Bib-Style Necklace and Earring Set with Soutache Cord, Swarovski Crystal and Autumn Hickoryite Gemstone Beads and Cabochons

STEP 1
Using flush-cutters cut the following lengths of chain:
  • glass gold-finished 4mm round cupchain
    • One 74-cup length
    • One 34-cup length
    • Two 3-cup lengths
  • glass gold-finished 2mm round cupchain
    • One 48-cup length
  • Gold-finished 1.5mm Venetian box chain
    • One 16-inch length
    • One 14-inch length
    • Six 5-inch lengths
    • Twenty-two 3-inch lengths
STEP 2
Using scissors cut the following:
  • One 26-inch length of tan soutache cord
  • Light blue soutache cord
    • One 26-inch length
    • Two 5-inch lengths
Apply a generous amount of Loctite® 454 Gel adhesive to the end of tan soutache cord, approximately 1/4 inch. After drying, trim most of the tip off leaving a thin edge of sealed soutache on the end. Repeat to seal the opposite end.

Repeat to seal each end of each light blue soutache cord.
STEP 3
Apply a small dab of Loctite adhesive to interior bottom of cupchain connector. Insert the last cupchain link of one glass gold-finished 4mm round cupchain into the connector. Using flat-nose pliers, gently bend the connector prongs over the cupchain link.

Repeat to attach one cupchain connector to each end of each length of cupchain from Step 1.
STEP 4
Using a toothpick mix equal parts Devcon® 2 Ton® epoxy on a paper plate.

Note: It may be necessary to mix small amounts of epoxy several times during designing.
STEP 5
Apply a small amount of epoxy to one end of one length of gold-finished 1.5mm Venetian box chain. Insert the end of the box chain into one gold-plated 3.5x2mm crimp tube with loop. Using chain-nose pliers compress the tube to secure the end of the box chain.

Repeat to attach one crimp tube with loop to the end of the 16-, 14- and 5-inch lengths of Venetian box chain.
STEP 6
Tape one piece of tape to a flat surface sticky side up. Place eleven 3-inch lengths of gold-finished 1.5mm Venetian box chain side by side on to the tape as evenly and close as possible. Fold the tape over to secure the box chains.

Apply a small amount of E-6000® Jewelry and Craft Adhesive to each side of the tape. Pass one end of the taped box chain into a ribbon end. Using chain-nose pliers, compress the ribbon end over the chain. Repeat to attach a ribbon end to the opposite end of the chains.

Repeat to attach ribbon ends to the second set of eleven 3-inch Venetian box chains.
STEP 7
String the following onto one gold-plated 2-inch eyepin:
  • One green serpentine 6mm round
  • One autumn hickoryite 10mm round
  • One green serpentine 6mm round
Using a pair of chain-nose pliers, round-nose pliers and flush-cutters form a simple loop on the straight end of the wire creating an autumn hickoryite link.

Repeat to create a total of four autumn hickoryite links.
STEP 8
Repeat to create a total of fourteen Swarovski alexandrite 3mm bicone links using one gold-plated 1-inch eyepin and one Swarovski alexandrite 8mm bicone.
STEP 9
Using a pair of chain-nose pliers and bent-nose pliers attach one Swarovski alexandrite 3mm bicone link to the loop on each end of each 5-inch length of Venetian box chain.
STEP 10
Apply epoxy to the flat side of one 5-inch length of light blue soutache cord. Wrap the cord around the edge of one peach moonstone 14x10mm cabochon making sure the edge of the soutache cord is flush with the back of the cabochon, creating a bezel. Repeat to create a second peach moonstone and soutache component.

