I know you can make one too. If you do, send me a note to let me know where you are sharing it so I can check you out.
I knew before I started to assemble this necklace that I wanted a variety of paper with the images of Gwen’s stencils. I print on reclaimed paper from gifts, packing and shopping. Most of this batch was printed on pharmacy bag paper.
I could have prepared them in a variety of ways – using a spray ink, pouncing paint upon the stencil or using artist marker. I chose the inexact and very flowy look of gelli plate printing. I simply love the process. So much loveliness to work with.
Adhere with gel medium. Cover with a layer of gel medium. Love these colors together.
The beads were flipped over and the glue gun was heated up. Sari yarn was glued to the indentation in the wheels.
They still looked a bit bare, so dots of Ranger Liquid Pearls were added.
2. Thread a needle with like-colored thread. Take a stitch at the end of the sari yarn. Pull the needle through the bead.
4. Pull the sari yarn back down to the bottom and take a stitch through. Continue this process until the bead is covered with sari thread. Leaving some space for the color to peek through adds vivacity. When the bead is covered to your liking take several stitches through the end of the sari yarn and trim.
Eventually, you will use a jewelry wire to thread through the bead to attach to the chain.
1. Cover spool with gesso. (Optional)
2. Cut the paper the width of the spool.
3. Adhere paper to spool with gel medium.
4. Add one flourish from the trim (left from a previous step) to each spool to cover the seam.
5. Add embellishment using Ranger’s Liquid Pearls – Gold Pearl.
Materials used to make the necklace:
Gwen Lafleur Studios
Papers from Themed Collage Embellishment
Gelli Arts
Gelli Printing Plate
Ranger
Ranger liquid pearls – dimensional pearlescent paint -Orchid and Gold Pearl
Golden
Regular Gel (Matte)
Hot Glue
Odds and ends from my stash (I’m so curious to hear what you find in your stash to use on a project like this!)
Credits:
Hair and makeup and portraits by the lovely Madeleine Ooka. You can find her blog, Because We Fall in Life at www.becausewefallinlife.blogspot.com and on instagram @becausewefall
All other photos by Lynda Shoup
Not only do I love how you covered those beads, I just adore the pictures of you!
This is so cool Lynda! I love all of the upcycled elements and the way that you used the gelli printed paper, trims, and other papers to make your own beads! Such an awesome necklace!
Thanks, Gwen! There are so many possibilities. I actually had to stop myself from adding more detail as it would have become pretty busy. Guess I'm just going to have to make some more to manifest all the ideas I had.
Sandee, you are such a dear! My daughter offered to do my hair and makeup and have a photoshoot. I'm a goofball so you can imagine how fun the outtakes are! I had such fun making the necklace, but then we had so much fun documenting it.
Lynda, I love how you made those beads! This looks like a really fun project. I’m going to have to peruse through my stash to see what I can find! Oh, and being a goofball really suits you…. keep it uo😘
Jill, it was so fun! Can't wait to see what you make with your stash. I'm glad you think being a goofball suits me as it is a bit late in the game for me to change.
Beautiful necklace. I love your color choices and those amazing trims! Thank you for sharing your process. Looks like fun!
Kate
Thank you Kate! Thanks for taking a peek. It was so much fun to make this. Glad that you like it. The trims really are great. Working with Gwen Lafleur's products is sheer joy.
Lynda! This is out of the box extraordinary!!
You are so very very clever!! What a cool way to use those trim and those beads you covered with Sari- WOWS! You and your creativity just amaze me my tribe sister!! Bravo!
Same back at you, Jackie! You amaze me too! Glad you like the necklace. It was fun to make and I hope to have fun wearing it.