Under the Sea Necklace

Of all the amazing animals and plants that live in the sea, there will always be certain creatures that capture our imagination. Marine dwellers such as angel fish, turtles, whales, seahorses, and mythical beings like mermaids always find their way into art, and of course jewelry.

The Inspiration:

I recently purchased this amazing hand carved bone pendant from AuntiesBeads. I wasn’t sure how I would use it, but the pretty seahorse design was irresistible. The textured pendant features a lovely ocean scene, including a scallop, barnacles and kelp.

The Beads:

To really bring out the aquatic nature of the pendant, I selected an assortment of blue and green beads. I started with some pretty shell coins and ovals - my favorite are the lime green ones. I love the smooth texture of the shell beads.

I matched these up with some 11/0 seed beads in frosted lime green, moss green AB, transparent blue, and dichroic lined blue. I also added some forest green freshwater pearl nuggets, and 8/0 sapphire triangles.

The Beadwork:

I really liked the tiny holes that dotted the pendant, and wanted to put them to good use. Rather than string the pendant on a bail, I tacked it to a panel of square stitched triangle seed beads. The 11/0 and 15/0 seed beads holding the beadwork in place created a pretty bubble effect.

The square stitch panel also anchors the 16 bead strands that make up the necklace. To gather the strands together, I made little ladder stitch caps and attached the beaded clasp. I’m glad that I chose to string the lime green shells first, so that they stand out at the base of the necklace.

Copyright 2009 Inspirational Beading