December's Pretty Palettes - Reveal!

This month's inspiration for Pretty Palettes was champagne. 

Old-movie-style champagne, to be precise... Vintage bubbly: the kind featured in black and white films, glamorous and decadent. In fact, the perfect inspiration for this time of year, as we transition from the old to the new.

Not my picture!
From Unsplash, credit Tamara Menzi.

When I first read the post introducing this theme, I immediately had ideas for two necklaces. One was going to be a long one featuring chain and creamy pearls, and the other was going to be a choker featuring the white-and-sparkly color palette picked out by Erin Prais-Hintz.

So! With that in mind, here are beads that I originally picked out and ordered online from Michaels (they were on sale!)...

Notice something not quite right here?

Unfortunately, I didn't realize until much later that one of the beads had actually fallen off of my central focal--whether in transit, or whether in my craft room, I'm not sure. All I know is that I cannot find the bead (or my receipt) anywhere. It's an easy enough fix, I realize--I just need to find the right replacement. (All my 5mm white pearls don't quite match... Honestly, who knew that there were so many shades of white?)

All was not lost, however! 

Another quick trip to the store--and a rummage through my stash--offered up some lovely alternative beads. With them, I was able to make this:

While not as elaborate as the multi-stranded necklace I originally had in my mind, this set has just the right mix of pearl and sparkle. As well as it should, considering it was made with crystal and glass!

The construction is fairly straightforward... All of the components are strung on beading wire. The earrings are dainty, and made with the same materials as found in the necklace. 

Still, I think this simplicity just adds to the charm of this set--a bit of elegant sparkle, reminiscent of that vintage bubbly!

...But wait, there's more! 

Remember that I said I had two necklaces ideas? Well, while the shorter necklace didn't quite go as I had intended (although still lovely!), the longer necklace came out exactly as I had pictured:

...Although it's also a bit of a challenge to photograph well! 

Ah well, I tried. :)

The idea for this necklace was to make it look, and lay, like a lariat. For that reason, it is quite long... It can be worn as is, or doubled up for a shorter, more conventional, length. 

The necklace itself is made with alternating sections of chain and beads--champagne crystals and creamy pearls, to be precise. I also used additional pearl clusters for matching earrings.

I find the style rather glamorous, a mix of Edwardian elegance with flapper flair. 

I am, in fact, extremely happy with how this set turned out... exactly as I had pictured it, and very much inspired by the golden decadence of champagne. (The pearl clusters even remind me of the bubbles, ha!) 

So, there you go! That's what I made for this month's Pretty Palettes. 

Thank you for stopping by! As always, feel free to stop by the Halcraft Blog to see what everyone else made--and thanks to Erin Prais-Hintz and the folks over at Halcraft for continually hosting such lovely challenges!

Happy end-of-December, everyone! 

Come back in a few days to see what I made for my own Monthly Challenge! :)