Feeling Blue - The Necklace

Recently I made lots of earrings, one pair was called 'Feeling Blue'. I like them so much but I didn't have a necklace to go with them, so I had to make one. ;-)

Feeling Blue Necklace

Above you can see it long and below doubled up.


I've used too many beads to count: resin, glass and lucite, vintage and new, heart shaped, round, oval, ribbed, smooth, and faceted. I've also included a black bird charm and lots of black plated findings and blue and black enamelled vintage chain. Details can be see below.


I am so pleased with this. It was finished last week, but I've been so busy with painting another picture (which is giving me no end of trouble), knitting a wrap cardigan (which is taking forever), the usual housework and things, plus editing the photos I took at Sawston Hall.

Watch this space for more new stuff....

Earrings - Hoops, Black Cats, Lambs, Shells, and Heavenly Blues

I've been having fun with black plated hoops and other goodies I bought from Studio Sen on Etsy (materials for the first 3 pairs of earrings).

The first two pairs of earrings are mine... but I have more of the 'ingredient's available.

Going in Circles Earrings

The blackplated hoops are 2" (5omm) in diameter and adorned with a lovely hammered sterling hoop. The ear wires and head pin are also sterling silver.


I love the contrast between the smooth black matte hoops and the shiny textured sterling hoops. The black plated hoops are very filigree and look elegant against the silver.



Black Cat Earrings

The little black cats are made from mother of pearl and I love their cute little faces. They are surrounded by laser cut filigree hoops in the same smooth blackplating as the hoops above. The hoops are quite large (55mm) but because of the elegant filigree design also extremely light. The findings are all oxidised sterling silver.



Little Lamb Earrings

These are so cute - little mother of pearl lambs surrounded by green frosted Japanese seed beads (aka grass) on silver plated just over 1" (30mm) hoops. The headpin is sterling silver. These will either go in my Etsy shop or you can buy them directly now for £10.



Shell Circle Earrings

These are just sooooo stylish and elegant. A vintage brass shell with a lovely gingerbread patina hangs within a blackplated hoop. I've used blackplated ear wires for these as well. The headpin is oxidised brass. Available now or later from my Etsy shop for £12.



Heavenly Turquoise Earring Selection

My friend as me to make her some sterling earrings with the long oval design that I have used for other earrings (e.g. Pink Grapefruit Set and Happy Tears Set). She wanted pale blues but I wasn't quite sure what kind of feel she was after so I made three different pairs.

The first one is my personal favourite.

Pebble Earrings

I've used wonderful beads in striated blues - one pebble is a turquoise frosted blue, the other is a creamy very pale matte blue - and combined them with seedbeads in coordinating blues. The ear wires are handformed and hammered and the earrings are about 2" long. These will be £12.


Rose Bud Earrings

In this set I combined lampwork beads in a blue,white and pink rose design with Swarovski beads in pale blues and a very soft rose colour and a few matching seedbeads. The sterling silver ear wires are handformed and hammered and the earrings are about 2" long. These will be £12 now or later from my Etsy shop.



Blue Daisy Earrings

These are so pretty and dainty. Glass flowers are combined with faceted and seed beads in coordinating blues and embellished with little drops. All findings are Sterling silver. The sterling silver ear wires are handformed and hammered and the earrings are about 2" long. These will be £12 now or later from my Etsy shop.

More Square Rings - Black Daisy Set

I said I'd make some black square rings. Here's the set I designed with them.

Black Daisy:

I've used thicker black enamelled wire to create split rings - rather than the silver plated ones these are double rings because the wire was thinner and I wanted some extra stability.

I then made little square 'beads' using crochet. Each of the square beads is different, one (the one in the centre in the close-up picture below) even using a weaving technique. The gorgeous flat square Millefiori beads in black, deep yellow and white were added with eye pins and jump rings in black plated metal.

Here's the close-up showing the detail of the crochet and the Millefiori beads.

This is the necklace I made to go with the bracelet:

Again, all four squares are different and everything is held together with black plated findings. I am so pleased with the set. I think it's really special and modern without being sterile, organic and abstract at the same time.

