I just wanted to share a design alternative I made for the Pearlish Figure necklace (on the cover of the July issue). (For the main version, I used two strands of cornflake-sized white keshi pearls and a mix of pale grey and blue crystals.) In the design below, the bronze pearls below are much bigger — 20–22 mm.

If you use larger pearls, you can create a lush necklace with only one strand. This strand has a variety of shapes; some of the pearls are dense and puffy and some are smooth and flat. I strung the pearls with 4 mm light smoked topaz bicone crystals because I wanted the sparkle to match. (That's also why I finished with a copper clasp and chain rather than gold.) I bought the golden champagne pearls from Lucky Gems & Jewelry Factory. You may also want to try Pearlwear or Eclectica, 262.641.0910. Just make sure the pearls are top-drilled to get the clustered look.

For earrings, I chose two of the smaller pearls and strung them on handmade head pins from Lauren Hadley (available by phone order, 201.767.1229, or mariemarie103@aol.com).

I would love to see how you've made the cover look your own. Feel free to send a jpg to nfujimotoATbeadstylemagDOTcom.