Pearl Challenge

This pearl challenge is yet another event hosted by Lisa Lodge. This one is a little different in that you did not have to blog about your creations. This allowed beaders without a blog to participate. Everyone's creations are posted in an album on Lisa's Pine Ridge Treasures' Facebook page.

I have decided to blog about my creations beyond what I sent Lisa to be posted in the album.

These are the glass pearls that were in the kits I purchased by Lisa. Two different sized round deep red, small round white and rice pearls in both the white and the deep red.

I started working with the smaller red pearls. I wanted to do something I had not done before, flat spiral. I found instructions in Jean Power's book Small Beads Big Jewelry. Jean's design used two different sized pearls and seed beads. I decide to use the smaller red pearls, clear fire-polished crystals and matte black seed beads.

After finishing this bracelet I thought what would if I used pearls on the edge and crystals in the center. A look thru my stash lead to this combination. Swarovski Pacific Opal crystals, the small round white pearls from the kit and seaform green seed beads.

Here are the two bracelets together, in the image that I sent to Lisa to include in the album.

Back in August while I was working on the challenge I was contacted by a fellow beader, Mary. She was looking for help with the Celtic Trefoil by Diane Fitzgerald in her book Shaped Beadwork. I had blogged about making some last summer. I decided the best way to help Mary was to make a trefoil and photograph some of the more challenging parts of the design. I decided to use colours that would work with the pearls in the kit and some bronze beads in my stash.

Here are some of the photos that I sent to her to help out.

At the second corner ready to add two beads for the increase

Completed third row and have stepped up to start fourth

Completed Trefoil

I then completed the necklace with a elegant pattern of the three different size and styles of the deep red pearls and the flat round bronze beads.

Take a moment to go over to the album on the Pine Ridge Treasure Facebook page to see the other beaded creations.

Thanks again to Lisa for the challenge!

Happy Beading!