Description
About the Spiral Waterfall Earrings
These spiral waterfall earrings are one of many designs I have created for the Beadsmith Inspiration Squad. Looking for innovative ways to use their materials, I stumbled upon this idea by accident.
I recall finding some inspiration from a chandelier design and then mixing that together with some beading ideas of that moment. I had been working with small innovations in Herringbone stitch. So all of these ideas came together in the Spiral Waterfall Earrings.
Materials and tips
I chose to make my first version in delicate pastel shades. But these will make a statement in any colouring.
You will need seed beads in sizes 11 and 15. They must be the same brand (here’s why!) and also in the same colour. You can experiment with colour mixing. But I feel that keeping to the same hue gives the spiral more impact as it disguises the way in which it is made.
The drops that dangle throughout the spiral, giving the waterfall look, use a combination of firepolish and Pinch beads. I confess, although I love the look of the Pinch beads, I have not always found them intuitive for me when it comes to design. So, this felt like a bit of a breakthrough to actually use some! Every new design leads to new knowledge though. So I’m sure they will put in another appearance soon.
The trick to getting this to sit right is mostly tension. So if this is something that you find challenging, pay particular attention to getting a nice tight, even tension.
The waterfall effect is ‘arranged’ into place. So you can use your artistic license here and do what creates the most attractive effect in your eyes.
The second challenge lies in making two matching earrings. But since asymmetry is all the rage, you don’t need to worry too much about that – nothing is perfect! So, I hope you enjoy these spiral waterfall earrings and maybe even feel inspired to try them as a pendant to match.
