Butterfly Ball set - Easy Choker & co ordinating Drop Earrings

Butterfly Ball set - Easy Choker & co ordinating Drop Earrings

This feminine set is easy to wear and dresses up or down. It's simple and quick to make too.

Tools:

• Chain nose pliers, flat nose pliers, round nose pliers and cutters

Beads & Findings:

• 1 metre of beading chain
• 7 tiny butterfly dangles
• 14 5mm jump rings
• 1 10mm lobster clasp
• 2 10mm Fimo beads - I used 2 from our wild mix
• 2 earwires
• 2 eye pins

Method

• Cut the chain to fit your neck - the completed necklace will sit just on your collar bone (this is usually about 16"!)
• Attach a 5mm jump ring to each end of the chain
• Attach a lobster clasp to one jump ring
• Try on the necklace and adjust the fit if necessary
• Cut a short length of chain (mine was 21 links long) and attach a jump ring to each end
• Attach one butterfly charm to one jump ring
• Close the lobster clasp and hold the necklace up to locate the central link
• Attach the other jump ring on the end of the butterfly chain to the central link
• Cut a very short length of chain (mine was 3 links long) and attach a jump ring to each end
• Thread a Fimo bead onto an eye pin, trim to size and turn a loop. Attach the loop to the chain length.
• Attach a 5mm jump ring and a butterfly to the eye pin loop
• Count 7 links along the necklace from the butterfly dangle and attach the fimo bead chain
• Cut another piece of chain (mine was 10 links long) and attach the other Fimo bead and butterfly, following the 2 steps above
• Count 7 links along the necklace from the butterfly dangle (opposite direction - see pic!) and attach the fimo bead chain
• Check the fit - the butterfly dangle should drape from the hollow of your throat.

• To make the earrings, cut 2 pieces of chain (mine was 40 links long) and attach a 5mm jump ring to each end.
• Attach a butterfly charm to each end of the chain
• Hook the 15th link onto an earwire
• Repeat for a pair!

If you'd like to receive all the findings and beads you need to make this set for FREE - then place an order over £5 (excluding postage) this weekend at www.madcowbeads.com and we'll send you your free items automatically. Hurry though - this offer ends at midday on Monday October 3rd 2011

Adventures in Chain Maille

I love the look of chainmaille, and today was the day I decided to give it a try! The picture above is my first attempt ever - it's a Helm (parallel chain) bracelet and I'm feeling really pleased with myself :-)

Chainmaille is a series of interlinked rings - and there are hundreds of patterns. Helm pattern is a relatively simple weave, perfect for a beginner like me. I must say it was quite addictive and very satisfying - it reminded me a bit of knitting. I also found my mistakes easier to correct than my knitting errors(!)

There are a few methods for producing Helm but this one was the one that I found easiest.

I used the gold rings in my design because I thought it would be easier to see where my rings were supposed to link. I really like the effect though! I will be doing some more chain maille for definite.

I  used 36 7mm silver jump rings, 38 5mm jump rings and 17 7mm gold jump rings, plus a triangle toggle clasp to complete the design so that it fitted my own wrist. All the findings are available from www.madcowbeads.com

I hope you feel inspired to give chain maille a try!

Best wishes
Georgie