Phantasm Creations: Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month

Where, oh where, has this month gone! I just can't seem to get the hang of a full time job, beading, writing, and attempting to get out of the apartment for some exercise. Add to that, we have signed papers on a new apartment and get to move again at the end of June... Hopefully after that things will settle down! I will have a bead room in the new place, and my commute will be much shorter...I anticipate coming home from work, starting dinner, and beading while it cooks! One can dream, right?

Anyway, back to the subject at hand! This month we got to play with some of Susan Kennedy's little beaded beads!

Sue sent me the set on the top right - a combination of turquoise, ivory, olive green, and mustard yellow.

I knew before the beads even arrived that I didn't want to make earrings or a necklace. I don't really wear earrings anymore, and I already have PLENTY of necklaces, so a bracelet seemed like the best option. The challenge I face when using small beaded components, is not overwhelming them with my own beadwork...it is unfortunately easy to do! So to keep my own beadwork to a minimum, I made this central component:

I bought that blue mother of pearl frame eons ago - it has holes through short edges that I was able to use to suspend a beaded square in the middle. After that, I looped around the long edges to secure the square in place. When I was done with that, it still looked like the component needed a central element, so I went digging through my box of 2hole beads, and found this lovely striated vintage glass one...isn't it pretty?

Here are all the beaded components together. Part of the reason I used those turquoise picasso drops on the edges of the central component, was so I could use them as a wire attachment point, and simply string Sue's beads and the rest of the bracelet. Like this!

I used vintage glass beads on the rest of the bracelet, and an antique brass colored toggle with matching crimp covers - I like that they're nearly the same size as the little green Japanese glass beads!

I used a few turquoise delicas before and after I passed through the drop bead, just to alleviate a bit of tension on the wire, and to leave less of it exposed.