Remember

That necklace my coworker gave me to 'refurbish'?
This one:
Well, I was very careful to take notes while performing the frog stitch on it - along with photos for visual aid - in the hopes that I could re-create something like it. But I was inspired to use something more than seeds for my piece. I used freshwater pearls and dark chocolate/copper Swarovski bicones. It was great fun to make this necklace, and I have a feeling I might try this again. I had so many different color schemes ideas while working on it.

The sides are basically made the same way, but for the fact that I decided to leave the back portions bare. So instead of crocheting to the end, I finished in a nice 'figure-8' finger weave technique.

And then I used the extra long thread ends, attached them to the silver heart toggle, and then made a lovely cascade of branch fringes, incorporating more of the pearls. A good 'counter' weight for the heavy fringing at the front.
(and boy is this necklace weighty!)

The front tassel hangs from a large, chocolate brown, gold foil lampwork heart, and I varied the techniques in the fringes. A few are crocheted, like the main strands in the necklace, a few more branched fringes, and some simple strands, accented with more pearls, and more bicones.

Sadly, the photos do not do this piece justice. I tried to photograph is in ambient sunlight, but the pearls just gave off this bright glare. In the shade, and I lose a bit of the color's richness. (The pearls are golden yellow with coffee brown edges). Oh, but you should have seen the crystals shining in the sunlight. Nothing short of spectacular. Okay, it seems that my darling pearls might be finding themselves in a bit of a competition for my affection regarding these little sparklies... ;)

Well, I sure hope this is just the beginning of setting the muse in motion. My next endeavor: Finishing a few U.F.O.s that have been lying around for a while. I hate seeing them floundering on my table or in a box, just waiting to be completed. That, or the myriad other pieces that just need to be put out of their misery... Hopefully I'm pulling out of this funky haze that invaded my cranium in the most recent weeks. Hopefully.