Using the Leftovers

Yesterday, I blogged about the Artbeads Design Partners Challenge. Well, seeing as it's never wise to get just barely enough materials for any project (you always want a couple of extra, just in case) and since I had ordered more jump rings because I had planned on adding them into the beaded part of the bracelet yet decided against it, I still have a number of brass jump rings. Enough to do a chain maille bracelet. And that sort of temptation, my beady friends, is often simply too much for me to bear.

So here's what came out of the leftovers, and there's a bit of evolution to the piece.

Now again I probably should have snapped a picture of the components as I was beginning, but again I lacked the necessary foresight to do this. <sigh> Sooner or later I'll learn.

Anyway....

Ages ago I received a brass bead cap as part of a sort of bead mix swap, and it was the only one so it was never used. While playing around with it trying to decide if I had a suitable bead to cap it with, I idly started prying the "petals" apart with my pliers. When I looked down and realized what I was doing, I thought "Boy, I'll bet a Swarovski Rivoli would fit nicely in there!"

And wouldn't you know it, I happened to have a little package of Rivolis that I hadn't entirely used up yet. I love having a bead stash!!!!!

I added a few inches of Byzantine chain to either side, and originally came up with this bracelet:

Now I felt that this looked quite nice, actually, but when I wore the bracelet (these things MUST be test-driven, you understand!!!) the stone kept flipping upside down on me, showing the unadorned back of the brass bead-cap-cum-bezel-setting. Well, that's no good. So I decided to stabilize it a bit. Here's what I did:

Those extra little bits of Byzantine chain REALLY helped to stabilize it, and also created a nice little nest from which the Rivoli could sparkle out from the depths. 

I'm having an internal debate about whether or not this should go into my store. Until I can find more of exactly the right bead caps I'm not sure I could duplicate this, but the design looks so rich and intricate I'd love to have it out there, so I simply thought I would share!!!! Thanks for peeking!