Just follow the links.

Finished Length:

Necklace: 18”

Bracelet: 8”

Earrings: 2.5”

Materials

20mm Chrysotene coin beads 

15x29mm Sponge coral teardrop beads 

15mm width Gunmetal wire mesh tubing 

BeadsDirect 19 strand .015 bead stringing wire 

2 silver plated lobster clasps 

2 6mm silver plated jump rings

4 silver plated size 2 crimp tubes  

2 silver plated coiled ear wires 

4 silver plated head pins 

 (Optional GS Hypo Cement jeweler’s glue)

Tools

Round nose pliers 

2 pairs chain nose pliers 

Flush cutters 

Crimp tool 

Scissors

1.  These are basic designs that are quick and easy to put together.  Play with the arrangement of the beads remove the mesh or keep it in the mix, the only rule is that it’s pleasing to your eye!  Begin by gathering your materials.  Use a bead board to plan out the design!

2.  Cut off a 20” segment of beading wire.  Attach the wire to a clasp using the crimp tube and crimp tool.  To crimp, begin by threading the wire into the tube, through the clasp end and back into the tube.  Use the front part of the jaw of your pliers to smash the round tube into an oval. Separate the wires before you crimp them, the crimp creates an indentation between the two wires.  Compress the tube in the back part of the jaw creating a heart shape.  Move the tube into the front jaw with the indentation facing forward.  Fold ends over.  Cut off excess wire.

3.  Thread beads on the wire in the following order: 5 coral, 3 chrysotene, 1 coral, 8 chrysotene and 5 coral. 

4.  Keep necklace rounded to allow room for play between beads.  Crimp as before attaching wire to a jump ring, cutting off excess.

5.  Tie a 3” segment of mesh to the wire at the top top of the first chrysotene bead on the right side of the design.  Use fingers to pull mesh gently into a bow shape.  If you want to mesh to keep from unraveling, dab a little jeweler’s glue along the ends and allow to dry.

6.  To make the bracelet, cut off a 10” segment of beading wire.  Attach wire to the clasp and clasp with a crimp tube. 

7.  Thread beads on the wire alternating between red and green beads, five green beads and four red beads.  Adjust length to fit your wrist.

8.  Round bracelet before crimping and attaching the jump ring. 

9.  Tie a 3” mesh bow on the bracelet to the left or right of the center bead.

10.  To make earrings thread a coin on a head pin, make a coiled top dangle.  Make double loop dangles with a red bead.  Attach an ear wire to the top of your red bead.  Tie a 3” mesh bow around the center of the earring.  Repeat for second earring.

This post was sponsored by BeadsDirectUK, but Madge does not promote anything Madge does not love.  So trust me when I saw, this site is fabulous!