We've had such a rainy, dreary, gray winter in San Diego. It's rained so much, my home actually has water damage to the floor in the living room, as the ground outside flooded and the water seeped over the foundation wall around our fireplace and up through our hardwood floor (and on that note, who even needs a fireplace in San Diego? We've never even turned the heat on in our condo.). Well, finally the sun has started shining here again and spring is definitely in the air...so I was super excited to see the beautiful colors that were selected for Halcraft's March Pretty Palette Challenge!
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| Click on the photo to go to the Pretty Palette Challenge on the Halcraft blog. |
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| This is the color palette chosen (from the inspiration photo above) for the challenge. |
These colors reminded me of an orchard in bloom, so I was inspired to create a necklace full of mixed fruits.
I used a selection of beads in the color palette given, plus I added some yellow and peachy pink as well, as the tulips in the inspiration photo also had similar shades in their petals (or at least that's how the photo shows up on my laptop monitor). I fudged a little and used copper wire and metal components in place of the taupe color in the palette, as to me they both represent the earthy colors in the inspiration photo.
Except for the small yellow stone beads and all of the glass leaves, all of the beads I used in this necklace are Halcraft beads I found at Michaels, and include howlite, quartzite, and coral. All of the handmade chain links are formed from German style copper wire, and I used a store-bought copper toggle clasp and side connectors.
I created five different strands with handmade copper wire chain links, each showcasing a different colored 'fruit'. I also attached each strand to a fleur-de-lis component on either side for a little visual interest--I'd had these metal components in my stash for awhile and was happy to finally find a use for them. This made for a really fun and colorful necklace!
I created a fun copper wire chain for the bib to hang from using some handmade wire links I had leftover from a previous project. It's hard to tell from these photos, but interspersed between each wire link is a small copper/bronze-ish metal bead with rhinestones (I can't remember if these are Halcraft beads as well? They've been in my stash for awhile...), just for a little sparkle.
I think this is a really fun piece, and it came together so easily! Pretty much just as I'd envisioned, which so rarely happens without lots of fidgeting and remaking and frustration.
I can't wait to pair this with a summery skirt and a pair of sandals. How would you wear this necklace? Has spring arrived yet where you live? I'd love to know.
Sarah
Possibly linking up with:
Pretty Palette Challenge at Halcraft
Fabulous Party at Lou Lou Girls
Show and Tell Link Party at Flamingo Toes
Your Whims Wednesday at My Girlish Whims
Link Party Palooza at Tatertots and Jello
