JustATish Designs: Rings and Things Sept. blogger challenge - Green Man Necklace

I was very excited when I got home last nite to sit down and make this necklace. I was all ready to document the process when my camera decided it was not going to co operate. Not all of my shots turned out, most were blurry and I apologize. I think I got the jest of it tho and want to share it with you today.

I was browsing thru Rings & Things' charms section looking for something to inspire me. That is when I saw the 'Green Man' charm. Instantly the gears began to turn and rumble thru my head. I clicked it into my wish list, so I wouldn't loose it, and the hunt began. Next the moss agate pendant - oh how glorious. Even tho I had mentioned in my last post that I had grossly mistaken the size of this beautiful piece, now, after seeing it in the design, I wouldn't change a thing. It is fabulous!

Green Man is, by some counts, a vegetative deity- representing rebirth, renaissance, or representing the cycle of growth each spring. Moss agate is the perfect stone to pair with this. Moss agate is sometimes called the “gardener’s stone” due to its mystical properties of helping ensure a full crop.

Soon it all came together in this list -

1 - Strand of 10 x 10 faceted fan beads - multistone.

1 - Sterling silver leaf face charm

1 - Moss agate T-Drop pendant

And I added from my own supplies -

Leather cord

Sterling toggle (one very similar can be found here at Rings & Things)

18 ga sterling wire

20 ga sterling wire

24 ga sterling wire

First cut a 7 1/2" piece of 18 ga sterling wire. Creat a spiral on one end. I chose the spiral design, just as everything else. They all have a corresponding meaning. The spiral represent in Celtic lore - symbolizes growth, birth and expansion of consciousness. Bend the wire at the top of the spiral to a 45 degree angle and slide the wire thru the pendant. On the back of the pendant, push the wire up again at a 45 degree angle - something like this.

Look at the pattern in this stone!!!!!

At the top of the pendant, make a wire wrapped loop. This will be the bail of the pendant.

Before committing the wrap, rest the body of the toggle in the bend of the wire and finish the wrap so the toggle is attached.

Bend the wire over the top of the pendant and back thru the hole.

This is where I wish I had some rubber tipped tools, as to not mar the metal. Then again. It is not meant to be perfect, it is a more organic look to reflect the Green Man and the Moss agate. Pushing the wire back thru and keeping it flush against the pendant was tedious.

Bring the wire back up the pendant and wrap the tail around the wire wrap of the bail. Don't make it perfect. Sloppy is in.

Set the pendant aside. Cut three 21" pieces of leather.

Use your 20 ga wire and create a two cones.

"Screw" the cone, large side down, over the three pieces of leather, just till the tips are poking out. Give the last coil a squeeze to anchor it to the leather

Now give the coil itself a bit of a mash.

Here I had to enlist the help of my husband to hold the end of the leather strands so I could braid them. I did a very tight braid and I should add, shortened the lenght of the leather to 16", which is where I wanted it to be. If you want a longer necklace, adjust the lenght of the leather. Just remember, after the braiding it will be five inches shorter. On the other end of the braid, 'screw' on the cone and repeat the steps as before to anchor the coils. Trim the excess leather.

Bend the last coil out to a 45 degree angle. This will be your connector link.

Attach the toggle ends to the connector links. To do this, just bend the link out slightly and slide on the eye of the toggle and push the link back in place. You can even 'wiggle' the connector link, by pushing it open and closed several times to 'heat' up the sterling and temper it so to speak. It will strenghten the silver.

Attach the charm to the round body of the toggle.

Now lets add some more!! Cut a four inch piece of 24 ga. wire.

Make a wire wrapped loop at the top, and connect it to the body of the round toggle.

Choose one of your faceted fans for this charm and slide it onto the wire. Bend the wire so the wrap it positioned at the peak of the bead. Do a sloppy wrap with the wire, starting at the anchor wrap and back down toward the bead. You can crimp the end and tuck it back up under the wrap.

Here is where my camera quit - My battery stopped on me - so i'll explain. I used a total of four faceted fans for the charms. I attached two to the toggle and two to the bail.

And this is how it turned out -