(Components list at bottom of page)

by: Dwyn Tomlinson

For this year, at Tucson, we were very pleased to be one of the sponsors for the Swarovski Sparkling Make and Take - a fund-raiser for the local YWCA.

This entailed designing a project featuring Swarovski crystals (such a hardship!), - something that could be made by a complete novice in under an hour - rather more of a challenge - getting the ok from Swarovski, purchasing all the components (ok - seriously - why is it every single time I design a kit - a key element has been discontinued???? Hmmmm?), assembling said kits, and shipping them ahead.

I think there was some criteria about a price limit too - but as we were donating everything (along with John Bead - our co-sponsor) - we just ignored that.

The end result was this series of Crystal Explosion pendants. We got a tonne of great feedback about these - everyone seemed to adore them - so we are publishing them here for you. We actually do expect to get some kits put together again, but here is the component list, and the instructions.

And seriously - you can make it in under an hour. You need to review the "rapid loops" technique - which I pretty much had to invent in order to make all the samples to be shipped to Swarovski the next day. Necessity is the mother of invention all right.

To make.

Divide your headpins into two equal piles of 25.

Divide the daisy spacers into 2 piles.

Take half of the headpins, and thread 2 beads on each. Use up the one pile of daisy spacers as the first item on the headpin (then add the two beads - the daisy spacer doesn't count as a bead for this project.)

Then do the same to the other pile of headpins, except make those with 3 beads.

Left over beads can be added so that you have some headpins with 4 beads. And you should shorten a couple to just 1 bead.

Now do the Rapid Loops for all them - giving you 50 dangles of varying lengths. Trim the wire ends.

Slide the Helios pendant to the middle of the piece of Softflex cable.

Then string the dangles on both sides, in random order, but putting the ones with the daisy spacers closest to the centre. (The photo that illustrates this shows the Berry Surprise project - but the idea is the same.)

When they are all strung on, tie the two ends of the Softflex together, so you are knotting the strand into a big circle. Add the big oval link, and knot again inside the link. So you have a circle of the Softflex, with all the beads on it, with the Helios on the bottom, and opposite that, there is a knot, and the link, and then knot inside the link.

Then, using the link, hang on a chain, necklace, silk rattail, what have you. We used the silk rattail.

That's it! Crystal Explosion!

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Components Clicking on components links will open a new window so that you don't lose this page.
	Qty: 50	22601032 Headpins - 2in / 24ga Flat Head - Goldplated (100)	Price: $ 6.95 per	In Stock
	Qty: 1	22801429 Link - 21x41mm Closed Oval - Matte Gold	Price: $ 1.65 per	Sorry - this item is unavailable.
	Qty: 20	tc93-0418-25 Metal Beads - 3mm Daisy Spacers - Bright Gold (100)	Price: $ 12.95 per	In Stock
		25001002 Softflex (tm) Beading Wire - 30ft .019 (Medium) - Silver Grey (Spool) (6 inches)	Price: $ 28.30 per	In Stock
	Qty: 36	27753011260004 Swarovski Bead - 4mm Faceted Bicone (5301/5328) - Crystal Red Magma (36)	Price: $ 6.95 per	Sorry - this item is unavailable.
	Qty: 36	27753011337287 Swarovski Bead - 4mm Faceted Bicone (5301/5328) - Sand Opal (36)	Price: $ 6.48 per	Sorry - this item is unavailable.
	Qty: 35	27753011942002 Swarovski Bead - 6mm Faceted Bicone (5301/5328) - Crystal Copper	Price: $ 0.45 per	Sorry - this item is unavailable.
	Qty: 5	27753012233001 Swarovski Bead - 6mm Faceted Bicone (5301/5328) - Dorado 2	Price: $ 0.42 per	Sorry - this item is unavailable.
	Qty: 10	27753012017286 Swarovski Bead - 6mm Faceted Bicone (5301/5328) - Mocca	Price: $ 0.41 per	Sorry - this item is unavailable.
	Qty: 1	34760401063001 Swarovski Pendant - 40mm Helios (6040) - Crystal Copper	Price: $ 29.55 per	Sorry - this item is unavailable.