Bits and Baubles

I made a couple of little graduation gifts last week: one for my daughter and one for her BFF.  I love the look of rosary-style beading, and I had some ready-made pearl chain to start with.  I wanted an eclectic mix of beads, using what I already had in my stash.  I don't do a lot of bead work (you'd never know it, by the number of beads I have hoarded away!), so it was a bit of a challenge picking and choosing, as well as figuring out how to do all those wire loops!

My daughter loves aqua, and her best pal loves pink (kind of obvious by the photos :-)), so I pulled out all of the beads I had that might work.  I added a tiny bit of pink to the aqua one, and vice versa, for little remembrances of each other. 

The pendant is a floral bit of antique lace in a soldered frame, with a little rhinestone cross charm (the two girls had been very active in Young Life together all through high school).

Well, the girls seemed to love them (I never know for sure if they are just being polite, or if they sincerely like them.  The last few years have had most of my suggestions and choices met with eye rolls, so I've begun to doubt myself! :-)).  Anyway, I like them, and who knows?--I may even start to do more beading.