It's cool to learn stuff on blogs, or so I think, anyway. I'm just a big sponge -- the most difficult part about being one is not starting fifty million projects.
Last week I made a fringe bracelet for a customer. She purchased a different one from me; it was too small. She sent it back, I lengthened it. I misplaced it. Serious -- how goofy is THAT?! So I ordered some new lampwork beads and set out to make her a new one. After I had chosen the Swarovski crystals and made the charms, then process of assembly began:
1. Started to string; lots of loose things hanging around begging for selection. Unwrapped Swarovski crystals, mostly, in complementary colors.
2. Close ups of some little piles of potential fringes. I arrange them like that to get an idea of what charms I have made and what I still need.
3. After I made more charms I strung up some of the beads. The lampwork beads alternate between single-color blue and multicolored on a blue base. Each lampwork is sandwiched by two indicolite Swarovski bicone crystals, and centered between all of those are big 8mm peridot Swarovski bicones in Bali sterling bead caps. Oh, yeah, and then the fringes are on either side of the bead caps, too! Got that?!!
4. That pattern worked, so I added the rest of the beads and fringes.
5. To measure the bracelet I used the ruler on one of the bead boxes. See how it's 6 inches long? Usually the toggles take about 1 to 1.5
inches of length, so I either need a few more beads with a 1-inch
toggle, or a 1.5-inch toggle.
6. OK, where is the box of toggles?
7. Now, which toggle?
8. I chose this one:
9. Voila!
I hope you enjoyed this tour of putting together a fringe bracelet.
Just in case you'd like one for yourself, I do take custom orders. Price ranges from $85 and up, depending on the cost of the lampwork beads (all of which are artisan-made).
