Siren Song Necklace by Avalon Potter

I managed yesterday to clear off the long desk in my studio that has been totally covered with crap for weeks. Most of my studio cleaning involves moving piles of crap from one spot to another spot...I guess that's what most cleaning involves when I think about it! Cleaning...is not my thing. I do it when I have to, but mostly I ignore clutter and hope it organizes itself when I'm not looking.

I’m not made of the stuff that easily organizes seemingly disparate elements into cohesive groups. I’m impatient, have I mentioned that? At some point though the chaos begins to make my brain stop functioning properly and I have to buck up and get to organizing. It’s absolutely insane how many craft tools, machines and supplies I own. Okay maybe not what since I craft for a living, but dang if it isn’t tough keeping it all organized!



While working on organizing and getting the final details of one of my TSPs* finished, my daughter Avalon was given the task of creating a necklace around an extraordinary miniature canvas pendant from the folks at Art Beads. She's my new intern, but she's far more talented than I could ever hope to be! I love the sleek simplicity of her necklace design featuring Beadalon Quick Links and chain and CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements jet black briolette pendants. Stunning! Oh and that gorgeous shell is one she just plucked out of the water in Jamaica and she insisted it be in the picture. She's a designer and a stylist! Love that kid of mine!

I fell madly in love with this artwork. It’s like a Rorschach test! When I look at it I see a large ship being engulfed by an octopus, while my husband said it looks like a tropical island with big palm trees...what do you see? There is an entire collection http://www.artbeads.com/pendants-canvas-on-wood.html of these miniature masterpieces on the Art Beads site all created by surfer and artist Charlie Clingman and each one is both stunning and incredibly inspirational. They are evocative and provocative and exquisitely fashioned.

I’ve got some podcasts pending. I’ll let you know when they go live. I’m slated for CraftyPod with Sister Diane on Thursday of this week and CraftCast with Alison Lee sometime in the very near future. They’re both interesting interviews with women whom I greatly admire. I was humbled and flattered that they each contacted me. I’m also slated to be on Reclaim U with the inspiring Sandy Fowler sometime in the near future, so look out for the 411!

I have a lot of straw to spin today so I must away! Until my most auspicious return...craft on with your bad selves!

Cheers,
Madge

(*Top Secret Projects)

Free Jewelry Project! Beyonce’s Lorraine Schwartz Golden Globes Inspired Beaded Necklace Set

Beyonce’s Lorraine Schwartz Golden Globes Inspired Beaded Necklace Set
Red Carpet Ready Choker and Earrings
Copyright 2008 Margot Potter
(Click on image to view close up)

This chic crystal choker was inspired by the Lorraine Schwartz design worn by Beyonce Knowles to the 2009 Golden Globes awards show I posted here. I loved the way it filled in her neckline, but still left plenty of open space for light and skin to play. I had to have something like it and being the crafty gal that I am, I spent the better part of my morning devising a pattern. My version is made of Beadalon Satin Silver wire and Create Your Style CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements crystal beads and is a bit more diminuitive in scale, so you can bet your sweet bippy this one is a lot more pocketbook friendly than the diamond and platinum version sported by Ms. Knowles. I can’t wait to wear this to an upcoming Swarovski Create Your Style CRYSTALLIZED™ cocktail party I’m attending in Tucson!

Materials
1 12mm crystal a/b flower pendant
9 6mm crystal a/b twist beads 4mm crystal a/b bicones
2 11x5.5mm crystal a/b tear drop beads (for earrings)
20 6mm crystal a/b rounds (4 for earrings)
208 4mm crystal a/b rounds (+8 for earrings)
1 large silver plated swivel lobster clasp
5 6mm silver plated jump rings
9 silver plated head pins
4 silver plated eye pins (for earrings)
1 3” length silver plated rolo chain
2 silver plated crimp covers
20 silver plated size 2 crimp tubes
.015 Satin Silver Beadalon wire

Tools
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Crimp tool
Mighty crimp tool
Wire cutters
Bead Board

Finished size 15-18” inches with extender chain

1. It really helps to get the core of this design on your bead board so you don’t skip any beads while you’re working along the design. Here is the core pattern: Start with 9 4mm rounds then use the following pattern: 6mm round, 2 4mm rounds, 6mm round, 3 4mm rounds and continue working around the board until you’ve added your ninth 6mm, 2 4mm, 6mm segment. Follow that with 9 4mm rounds.

