Black and Green Mermaid Necklace

It's a special time of year - a time of year were it is not only acceptable to play dress up in public, it is rather expected and celebrated. For me - I love playing dress up and embrace pretty much any reason to do so. It also means this girl needs a new costume and all the trimmings (yes, any reason for a new outfit is a good one) and I have been working on the pieces that will make my whole costume complete and will be sharing the process.

I needed a new necklace for to go with my new outfit and decided to use a mermaid charm that I had gotten a few years ago at the Renaissance Faire a few years ago, some green seed beads (yes, the beads from  that package I picked up at the dollar store just keep showing up), and black wire and jewelery making bits.

Beaded Jewelry Collection

What can you get from an inexpensive bead ring kit that severely lacks directions? With a little creativity, imagination, and a desire to try some new things... a whole collection of beaded jewelry. One kit for $1 (at local Dollar Store) + a few things I already had on hand (equaling only an added few pennies here and there) = a new collection of beaded jewelry. (9 Pieces to be more exact.)


 Three beaded rings. (A Flower, a peace sign, & a cloud burst.)

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One 'Marie Antoinette *after* the guillotine' inspired choker.

 

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Two Beaded Slave Bracelets. (Water and Fire inspired.)

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Bottled Amulet on Beaded Necklace

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Beaded Rainbow Bracelet

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Beaded Twist Ring

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And with the wire all used up there are still beads to spare.

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So, to recap - nine pieces of jewelry (with beads leftover) from one box of wire and seeds beads.

Keep your eyes open, you never know what you might find. (Guess what kids, I still have another box that I haven't opened yet.)

Marie Antoinette Beaded Guillotine Choker

I love costumes and dressing up whether for stage, holidays (like Halloween), for costume parties, or just for fun. Like with most things, a lot can be found in the details. A friend of mine had a Marie Antoinette costume, complete with a bloody line drawn on from Marie's visit with the guillotine. The costume was great, but make up and fake blood can be messy, smear, and fade, especially over an evening of wear. There has to be a better (and cleaner) option for the same (or better) effect. This inspired a blood red beaded choker.

I was able to use all things I had on hand to create this choker, including the tiny beads and wire that I have from the rings I made recently mixed with some jewelry making items I had on hand from other projects. This is what I used, but it doesn't mean it's the only way to make a choker like this. (Use your imagination!)


I started with cutting one piece of wire and a small piece of chain. The chain was for the closure to make it more flexible for sizing whether for me or for someone else. (With my collection of costumes and costume pieces that often happens.) I attached the chain to one end of the end, using pliers to secure it and to make sure the pointy end of the wire was tucked in so not to scratch flesh. (No need for jewelry to hurt.) This kept the beads from falling off the opposite end while I worked.

Starting on the other end, I started to bead the thin jewelry wire with the tiny blood red beads a few at a time, pushing them all the way to the end. (It took me longer to sort the red beads out of the mixture than it took to actually bead the choker.)

Making a 'blood drop'

After a few inches, I added a few beaded 'blood drops' I made by taking a small piece of wire with the seed beads and creating a blood drop shape, then securing each 'drop' to the main piece securely twisting with needle nose pliers. I made sure to wrap the end of the wire in and then tucking inside a bead to again keep the sharp edges away from delicate neck flesh. I then added a few beads between the 'blood drops,' making the drops different sizes.

HINT: The beads are tiny, so working on a tray with a small edge to keep the beads from rolling away from you is a great idea in creating your work space. The beads are tiny and I was able to press a number of them into the tip of my finger, then beading them onto the wire from my finger tip.

 I finished beading the length of the wire with the red beads, leaving enough on the end to attach the enclosure. Using the pliers, I secured the closure to the end of the wire, cutting off the access, then again tucking the sharp end safely from scrapping skin.

It's now ready to wear. I think I want to try some tear shaped red beads next time for the blood drops.

For more information, inspiration, and ideas on Marie Antoinette check out Marie Antoinette at Wikipedia or Marie-Antoinette.org. Enjoy, explore, create, and don't be afraid to play dress up!

And remember you are only limited by your imagination.

Misc. Jewelry Creations

Double Row Hemp Choker

Some of these pieces of jewelry were camp related projects and some where not. I don't claim to be an expert on jewelry making and some skill sets are new to me.

The Double Row Hemp Choker was my own take on the macrame knots I have been doing for years. I taught basic macrame using square and half knots at camp, mostly used for bracelets, necklaces, and chokers. This was a design I played with on my own inter-knotting two rows of square knots. One week half the camp ended up using thick macrame chord (donated and probably from someone's 70's or 80s stash) to make macrame belts. Retro definitely has never gone away with hemp chord and macrame chord. Check out more on the Double Row Hemp Sq. Knot Choker

Dream Catcher Earrings

The Dream Catcher Earrings were the result of working at a camp located in an area where American Indian Culture was celebrated and Pow Wow was held annually. I was playing with making my own out of what I had on hand. (There were some necklaces and stuff made too that were given away.) These were made from a couple of key rings, brown embroidery thread, a few small wooden beads, a couple small orange feathers, and two earring hooks. Check out more on my Dream Catcher Earrings

Charm Bracelet with homemade charms

When I was younger my mom had a charm bracelet that I was fascinated with, complete with charms that all had meaning to her. This charm bracelet was made with chain and hook from the jewelry section of the craft store with re-purposed old earrings and homemade charms that all were significant to me. A heart, a mermaid (I kind of have a things for mermaids), a flower, a tree of life, a peace sign (of course), a couple small butterflies, and a few tiny bead strands. The homemade charms were created from discarded twisty ties, stripped of the plastic or paper coverings, then twisted and altered into various shapes (needle nose pliers helped here). Most of the shapes took a lot more twisties than one might have originally planned.

It didn't me long to get aggravated with stripped on the plastic or paper coverings on the twisty ties, so I resorted to using a controlled bit of flame to burn the covering off. Of course, making sure they were cool before munipulating them into shapes. The tiny bits of wire, were not the easiest things to form, but it was a challenge I was glad I took on. (Look ma, no injuries.) The end result was a new bracelet and a great learning experience. More on my Twisty Tie Charm Bracelet

The Seashell Jewelry (necklace and earrings) got easily inspired by a large collection of shiny tiny glass beads in all sorts of blues, greens, ambers, and browns with a nice assortment of seashells mixed with my thing for mermaids. (It just keeps finding a way to reappear, so you might as well get used to it.) I used a jewelry make wire, catch (for the necklace), and earring hooks that I had one hand (plus of working at a camp) to string the beads and attach the shells.

Seashell Jewelry

My original intend when starting these ocean inspired pieces was to use them as part of a mermaid costume that I have been playing with sketches and construction ideas. The costume hasn't been built yet, but I haven't given up on it. (I'm still playing with some ideas.) Have no worries though, the jewelry was used this past year when I helped a couple friend with Halloween Costumes and one of them went as the Ocean. The seashells and beads were a nice touch with the creation of flowing blues and greens with various sea creatures thrown in for fun. These have proven to be a great addition to my costume collection (and yes, I have one, one that takes up it's own closet, but that is another story for another day). Check out more on the Seashell Jewelry

Celebrate the art of being who you want to be and wearing the things that mean something to you.