Be sure to check out my Beading Basics instructions for advice on how to get started in jewelry making. This section is about designing a piece of jewelry from start to finish. There are no hard and fast rules, I thought it might be fun and educational to journey with me from the start of a design to its completion.

Ok, I don't always do much planning when I make jewelry. Sometimes I just start beading and see where it will take me! But, there are so many possibilities here, I  thought I'd play with some ideas.  

Of course, what scans of the beads look like and how they actually will work on thread may be two quite different things!

I was thinking that whichever pair I do NOT use for the necklace could be utilized as (a) part of a loop/bead clasp and (b) the focal point of a possible bracelet.

Another possibility would be to use the redder beads with the blue/gray leaves or to use the bluer beads with the redder leaves! We'll see what works "in real life"! With polymer clay beads, since they are so light, almost any stringing material will work. With Nymo (nylon beading thread), you get more "drape". With Soft Flex or Soft Touch (plastic coated beading wire), you get more stiffness, but more strength with heavier beads, however, you usually need to use crimps to secure your clasp. Sometimes I like to make my necklaces with a "base strand" of Soft Touch, and then bead into that with Nymo. 

Another consideration is how much wear a piece might get. An "everyday" piece needs stronger thread and more secure stringing than a "special occasion" piece. I usually go back through my beads several times to make the necklace stronger, because many people "play" with their necklaces and put more stress on the piece than you'd normally expect. My daughter is very hard on jewelry, and she "test drives" my designs for me. If a piece can survive her testing, it should survive anything! 

A lot depends on what happens when I start beading... something might seem to be a good idea, but just won't work up right. So now it's on to beading!

For more, see Jewelry Design 3, coming soon!