Pay it Forward :: The One That Got Away

As promised, this is the other version of the 'Pay it Forward' necklace I was working on for Chelsea that I mentioned in yesterday's post. 

I played with this version and re-strung it several times. I was looking for a sort of 'webbing' effect that just wasn't working. And you simply cannot force the beads where they don't want to go. I will come back to that pattern, just need to use different weight beads. The ones I was using are micro beads, and while I love the look of them they simply don't have enough weight.  I'll be back in a later post with a version of a webbing effect. 

For now, this is a pattern that I strung Christmas Eve, sitting in front of the fire (really). I was thinking about holly berries, and that beautiful deep rich red that they have. We have several bushes of them just outside the kitchen window and I love to watch the birds scamper for them. Usually they come 10-15 at a time and try to peck them out of each other's beaks ... you'd think they'd just grab another one from the bush, but what's the fun in that?

This one is now listed in my Etsy Shop; for anyone interested. I used bamboo coral for the red beads, silver coils (I picked up in Brighton, UK) and a large Murano glass focal. I'll be back tomorrow with a second recipient of my 'Pay it Forward' pieces.