Swarovski's New Pearls ... YUMMMM!

These new Crystal Iridescent Green pearls from Swarovski have a really unique color and shine to them.  Wasn’t too sure how I would use them initially, but decided they had to form part of another Kumihimo piece made for the March Challenge – making a 16 Strand braid.

I’ve only ever made one braid with 16 cords before … and I wasn’t much impressed with it … so I switched things up a bit by using a sparkling metallic cording for the ‘ridge’ of a spiral braid and 2mm dark olive rattail in the ‘valley’.  Once the braid was done, I anchored a double strand of FireLine to one end and started to string the new pearls separated by matte silver, cut, size 15 seed beads (called Charlottes, I believe) and lay them in the ‘valley’ of the braid.  Every 5 to 10 pearls, I did a little back stitch into the rattail and then passed through the last seed bead loaded to hold things in position.  Once the pearls were in place, I just finished the ends as usual.

This braid is fairly stiff, so I didn’t want it to go around the back of the neck – a chain seemed the best solution for that.

In the Kumihimo Challenge Group I participate in, people enter anonymously and members get to vote for 3 of their favorites.  I’m quite pleased and surprised to say that this piece actually came 1^st in the March challenge!  It's an honor that other Kumihimo enthusiasts liked my version of a 16 strand braid.  Thanks so much everyone.  You made my day!

And special thank you to the wonderfully talented Julia Lindsay Tomascin for taking both of the photos you see here.  My pictures just never come out as well as hers.  You rock, girl!