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Sometimes when boredom strikes, you just need a little color to stir up the inspiration.
When I was little, my sitter and I used to play a game. We would pick a color then take turns going through the alphabet naming something that was that color. For example, for purple we would start out with "A" and I'd say "Amethyst is purple" and she'd say "Barry's Beetle is purple". We'd take turns like that, going as fast as we can, until either one of us became stumped or got one wrong at which point the other party won.
I had a lot of fun with it when I was little and now, as an adult, I sometimes find myself remembering fondly that game in particular when I'm working on my jewelry.
The piece pictured above is the latest piece that has brought these memories to the surface. These silver and amethyst colored handmade hoop earrings are designed with lots of amethyst glass accents combined with subtle hints of silver accents. Joined together on a silver wire hoop, they create a mysterious style that makes me think of gypsies and moonlight.
Fun and cute... and perfect for someone with a sweet tooth! This handmade charm bracelet was inspired by pink dyed coral beads that look like candy. The coral beads were used as spacers between sparkling clusters of crystals and glass beads.
Completing the piece, a handful of cute little lampwork glass cupcake charms with vanilla frosting and little pink rosettes were added. These cupcakes are handmade from lampwork glass and an adorable addition to the sweet tooth theme.
This handmade cupcake bracelet was then finished off with a toggle clasp in matching silver tones that looks like twists of licorice!
My grandmother used to always loose her place in her bible, which she read ever day. She used to stick tons of different miscellaneous on-hand things in the pages to save her place from receipts to scraps of trash to pencils and more.
Until I made her a bookmark just for her bible.
From that day forward, she always had something special just for her bible and she loved it.
In the spirit of that memory, this beaded christian bookmark was designed from black and white beads for a minimalist look with a touch of elegance, a pretty pewter cross then set to dangle from either end. Perfect for not just bibles but books, datebooks, journals and more, this handmade 11.75-inch (30 cm) beaded book thong is sure to mark any reader's place with a touch of style and bit of faith.
The moment I saw this pendant I was immediately inspired and when I ordered it, I couldn't wait for it to arrive so that I could work with it.
Made from mint green jade gemstones and the rich, soft glow of fresh water pearls, this handmade gemstone necklace is designed around the beautiful forest themed pendant that dangles at it's end with dancing fireflies against a rich green backdrop.
The finished jade necklace is designed with spiral swirl accents to match the frame of the pendant and is then finished with an extension chain at the nape to allow the necklace to be worn at a variety of lengths for comfort.
Made with delicate glass teardrops in a rich amber color, these wire wrapped earrings are a colorful and understated accent when worn. The glass teardrops started out in a shade of crystal clear amber and were soaked in a glass clouding solution for a smooth satin finish. Once the finish was just right, they were thoroughly cleaned then carefully wrapped in silver tone wire for contrast between warm and cool tones then set to dangle on matching handmade earring hooks.
This pair of handmade teardrop earrings is part of an extensive collection titled "The Elixirs" which come in a variety of colors both in shimmering clear tones as well as in the clouded satin finish you see pictured here. Every pair is completed with care from their wire wrapped tops to their carefully shaped earring wires.
I was recently invited to join a group of sellers on Etsy called the "Prayers on a Wire Team". One of the activities of this team is that they hold seasonal contests. The contest for the winter season is "Jack Frost" and it was that theme that inspired this handmade pearl rosary.
Made from snowy white glass pearls as the Aves beads and pale blue glass diamond shaped beads for the Paters, this handmade rosary is titled "Winterlight" with a soft winter glow theme and finished off with an antiqued silver tone Our Lady of the Miraculous medal centerpiece and a detailed silver plated crucifix at the end.
Inspired by the work of the artist Alphonese Mucha, this handmade art nouveau style necklace is created from navy beads and a touch of earthy tones with ceramic beads combined into the design.
At the end of this handmade beaded necklace, an art nouveau style pendant featuring a woman smelling flowers dangles beneath a matching style center.
Even the chain on this necklace is handmade for a unique look and style with links of silver charms connected to beaded links in silver and navy blue. The length is adjustable as well, featuring an extender chain at the nape and lobster claw clasp to attach to it.
I have a variety of family members who absolutely love going to the casino now and then. It's a form of recreation to them. Some play the slots and others visit the tables, but it's something they enjoy a great deal.
With these loved ones in mind, I've designed this beaded good luck charm created from a green $5000 poker chip and a cluster of green glass beads combined with a little silver tone wishbone charm.
This charm doesn't just come in green either, but in a variety of colors from green to red, blue to black.
Knitting and crocheting is a mystery to me. A fascinating mystery. And when a couple of my customers mentioned they'd love to see some beaded stitch markers available in my shops, I immediately went out to find out just exactly what a stitch marker is.
After lots of research, I understand the basic concept, but I have to be honest and say that I still don't understand the process. I'm clueless, even after reading a number of articles.
What I did learn, though, is that stitch markers are indispensable to many of those who knit and crochet.
This set here is a handful of handmade stitch markers designed from silver wire and earthy mushroom colored glass beads with mottled brown around the edge and smooth shaved pale faces. I've designed these stitch markers to be no-snag too! So there's no worries about them getting caught on the yarn while working.
Beaded in ceramic beads that have been glazed in a rich sea blue color, this handmade beaded bookmark has been designed to be ideal for marking a reader's place with their own sense of style.
The long beaded tassel dangles down the spine of the book, a silver plated 3-D dolphin charm at it's end. The tassel is attached to a matching silver plated steel book hook with smooth sides and a graceful shape that is meant to slip between the pages of the book and mark the reader's place with ease.
