Not too long ago, quite by chance, I came across something that I had completely forgotten I had … a beautiful carved and earthy-looking scarab. I can no longer remember where I got the scarab, but looking at the holes drilled in either end, I thought now would be the perfect time to make it into a striking and inexpensive necklace.
I bought some simple black silk-type cord, but then my imagination kicked in and I started thinking of how nicely a few beads would offset the scarab. So my friend and I coordinated our breakfast with a visit to the fabulous bead store in Clinton (NJ), Beads Extraordinaire. And then came the fun … I needed beads with a large hole to accommodate the diameter of the cord I’d brought, and soon found gorgeous copper beads and some shimmery ones in the palest aqua.
Before you knew it, my friend and one of the store personnel, Angela, had additional suggestions, and soon, my scarab and the beads were carefully arranged on a copper silk cord, and skillfully knotted by Angela so I could adjust the length of the necklace. You can see the results here. In addition, She knotted a black leather cord for another piece I had brought along. And the cost? Beyond reasonable.
If in the neighborhood, stop into Beads Extraordinaire, or check out their web site. Linda, the owner, has an unbelievable selection of exquisite beads of every kind, which truly are an artist’s palette of their own. She also has regular trunk sales of art beads from artisans around the country. Suddenly I wanted to bead! Well, that’s not likely in my life, but I am thinking of something else I’d like to do ….