Happy Tears - Finally United

Now Paul from Firedance beads has sent me my lovely matching beads (see previous post) I had no excuse to not make the necklace to finish the set.

I wanted to make something that encapsulated the 'wedding spirit' and was still simple and elegant to work with the bracelet and earrings and to frame the lovely beads.

I've used rose gold wire to wire wrap all the beads and make the clasp; to show the wedding spirit I used to little vintage brass swallows flying towards each other and a lovely vintage design brass filigree with more beads hanging from it. The beads I used are the same as before:

Paul's lovely Bluesy Pinks, rose quartz, blue topaz, frosted rock crystal, cherry quartz, rose quartz and white new jade. The chain is a very delicate vintage brass chain.

The rose gold works well with the gingerbread patina of the swallows, filigree and brass chain.



Here are some of the beads and a swallow in detail:



This is the swallow on the other side in even more detail:


The centre piece with the gorgeous cherry quartz beads and a little dangle.



The handmade clasp and another little dangle hanging from the clasp to mirror the one at the front.


Here's the finally complete set, ready to go on Etsy.

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:

Busy-Bees-R-Us

Sorry for the pun, couldn't think of anything else for the title... brain not working very well today.

Made lots and lots of stuff as I've caught the wire bug. Just can't stop making things with wire. The next project is already on the drawing board. However, I thought I better take some time out to show you what I've been making... especially since I am SOOOOO pleased with the latest pieces.

Let's start with some more


Rings

First, here's my Sweet Pea Ring, made with a sterling wire tube, fresh water pearls in green and silvery grey, sterling silver ball pins and lots of tough love bending in all into shape. The ring is a standard size M but can be adjusted.




This is my Mint Sorbet Ring - check out the matching earrings in the earring section below! This ring has been made with bare copper wire, thick gauge for the ring frame and a darker coloured, thinner copper wire to wrap the beads. This is so pretty and the little crystal faceted beads have a lovely green shimmer and a gorgeous sparkle. The ring comes in a size M.



And here's my Fruit Salad Ring. I love this ring, it's full of sunshine and summer. I've used bronze wire - thicker gauge for the frame, thin gauge for the wrapping. The jewels are: orange sunstone, golden citrine, and minty amazonite. The ring comes in a size M, however, I can make all rings in different sizes.


Earrings

Been hammering and bashing away. Here are the results.

Number one are the Leafy earrings - a hammered sterling silver leaf with a labradorite dangle. All the findings (including the jumprings and earwires) are sterling silver and handmade.




Lime and Lemon Sorbet earrings. Again, everything handmade, sterling silver, and lime green and pale new jade cubes with lovely handmade little spirals dangling at the bottom.



Ice Cube earrings. These are so pretty with the black oxidised sterling wire and the pale jade cubes interspersed with vintage (Edwardian) crystal seedbeads.



My favourites - Icy Tulips, made with Sterling wire, Sterling chain and earwires and the most gorgeous pyramid shaped prehnite beads. Not sure I can sell these....




Frosty Morning earrings: these have been made with silver plated findings, frosty white sea glass, green faceted crystals, and vintage dangles that hold the sea glass in place. You can see in the first and third picture how the dangles create lovely swirly reflections on the sea glass.




Mint Tea earrings: similar to the ones above, again with sea glass but this time in green, and aventurine round beads and vintage diamond dangles.



Black Star earrings. These have been made with Swarovski headpins bent into ear wires and Sterling silver paddle pins wrapped around the onyx briolettes. Small, but perfectly formed.


Raspberry Sorbet earrings, made with oxidised Sterling silver wire and beautiful sparkly rose quartz briolettes.






Tangerine Dream earrings: Made with oxidised Sterling silver wire and bright orange Chalcedony.

Mint Sorbet earrings: copper with green faceted crystals. See matching ring above.




Sets

Ophelia Set

Necklace: vintage brass figure of eight chain, gorgeous microfaceted grey/green crystal, labradorite briolettes, brass wire and lots of patience, TLC and hammering....



Earrings: same materials (except for the chain)


Bracelet: same materials as above, even more patience, and a little angel because I was a good girl going to all this trouble. ;-)






The Etruscan Heart Set: TaDA!!!

This one has been made with more patience and TLC in bronze with little Heishi labradorite beads interspersed between the double heart sections. The necklace is long enough not to need a clasp, however, I could add one if required.





The earrings have been made with more bronze wire, labradorite Heishi and briolette beads and a little leaf instead of the hearts.



Most of the items above should find their way into my Etsy shop some time in the next few days...



Works in Progress

Below are pendants, that as of yet haven't been turned into necklaces. Sometime soon they will be the pretties necklaces and lariats. So watch this space and enjoy a sneak preview.


Funky Pink Heart pnedant: hammered, oxidised Sterling silver wire and a gorgeous bright fuchsia pink chalcedony briolette.




Fossil pendant: a real ammonite wrapped delicately in square Sterling silver wire.




Art Nouveau pendant: bronze wire encasing the dark green nugget of sea glass, pale grey/silver freshwater pearls and a gorgeous deep green moss agate briolette dangling from the bottom.



Beaded Ammonite pendant: Sterling silver wire - two different gauges, gorgeous Japanase Raku fired beads in a dark brown with a peacock shimmer, vintage crystal beads and a faceted amethyst coloured glass bead in the centre. All wrapped around and around and around to create this pretty pendant.