The Wild, Wild West

What a difference some newly learned skills have made!  I am taking a wonderful on-line workshop taught by Deryn Mentock.  What is so awesome about this class is that we are learning to build sturdy, well-designed pieces.  To show you what I mean, here are some photos of the same necklace that I built on my own (before I took it apart):

I made a beaded, macrame chain that I liked well enough, but I didn't love it.  Then the macrame slipped, exposing the beading wire, so the whole thing ended up looking cheesy.  Also, since Deryn taught us a little about design, I see that the beads and the macrame are too busy and detract from the focal.

BEFORE

AFTER

In week 1, we learned how to make rosary-style links, S-links, jump rings, and clasps.  Here is a close-up of my rosary links:

And one of my clasp:

Here is my twisted, wrapped jump ring:

And my focal, made in Linda and Opie O'Brien's class:

Now that I have the skills to build something solid, the effect is much more polished and professional looking, don't you think!