Free Beads for Blogging: Status Report

Part 1

A Serious Challenge

So, to refresh your memory, here are the beads I received from Tanya:

I have been staring at them, playing with them, trying to wrap the tear drops (disaster) and trying desperately to use things together. Not working. So, I said, "What do I have that will compliment a fall spectrum bead like the Japa Mala beads?"

Turned out it was a glass pendant I picked up at the Flea Market a few weeks earlier.

So  far, I have only used one Japa Mala bead, and a head pin, along with the brass wire to create this pendant. I'm not sure if the chain you see is going to remain part of the design. But it's a start! 

My free beads have arrived from Tanya at FusionMuse! What an assortment of interesting beads (and filigree, and head pins, and wire.....) I have received! This is going to be fun.

I kind of think of the mixture as a "soup." Here are the ingredients.

First, there are ten Japa Mala beads, finished with gold leaf. 

They are Buddhist prayer beads, so I am a bit intimidated by them. But o do see them used in jewelry, so now the challenge is to come up with a design worthy of them.

Also included are two faceted glass tear drops, and some gem stone chips. 

Helping things along are some brass round-head pins, and brass wire and filigree pieces. 

Stay tuned for further developments!