Very Cherie-Beaded Jewels

'I've got the world on a string...'



Beads, beads and more beads... brilliant, bold, bright, beautiful beads! They glisten, they sparkle, they shimmer and shine. they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and textures; round, square, hexagon, bicone, oval, paddle and dagger shaped. They also come in flower and leaf shapes and so many others. The patterns on them are bold, flowery and pretty, geometric, abstract or psychedelic or exotic and in all the colors of the rainbow. They are translucent, opaque, matte, textured, shimmery, irridiscent, bumpy. Beads can be made of clay, metal, blown glass, lampworked; handmade or machine made locally or in far away places like Europe, Asia and Africa. They can be strung on wire, silk, cord, leather, ribbon or embroidery floss or woven into beautiful, stunning jewelry. Beaded jewelry can be worn everyday to work or a fun day at the beach; an evening out or a gala event.



I am fascinated with beading. I find it so relaxing. Just stringing them or weaving, picking up a bead, another and then another - the action is so repetitive... it's almost meditative. As you add the beads and watch your design grow, the joy and satisfaction of seeing the end result - a beautiful piece of jewelry; that is so fulfilling!



Monday, August 12, 2013

Strung out (Beadaholique.com)

Pairing Necklaces with Different Necklines

Pairing Necklaces with Different Necklines

The Ziggy Necklace
Pairing your necklace with your neckline can sometimes be a challenge.  It can be frustrating and if you're like me, you have all sorts of necklaces with different lengths and styles to choose from!  You end up asking yourself "Does this work? Does it look right?"  And believe me, I understand.  I think this is something a lot of us second guess and could use help with.

How do you choose your necklace?  Generally, when picking out a necklace we tend to echo the look of the neckline.  This works well most of the time.  For example, a v-neck top goes well with a y-shaped necklace with a focal point, such as the Ziggy Necklace. This type of necklace also complements boat neck and crew neck tops.

The Purple Faux Lariat
For rounder necklines, choose rounder necklaces - this way the necklace falls right above the blouse in a flattering way. An example of this is the Lucy Necklace.

When you wear higher necklines, it's important not to overcrowd your neck area, and by choosing a longer necklace, you allow both your neckline and your necklace to shine. For tops with turtle necks or cowl necks, necklaces such as lariats and multiple strand styles look best. A necklace such as the Purple Faux Lariat would work nicely with a higher neckline.

The Angel's Wings Bridal Choker
With a strapless top, the choice is yours: a delicate chain, a bib necklace or choker (like the Angel's Wings Bridal necklace) looks great.  An open collar blouse looks stylish when paired with a thick, chunky necklace. Pairing a square neckline with a pendant that dangles from a long chain works really well.

It can also be helpful to know what the different necklace lengths are called: 14" is a collar, 16" is a choker, 18" is princess length, 20" is matinee length, 24" is opera length, and 30 - 33" is a rope or lariat.
Common Necklace Lengths

Adding a necklace gives your outfit a stylistic finishing touch.  And although certain necklaces match particularly well with certain necklines, what's most important is wearing a piece you love.  How you wear your jewelry is a personal choice, so remember to make sure that you let your personality shine through!

-Karlin