Dragonfly Flying Over a Pond Necklace

This is my baby sister's birthday present. It's her birthday on Saturday and I still have to send this... So don't go telling her!

She loves blues, especially turquoise.

A while back, when she came visiting she wanted me to show her how I do my jewellery and make some with me with the idea of making some herself. However, she found it all took far too long and was far more difficult than it looked. LOL Just as well I think it's fun. :-) We made a bracelet in blues together and the necklace should hopefully match it.

The necklace started off with the blue and turquoise beads. I wanted to make a versatile necklace so I made it long and added the vintage Art Nouveau dragonfly, this is a very rare silver plated one as most of the vintage ones are brass. The clasp is right next to it so it's easy to open when doubled up.



This shows what the necklace will look like doubled up. Unlike the Safari necklace this one has no order to it, but the beads are randomly strung.

All the beads are glass, there is everything from size 6 seed beads to Miyuki cubes to lustered beads to Indian lampwork beads to catseye beads and many more.



Here I've pushed the beads together in a little nest to show why and how I came up with the name. :-)


Here you can see the design of the dragonfly and the clasp right next to it.



Another close-up of the lovely detail on the dragonfly.

Fairy Queen Dewdrop Corsage Bracelet

I've been busy experimenting with new materials. I got the most gorgeous silk rods and cocoons from the LARKSPUR FUNNY FARM & FIBER ART STUDIO on Etsy and decided to make a corsage bracelet with some silk roses to match the tiara I made a little while back. The most difficult bit was to restrict myself and not buy the whole shop! The colours are amazing and they're even better in real life than on the pictures in the shop.




I started off with the band. It was made from the same silk/steel yarn and paper moire yarn I've used for the tiara. I made two ribbons of the same size in the paper moire and then a third but this was crocheted in gunmetal wire. I sandwiched the gunmetal ribbon between the two paper moire ribbons to get a sturdy base. Then I embellished it with lace made with the silk/steel yarn and lots of tiny Japanese beads.


I added a little lip to one end and a flowery embellishment for the button to go through so the bracelet could be closed securely.



Next, I had to fabricate the roses. Grace from the Larkspur Funny Farm & Fibre Art Studio was extremely helpful. I had never worked with either silk rods nor with cocoons and was a bit at sea as of how to use it and prepare it. She patiently answered all my questions in great detail and, finally, I felt ready to play. :-)

Here's a picture of the materials I used:


Three strips in two colours of the silk rod (old gold and natural). These were prepared by moistening them with water and then gently peeling the layers apart. With a little patience I managed to get two layers. I then patted them dry and went over them with a rolling pin to flatten the fibre after all the handling. The golden cocoon (a natural cocoon rather than a 'grown' cocoon was also moistened with water so I could gently pull it into the shape I wanted.



I've also used some dark green cocoons that I cut into two halves and then I created scalloped edges with some embroidery scissors.


Next, I attached Swarovski and Czech faceted beads (the same ones I used on the tiara) to the centre of the golden cocoons and attached 3 layers of silk rod, stuffed each into the green cocoon halves and finally attached them all to the bracelet.



It was a lot of work but I think the result is quite natural, and every fairy queen would love to have one for her wedding. :-)

Here are a couple of pictures that show the corsage bracelet being worn:


I am planning to make a few hair pins and other items to embellish hair with the silk rods and cocoons. Some will match this set, others will be a riot of colour. It's all planned out (in my head). LOL Check back soon.

Fairy Queen Dew Drop Tiara

Sorry for the long name, but it just needed it. :-) Because it's what I think it looks like. LOL
See for yourself:




This is my latest venture - wedding 'decorations' for the bride or ladies who go to balls and proms. I've used the most delightful, delicious Japanese yarn from a secret place on the internet. Na, only joking, Caroline told me about it. If you fancy some yourself, check this out: K1Yarns.

The first yarn I used was Habu, Silk and Stainless Steel, in silver. It's difficult to work with, very tangly - with crochet and beads at least, I think it may be easier if you knit it - but the effect is beautiful. It's shimmery, it's soft and if tightly knitted or crocheted it's sculptural as well. The second yarn I used was Habu, Paper Moire, in moccha. This is lovely to work with. I love the natural feel of it - almost like a vine.



I started off with a tiara base in silver plate. I then added the first layer: a filigree web of the silk and stainless steel yarn with beads (Japanase Toho beads in creamy, shimmery pearl, little Miyuki drops in pearl, teeny tiny Japanese seed beads in creamy buttermilk, and more Miyuki drops in crystal bronze lined).


The next 'layer' was a frame work made from silver plated wire. This consequently was then covered with the paper moire yarn, one, to hide the frame work, but also because it gives it a softer more tactile feel.


The final layer was done with the silk and stainless steel yarn and more beads, this time Swarovski and Czech faceted beads to add a bit of glimmer and glamour.



The colours of the tiara are perfect for any hair colour. The shape of the tiara works either with a simple or short hair styles as it can be worn like an alice band, or it can be draped around a 'piled-up on top' hair style.

The tiara (even if I say so myself) is subtly elegant and romantic and works for the young bride as well as the mature bride. Or just wear it because it's so pretty! :-)

Available soon in my Etsy shop!

Sun catchers

My latest fad is playing with lots of types of wire and art silver clay. Some of the things I made with wire (using up lots of mixed up beads from previous projects plus new ones) were two sun catchers.

Number one - made with copper and sea glass - is now hanging in front of my living room window:


I hope you can see the copper tape and the bits of pre-knitted copper wire and all the crochet! I've also used sea glass, which shimmers beautifully in the sun light.



Number two is a present for a friend, which still needs wrapping!!! It's been made with hammered, silverplated copper wire, cream coloured craft wire and silver plated very, very thin wire. I've used millions of red beads, a bit of bending and wrapping and some crochet.

Squares and cubes

Been playing some more with squares and this is the result. Going to make a bracelet and earrings to go with this necklace. So watch this space! :-)

I've used three types of metal: silverplated copper wire, bare copper wire, and bronze wire (+ antique gold enamelled copper wire). To add more interest I've also used findings in silver, copper and bronze, and Miyuki cubes in gold, copper and silver; AND I've managed to find a two-strand rectangular toggle clasp which I think adds the perfect finishing touch.


Here's a close-up of the links.

Square Rings and a Thousand Flowers

Thanks to my friend David I now have a square rod to make square rings. :-) Which of course I used straight away to make a bracelet.

It wasn't quite as easy as I had imagined as the technique is the same as for jump rings, however, I pulled the wire a little too tight and then had no end of trouble and a big blister to get them off the square rod. In the end though I got them all off and bashed them a bit with the help of my son (who was very excited about being allowed to use a hammer) and my special gadget (the Bead Whacker or some such thing) which made the rings harder so they hopefully wouldn't loose their shape when I started the crochet.

The wire I've used is silver plated copper wire and bent perfectly in the square shape I wanted.

A little more silver plated copper wire (much thinner though) and some crochet and I had my links which I mixed with the most gorgeous clear and white square Millefiori beads. I am really pleased with the result as it's very different. The square rings give the crochet more stability and holds the square shape perfectly. It still looks organic but in a nice clean way.

Below is another close-up on a teal background which shows the lovely Millefiori beads better than the white background.


Got to make some more rings, in copper, black plated wire, and bronze to make more bracelets (and anything else that springs to mind at the time). Bought more square beads as well. AND I want to make a necklace to match the silver/white bracelet I finished today.

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.