Whether in shades of aqua or blue, chalcedony is without a doubt one of my absolute favorite gemstones to work with. The vibrant, gentle color that these stones give off has a kind of stand-alone beauty and elegance that is both eye-catching and wonderful to create new pieces of jewelry with. The stones also, of course, come in a variety of other colors including lavender, white, buff, light tan, gray, yellow, pink, red or brown, but it seems that I'm always drawn strongest to the blue and aqua shades of this particular stone.
In the handmade gemstone earrings pictured above, I've used a pair of vibrant yet calming blue chalcedony beads to display that stand-alone elegance I'm so drawn to. Designed with silver wire for a touch of cool shimmer, these blue chalcedony earrings are both fun and elegant at the same time.
Christmas is almost here!!
I'm one of those people that loves the holidays. I don't always decorate... in fact, I don't always celebrate, at least not in the traditional sense, but I love the holidays all the same. There's so much pretty out there at this time of year. Sparkle and shine and color. Not to mention the music!
Not only that but it's one of the only holidays that challenges the conventional color schemes to come up with something different for a few weeks out of the year. As a part of my holiday regimen, I love creating new and different Christmas ornaments and decorations. Each year I sit down and make something new, and sometimes I pull others into the fun as well such as friends and neighbors.
This is one of my creations from this year! A Christmas tree bookmark with shiny little bell and matching tassel all set to dangle from the tip of a silver plated steel shepherds hook bookmarker. I have to admit, it's one of my favorites!
This is the first time that I've ever worked with angelite gemstones, and I have to admit that I really enjoyed the feel of the stones as well as the project that gave birth to this, now finished, angelite gemstone bracelet.
Made from a large central angelite stone that has been combined with matching glass beads, white glass pearls and a multitude of little silver plated charms, this handmade wrist cuff is a unique, one of a kind piece that's then been finished off with a matching toggle clasp.
Angelite is considered to be a symbol of the verbalization and communication of love and light to the world. It represents peace to the world and the "brotherhood both within and without.
It is believed, metaphysically, to be a stone for raising the state of conscious awareness and for the promotion of clear and orderly communication while dispelling anger and renewing one's connected-ness to the universe while helping to promote one's creative endeavors.
I love the vibrancy and romanticism of this rose charm, and I recently made one similar to hang from my own purse for the holiday season.... and possibly quite a bit longer since I love how it looks on there!
Made from vibrant red beads and silver tone accents, this beaded charm is finished with a little rose carved ball bead hanging from its end for a romantic touch. This handmade beaded charm measures at 1.77-inch (4.5 cm) in length, which makes it perfect for a purse charm, zipper pull, key chain or many other decorative options. It can even be worn as a pendant on a necklace!
Spirituality and meditation often go hand-in-hand and many religions use prayer beads to guide their meditations and mantras.
This beaded amethyst gemstone necklace is made with mindfulness and care to serve a dual purpose. Not only does it make a beautiful handmade necklace or bracelet, but it is created in an the age-old traditional style of a rosary to make it perfect for use as a meditational guide for those on the Pagan path.
Created with amethyst gemstones in rows of eight stones separated by the soft glow of white pears captured in pewter bead caps, this handmade rosary-style necklace is perfect for counting out a meditation mantra or your personal goals. Finished with a swirling floral designed center and with a three-bead tassel beneath it, a beautiful moon goddess charm with pentagram dangled at the end.
I discovered this cat charm in a little shop here locally and just had to have it to use in one of my pieces! Enameled in black and white, this charm is set to dangle beneath a tassel of glass beads in shimmering clear crystals and black glass rounds. The tassel is then set to dangle from a silver plated book hook to create a cat lovers bookmark.
With the holidays coming, this handmade beaded bookmark would make a terrific gift for a cat loving reader and is sure to bring a smile!
I love the poinsettia charm used in this bracelet! Large and glimmering with filigree accents, this beautiful charm takes up the front-and-center focus of this handmade poinsettia bracelet that's perfect for the holidays.
The charm in this piece of holiday jewelry is accented with varying sizes of green glass leaves and vibrant berry-red accents for a cheerful combination of holiday colors and the length of the bracelet is adjustable between 7.75" - 8.75" (18.5 cm - 22.5 cm) thanks to the lobster claw clasp and extension chain it attatches to. At the end of the chain is another but of decoration with dangling red berry bead and small silver bell.
The Gaia (Beautiful Earth) charm is a celebration of the beauty of our green earth and a hope for a healthy planet in the future. Made on Earth Day, this handmade beaded charm is created with earthy green beads and frosted glass accents to create a tassel that's wonderful for so many uses.
Like any of our handmade charms, this charm can be used as a purse charm, zipper pull, cell phone charm, key chain, car mirror charm and much more! In fact, just recently we also started offering an upgrade for our charms so that they can be made into pendants for necklaces or attached to a book hook and made into bookmarks!
I was attracted to these beautiful lampwork beads the moment I saw them and couldn't wait to get them home and work with them! Made of lampwork glass, these beads are created from turquoise and aqua colors with an inky swirl beneath the surface that is reminiscent of an ocean wave.
I've used these beads to create a handmade eyeglass chain titled "Caribbean Surf", because the colors remind me of the blue skies and colorful sea of the Caribbean. The lampwork beads have been combined with other glass bead accents in matching colors all strung together on a strand of white. This eyeglass chain is perfect for leashing in those runaway reading glasses that always seem to get lost when not perched on one's nose.
Although it doesn't happen often, sometimes combining metals and textures can create some interesting results. In this bookmark I've combined the shimmer of silver with a touch of copper for a handmade beaded bookmark that's sure to become a well-loved classic.
Many people fold the pages in a book to mark their place when they're reading, but it's not really an ideal method because it permanently damages the pages that are folded. A beaded book thong bookmark is a terrific way to avoid that damage whether marking your place in a book, journal, date book or bible.
