DONE...thank goodness

I have mentioned on my blog-a-blog here that stringing is not my area of expertise. I can line up itty bitty teeny weeny seed beads all day long on a 10 1/2" headband, but I can't make anything over 1mm look good to save my life, so when I set out to create something using the fancy shmancy rosettes from this month's issue of Beadwork, I immediately ran into a brick wall...allow me to explain.
You see these little rosettes? I finished them in about 3 hours. Should've been able to do them faster, but I ran into a supply-shortage and had to substitute creatively. (welcome to the party hematite rounds! Not to mention how much those faceted czech rounds cost me! I was about 10 min. away from bartering body parts with the bead lady!)

Now, do you see the layers of chain hanging between the rosettes? Yeah...well, those took me TWO DAYS! Mostly trial and error. I must have taken this necklace apart 50 times.
I tried assymetrical. I tried smaller rosettes hanging in the layers. I tried variating the types of chain. I tried variating the beads, doing wraps, scrapping the whole thing...
In the end I settled on this, and stuck with symmetry. I like the final product and even though it's a little outside my normal asthetic it has such a glamorous feel to it.



So, Stringers, I tip my hat to you again and congratulate all of you on a job well done. And if you hear arghs of frustration coming from Southeast North Carolina...pay me no mind, and know that it probably involves chain and faceted czech rounds.