Old and New Designs

On Saturday I made this lovely purple necklace. The design is similar to the red one I posted a few days ago but with a black suede and a purple rattail cord. Rattail - despite the horrible name - is a very beautiful silky cord, soft to touch and pleasant to wear.


The beads, as shown here in the close-up, are as per usual too numerous to list. I have used everything from shells to Magatama and Miyuki drops to Czech to Indian glass beads. All in shades of purple, of course, with black plated findings.

After that I felt I had to make something very different. :-) Remember, if you see it anywhere else, you've seen it here first.

I think of it as my 'prom bracelet' because of the organza ribbon that can be tied into bows in at least four different ways. If the organza ribbons are all tied into a bow together they'd look like the flowers girls sometimes wear around their wrists for proms.

I started off with some lovely Lyscordet cotton in black and made the 'frame' of the bracelet. I then added organza ribbon in silvery grey and black. Finally, I crocheted the little abstract flowers with black wool threaded through with shimmery lurex and the middle one with natural hemp. Each of the little flowers has a black crackle bead in the centre and grey/black Magatama drops respectively to make the petals as shown below.

This would make a stunning bracelet - either for a night on the town to dress up a pair of jeans and a pretty top, or with a little black dress or for a ball. Very versatile as it can be worn many ways. It would look really pretty as a choker, too.

More commissions

Been busy this weekend, but especially today. Have been asked to make some earrings in red and gold/yellow and here they are.

I've used lots of red beads: red shells, red jade, coral, wood, Magatama and Miyuki drops, carnelian, cranberry crackle beads, flower beads, Swarovski crystals (Siam and Papadasha), and seed beads in different shades of red on bronze findings. The close-up below shows the beautiful beads in detail.


Here's the second pair in all it's golden shimmer:

For this pair I have used warm golden and cream shells, topaz, citrine, and amber, wood, Miyuki cubes in different shades (copper, gold and yellow), Magatama and Miyuki drops, Swarovski beads in different shades of yellow, from intense to pale lemon, little stripy heart beads and glass and seed beads in different shades of yellow/gold/amber/topaz. The whole lot has been strung on copper with two different types of chain.

Here's the third commission. A necklace with a cluster of beads hanging from a gorgeous deep red suede thong.

There are too many beads to list. The picture below shows more detail.

More Sea Glass Jewellery

I just had to make some more. :-) This wire crochet is definitely addictive - check out Caroline's Blog, she can't stop either!

Below is my kite necklace. The colours reminded me of that moment by the seaside where the sun has almost sunk and there are just a few glimmers of light but everything else seems to be painted in sepia.
The necklace is quite short - deliberately - so the kite hangs flat and looks almost like a stone age spear head. It's a stunning necklace and I am not sure yet that I can part with it. It may be the one I'll be wearing at the party on Thursday....

I've used black enamelled copper wire with small seed beads in black and crystal/black lined with a pale amber bit of sea glass and a lovely faceted drop. The chain and other findings are black plated.

The bracelet below has really captured me. I love it. I am pretty sure I can't bear to part with this. It's just so beautiful.
I've combined little pendants/charms of wire encased amber sea glass with amber lustred Magatama drops, little wire wheels (each one different), and little glass bead drops and shells. The feeling is slightly - maybe more than slightly LOL - Gothic and very filigree, almost like Art Nouveau ironwork. I love the effect and it hangs beautifully.


Below are some earrings to go with the necklaces/bracelets I made. They will be sold separately so people can pick and choose what they want.

The first set has been made with pale green sea glass and silver plated copper wire and silver plated findings. I've added some pale green lustred Magatama drops. I love the watery feel of these earrings.

These ones would go well with the Mermaid necklace. I've used a similar medium green sea glass encased by green wire plus watery green glass tear drops, a few seed beads and some wire beads.

These are really lovely. They would go perfectly with the seahorse necklace. I've used dark green sea glass with a bronze coloured wire, gorgeous lustred beads, bronze filigree beads, and a couple of green seed beads. These earrings are simple but the effect is lovely, very organic.