I made this last month when I was working on some toggle clasps and some fine silver spacer beads. Whenever I work with metal clay, I end up making extra components to have on hand. I might not have a specific design for them at the time, but I’ll get around to figuring out a way to use them. It’s the same with the silver beads I make. One can never have too many extras to choose from.
As I made the piece, and as it sat on my bench waiting for inspiration, I kept thinking about using seed beads for the connecting loops.
Working with the seed beads and trying an asymmetric design for the resulting necklace took me way out of my comfort zone.
But the necklace is not uncomfortable to wear, and I like the mix of handmade silver beads and African glass.
Talk about bead ADD. You should have seen my bench after stringing and restringing this a dozen times or more. What a mess of bead piles! The next time I make these ovals I will make several. I am planning another necklace with reversible ovals, seed bead loops, and a comfortably repetitious design.
Barbara S Fernald Jewelry 