Swarovski Ombre Necklace

This is probably one the ones I've been most excited to share out of the new things I've created over the holidays.  I bought a Swarovski mix containing various shapes in shades of red.  I played around with them on my design board and was inspired to create an ombre necklace.  I instantly began sketching, however the ombre effect on its own didn't seem enough.  I really wanted to catch the eye.  I began adding strands to add to the effect, but there was still something missing.  Going back to my mixed bag, I noticed the the different sizes and the idea of a 3D ombre came to me.

Butterfly Garden Set

Despite hating pink and "girly" things, every once in a while, I do surprise those around me by liking something girly.

My American supplier had a gorgeous pendant with a butterfly embossed on it and some beautiful two colour beads (Rose & Peridot).  I had no idea that by combining the two, I'd end up with something this...well, girly: 

Butterfly Garden Necklace

 All of the beads are glass and you may recognise the silver flower spacers from the Calypso necklace.  As you can see, I'm still having fun with wire.  I threaded the wire through the holes in the pendant and wrapped them into spirals of varying size, which I think makes an intresting focal.  

Hanging from a line of small crystal glass beads is the fringe, which I made from turquoise, light green and lilac beads.  The colors are supposed to represent the gradual change of the colour of the sky throughout the day, with crystal clouds on top of course!

Next I alternated the rose and peridot rice beads with the crystal beads, which to me is the dusky pink of the evening sky in the butterfly garden, slowly turning into night. (I'm a writer, I'm allowed to have imagination!)

Round crystal beads with Rose & peridot beads

Finally, to tie it all together I decided to use ribbon, but I didn't want it too wide.  Fortunately, a friend of mine makes the most amazing candles and soaps (please check out her site - One Stop Pamper), and her candles are tied with tiny white ribbons!  So guess where I got these from? ;)

Candle ribbons

One of those, I'm not sure if it's the left or the right is from her Butterfly Meadows votive candle, so it actually smells like a butterfly garden too!

The Earrings took a little more thought.  I'd run out of the rose and peridot beads and I was fast running out of the crystal beads too.  So I decided to carry on the fringe effect from the necklace.  None of the butterfly charms I had, matched the feel of the necklace, so I used these dragonfly charms instead, which are equally as good.  I hung them from the hoop I made from some left over wire.

Butterfly Garden Earrings

Earth Day Set

I made my mom an awesome necklace for her birthday that used her favourite shades of brown and green.  I really liked the concept colours, so I decided to make myself something using those same shades. 

I've been trying to make something out of these topaz/brown beads for a while, as I wasn't that struck on them or the necklace they used to be on.  I'm not sure you can see it on the photos, but they have an AB coating on them, which makes them reflect lots of different colours.  Not bad for some old acrylic beads, eh?

Interesting fact:  Excluding the findings, the Butterfly pendant is the only thing that I bought to make this set.  All the other beads were ones I stripped off old necklaces.

I didn't want big, flashy earrings, with this necklace as I like my jewellery simple.

Materials Used: Silver Greek Metal Butterfly pendant, Acrylic topaz AB faceted drop beads, Acrylic gold round beads, Lime seed beads.