Bead Emergency!

Wild optimism made me think that one strand of keishi pearls would be enough to complete an embellished spiral rope necklace.

I fell in love with these silvery-green keishi pearls the moment I saw them on the Lima Beads website. I'm a sucker for freshwater pearls as it is, and these were just so yummy I couldn't help myself. I thought it would be nice to make a beaded necklace just for myself for a change, so I ordered one and eagerly waited for it to arrive in my mailbox.

I wasn't disappointed. The keishi pearls were absolutely gorgeous when I pulled them out of the bag, and I got started making a spiral rope base that I wanted to embellish with these beautiful freshwater pearls. Instead of making just a small centerpiece of freshwater pearl embellishment, I decided that I was going to make an entire thick rope of keishi pearls for myself. It was going to be a "just for fun" project.

But once I got started adding the keishi pearls, I realized that I was going to have a problem. I got about one third of the way through the embellishment before I realized that I had run out of keishi pearls! I have no idea why I thought one strand of pearls was going to be enough to embellish an eighteen-inch spiral-rope necklace. Call me overly optimistic when it comes to my beading projects, but I was so disappointed that I wouldn't be able to finish the necklace that evening. It was a bead emergency!

The finished keishi pearl necklace. Lesson learned: always order more beads than you think you'll need for a project!

I ran back to my computer and quickly ordered three more strands of pearls – even if it was too many, I was determined that I was not going to run out this time. I don't mind saying that it was very, very hard to sit and wait for those pearls to arrive in the mail. Living where I do has its advantages, but having a good bead shop in close proximity is not one of them. The day that the rest of the pearls arrived, I cleared everything else off my table and finished that necklace, just in time for a long holiday weekend.

If anything, this experience only reinforced my urge to buy more beads than I think I'll need for a project! Have you ever had a bead emergency? Share your story here on the blog!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer