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Design of the Month
Each month, I will feature a unique design that will only be offered that particular month. Whether due to intricacy of detail, or the scarcity of the beads used to make it, it is something that I am proud of but which is too unique in materials or too time-consuming to make to commit to adding to our lines. I will make no more than three of these necklaces, and in some cases, I will only make one of them. When it is gone, it's gone, so check back the first week of each month (or become a fan of Follow Your Lead on Facebook) to see each month's new limited creation.
March Necklace(s) of the Month
I have two designs and can't choose between them this month!
Spring Thaw
We had such a brutal winter up here in southeastern Pennsylvania with snow on the ground for over a month. I was looking for inspiration when I saw the first shoots of green and purple crocus and white snowdrops pushing up through the crusty, icy patches of snow, and decided to do a design with lots of sparkle, opalescent white stones, white freshwater pearls, purple and green crackle beads, "dirty snowballs" of salt and pepper marble, green glass leaves and ctwo rystal butterflies, and finish it off with a pendant drop of fiber optic green and swarovski crystal. The Spring Thaw is a double-stranded design suspended on silver two-hole sliders with bright green swarovski crystal centers.
$40 and can resize up to 16".
Pride of Ireland
Pride of Ireland is built around a unique heart-shaped art glass pendant with a green iris flower on a background of black and sparkling copper, hung on two teardrop shaped fiber optic green glass beads which display a "cat's eye" effect from any angle. The pendant piece reminds me of the famous green-colored iris much prized by gardeners, the Pride of Ireland. The colors of the pendant are echoed in the mixture of copper butterflies, copper and silver beads, green glass and a few green swarovski crystals, which sparkle next to the copper toggle. This necklace would be very pretty resized for the ladies to wear, as well.
$40
Past Designs of the Month:
February Necklace of the Month
"Bakhtiari" is an intricate design of black, gold, and blue, with a swag of swarovski crystal and beads strung through five gold flowers with ice blue swarovski crystal centers. The necklace is done on strong jeweler's wire, with a central pendant loop of swarovski crystals and fire-polished glass faceted beads, and it is finished with a heart-shaped gold toggle clasp. This is a feminine design and pretty enough to be extended into a showpiece necklace for a person, but if you fancy it for your dog, we can make it in sizes from 10" to 18". No more than three of these designs will be made. With its balance of cool and warm tones, this symmetrical design sparkles from any angle and looks well on a wide variety of base colors.
Bakhtiari is $40 for 10-14" and $45 for 14-18".
January
Congratulations Claudia Boyle on her acquisition of the January Necklace of the Month
"Red Mars"--Venus gets her due in February, but we can't leave off her significant other. Red Mars can only be made a SINGLE time due to the unique nature of the central focal bead. This bead is a handmade artisan bead I obtained from a North Carolina ceramic artist, and it is faceted with a shiny finish. To enhance the Martian palette of this focal bead, I have selected some beautiful orange cat's eye beads, clear glass squares, and plenty of harmonizing metallic, Swarovski crystal, wood, and glass and golden spacer beads. This necklace looks great on my light white and red model, Maura, and has a beautiful gold toggle clasp with a rope border. It is strung on 40 lb test mono. Although this design is simple, the stunning central focal bead needs no enhancement. It is shown as a 12" piece but beads can be added up to 14" or removed to 10" without loss of design integrity.
Price: $35
Snow Rose
Congratulations to Wendy Jones in the UK on her acquisition of the "Snow Rose".
Meadowsweet
Congratulations to Iva Kimmelman on her acquisition of "Meadowsweet"