Sherbet Bombs

Sparkle in Dorothy Wood's summer bib necklace in fizzy shades

Deborah Millsop, MJ Designer

This bright statement necklace in eye-catching shades would look fabulous with a holiday tan! SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS xilions have been matched to flat resin ovals and wired together to form striking medallions, making up a glamorous bib. Create a matching bracelet and earrings, then wear with a maxi sun dress to make the most of the summer evenings.

Necklace

1. Form an eye pin loop at the end of 5cm of 0.6mm wire. Feed the length through an aqua oval resin bead, bend the straight end over at right angles and trim to 7mm. Form a loop again to match the other end with roundnosed pliers. If necessary, use flatnosed pliers to align the loops.
2. Make similar bead links through each of 12 pacific opal 6mm xilions. Make sure the loops on each end are facing in the same way – hold each loop in flat-nosed pliers and rotate gently until level. Cut 15cm of 0.6mm wire and pass the end through the loop at one end of the large resin bead.
3. Pick up a xilion link and three silver seed beads. Repeat, then add a xilion link followed by four seeds twice, then another xilion link followed by three seeds twice. You should be ready to pass the wire through the loop at the other end of the resin bead, but may need to adjust the number of seed beads.
4. Repeat Step 3 to add seed beads and xilion links on the other side, but instead of three seed beads at the end, add two seed beads and a crimp. Pass the other end of the wire through the crimp bead in the opposite direction, then pull taut. Squeeze the crimp with snipe-nosed pliers and trim neatly.
5. Cut 20cm of 0.6mm wire and pass it through a xilion link loop at one end of the oval resin bead. Pick up around six silver seeds between the xilion link loops, rising to seven in the middle and back down to six. You may need to adjust the amounts however to suit the size of the oval bead.
6. Make sure you add sufficient seed beads so that the xilions lie flat around the resin bead. Join the ends of the wire with a crimp as before and trim the ends. Make up five more bead medallions, using xilions to match the resin beads: a second aqua oval with pacific opal xilions, two matt mauve ovals with vintage rose xilions, one lime green oval with peridot xilions, and one matt yellow oval with sunflower xilions.
7. Arrange the completed bead medallions into a bib shape and tie them together where they touch with thread. This is temporary, but gives the bib some stability and allows for adjustment when adding the fancy stones. Insert eight 8mm round cabochons into silver-plated settings, by bending the lugs over with the side of flat-nosed pliers once the stone is in position and level.
8. Position the cabochons where you would like them to sit. Turn the bib over to the reverse side. Thread a 15cm length of 0.4mm wire through two opposite holes in a setting and position one of the cabochons within the bib, upside down so that the wires go under the outer lines of seed beads. Fold the wire tails over and take them back through the same holes.
9. You can then take the wire through the other holes and link into the lines of seed beads from other medallions that are touching too. Pull the wires taut, then bring the wires back into the centre of the cabochon setting. Twist the ends together, trim and bend down inside the setting so that no ends are sticking out.
10. Continue adding one cabochon at a time. The stones on the outside of the bib only need to be linked through two holes. Turn the necklace over and untie the threads. You can use a fine 0.315mm wire to wrap and tie the medallions together in two or three places to make the bib more stable if you wish.
11. Cut two 40cm lengths of grosgrain ribbon and feed through the top of the two outer medallions. Check that the bib hangs well and determine the finished length of ribbon by holding the necklace around your neck. Trim if required and attach a ribbon crimp end to each double ribbon, adding a drop of glue to make it more secure. Attach a jump ring to each end, plus a lobster clasp.

    Bracelet

12. Make a bead link through a lime green resin oval bead and each of 12 6mm peridot xilions as before. The seed beads are threaded in a slightly different way to the necklace so that there is a gap at each end for the ribbon, as follows.
13. Cut 15cm of 0.6mm wire and pass the end through a loop at one end of the large resin oval. Pick up two silver seeds and a xilion link, then another three seed beads. Add a xilion link followed by three seeds. Continue adding a xilion link, followed by four seed beads until you have added a total of five xilions. Pick up three seed beads, another xilion link and two more seed beads. Pass the wire through the loop at the other end.
14. Check the quantity of beads as they should sit close to the resin oval with no large gaps. Repeat the same sequence of seed beads and xilions on the other side so that there are always either three or four beads between each xilion.
15. Check the quantity on the second side. Remove one seed bead and replace with a crimp. Tuck the other end of wire through the crimp and pass one end of the wire through the wire loop. Squeeze the crimp with snipenosed pliers.
16. Add seed beads between the outer loops of the bead links as before so that there are six or seven seed beads at each end. Secure the wire with a crimp. Thread a length of yellow grosgrain ribbon through the gap at each end. Adjust the measurement to fit your wrist, then attach ribbon crimp ends and a clasp in the same way as the bib necklace. You can also add a length of fine chain as an extension if required.