Pinched Petal Necklace from Color Inspirations

This is another exercise from Polymer Clay Color Inspirations: Techniques and Jewelry Projects for Creating Successful Palettesby Lindley Haunani and Maggie Maggio.

 I had trouble deciding on my primary colours as the Kato colour chips I made that matched colours in my collage  were fairly equally split between red and magenta and also turquoise and blue so I put this project off for quite a long time. Also I was sure I wouldn't ever wear it so nearly didn't bother doing it at all. I opted for magenta in the end and made a custom 50:50 blue:turquoise for my blue, yellow was packet yellow.


I wasn't thinking very clearly and forgot to put the black and white skinner blend through the pasta machine on a thinner setting before I rolled it up. I didn't worry about it too much as I was just doing the exercise in case I learnt something rather than to make a necklace to wear.
 I started cutting and forming the pinched petal beads. There were a lot!
I pierced the hole with a needle tool.

 I had left the cane overnight before slicing and some of the black and white skinner blend cane parts split a bit. I didn't worry about it too much as it was on the backs of the beads and I assumed you wouldn't see them. I found out that was wrong and you could see many of the backs so if you are making these make sure the backs are neat too!

 I started stringing them and couldn't work out if I was going to put them on alternately - one facing forward, one facing back or all the same way. I tried both and decided all facing forwards.

I strung them on tiger tail initially.

Didn't like the blip in sequence at the middle in the back.

The two ends of the cane both had the same colours in and they didn't flow well so I took them off and reordered them so the colour flowed throughout the necklace in one circle. At that point I decided to restring them on Beadalon Elasticity so that I wouldn't have a clasp so it could be worn any way round. The holes were too small for the thicker Elasticity I have so I had to use the thinner one (must plan ahead more!).

The finished necklace (well OK I took this before I had glued and trimmed the ends of the Elasticity).

I put it on and it felt quite nice so I left it on. I have worn it several times and am surprised to say I really like it! I thought it would be a bit 'too much' but it is very flexible it goes with most of my wardrobe!

Only problem is the weight of the beads is too much for the thin Elasticity and it has stretched. Guess I will have to restring it on the thicker stuff after I have enlarged all the holes.

Just goes to show you should try things, you might like them more than you think!