"Look Ma, no metal chain!"

I made this necklace with NO CHAIN..only vintage lace, some ribbon, and some seashells.

This  necklace was pretty easy.  I had a long scrap of this vintage lace and some seashells.. I used my serger machine to sew the edges of the lace together (giving strength to the lace) I rolled the  lace lengthwise to hide the stitches inside the "fabric chain". I experimented to see which seashells could bead the lace without tearing, and decided on these cowrie shells  The shells held the lace together, & gave the necklace weight so it would hand right. Using little satin ribbon I tied a  knot under each shell to hold them in place.  I made a hook/clasp  for the closure to complete.

I didn't really plan this necklace out. It just sort of  fell into place.  Often I will come across a piece of  lace or beads or buttons...that kind of  "talk to me".  I pull a project bowl out and gather somethings that might work together and just start making a necklace or bracelet. I'm  really a tactile learner. I do my best sometimes just creating on the "fly"...it's great problem solving for me.

HOWEVER.. This approach can cause  problems, too!! Sometimes a project, in spite of my best intentions, turns out WAY MORE difficult that I  can handle..ending in a hornet's nest of complications and tossed into my "do-over-pick-apart-and-start-over"  bucket.