The Spring Fling Blog Hop is here!

Amy, over at Amybeads, decided to sponsor a blog hop for spring.  She offered kits in two different colors, blues and oranges, to anyone who wanted to participate.  Well, I love the kits and since I had just done the Colors of Spring blog hop, using orange, I decided to go for the blue kit.  Of course, I didn't think to take a picture of the kit when it arrived, or even when I started working on it!  If you go over to Amy's blog you'll see what the kits contained.  I loved the selection of beads.  Everything from the cutest focal bead with an adorable bird on it, to pearls, to firepolished, to Delicas, and the loveliest peanut beads ever. I'm not a fan of the peanut beads, but these are gorgeous!  It was great!  And, since I've been in a wireworking mode, I decided I would do a wirework necklace.  Here is what I came up with.

I knew from the beginning I wanted to make a pendant with the round bird bead with fringe.  I made sure I used some of all the beads that were in the kit, except for the Delicas. I wanted to use some of them in the chain but it didn't end up that way.  As I worked on the pendant I decided to make a wire bail for it.  I've just gotten a great new wireworking book by Janice Berkebile and Tracy Stanley and  I had seen a similar bail in the book.  I had a hard time deciding what to do for a necklace.  I thought of doing Viking knit, but that didn't seem right. I was thinking of using the remaining beads from the kit to string a necklace, but the ideas for stringing weren't coming.  I thought of using a leather cord, but I really didn't want to do that because I wanted to make something.  So, after letting the pendant sit on my bead table  for a few days I decided to make wire wrapped links using all three colors of wire I had used in the pendant.  I have one fringe with lime green wire and one with royal blue.  I decided to use the silver wire for one of the link colors also.  I really like the way the links turned out. 

And, here's a close up of the fringe.



I got to try caging beads with wire as you can see in the center fringe.  I'm learning more all the time and my wireworking skills are improving!  Not so many tool marks anymore!!!  I'm really pleased with this necklace.  I've worn it and gotten several compliments on it already.  It's a fun necklace to wear and it was really fun to work on. 

I want to thank Amy for putting this together!  It was a great idea!  Be sure to check out the other bloggers who participated in the Hop.

Kristin, of My Bead Journey

Maryanne, of Zingala's Workshop (you're here!)

Karyn, of Releases by Rufydoof

Therese, of Therese's Treasures

Vimala, of The Bead Diaries

Thanks for stopping by to see my entry.  I hope you have a wonderful day and I hope you get to do something fun today.  It's Friday and the weekend is here!