Being Resourceful and using what I have

This weekend I will be at another summer event where I will have an opportunity to meet with lots of old friends (well they're probably not as old as I am) and spend some time relaxing in the evenings. It's been a hectic couple of weeks here, and I am kinda glad that we haven't been having really hot weather. The dress code for the day has been sweats...no time to spiff up...so I'm glad that even when I go outside to buff the few pieces that need to be done, that it's cool enough to be comfortable in that attire.

As for this neckpiece, I got the inspiration from a Polymer Clay site...and just had to try the summery colours of a piece I saw there. The whole thing has been a challenge and I've been working on it on and off for over a week. First I had to find a suitable mandrel to form the beads on. Easy enough--I took apart an old wind chime and used a pipe from that. Then I had to drill the beads...easy enough again. I placed each individual bead on an open page from a years old phone book, and drilled straight down. Finally, I had to figure out a way to buff the beads on the bench grinder. If I had just put them on a needle, they would have spun around like crazy and I just can't hold stuff in my hands for that long to hold each one and yet move it so as not to over-do it. I found the perfect 'tool'. From my collection of weaving stuff/antiques, I selected an aged wooden spool and it was ideal for positioning the beads in front of the buffing wheel.

Stringing the beads posed a bit of a challenge too, since I generally don't do many necklaces of this type. I got out my trusty bead tray (actually took it out of the wrapper) to help sort and position the many little glass beads that go in between the polymer ones. I needed way more beads than I first imagined! Even got to use up some of my 'for future consideration' beads; you know the ones that you just make, never knowing where they'll end up.

Hopefully this will end up on someone...and if it doesn't, I have just the pair of sweats that it will co-ordinate with.