Pendant

STEP 11
Print an image of a sandy desert landscape. Using scissors cut two pieces from the image measuring approximately 4x5-1/2 inches. Laminate each piece and glue back to back with Mod Podge® glue sealer creating a focal.
STEP 12
Apply a small amount of epoxy to the back of one autumn hickoryite 40x30mm cabochon and to the center of the front of the focal.
STEP 13
Apply epoxy outlining the entire edge of the hickoryite cabochon and to the back of the 48-cup length of glass gold-finished 2mm round cupchain. Place the cupchain around the 40x30mm cabochon.
STEP 14
Apply epoxy around the 2mm cupchain and place twenty-seven Swarovski crystal summer blush 6mm bicones as close as possible outlining the cupchain-wrapped cabochon.
STEP 15
Place the peach moonstone and soutache components on the focal approximately 1/2 inch apart at the top of the previous components.
STEP 16
Apply epoxy to the flat side of a 2-inch section on one end of a 26-inch length of light blue soutache cord. Double the cord in half creating a 1-inch section. Apply epoxy to the flat side beginning approximately 1/4 inch from the end of the short end of the cord. Insert the tip of a pair of round-nose pliers into the doubled end of the cord and wrap the doubled cord around the pliers twice creating a spiral.

Apply epoxy to the back of the spiral and place it at the bottom center of the previous components with the tip of the short end of the soutache cord facing the bicones. Apply epoxy to the flat side of the free end of soutache cord in small sections and continue to outline the previous components.
STEP 17
Continue to outline the previous components with one 26-inch length tan soutache cord beginning at the base and working up. At the top of the previous components apply epoxy to a 1-inch section of cord. Double the cord in half creating a 1/2 inch section, apply epoxy to the one flat side of the section. Insert the tip of a pair of round-nose pliers into the doubled end of the cord and wrap the cord around the pliers once creating a small spiral. Continue to outline the previous components.
STEP 18
Using epoxy place two Swarovski crystal summer blush 4mm bicones in the gaps between the top of the bottom spiral and the 6mm bicones and two 4mm bicones in the gaps at the base of each peach moonstone cabochon and the 6mm bicones.
STEP 19
Place one green serpentine 6mm round in each inward curve on each side of the previous components. Place one Swarovski crystal summer blush 4mm bicone on each side of each green serpentine 6mm round.

Place one green serpentine 6mm round in each inward curve at the top of the previous components.
STEP 20
Place the center of one 14-inch length of gold-finished 1.4mm Venetian box chain at the base of the previous components. Continue outlining the previous components with the Venetian box chain moving up on each side to the top corner of the tan soutache cord on each side.

Repeat to place one 74-cup length of glass gold-finished 4mm round cupchain along the very edge of the focal.
STEP 21
Apply epoxy along the edge of the focal moving toward the top corner. Place the loose end of the 74-cup length of glass gold-finished cupchain on the epoxy and hanging off the corner edge. Repeat to place the opposite end.

Repeat to place each end of the 14-inch length of 1.4mm Venetian box chain.
STEP 22
Apply epoxy along the top of the previous components and along the edge of the 14-inch length of Venetian box chain. Place one 5-inch length of Venetian box chain along the epoxy. Repeat to place a second 5-inch length of Venetian box chain next to the first.
STEP 23
Place one Swarovski crystal summer blush 4mm bicone in the gaps between where the Venetian box chain lengths come together just above the tan soutache cord on each side.
STEP 24
Apply epoxy to the foil back of one Swarovski crystal blue shade 10x8mm pure leaf flat back and to the focal near the previous box chain where it curves moving toward the corner on the left side. Repeat to place one pure leaf flat back on the right side.
STEP 25
Repeat Step 22 to attach two more 5-inch lengths of Venetian box chain.
STEP 26
Repeat Step 24 to place one Swarovski crystal blue shade 10x8mm pure leaf in the curve from the previous Venetian box chain. Repeat to place a second pure leaf flat back in the curve to the right approximately 1/4 inch to the right. Place one Swarovski crystal summer blush 6mm bicone between the pure leaf flat backs.

Repeat on the curves on the right side of the focal.
STEP 27
Repeat Step 22 to attach two more 5-inch lengths of Venetian box chain.
STEP 28
Place one 34-cup length of glass gold-finished 4mm round cupchain along the top edge of the focal.

