I love monochromatic designs. I get lost in the different hues and gradations of one color. I decided right away to join in the fun. My first instinct told me to choose orange and that's what I did. Over the next few weeks, I started to wonder what my instinct was thinking.
Then I found these in my stash. Who knew these orange pearls from Fusion Beads were lurking around?
Absolutely gorgeous!
The beads definitely spoke to me. Unfortunately, they only said, "buy me." Those sneaky beads had no intention of telling me how to use them.
The agate beads were challenging because they are larger than the beads I normally use. The irregular shape also gave me pause.
I decided to bead a thick rope that might flow into the agate beads. I looked through my stack of patterns and found "A Different Kind of Spiral" by Marcia Balonis. You can find that pattern and many others here. Marcia's patterns are just gorgeous. If you have a few minutes, please check them out.
Marcia's spiral rope was perfect for what I had in mind.
The topaz crystals take a bit of an orange cast when mixed with the pearls and the dark orange seed beads.
The necklace is pretty simple: a few beaded spirals and the agate beads. I couldn't leave well enough alone, though, and added these cute little laced barrel beads, the design for which I found at Bluebear Beads.
I ended up hid a magnetic clasp inside the rope and love the finished look. The two sections of rope just seem to meld into each other.
The end result is close to what I had in mind.
Sally, thank you for such a wonderful challenge. I had a blast working on this necklace.
If you want to see more beady goodness in one color designs, check out the rest of the hop:
Hosted by:
Red
Therese Frank http://theresestreasures59.
Rochelle Brisson http://acreativechelle.
Lisa Lodge http://pineridgetreasures.
Malin de Koning http://beadingbymalindekoning.
Orange
Linda Landig http://LindasBeadBlog.com
Cherrie Fick http://designsinthelight.com
Beth McLarnan http://threetrees-art.
Cece Cormier http://thebeadingyogini.com
Renetha Stanziano http://lamplightcrafts.
Tanya Goodwin http://pixiloo.blogspot.com - you are here
Jean Welles http://jeanawells.blogspot.com
Amy Severino http://amybeads.blogspot.com
Rebekah Payne http://treewingsstudio.com
Lola Surwillo http://.beadlolabead.blogspot.
Yellow
Jennifer Justman http://soulsfiredesigns.
Rose Brisson http://ahteesblog.blogspot.com
Kim Bender http://www.kimmykats.com/
Heather Powers http://humblebeads.blogspot.
Blue
Cherie Reed http://creativedesignsbycheri.
Rebecca Anderson http://songbeads.blogspot.com
Hope Smitherman http://craftyhope.blogspot.com
Patti Vanderbloemen http://
Michelle Buettner http://MiShelDesigns.blogspot.
Alicia Marinache http://allprettythings.ca
Charissa Sloper http://blog.obsidiansoda.com
Sonya Stille http://dreaminofbeads.
Maria Grimes http://mariagrimes.blogspot.
Nancy Saccoccio http://risingdesigns.blogspot.
Sandi Volpe http://sandivolpe.com
Joanne Tinley http://
Green
Mary Harding http://
Karin Gilman http://www.qaygee.
Jayne Capps http://mamasgottodoodle.
Lorelei Eurto http://lorelei1141.blogspot.
Melissa Meman http://melissameman.blogspot.
Alice Peterson http://alice-dreaming.
Jenny Davies Reazor http://www.jdaviesreazor.com
Cynthia Machata http://antiquitytravelers.
Melissa Essenburg http://chinookdesigns.
Regina Santerre http://reginaswritings.
Lauren Streets http://ornthoughts.wordpress.
Purple
Tracy Mok http://bumblebeadsdesigns.
Jennifer Judd Velasquez http://jenjuddrocks.blogspot.
Marti Conrad http://marticsclay.blogspot.
Lori Anderson http://prettythingsblog.com
Donna Bradley http://strandedbeads.blogspot.
Courtney Breul http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.
Linda Younkman http://lindysdesigns.blogspot.
Susan Kennedy http://www.suebeads.blogspot.
Lisa Liddy http://Lisaliddy.wordpress.com
Tracy Stillman http://www.
Brown
Diana Ptaszynski http://suburbangirlstudio.com
Shannon Chomanczuk http://formysweetdaughter.
Janice Everett http://JLynnJewels.blogspot.
Black
Kashmira Patel http://sadafulee.blogspot.com
Heidi Post http://expostfactojewelry.
Birgitta Lejonklou http://lejonklou.blogspot.com/
Holly Westfall http://silverrosedesigns.
Karin Slaton http://backstorybeads.
