Bloomin' Marvellous

Nope, I haven't been working my fingers to the bone, these are all pendants I've made a while back and didn't have any chain for, or as in the case of the last one, hadn't decided quite what to do with them. I bought some lovely sterling silver chain at the BMF on Saturday and I think I've put it to good use. :-)


Daisy, Daisy... Necklace

I love the simple shape of daisies and I wanted to make one in sterling silver wire, so I did. LOL I added lovely crayon red Japanese seedbeads and wrapped them around the centre.



The pendant is very light but quite large (5cm or 2") and it hangs from a lovely 40.6 cm (16") chain.


Here you can see all the tiny red seed beads wrapped around the centre of the flower (the back is flat and all wire ends have been securely hidden).



Pretty in Pink Necklace

This is similar to the Daisy, Daisy necklace but I've used a thicker gauge sterling silver wire and added the most gorgeous, delicious fuchsia pink chalcedony briolette to dangle in the centre.


The heart has been hammered, oxidised and polished to give it texture and a lovely satin shimmer. I've used lovely smooth, bright sterling silver snake chain and the wire wrapped around the chalcedony bead is also lovely and bright in contrast to the oxidised heart.

I'd tried lots of different ways of hanging this heart - handmade chain, larger chain, satin rat tail in bright pink, leather, belcher chain, nothing quite worked, because the heart is so striking it needed something slinky and stylish to stay the star of the show.

The chain is 16", the pendant just over 2" (5.5cm).



In Bloom Necklace

I love this necklace - it's full of the colours of Spring.



I've made 'branch' from shaped, textured and oxidised very thick silver gauge wire, then wrapped lots of semi-precious beads.

I've used carnelian (orange), prasiolite, peridot, amazonite, and chalcedony and hung the pendant from more lovely sterling silver snake chain, this time 18" (ca. 45 cm). The pendant is just over 2" (5.5cm).



Calla Lily Necklace

Another labour of love. The calla flower was made from copper sheet: first cut, then shaped, hammered, filed, sanded and oxidised.



Next, I've added lovely beads - freshwater pearls in white and taupe, mother of pearl, and a white tiny shell. The pendant is again about 2" (5cm) in length and hangs from a double-link vintage copper chain about 16".


Free Necklace

The making of the copper bird has been described earlier, I've further oxidised it and achieve a lovely colouring - almost like oil on water.



I've added home made figure of eight links and vintage lucite and glass beads, rock crystal, and white jade to make up the chain. The beads and chain are graduating in size from small starting on the wing of the bird to much larger back to the tail feather of the bird.

The necklace has no clasp and just slips over the head.

Here you can see the detail of the colouring on the swallow. It looks like it is flying and the chain looks like those pictures showing the flight of birds in books about birds.



Below is the chain in more detail:

Wire Fever Still Raging...

Well, I've been busy... as per usual. I just can't get enough of the wire! It's addictive. You may also notice that my jewellery is becoming more sculptural. I just love the way you can bend and hammer the wire into almost any shape.

Here are my latest creations.

Keishi Petal Necklace

This is a necklace made with handsawn and brushed silver tubes, keishi petal pearls in silver grey, a single white new jade bead and lots of sterling silver wire. The pendant is a flower made with keishi petal pearls and the new jade round bead. The clasp is handmade too. At the bottom is a picture with a penny so you can appreciate how delicate the necklace really is.






Cranberry Sweetie Necklace

This is a necklace I made for myself to go with all my silver bangles. I wanted something to go with everything and this fit the bill perfectly. It's been made with handsawn and brushed square silver tubes, tiny garnet rectangles and lots of silver wire. The clasp is also sterling silver wire but bought. Again, at the bottom is a picture with a penny to show the size of the necklace parts.







Cloudberry Bracelet

Little hammered, flattened, shaped and partially brushed clouds made with fine sterling silver, filled with a variety of beads: pale blue and powder blue facetted chalcedony, white jade, crackled rock quartz cubes and frosted rock quartz rounds, lace agate in cube and chip form. A lovely opalite drop near the handmade clasp together with a handmade sterling silver heart and another frosted rock quartz round bead.








Cherry Blossom Earrings

The cherry trees are in bloom all around which inspired me to make these earrings. I've made oxidised sterling silver wire swirls, hammered and bashed them into shape, added some pale pink chalcedony, bright pink candy jade, and some lovely hot pink fossil beads to make it all work. The earwires and jumprings are also sterling silver wire and made by my own - not so fair - hands (the wire works is taking its toll).



Black Sun Necklace

This was inspired by the big black chalcedony I used as a pendant. I added lots of different beads to bring it all together, there are coral sticks, carnelian (chips and beads in dark red and orange), golden amber chips, and orange and sunny chalcedony. There are three lovely handmade bronze connectors and the findings (chain, jumprings) are a mix of copper and bronze which I oxidised.








Dragon's Tale Necklace and Bracelet

This one's ALL MINE. :-)

I bought these absolutely stunning, gorgeous handmade beads that looked to me like dragon's scales. I just couldn't resist making something with them almost the minute they arrived.

The necklace is shaped like a dragon with a bronze wire flame shape at one end and the beads getting smaller and smaller towards the end of the dragon's tail. I've used a variety of beads, from the beautiful handmade beads to lava beads, citrine, a plethora of glass beads, green coloured two-tone crystal, jade cubes and Miyuki cubes and Kyanite and black chalcedony rondelles. Mixed in with this are my handmade swirly connectors and there's a litte wire heart at the end of the dragon's tail. The dragon's tail fits through the flames at the beginning. Very mystical, I know. ;-) The bracelet is made with mostly the same beads but the tail doubles back on itself.

It took forever and a day to make all the links and string the beads, so it's a tale and a half, but well worth the effort.












Tattoo Necklace

Sorry guys, this one is ALL MINE too! I love making swirls and this one turned out looking like a tattoo, even more so when worn. It's made with two thicknesses of fine silver wire, the swirls made, then hammered flat, and lastly tied together - imagine puzzle shapes - with much thinner wire. A last tender bashing of the thinner wire to make it all stay in place. Least but not last, I've attached very thin sterling silver chain and a bought clasp and oxidised the lot. Voila!






Klimtesque Vine Necklace

Can you tell yet that I do like swirls? This one is made in the same way as the tattoo necklace but this time with copper wire and chain. I've made a clasp for it and added a lovely little dangle with a beautiful teal copper framed beads.







Ginkgo Necklace and Earrings

This set must be one of my all time favourites. It's absolutely stunning in real life (rather than on a picture on a computer... sniff).

I've shaped a Ginkgo leaf from thick copper wire, then added the veins with much thinner copper wire giving the leaves a look of skeleton leaves. Lovely golden yellow chalcedony beads dangle like little flowers in the centre of each leaf. A little dip to oxidise them, then I added the gunmetal chain and put the earrings together - the earwires and jumprings are handmade too, apart from the ones attaching the pendant to the chain, the handmade ones were too thick to get through the links of the chain.







Cityscape Bangle

This is a freeform double cuff bangle. It was quite difficult to do as I had to hammer the bronze wire between the be to ensure that it would be firm enough to put on and take off. The beads look like little sweeties - white with green and blue stripes respectively - and the pretty little opalite cubes add interest. More texture is added with the little spiral connectors above the candy (furnace) beads. Finally, I added a spray of Miyuki drops to one side.







SOLD - to Penny. :-)


Jewellery Display

There's no space in the house left to hang my jewellery so I had to get creative with some more wire.

I made the frame from silver plated copper wire, the used two thicknesses of black iron wire to create the 'web'. Took half a day to make. Oh well, only another 11 more to go....