My first dragon necklace

I just listed the first dragon necklace I made on ArtFire.com. I spent a lot of time on this, trying to make sure I got it just right. The dragon is about 3 1/2" long and 3 1/2" tall, and the entire necklace is about 22" long. I sculpted the dragon in polymer clay and actually cut out each and every scale, one by one (very time consuming, but I just love the effect). I used gold clay for the belly, horns, and the tip of his tail. I used shimmering red clay for his scales and wings. I added gold embossing powder to the center of the wings before baking them. I gave the dragon green glass beads for eyes and used a polymer clay tube bead between his wings in order to string him on the necklace. While the sculpting was difficult and time consuming, I think the beading may have been even more so. I used a combination of acrylic, glass, and metal beads in red and gold hues. I've never taken any jewelry making classes or been taught anything about the art. I just imagine what I want a piece to look like and try to figure out how to accomplish that. I knew I wanted to use 2 strands of beading wire so I could be sure the necklace was strong enough, as well as be able to have 2 strands of beads. Actually, the necklace is surprisingly light, but I still like the double strand effect. I beaded the necklace 3 separate times before I was satisfied with the pattern. I really don't have anywhere to plan my designs before actually stringing them. In the past it wasn't much of a concern because I didn't make necklaces, but now I've got quite a few ideas running through my head, so I may have to fix that. I'm already almost done with my second dragon necklace. The thing I love about these is that you have a really cool piece of fantasy sculpture that you can wear!


You can click on the picture to visit my Artfire studio. Thanks for looking!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters