December 2007 Vintaj "Featured Project" Gallery Inspiration!

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”…warm up this holiday season with beautiful combinations of jewel tones & filigree! Cluster your favorite art glass, Swarovski crystals & pearls paired with distinctive Vintaj pieces to add exquisite detail to your designs.

Materials:
Natural brass beads & findings:
BD180- 2mm Crimp Bead
C2H45 - 19 x 17mm Flying West Bird Connector
DP225 - 15 x 10mm Swirl Drop
DP160- 25 x 26mm Filigree Star Drop - Wrap
DR10- 24mm Filigree Ring
EP1- 1" Eye Pin
HP1- 1" Head Pin
HPF15- 1.5" Pearl Head Pin
JR20- 4.5mm Jump Ring
JR30- 4.5mm Jump Ring
JR50- 10mm Jump Ring
TB60 – 1 1/4" Love Knot Toggle Bar

Tools & Supplies:
TS-03 - Ergonomic Rosary Plier, Round with Cutter
TS-04 - Ergonomic Chain Nose Plier with Cutter
TS-05 - 7 Strand Bronze Beading Wire

Other materials
4 & 6mm Swarovski crystal bi-cones
Emerald Swarovski crystal teardrop
7mm Glass Pearl
6/0 Seed Beads

Artist materials
Lillypilly Designs, Engraved Shell Pendant
available at! www.lillypillydesigns.com

STEP by STEPS

Step 1: Create your crystal beaded drops.
A: String one 4mm crystal bi-cone onto a pearl head pin.
B: Form a wrapped loop. Begin with a 90° bend near the top of your bead. Use your rosary pliers to form a simple loop with the tail overlapping. Wrap the tail tightly down the neck of the wire to create coils.
C: Cut off the end of another pearl head pin. Slide the open ended pin through the top drilled crystal teardrop until centered.
D: Form a wrapped bale. Begin by crossing the ends of the wire and holding one straight above crystal. Use your chain nose pliers to grip the other end and wrap it tightly up the neck of the wire to create coils.
E: Repeat Step B to form a wrapped loop at the top of remaining wire.
F: String 6mm crystals onto 1” head pins. String the glass pearl onto a 1” eye pin. Form simple loops. (see “Basic Linking on the tips and techniques page)

Step 2: Create your Beaded Cluster
A: Attach a 6mm jump ring to your lillypilly shell pendant, the filigree star and crystal teardrop.
B: String a 6mm crystal through the swirl end of the drop and attach it to a 4.5mm jump ring.
C: String in the following order: one 6mm crystal drop, the layered pendant and swirl crystal drop onto a 10mm jump ring.
D: Attach beaded cluster to another 10mm jump ring and to the filigree ring. E: Use a 4.5mm jump ring to attach the bird connector and 4mm crystal drop to the pearl bead link. Attach to filigree ring using a 10mm jump ring.

Step 3: Create Front Focal Toggle.
A: String a single strand of seed beads.
B: Crimp & attach 4.5mm jump rings to the ends of strand.
C: Add the love knot toggle bar to one end of strand.
D: Attach a 10mm jump ring to the opposite end and onto the filigree ring with beaded cluster pendant.

*Helpful Tip for "Front Toggle Closure" designs:
For a more secure fit ~ You can create a long enough necklace that would slip over your head and make the toggle bar and ring in the front permanent by using a JR40 or JR50 jump ring and connecting the toggle bar to the filigree ring.

Or, you can also do the same thing by making the bar and ring a permanent closed focal in the front and use either; CL50- small hook & eye clasp, CL20- filigree clasp or CL60- swirl clasp in the back of the design if you wanted to keep a shorter style necklace.

These two options would give you the same great focal feel of a front closure however it would not open and there would be no worries about your piece ever falling off!

Your necklace is complete, Enjoy!