Team gorgeous pink crystals with cool silver with Jane Kharade's pretty lily necklace
What you need...
- Swarovski light rose round crystals, 6mm x 50
Pink freshwater pearls, 6mm x 18
PMC silver clay
Nylon monofilament
Crimp beads
Callottes
Three bead end head pins
Lobster clasp
Jump rings: 5mm, 6mm
TOOLS: pliers, round-nosed, flat-nosed, snipe-nosed; wire cutters; round cutter, 15mm; PMC kit (855 050); mini alphabet blocks; needle files; small flowers brass plate (700 505); Badger Balm; permanent marker pen; scalpel
instructions
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Before you start, rub a very small amount of Badger Balm onto your hands and equipment to stop the clay from sticking to the tools. Roll a piece of silver clay thinly on a Teflon mat. Dust a brass flower stamp with talc and stamp into the clay.
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Download and print the petal template from the link above and cut out. Use a scalpel to cut out a large lily for the pendant. Mix water and crushed clay to a smooth paste called ‘slip’. Apply the slip to the top of the lily where the ends of the clay overlap. Moisten and carefully score the area to receive the slip, then gently press the two pieces of clay together, leaving a small gap at the top for hanging. Leave to dry overnight.
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Once the clay is dry, carefully file the edges with needle files and fire on a soldering block with a hand-held blow torch. Time the firing, making sure the clay glows for three minutes, then refill the torch and fire for another three minutes before quenching in water. Clean the silver with a wire brush.
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Thread a callotte onto a length of monofilament followed by a crimp. Tie the monofilament into several tight knots and squash the crimp with pliers. Thread on three crystals and a pink pearl, then three pink crystals. Continue to add more crystals and pearls until you reach the desired length. Thread on another callotte and crimp. Add a 5mm jump ring and a clasp to one end and a 6mm jump ring to the other.
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Thread a pink pearl onto a head pin, then pass it through the lily. Make a neat wrapped loop as close to the top of the lily as possible and cut off the excess. Suspend the lily from the necklace via a 6mm jump ring.