I purchased this coral at the Quartzsite, Arizona market several years ago.
Do you see what I mean about planning one thing and doing another? I wanted to practice the faux porcelain beads, but ended up stringing the coral and turquoise.
I purchased the turquoise pieces through Rio Grande jewelry supply used what was left of the coral to string this piece.
Below is a free form sculptural peyote necklace with a bone and ebony button closure. I used Chinese jade as well as other multi-colored jades and turquoise.
Instantly, I knew why I had been collecting beads for years. Everything fell into place; at least in the beading world. Which is another reason why I fell in love with beading; it was something I couldn't fail at. I was always falling short in everything else. Seemed like the harder I tried to please everyone, it just wasn't enough. But this made me happy.
I could bead in the car, on the train, on a trip, during lunch hour; oh, I was in heaven. This necklace was so much fun because I just kept going with it. Adding the bow at the closure with two different colored blue beads was the final touch. 
I kept three of my "Fringe" necklaces. Just didn't want to part with them.
I like art that I can get lost in. A piece that takes me into it and it has pleasant little surprises along the way. I love the rhythmic balance of this piece and how it is enlivened by the vertical lines and the textures in the fringe. The fringe is so sumptuous. 
I had so much fun making the above "Outer Fringe" necklace. The fringe base is peyote and then I chose a thick braid for the neck design. I used lots of gemstones and vintage beads.
Jade and copper with a bone button closure. I wanted the green of the beads to match the green of the jade perfectly, but what we want and what we get are two different things.
Sculptural Peyote was the first stitch I learned many years ago and fell in love with it. Since day one I have used doubled Silimide beading thread for all of my woven beadwork. I took some master classes in beadwork and jewelry construction and design and these teachers swore by it and that was good enough for me. Although, I will use Fireline if I want a tubular form to hold its shape.
I have collected beads, plus odds and ends for years. I love old broken jewelry that I can take apart and incorporate into a beading design. And I like using old buttons with metal shanks for closures like in the one above.
Bad photo, I know, but the best I could do at the time. The focal bead was a Laura Liska (famous for her polymer clay Bargello beads and now for her color collections); great size, great colors. I did a free form design with "holes" that I filled with gemstones, pearls or crystals that picked up the bead colors. Two simple knots added the final detail to the neck area.
The final four are all about spring. Sometimes I use lampworked beads (artist made, not machine) as focal points in my beadwork and sometimes I use form or....
fringe with vintage beads and gemstones. The peyote closure is out of the picture below, but I did a small bit at the closure for the button and loop and then strung and wove the strands of glass beads and gemstones.
