...And now that our internet is working again, I finally get a chance to post it. It's so nice when technology works. :)
As a quick reminder, my challenge this month was proposed by my best friend. They wanted me to make something "not shiny."
 |
| Something not shiny! ...And also not my photo. Photo by Will Swann on Unsplash |
Believe it or not, this was quite a challenge for me. I apparently have developed quite a love for faceted, fire-polished, glossy beads... it was fun to change gears and search through my stash for all things frosted and matte finished.
 |
| Some of the beads that I picked out to play with. |
Overall, I finished two necklaces, and started a third.
And so, without further ado... Here is what I made!
Necklace #1
It's tassel time!
This is the first necklace that I made for this challenge. To make it, I gathered together some purple matte lampwork beads and some matte pewter chain, then paired them with gunmetal wire and antique silver findings.
The final result? A long, giant tassel necklace that is both striking and not shiny!
I've been making so many beaded tassels recently that I haven't played around with chain tassels all that much... it was fun to change that and go all out for this one. This particular tassel is made with at least five different types of chain--mostly matte pewter, but with a few strands of antique silver to add some depth.
...What can I say? I love the result!
Necklace #2
For this second necklace, I wanted to use only matte black beads and brass.
...Oh, and my new onyx-shade patina, which is what I used to age the two focal rings. :)
After I added the patina to the rings (and buffed some off, to add the texture), I went about finalizing the fringe design and necklace pattern. The necklace itself is knotted on waxed linen, and includes brass beads and two sizes of matte black beads.
Oh, and fun fact: that big focal bead was actually salvaged from a vintage necklace.
Overall, the construction of this necklace is actually pretty straight-forward... But I honestly really like how it turned out. It is a balance of striking and subdued--the dramatic design paired with the darker, muted beads. I look forward to playing around with this idea more!
Bonus!
Necklace-in-Progress
This last one is the focal and tassel that I started to put together... It incorporates glass (lampwork and otherwise) and a dyed stone fossil bead. I can't quite decide on what to hang it from, though. A beaded chain, perhaps? Many layers of chain? A combination of the two? Decisions, decisions!
So, there you go! Those are the not-shiny designs that I made for this challenge. Thank you so, so much for stopping by today to see what I made! Please be sure to come back next month to see what May's challenge will be.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Ooooh, you did not-shiny quite well. I have to say that the black necklace definitely gets my attention the most, but the other ones are fab too! Looking forward to seeing what you do next! :D
ReplyDelete