Necklace

STEP 29
Open twenty-two gold-plated brass 6.5x5mm oval jumprings and four gold-plated 4mm round jumprings.
STEP 30
Pass one 6.5x5mm jumpring through the loop on one end of one glass gold-finished 4mm round cupchain one gold-plated 18x12mm open oval component. Close the jumpring. Repeat to attach the second glass gold-finished 4mm round cupchain and each 5-inch length of Venetian box chain to the gold-plated 18x12mm open oval component.
STEP 31
Pass one 6.5x5mm jumpring through the loop on one Swarovski alexandrite 8mm bicone link and the opposite end on the 18x12mm open oval component. Close the jumpring.
STEP 32
Open the simple loop on the opposite end of one Swarovski alexandrite 8mm bicone link. Pass the loop through the loop on one ribbon end one on set of Venetian box chains from Step 6. Close the loop.
STEP 33
Pass one gold-plated 4mm round jumpring through the loop on the opposite end of one set of eleven Venetian box chains and the simple loop on one autumn hickoryite link. Close the jumpring. Repeat to attach a second jumpring creating double jumprings.
STEP 34
Pass one gold-plated 4mm round jumpring through the loop on the opposite end of the autumn hickoryite link and the loop on one 3-cup length of glass gold-finished 4mm round cupchain. Close the jumpring.
STEP 35
Pass one gold-plated 4mm round jumpring through the loop on the opposite end of the 3-cup length of glass gold-finished 4mm round cupchain and one loop on one autumn hickoryite link. Close the jumpring.
STEP 36
Pass one 6.5x5mm jumpring through the loop on the opposite end of the autumn hickoryite link and one ring from one gold-plated 20x16mm oval self-closing clasp.
STEP 37
Repeat Steps 30 - 36 on the opposite side of the focal to create the second half of the necklace. Connect both halves with the self-closing clasp.

Earrings

STEP 1
Using flush-cutters cut two 3-cup lengths of glass gold-finished 4mm round cupchain.
STEP 2
Apply a small dab of Loctite to interior bottom of one cupchain connector. Insert the last cupchain into the connector. Using flat-nose pliers, gently bend the connector prongs over the cupchain link. Repeat to attach one cupchain connector to one cupchain link on each end of each length of cupchain.
STEP 3
String the following onto one gold-plated 2-inch eyepin:
  • One green serpentine 6mm round
  • One autumn hickoryite 10mm round
  • One green serpentine 6mm round
Using a pair of chain-nose pliers, round-nose pliers and flush-cutters form a simple loop on the straight end of the wire creating an autumn hickoryite link.

Repeat to create a total of two autumn hickoryite links.
STEP 4
String onto one gold-plated 1-inch headpin one Swarovski alexandrite 8mm bicone. Using a pair of chain-nose pliers, round-nose pliers and flush-cutters form a simple loop on the straight end of the wire creating a Swarovski alexandrite 8mm bicone drop. Repeat to create a second Swarovski alexandrite 8mm bicone drop.
STEP 5
String onto the straight end of one fishhook earwire one Swarovski crystal summer blush 6mm bicone. Using a pair of round-nose pliers, chain-nose pliers and flush-cutters begin forming a wrapped loop on the straight end of the wire. String onto the loop one loop on one glass gold-finished 4mm round cupchain. Finish the wrapped loop.
STEP 6
Open one gold-plated 4mm round jumpring. Pass the jumpring through the loop on the opposite end of the glass gold-finished 4mm round cupchain and the loop on one end of one autumn hickoryite link. Close the jumpring.
STEP 7
Open the loop on one Swarovski alexandrite 8mm bicone drop. Pass the loop through the loop on the opposite end of the autumn hickoryite link. Close the loop.
STEP 8
Repeat Steps 5 - 7 to create a second earring.

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