Planning your accessories

Fashion Tribes site lists the colors for spring 2009

PANTONE 18-4043 Palace Blue
PANTONE 15-3817 Lavender
PANTONE 14-0754 Super Lemon
PANTONE 15-1626 Salmon Rose
PANTONE 18-2328 Fuchsia Red
PANTONE 14-1307 Rose Dust
PANTONE 16-5804 Slate Gray
PANTONE 16-6339 Vibrant Green
PANTONE 16-0435 Dark Citron
PANTONE 14-5714 Lucite Green

What thrills me bout these colors are the greens. It seems that most ppl will associate the brighter colors with spring, and save the greens for late summer or the muted greens for fall. As you can see, this spring has it all. I love to see the bold and muted colors used together. I was doing my wish list from my supplier list and found these great items - Maybe they will work for you too.

From Sedona Stones

South jade roundells would be a great addition to any supply set and it falls in so nicely with the Dark Citron category of springs colors. These and the brass or copper filigree - Glorious!

From Rings & Things

The Palace Blue color is captured so well in the BerryFizz web only mix - the ideas are endless with this mixed lot.


From Art Beads
In the red fuchsia category are these fuchsia head drilled keshi pearls. They make me squeal they are so hawt! Want! Want!

Choker Challenge - 4

This piece is made of lampwork beads with a dyed howlite focal wrapped onto the choker. The color of the choker inspired the dyed howlite focal. I love the barrel screw connector on this choker which allowed me to take a simple but bolder approach wiht the heavier beads.

This is the invenotry number from Rings and Things :

#52-030-18-24 Choker, Cable, 18" SmoothEnd (Turquoise/White)

Choker cable challenge

Chapter two. Bola Faux

I thought it would be fun to create an illustion of a bola (also known as a bolo) tie. I brought the ends of the leather together, made a pinch loop at the bend in the middle, and pushed the tails through the loop, attaching it to the cable. I then made a basic wire loop and attached it to the leather. This gives the look of the bola. Finally, I added embelishments to the ends and a turqoise teardrop. No self respecting bola can be without turquoise!

One thing I would recommend, if you are using heavy stones for the focal, use the choker cable that has the barrel screw connector instead of the magnetic. The magnectic connectors are very conveinent, but cannot support a lot of weight.

Rings and Things inventory number for the cable used in this piece is:
#52-52-090-20-1 Choker, Magnet, Cable, 1mm, 20"


This is a fun piece to wear with a scoop neck tee.



Or under the collar of your button-down shirt for that true bola look.

To be continued......

The Challenge is Set!

I love a good challenge, and thanks to Rings and Things , I have one.

This is an ongoing project, so make sure to use the RSS feed at the left of the page so you don't miss out on any of the newest design updates!

Challenge 1: Choker cables.

The choker cables in these images have magnetic clasps. The clasp feels to be secure, but I think with a heavy pendant I would worry about it coming free. I like the idea of the barrel screw clasp better.

First thought with a choker cable is pendant. I love the cable, it holds its shape - unlike a chain or leather thong that drapes to the weight of the pendant. With a crew neck or scoop neck t-shirt, these cables keep the focus of the pendant up at your neck line. Truly fabulous. I have tons of pendants because I am a pendant wearer. I normally have them on a leather thong and in different links, depending on the type of shirt i am wearing. I also have a tendency to wear a shorter style necklace - and the choker cable is a great fit for that. (I feel a change coming on.) The clasp is small enough the bale slides over it easily giving me so much versatility. All I have to do is decide which pendant for which mood! I am impressed at the cable for keeping it shape with four pendants hanging from it!



Pictured in this image - #52-000-15-9 Choker, Steel, Cable, 1mm, 15" (Black/White Clasp)

"That is too easy, TIsh!" I hear you say and, yes, I agree. What fun is a challenge if the outcome is predictable?

What can I do to create something different, w/o just sliding beads onto the cable?

*think* *think* *think*

I poked through my box of "glorious randomness" and found these fun vintage Czech glass beads. I chose these as the focal using an eye pin to secure them to the choker cable. The cable does slide around some, and it works the clasp toward the front. I wanted the design more stable, so I wrapped a copper wire around the cable and threaded on amethyst chips for an acent.

Here is the first, of five.

Restless Wend



Pictured in this image - #52-001-18-9 Choker, Steel, Cable, 1mm, 18" (Black/Gold Clasp)

Am wearing this one today, and have already been complimented!


To be continued......