2. Create 4 beaded head pins each with a 6mm twist bead on the bottom followed by 4 4mm bicones. Loop the tops.

3. Create 2 beaded head pins each with a 6mm twist bead on the bottom followed by 5 4mm bicones. Loop the tops.

4. Create 2 beaded head pins each with a 6mm twist bead on the bottom followed by 6 4mm bicones. Loop the tops.

5. Create 1 beaded head pin with a 6mm twist bead on the bottom followed by 7 4mm bicones. Loop the top.

6. Attach a 20” length of .015 Satin Silver wire to your lobster clasp with a crimp tube using your crimp tool.

7. Add your 9 4mm rounds to the wire. Cut off a 3” segment of wire and create a small loop by threading the wire into a crimp tube. Use chain nose pliers to smash tube flat. Add 13 4mm rounds to the wire. Thread wire into a second crimp tube and round wire so it’s not too stiff, then thread wire into crimp tube leaving a small loop before smashing flat with chain nose pliers.

8. Thread one loop on wire. Follow by your 6mm round, 4mm round, thread on your smallest beaded loop top head pin, another 4mm round, a 6mm round and the other loop on your wire. This creates a mini beaded swag. Move down three 4mm rounds and repeat using another small beaded loop top head pin.

9. This is your pattern for swags along the necklace. Each swag is inserted before and after your 6mm rounds. The swags graduate in size along with the beaded head pins. Here is your pattern: 15 4mm round swag and loop top dangle with 5 4mm rounds, 19 4mm round swag and loop top dangle with 6 4mm rounds and center of necklace is a 25 4mm round swag with a 7 4mm round loop top dangle. Repeat pattern in mirror of opposite side.

10. When you reach your final swag, add 9 more 4mm rounds and secure your necklace closed using a crimp tube and your crimp tool around a 6mm jump ring.

11. Slide a crimp cover over the crimp at the clasp. Use mighty crimp tool to gently close the bead over the crimp. Repeat for other side.

12. Attach a 3” section of rolo chain to the jump ring side of your clasp.

13. Slide a flower bead on a 6mm jump ring and attach to the end of your chain.

14. Create coordinating earrings by sliding a 4mm round, 6mm round and 4mm round on an eye pin and looping the top. Repeat for a second segment. Slide a tear drop on a 6mm jump ring and attach to one of your beaded segments. Attach the top of the segment to another beaded segment. Attach an ear wire to the top. Repeat for second earring.

Sources
Beads and pendants CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements, wire and findings Beadalon.

Here's a pic of me wearing the necklace to see how it wears. (I suggest that you not click on this image unless you enjoy seeing a forty something woman without make-up in extreme close-up!)

A Tasty Package and New Crafty Quickies™ Video!

On Friday I got a very tasty package in the mail, the CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements Autumn/Winter 2009/10 trends presentation. I thought to myself, self, should you keep all of this yummy sparkly goodness to yourself or should you share it with your readers?

Share!

To see the trends follow this link:
http://crystallized.swarovski.com/Portal.Node/portal?gentics.am=content&p.contentid=10007.46264

Swarovski® has trend offices in every major fashion center on the planet. I am confident when I state that few if any other brands are as trend savvy. Twice a year they debut new shapes, colors and innovations. I have lots of fabulous little sample boxes I’ve saved up and they are such fun to explore again and again for inspiration, I can’t show the samples yet but I promise to do so when the new trends officially launch. The other part of this mailing I love is the folder of mixed media collages on fold-out posters they create to showcase new trend forecast color combinations. Each one is a little work of art and this time around I’ve posted them on the walls of my studio for inspiration.

I feel very inspired, don’t you?!

And speaking of feeling inspired, here’s our latest Crafty Quickies™ offering: How to Use a Crimp Tube Part I. Enjoy! We have two more slated for uploading later today. I’ll be back on Saturday with this week’s TastyLinks™. I’m taking Thursday off to spend it with my family. That’s why I posted two free projects last week, see I was thinking ahead!



Happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo
Madge