Gypsy Necklace

I was thrilled to be asked to create a bit more gypsy jewelry.  I just cannot get enough of this theme.  All the yummy jewelry stuff at Alpha Stamps makes it really easy to make good stuff.

My start was with this fantastic crescent moon focal. I immediately envisioned a bunch of gypsy junk hanging off of it, although that is not how the project turned out.  I found that it got too busy, so I edited it a bit to keep it simple.

So to start I chose my chain and my clasp.  These were very easy to add by just opening a link on the chain.  

Tip:  when opening a jump ring or bit of chain, you always want to use a back and forth motion.  In other words don't "spread" the link, as it will mar the wire and make it look deformed. 

Now to embellish the centerpiece.  I decided to use fancy star bead caps as they are so super cute.  In my opinion, you really can't go wrong with any bead cap!

I wanted this to be symmetrical, so I worked from the outside in.  I was sure to use an odd number of links in each dangle as well.  Odd numbers tend to work better in art. 

You could always add more stuff if you were going for the eclectic look...more dangles, charms, bits of chain, anything really. 

I hope these easy instructions inspire you to make a focal with all kinds of dangley goodness!

Cheers, 

Rhea