I recently came across some lovely production-made Chinese lampwork focal beads. The pretty color inspired me to grab some handfuls of other colors and the next thing you know, an idea was born!

Select your focal bead first, and let it drive your color choices. There is nothing complicated about this one - the focal bead is transparent ruby-red and topaz (amber colored) over silver foil. To accent it, I chose some corner-drilled pressed glass cubes in the exact same colors, and some seed beads in the same red. Instead of topaz seed beads, I went with 3 shades of gold, as the topaz part of the leaf with the silver foil in it more closely resembles gold.

This also uses a "mix" of seed beads, blended together and strung randomly - one of my favorite methods of using seed beads. Making a mix is easy - but you will have more than you need - you might want to consider purchasing a pre-made mix if your bead-shop carries them.

Supplies

• beading line or thread, Powerpro or similar 4 x 1 yard (I used white PowerPro™. Red.  Gold C-Lon™ or Nymo™ would also work.)
• focal bead with large hole. (I selected a handsome red and amber colored leaf design)
• approx.18 x 8 mm glass accent beads (I chose cornered-drilled cubes (dancing cubes) - in the same colors as the focal bead.
• 2 x clamshell tips
• 2 x 2mm metal beads to use inside the clamshell tips.
• 1 clasp (I chose a 'vermeil' (gold over sterling silver) clasp with a leaf motif to coordinate with the focal leaf bead.
• 4 hanks of seed beads (I selected: Tr Med Red, Silver/lined Dark Gold, Silver/Lined Light Gold, and Metallic gold, all in size 11/0 Czech-made beads.) Size 10/0s would work too, as would some of the faceted or 'cut' seed beads.

Tools

• Bead mat
• shallow dish or tray
• small white mixing bowl
• needles
• chain nose pliers
• round nose pliers
• scissors (I find that with the Powerpro, the only way to get a nice clean cut is to use my very sharp wire cutters.)

You are going to start by blending the seed beads together in a random mix. This is a lot of fun!

Of course, if you buy your seed beads in small vials, you can just pour them into a bowl.

Cut the hank of seed beads in the center of the loop into the middle of the mixing bowl.

A white or neutral bowl is better for accurately viewing the colors.

Slide the beads off the strands into the bowl

Oddly enough, they don't all fall off and you need to encourage them

That's the first one done.

Do the same for the rest of the colors

Take one piece of thread about 1 yard (or metre) long.

"Iron" your thread by drawing it taunt across a hot light bulb - this will smooth the thread and take the curls out of it.

Thread onto a needle.

String 2 inches, approx. 26 beads (in size 11/0) and move to the center of the thread.

The seed beads are easier to thread if you put them into a hard, shallow dish, so you can scoop in with the needle and get a bunch at a time.

Add the focal bead and slide to the center. The seed beads will pass right though it.

Now, working up each side of the necklace, to the left and right of the focal bead, add on each side. (I usually use two needles, one on each side, and do a bit of the one side, and then the other, so I can see how the design is progressing.

3 x cubes, in red, amber, red

Now add 3 more cubes, reversing the color order from last time (to keep it interesting)

3 x cubes: amber, red, amber (reverse of last time)

Again, add 2 inches/approx. 26 beads

add single accent bead - red - I chose red as the slightly more dominating color for the accent beads, as I had three times as many gold seed beads as red ones, so I was looking to balance the effect.

Continue to add 2 inches/ approx. 26 random seedbeads, and 1 accent bead, and repeat to desired length - I was wanted 20 inches long, so I did 3 repetitions on each side in total.

Adjust to the correct length with few beads after the last accent bead.

Don't forget to include the length of the clasp when calculating the overall length of the necklace.

(Total length - length of clasp) / 2 = length of each side.

20 inches minus 1.5 inch clasp divided by 2 = 9.25 inches on each side of the necklace.

Note: When you have a large, glass focal bead like this that could be broken if you bang it on something, you need to ensure that it does not hang long enough to swing forward and strike something. In particular, pulling yourself up to the table for dinner, causing the necklace to swing forward and strike the edge of the table is a problem. (Really, about the only problem, but really annoying if you do it.) The solution is to keep the necklace short enough to clear the table, or to only eat standing up.

Now, thread the second piece of thread, again, 1 yard long, and do the whole thing again!

Tape the thread ends down to your work surface with removable tape or masking tape so that you don't have the beads come flying off as you add the second strand.

Start with 2 inches of seed beads, thread through focal bead. (Again, I put a needle on each end of the thread and work both sides of the necklace at once.)

Thread through the accent beads, and then thread more seed beads, then thread through the accent beads.

This gathers and collects the strands and keep them contained and unified.

For the last few beads, after the last accent bead, don't string multiple strands, but thread through the seed beads instead. This makes for a cleaner, tidier finish at the clasp.

Repeat with the third strand.

Tape down the first and second strands and repeat.

And a fourth strand.

Getting all four strands through the final few beads may be a challenge, but should be possible.

Now add a metal bead on two of the four threads.

You can use a seed bead for this, as it does not show, but I like to use a metal bead so that if I accidentally crush it in the clamshell tip, it doesn't break.

Seal the knot with glue. I put a bit of plastic under the knot to prevent glue from getting on the beading mat by accident.

I like to use the "Hypo-tube" cement - as it's needle-like applicator makes it very easy to accurately place the glue.

Repeat for the other side, add the clamshell tip, knot, close, and add the other half of the clasp.