Land of Odds : Seventh Annual, 2009
The Ugly Necklace Contest
A Jewelry Design Competition With A Twist 
...GO VOTE & EVALUATE...

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Wearing

MATERIALS:

o Seed beads: Japanese, Czech, Indian in sizes 15 through 5
o Glass beads: Czech pressed and fire polished glass, Indian foiled glass, catsye, handmade lampwork by Tania Grey, Japanese fringe drops, Swarovski Crystallized Elements, Japanese cube beads
o Enamelled copper wire, green and blue
o 'Gold' plated craft wire
o Polished Cornish beach pebble
o Plastic coated steel beading cable
o Beading threads: Nymo, K.O., polyester, cotton, FireLine
o Nylon monofilament
o Mother of Pearl
o Unakite
o Shell
o 'Silver' plated metal charms
o Plated metal crimp beads
o Copper wire
o Acrylic beads
o Japanese cylinder beads
o Bugle beads
o Hand painted silk fabric, some laminated
o Freshwater pearls
o Brass eyelets
o Brass beads and charms
o Vintage plastic buttons
o Bubble wrap (stuffing for Xmas bauble)
o Plasticized metal beadas
o Faux pearls
o Copper beads and charms
o Tibetan silver spacers

TECHNIQUES USED:
o Stringing
o Crimping
o Knotting
o Wirework: simple loop, wrapped loop, wire wrapped pendant
o Square Stitch
o Herringbone stitch: tubular
o Peyote stitch: flat odd- and even-count, spiral, freeform, tubular, circular, increasing and decreasing
o Cellini spiral
o Dutch spiral
o Eyelet setting
o Ladder stitch: flat, tubular, embellished
o Whipstitch
o Right angle weave: single-needle flat, tubular cabochon bezel
o Netting: odd-count, curved even-count, 3-D
o Nepali flowerbud braid
o Wire crochet
o Branced fringe
o Simple fringe
o Anemone fringe
o Brick stitch: circular
o Lamination
o Silk painting
o Sewing
o Bead embroidery

What this piece might have been, if I'd gotten all these UFOs finished!

o A green and blue strung necklace with beaded beads and green 'lollipop' lampwork by Tania Grey (I salvaged the clasp bead and loop)
o A set of frosted red tubular beaded beads strung into a bracelet
o A keyring with a green wire spiral bead
o Several sets of beaded beads in assorted colours and stitches
o Two 'nemesis' peyote spiral necklaces with foiled glass pendants and big tassels -- one green, one silver
o A black and green version of my 'Midnight Garden' cuff project
o A symmetrical netted cuff in elegant cream and green
o A sparkly blue, teal and green 'mermaid' choker with lavish fringing
o A bezelled beach pebble collected at Studland Bay, Dorset, on a beautiful day in summer 2007 -- I beaded the bezel on the beach but never got round to the necklace
o A freeform choker in lavender and grey
o Another bezelled pebble - the pebble fell out, the bezel broke, and it was never repaired
o A yellow and cream pendant and earring set in mother of pearl
o A gorgeous bridal herringbone necklace with trumpet-shaped flowers
o A set of handpainted silk circles edged with beads and stitched to a cuff
o A coppery bronze beaded flower pendant
o A green bail for a ceramic bead, on a black cord necklace
o A pair of delicate Cellini spiral bangles in creams, greens and pink
o A set of 'sea anemone' earrings to go with a green and red collar I made
o Two Nepali flowerbud bracelets
o A grey and pale pink shaped peyote collar
o A circular brickstitch coaster in purple and black
o A peyote pumpkin for a Halloween workshop
o A pink and blue netted coaster
o A netted collar with a button fringe
o A set of laminated handpainted silk 'leaf' charms for a pair of lightwieght earrings
o A leafy, lush peyote stitched collar with butterflies, flowers and gemstones
o A set of ladder-stitch samples for a 'better beading' training module that never got written up
o A gold and silver peyote zigzag choker with leaves on the points
o A cuff made from squares of laminated silk, edged with beads and joined together
o A black anemone fringe necklace
o A dutch spiral cuff in bright orange and red
o A charm bracelet with lots of fun mementos of my Cornish holiday two years ago
o A chequered cuff in cylinder beads of different sizes
o A herringbone light-pull for my bathroom, with a nautical feel and lots of swirly seaweed, fish, starfish and coral (in my dreams!)
o A wire crochet collar with leaf pendant
o A set of Xmas tree ornaments

Additional Information:
o I made this piece as a way of coming to terms with my biggest handicap as a beader: my inability to finish one project before starting the next six! I was swilling about in a sea of unfinished bits of beadwork, so I accepted the fact that the pieces in this necklace would NEVER be finished in their own right, and stitched, crimped and wireworked them together into the ultimate neckpiece, which is itself unfinished (hence all the loose ends). I tried to make it as clashing, uncomfortable and unbalanced as possible while still a functional item of jewellery; the assembly is strong enough to take the weight of the piece (although the ends are untrimmed, they are securely knotted or crimped) and the clasp is a fully functional one clipped from an unfinished necklace design. The pendants are all off-centre and there are 'bald' spots and places where lots of components are bunched together -- this was so hard for me to do, but very therapeutic! When I wear the piece it's impossible to ignore its presnce, as it's heavy and prickly and noisy and unbalanced; it reminds me of the wide range of techniques I've learned, but also of my own limitations. It makes me determined to conquer my remaining UFOs now!