As Prima Bead Blog Team members, each month the team and I will have a product or product line to highlight in our designs. July's highlighted product line is "Stainless Steel Elegance", a non-tarnish and hypo-allergenic line of findings. Here's a picture of the items I was sent to play with:
I really wanted to take these findings and challenge myself to use some of them in ways other than their intended use. The findings I decided to use are the 6mm split rings, the hoop earring bases, and the looped ring base.
And so, without further ado, here are the pieces I made:
The first piece is a bracelet incorporating the split rings. I pulled out my 19g steel wire and got to work, using some of the Jewelry Basics and Trinkettes beads that came in my Welcome Package:
I used the split rings as spacers between the beads, and then used a few at the ends of the links to create space between the links. I also added a handmade clasp and various sizes of seed beads for movement and texture in the design.
The second piece made is a fun ring from the looped ring base. I attached Crystazzi Crystal beads that I recieved in my Welcome Package to the ring base with my steel wire:
This is a super-fun little adjustable ring with lots and lots of beads that shake and sparkle when you wear it.
The next pieces I made using the hoop earring bases. The first things are just that - earrings - that I beaded using fun colors of seed beads:
I've gotta say that I absolutely love these! The colors are so much fun, and I think the beading makes it look like they're wearing little fiesta skirts.
And the final piece is also using the hoop earring bases. Now - remember that I decided to challenge myself to think of ways to use these findings in ways other than how they are designed to be used?
Well, keep that in mind when you see my "Bird's Nest" cuff:
To make the bird's nest, I loosely wrapped some of the earring bases in thin copper wire and soldered them together to make a very rustic bird's nest. I had the leather cuff base and rhinestone rivets in my stash, along with the beautiful flowered trim, and just wired and riveted them all together to make this romantic cuff.
Well, that's it for this month's projects. I hope you enjoyed them, and will come back soon to see what goodies I get to play with in August!
As always, thank you so much to Prima Beads for their generosity!
Necessary Legal Stuff: I am honestly reviewing the products above which I have received free of charge from Prima Beads, and I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to them.
