Finally Got Around to Some Crafting

It has been an outstandingly crazy week. There really hasn't been any free time to work on any projects, and even today (Saturday) I doubted whether I would have a chance to get to this...but ALAS! I did it! Somehow I managed to workout, put together my grocery list (entailed with a monstrosity of coupons), stop in at Old Navy, Target, Bi-Lo, and Publix, drag myself home to put it all away, bathe the boys, eat a DELICIOUS meal my wonderful hubby made, put the youngest to bed, and....ahhhhhhhhhh...breathe. DONE. By 8:30 I was on my way to creating my first (metal) piece of jewelry, thanks to Miss Disney. I have mentioned Disney's fan-stinking-tastic blog before, and if you haven't checked it out, I urge you to do so. She is sooooooo me, in a perfect world where I know how to do all the stuff I want to do! To put it simply, I totally dig her style. But, I digress. Back to the topic at hand. My necklace. I shall call it Minny. Disney had a beginner jewelry making tutorial, which I followed meticulously. Having only created beaded jewelry before, this was something new and exciting for me to try. It was pretty easy, and straight forward also. Thanks Disney for the great instructions!

Here's how it went:
I used eyepins, seen here, 7 large pearl beads and 8 small pearl beads a simple 18" chain, and a clasp, if it doesn't already have one attached, and a 1/2" wide ribbon in your color choice.












1: Start by slipping one large pearl onto an eyepin, and clipping it about 1/2" from the top of the pearl with wire cutters.
2: Using your needle-nose pliers, grasp the very top of the clipped eyepin firmly, and turn the pliers over twice, to bend the eyepin into a circle. Then bend the bottom of the circle back a little, to form a hook shape. Repeat for 2 more large pearls.












3: Do the same thing, but threading 1 small pearl, then 1 large, then another small one, and repeat to make 4 sets of the three pearls.













4: Snip the link in the very center of your chain with your wire cutters. Then grab a single pearl, open the hook on one end slightly with your pliers, by twisting it to the side, and loop one of the ending links of the chain onto it. Then close, by bending your hook back into place (be sure that the hook is closed all the way!). Repeat for the hook on the other side of your pearl, so that your chain is intact again, with a pearl in the center.

5: Starting from your center pearl, measure 1.5" away, and snip another link. Add a 3-pearl accent using the same method as in step 4. Repeat, measuring 1.5" each time, to add another single, and 3-pearl accent.

6: Repeat on the other side of your center pearl.

7: Add a clasp, if necessary, by opening the loop on the end, and threading the ending chain link onto it, then close with your pliers. Add a jumpring to the other end of the chain.
jumprings

(right)








8: Then tie three small bows onto your chain; the first right above the first pearl accent on one side, the second, right next to the center pearl accent, and the third, between the first two pearl accents on the other side. I stitched mine a little with a needle and thread.

I guess I went with the red ribbon because it felt more summery. I really like how it turned out. What do you think? :)
lk