Wednesday 7 January 2015

The final Magician's Nephew necklace, including my new double wrapped-loop technique

Here are some images of the final Magician's Nephew necklace. I am particularly proud of the technique I discovered by trial-and-error for making double wrapped-loops (to compensate for the softness and thin-ness of the copper wire). Using round-nose pliers, you make the first loop slightly bigger than normal and the second loop slightly smaller, and then you hammer both together for strength (don't attempt to hammer before making the second loop - this does not work), and then you carry on as usual.

Once I'd added in some co-ordinating beads from my stash, it ended up being a real mixture but I think it makes the design more interesting. The brass Celtic-style links are links from an old bracelet I've had for ages.

Magician's Nephew necklace. Note especially my novel technique for double wrapped-loops at the bottom right.

It is light and comfortable to wear - apart from the crystals and lamp-worked beads, all the other beads are either wooden, hollow or plastic, so they don't feel cold against the skin. The beading wire also helps keep the design light and flexible.

The jump-rings either side of the blue disc bead don't sit perfectly straight. I ran out of copper crimp covers, or I might have experimented with omitting those jump-rings and linking the beading wire straight to the wrapped loop - but, I'd wanted the sections to have maximum flexibility so that the whole thing would drape nicely and move with the body. 

Actually, when it's being worn, the necklace drapes much better than when it's hung up on the wall: the blue disc sits flat and those jump-rings look fine.

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