Project by Laura
Filigree Earrings Materials List
26 4mm open jump rings in your color choice, depending on your filigree pieces
34 5mm 20 gauge open jump rings in your color choice, depending on your filigree pieces
2 filigree circles (I used silver, which can be antiqued; we also have antique brass)
34 lentil beads (one strand here at The Bouncing Bead)
Ear Wires
Flat Nose Pliers
Chain Nose Pliers

Using your pliers, attach a 5mm jump ring to each of the lentil beads.

Attach 5 jump-ringed lentils to the bottom of each filigree piece.

Now you’re ready to start building the lentil “chain”.  This is where the 4mm jump rings come in.

Using your pliers again, open a 4mm jump ring and hook it onto the back side of the center 5mm jump ring (so it hangs behind the bead).  Before you close the jump ring, add one of your 5mm jump rings with the attached lentil.  Now close the jump ring.  In other words, the 4mm jump rings are the links to connect your 5mm jump rings and create the “chain” I mentioned above.

Repeat for the length you want.  I did 5 in the center, 4 on each side, then 2 on the outside (but you can do as many or as few as you want, I won’t mind).

When you’ve connected all the lentils beads, open your Ear Wire and connect them to the top of your filigree piece.  Cheerio!

It’s happened to all of us, hasn’t it? You have a pile of gorgeous project stuff in front of you but can’t seem to find a starting place.  Or, you have one great strand of beads or a pendant that you want to build a piece around but are stuck figuring out the rest of the components.  Sometimes it takes some effort and time before you feel that “click” in your creative gut.

When we started laying out our current new batch of beads, inspiration was everywhere!  Often, things were just laying in a pile to be priced and they would call to me, “Look how gorgeous that other bead and I are together!  You should make me and my new friend into a pair of earrings!”  (So hard to stay focused on work when that happens.)  So, we created several inspiration boards to help point you toward some options for combining the pieces you love to create something unique.  You’ll see this helpful area on our wall just as you enter the store.

One of the most underrated tools in the beading world is the color wheel.  This handy little gal is your Sacajawea through the land of color mixing.   You can get really technical with color relationships,  but we’re just going to touch on a few easy ones today (happily, this is one relationship that doesn’t have to be messy).

Our first board reflects the idea of using opposite sides of the color wheel to create something vibrant.  Red and green sit opposite each other which means they are complementary colors, and yes, very Christmas-y. This also means that different shades or values of those colors also complement each other, like the jade and coral we used here.  The blue adds a pop of something unexpected, another great way to keep a piece from sliding into the snooze zone.  Antique brass as the metal element lends a retro feel and a bit of whimsey.

The second collection also reflects the technique of complementary colors but also showcases the idea of incorporating different textures and proportions to give a piece interest.
The third board uses split complementary colors meaning that they sit beside each other on the color wheel ~ in this case, yellow,  yellow-green, and green.  We also incorporated some shiny gold elements (a hot trend right now) which counts as a “yellow”.   With a softer color scheme like this, a great way to create a focal point is to pick a bold clasp like the gold toggle shown and show it off in the front of your piece.  Why hide something this awesome behind your hair?

Perhaps this will alleviate some of that glassy-eyed stuckness we all experience at times along the path of creativity.  Here’s hoping our “Inspiration Points” will get you going!

To start I used two different colors of 1.5mm Indian leather (we have many new colors) and if you noticed I chose the popular Pantone colors of the fall:  Tangerine and Aqua.  The Anchor is made of brass so therefore lead and nickle free!

First Step.  Cut (2) 6″ pieces of leather for your main bracelet. Take your first piece, fold in half and feed through the hole of the anchor creating a loop.  Take the two ends and pass through the loop. Pull tight.

Second Step. Take your second piece, fold in half and “hook” around the anchor section.

Third Step. Cut (2) 6″ pieces of a different colored leather, or the same color if you want boring uniformity, (not that there’s anything wrong with that).  Take one piece and wrap it around the base of your folded leather (either side. you will repeat the same procedure for the opposite side).  Wrap the leather about 3 or 4 times around leaving some slack in the coils.  Take one end of your tail and pass it through the opposite way through the coils and repeat with the opposite tail.  Grasp your two ends that have criss-crossed through the coils and pull tight.  Take some glue and place within the coils to seal the coil.  Need more help?  Visit www.theknottydoitall.com for a video tutorial on this process.

Fourth Step.  Cut (1) 6″ long piece of leather.  Criss-cross your bracelet ends and where they cross repeat the wrapping of your loose piece of leather around them.  This will secure the bracelet so it doesn’t open.  Secure the wrap with glue.

Fifth Step.  Cut (2) 6″ pieces of leather.  Wrap each strand of leather around the two strands of bracelets creating a “knot” of sorts using the same wrap technique.  Glue your wraps again.

The bracelet is kinda “hairy” so lets give it a hair cut.  Trim all your ends.  And there you go.

See you next week!

Materials List
“Fine” Softflex in any color (yep, this is a great way to use colored Softflex)
2 Clam Shells (metal color of your choice)
2 Crimp Beads (metal color of your choice)
Clasp (metal color of your choice)
Beads, whatever you got

Cut three strands of the Softflex to the length of necklace you want.  I chose the Antique Copper color and cut 17″ lengths.

Put your crimp bead at one end of your three strands and crimp.  Trim excess strands.  Feed the three strands opposite your crimped end through the joint of the clam shell and feed to the end so the clam shell “swallows” the crimped bead.  Pinch the clam shell closed.

Take your first bead and if you can, feed all three strands through the hole.  (If all three won’t fit, just put two through and start your pattern from there.)  Push the bead down toward your clam shell.  Select two strands and feed them through another bead.  Select ONE of the strands that was just fed through your second bead and pick up the OTHER strand that is all by itself because it wasn’t included in the trip through your second bead.  Take those 2 strands and feed them through another bead.  Getting it?  You’ll always have two strands in a bead and one strand loose.  Don’t stress about alternating strands like you would in an actual braid.  It won’t matter which of the two strands traveling through the bead you pick.

If you wish to add a pendant,  slide it on at your center point.  This necklace looks great either with or without a pendant so it’s all up to you.  You can put on as many or as few beads as you want, depending on whether you prefer a clustered (more beads) or “floaty” look (less beads). When you have all your beads on, pick up your second clam shell and feed your three strands through the outside joint hole of your clam shell and push down to your beads.  Take your second crimp bead and crimp it onto all three strands.  Snip off any excess softflex and slide your clam shell up and “swallow” the crimp bead.

If your clamshells have open hooks, use your chain nose pliers to secure the hooks to your clasp.  If not, dig through your stuff for a couple of open jump rings and use those to finish your connection.  Repeat for the other side.

This is a great way to use up extra beads and create a fast and unique necklace, bracelet or even earrings.  This is proof that inspiration can be found anywhere.  Even the Santee Swapmeet.  Go hither and be inspired.