Especially for Karen, here's a close up of the necklace made as examples for the basic bead making workshop I run...you can see the freshwater pearls and swarovski crystals much better now. There's also a shell type disks there too, forgot what they're called...
Notice the way it closes. In one end I've looped a small string of crystals and shell disks and the other end just threads thru there....
Got a LOT of comments while I was working at the shop wearing this today...might have to make a few more...I'm keeping this one.

Mel