Nature Theme - Moon Flower, More Leafy Blue and Stargazer Lily Necklace

Busy weekend, but I managed a few new creations. Just can't keep my fingers still!


Moon Flower Necklace

This happened by accident. I'd made the centre piece to go with the Stargazer Lily necklace (at the bottom of this entry) but when I attached it I didn't like it. It was just too much, so I decided to make it into a pendant.



I've used a lovely vintage opaline bead in the centre which reminded me of the moon, so I cut out a crescent shape from copper sheet, shaped it, filed it, sanded it and then played with the pencil torch until I had a lovely deep red colour with lots of texture and a few highlights.


Below you can see the wonderful fire of the vintage opaline bead.


Here's a the crescent in detail.

Another close up of the opaline bead. I love the way it reflects the light and reflects it back onto the copper.

A simple chain and a handmade clasp finished the design.



Leafy Blue Bangle

Another labour of love. This bangle took me two days off and on. It's to go with the leafy blue earrings, but all three items (earrings, necklace and bangle) will be sold separately in my Etsy shop.



I started off with drawing the shape on copper sheet, then cutting it out as well as I cut with my tin snips. After a LOT of filing and sanding I finally had the shape I was after. I sanded the surface on both sides, then brushed it to give it a soft texture.


To make the bracelet (which at this point was quite delicate) easier to put on and take off, I decided to change the design from the wave bangles to a cuff bangle by adding a thick gauge copper wire frame to the inside, which I attached to the leaf design with wire, adding little blue topaz beads as I went along.



The final touch were the five aquamarine briolettes I added to the front of the bangle.

The bangle now slips easily on and off and due to the design it can also be worn at the top of the arm (if you happen to have a slim arm).




Leafy Blue Necklace

Here is the matching necklace. It was cut from copper sheet, then adorned with blue topaz and aquamarine beads.

A simple chain and a lovely handmade clasp finish it off. The necklace is quite short so it sits flat and looks beautiful with a higher neckline as well as a low neckline.


Here's a closeup of the centre of the necklace with the three aquamarine beads and a cluster of blue topaz beads.


Here is a closeup of the side wher the copper leaf design is attached to the chain.

Here are the links that Alison posted in the comments section. She's right they do look like something much, much older:

Head dress 1
Head dress 2
Head dress 3
Head dress 4


Stargazer Lily Necklace

Finally, here's the necklace that matches the earrings I made a while back.

I made three little flowers cut from copper sheet, filed, sanded and then torched. This time I was a bit more experimental and achieved a beautiful raspberry red colour plus some apricot highlights. I was very pleased with that. :-) I added two different sizes of vintage opaline beads to the flowers to complete them.

Thick copper wire was turned into a 'stick' to attach the flowers to. This was also shaped, filed, sanded and then torched to the same deep raspberry colour.


I used the most gorgeous copper vintage chain to attach the pendant to.


Finally, I made a clasp and a little dangle (a copper leaf with a centre line cut out, a dangle made with a wire wrapped opaline bead and a couple of Miyuki drop beads) to finish off the design. I like the organic feel of the design.

Below you can see the detail of the patina on the copper leaf.

New Year, New Ideas, New Designs - Part 3 Vintage Earrings

Vintage Earring Madness

I've been having fun with all the goodies I got from the Vintage Beadshop on Etsy. I got the most wonderful bits and pieces, some of which can be seen below (and here). All of the earrings with the exception of the Scarlet earrings will be available in my Etsy shop soon.

Jezebel Earrings

The deep red of the vintage cabochons I've used here is so passionate and slightly sinister on top of the vintage connectors that Jezebel seemed the perfect name for the earrings, especially when teemed up with the dark red Swarovski bicones and the dark patina of the vintage chain I've used. Rather than using brass findings I ended up using gun metal as this went better with the patina of the vintage chain and connectors.
Scarlet Earrings

From Jezebel it wasn't far to the Scarlet Woman. Hence the name for this pair of earrings. The connectors and cabochons are slightly larger, the cabochons more of a scarlet red. The design is very similar with more Swarovski and Czech bicones in scarlets and deep ruby.



Toffee Earrings

These are made with vintage bezel settings - at the top is a tiny vintage clear (diamond) cabochon, at the bottom a toffee brown slightly larger cabochon. The findings are gun metal.




Luna Earrings

I've used the same vintage ear wires as in the Emerald Dragonfly Set with a pale white opal Swarovski bicone and more crystal Swarovski bicones hanging from vintage chain. I love the fluid grace of the earrings and the lovely patina on the vintage findings.

Moon Blossom

A while back I bought this beautiful shimmery shell pendant. Whilst rummaging through my bead chest I looked at it again at the weekend (some beads have to mature in the bead chest before they are ready to be used in a design...) ;-) The time was right to do something special with it, so here it is:

Moon Blossom

The idea behind the necklace was that I wanted to do something moon-ish, but rather than take it too literally, I decided to take a 'Haiku' approach. I wanted it to look and feel like I felt about the moon, if that makes any sense at all? Well here it is anyway.

The centre piece is the shell pendant. I've then used a beautiful opaline glass drop and added moonbeams with chain. The opaline glass drop represents the effect the moon has on the sea, the moonbeams have three drops at the end representing the three phases of the moon and 12 round-ish beads to represent the 12 moons in a year. I've used dark chain, because I liked the contrast but also to represent the night.


The end of the chain has a little 'dangle' with 12 drops plus one large drop at the end.


I am very pleased with the necklace and I am not sure I can part with it yet. If I can part with it... it will be in my Etsy shop.