My Very Own Wilma Flintstone Necklace!!

When we were up in the Northlands last month I picked up a fashion magazine (sorry I can't even begin to remember which one) and noticed a set of pearls. They were huge pearls but simply strung and they tied around the neck with a wide black ribbon. I thought they would be so much fun to make and wear. And because the beads were Wilma Flinstone size they would look really spiffy with a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Soooo when I go home I found some nice fat 14mm glass pearl beads at our little bead store. And since it's going out of business the string was marked down to $30pesos (less then $3US) Instead of a black ribbon I used a deep rich burgandy 1&1/2 inch wide satin ribbon.

I had these great vintage rhinestone clips that would be perfect, to attach the ribbons to the string of pearls.

But the I ran into a couple of anoying issues!! :( First I've learned the hard way that not all pot metal is the same. Not all pot metal is the same on the same piece. Not a big deal unless you find a hunk that you can't solder to!! And so it was the other day. I got 2 of the bars and one of the rings soldered on when no way was the fourth one going!!! See the picture below see the point of the arrow??? That's where it wasn't going to stick. Sooooo I grabbed a heavy eye to a hook and eye set and some heavy waxed thread and "sewed it on" To be extra sure I glue the thread with some E6000. A jump ring was all I needed to attach the clip with the ribbon to the beads. Yippie ready for a test drive. Annoying point number two. I am sooooooooo uncooridinated that the harder I tried to tie a pretty bow in the back the worse it got to looking. Plus the two rhinestone pieces wouldn't lay together right! I finally had to set it down and walk away. Well I came up with a workable solution even if it's not very professional, but then I'm not selling it so no one really has to know. ;)

I made a "clip on bow tie" Yep that's what I did. I took the hook part to the hook and eye and sewed it onto the bead side of the necklace. So now the necklace closes without being to odvious. As for the ribbon I tied it into a lovely bow between the two clips, and because I'm a lazy girl at heart I stitched the bow down so it doesn't come untied!! Well if it was going to be a clip on bow tie I thought I should do it right , don't you think! :)

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are p;)

P.S. Ha I just got an email from Wilma that said "You Go Girl!!!"