Beadin Path Lucite Challenge- Reveal day!

About a month ago I blogged about a new challenge, where I shopped my heart out picking out some lucite from Beadin Path when I was in Maine for a little vacation with the hubby.  Heather and her team, put together the kits and offered them for sale on their website! Today is the day we get to reveal what we made! Excited, aren't YOU!?

When I sat down to make my lucite goodies, I felt good. I've totally got this, I thought. I LOVE lucite. This is going to be a real cinch.  Then I started playing around with the pieces. The big chunky black flowers have just enough of a curve in them that they don't always want to sit just right. I say just right. What I mean is, FLAT. This can definitely affect the overall design of a piece.

The next challenge- the chain.. Lucite chain is really cool in theory. However, unless the links are lined up just right, a slight tug on a necklace can cause the entire thing to pull apart. Trust me. It happened me. When I put it on to model for the pictures, I went to remove it from my neck, and it came apart in 3 pieces. I'm not really sure how to combat this challenge. So I'm just going to show you the piece and we'll pretend it stays together for the purpose of this blog post. :)

 I used sections of the chain, and seed beaded loops using gunmetal seed beads. Then beaded sections up each side, using the red, green barrels, and coral coins. To clasp the back, I used a nice flat silk ribbon in black. This is my favorite part of the necklace. It is nice and soft on the back of the neck.

 Here, I am showing you the back of the flower so you can get the gist of what I did to one of the black flowers as a focal. I created the focal using a black flower, one of the gunmetal flowers, and a glass bead. Using some steel wire, I formed a simple loop on one end, strung on the seed bead, metal flower, and black flower- and formed another simple loop on the back of the flower. I used some teal indonesian seed beads, pulled one down to the center of the beading wire. Thread the 2 strands of beading wire up through the loop on the back of the flower. I strung 3 teal glass beads onto each wire, and then strung the metal seed beads to loop through the chain links.  Crimped each wire at the base of the seedbeaded loop.

As long as I don't walk, run, or shake my booty, the lucite chain links will stay where they are. Otherwise they do end up shifting, and if they do, it can easily pull apart.   I'm sure that if I had more time, I could somehow come up with a remedy but for this challenge, I could not. And since I tell it like it is, that's my story.
Moving on....

The next piece I crafted is a bracelet. A very chunky, and eye-catching bracelet. I brought out some large 15mm Cream lucite rounds, also from Beadin Path, to pair with a black flower as the focal. For the center of the flower, I used one of the lucite buttons.

I used some gunmetal rounds in between the cream rounds, and placed 2 red barrel beads by the clasp which I fashioned out of another lucite button and a handcrafted steel wire hook clasp.
I didn't get the best pic of how this one is strung so I'll try to explain...

I took the beading wire, and thread it through the button shank. Pulled the 2 ends of wire together, and thread them down there one of the metal flowers from the kit. Then down through the black flower. Continued stringing the cream beads and metal rounds. You can't really see the metal flower under the button but it's an important element that keeps the button shank stable at the center of the flower, where it's a bit less wobbly!

The last piece I made was another necklace. In this piece, I pulled out a large brass metal flower from MissFickleMedia, and an enameled red flower from C Koop Beads, to layer with the black flower. I beaded an asymmetrical design with the coral coins and red and teal barrel beads. A seed beaded toggle wraps around the lucite button for the closure.

I really like how this last one turned out, and can absolutely see myself wearing this one!

Regardless of the quirkiness of the beads, I did have a blast with this challenge and I do hope you all enjoyed seeing the progess! I can't wait to hop around to see what other people created using their kits!
Here's a link list...

SongBeads
Pixiloo
Lisa Cone
Suzanne Kiertianis
Copper Diem
http://uptwnsh-fallingintothesky.blogspot.com/

http://franciebroadie.com/blog/

If you are participating and I don't have your link, send it to me or post it in the comments! Happy Hopping!