I loved working on this customer request for a special necklace featuring beads made from a beer bottle, with gold leaf! We talked through a few variations for making this necklace, and ended up settling on this very elegant style.
My husband loves my work! Don’t get me wrong, we don’t drink all of the alcohol bottles that I use to make beads. I get a lot of gin and wine bottles donated to me. But I am happy to buy the beer bottles when I am getting low. And my husband is happy to help drink them!
[I tend to use Coopers Ale beer bottles for the brown beads I use, and Coopers Clear beer for the clear beads. I also use Peroni to make a really pretty green bead].
I was so pleased with how the pendant that I made using gin bottle beads turned out yesterday, that I decided I had to try making one with beer bottle beads! In the photo you can see all the different types of beads that I used. Some had gold leaf, some had gold pixie dust, some had frit. It’s a really diverse mix of beads! I love the little copper tube that has been enamelled, tying it all together along with the little Swarovski crystals.
I wore the necklace from yesterday for a while, just to see how it went, and I have to say I really enjoyed wearing it. I found myself reaching for it every now and then, and because it had so many things going on, it was quite a tactile experience! A bit calming as I was rushing around trying to get everything done.
Beer bottles and gold leaf are always a winning combo! I’m quite fond of this particular necklace. I love how it really shows off the shape of the beads, and the gold leaf. So pretty, I think I might make some in different colour combinations…
