Spring Bling!

I've been busy creating to stock up after the Christmas sales, the jewellery shops I supply haven't done too badly at all - despite the credit crunch!

Unfortunately it doesn't leave me much time to play with the silver sheet I've just bought, and the lovely new toys tools on my workbench...!!

More of that soon... :)


So... first a long cluster necklace with Swarovski crystal (I do love this flat briolette shape!) in a gorgeous cranberry red, with garnet, rock crystal, aquamarine and crystal bicones on a sterling chain...

... and earrings to match!



I love the spring colours in this Y-necklace.... I can't wait for my garden to wake up from the winter sleep! I really could do with some early flower bulbs, but typically I remember in the spring, when of course it's too late to plant them..! (Mental note for autumn... plant snowdrops, crocuses, grape hyacinths...).




With matching earrings... in amethyst, aquamarine and vibrant turquoise apatite, on sterling silver chain.






I love wearing bracelets myself, if I'm wearing any jewellery it's nearly always something round my wrist, although for some reason they don't seem to be as popular as earrings and necklaces so I don't tend to make many (and even then I often end up keeping them for myself!).






Bracelet and matching earrings... with chalcedony, apatite, Swarovski crystal and a Hill Tribe shell charm.






I managed to dazzle myself with this one... I'm normally quite conservative with my colour schemes, but amongst other things I've resolved this year to move out of my comfort zones. This is as daring as it gets for me!




In these then... carnelian, prehnite and green fluorite cushion beads.

Roll on summer!!

Aegean Rose

Another gold-filled piece - this time a bracelet to match the 'Persephone' Earrings. I had lots of clusters in mind for this... but they covered up too much of the wirework, and spoiled the delicacy of the bracelet, so I decided to keep it simple :)

Gold-filled wire, handmade components, garnet and chalcedony.

Brandywine Bracelet

I seem to have lots of ideas for bracelets at the moment - which makes a change! The focal came first with this - soldered and wrapped wire inside a diamond shaped frame, coiled with fine gauge sterling wire. I've added some tiny brandy-coloured garnet briolettes, hessonite garnet, and gold filled beads. I've framed the focal with clusters of faceted hessonite garnet on hand made fine silver head pins.

For the bracelet itself I've used some lovely hessonite garnet ovals in lots of caramel colours, linked together with some hand made hammered circles.

Click on the image for a close-up ;-)

Blue Wave Bracelet

Last one for today....

This was fun! I wrapped some little blue goldstone nuggets with sterling wire, adding a little swirl on the top. Hammered rings, lavender Czech glass beads and a twisted wire toggle.

Capuccino Jasper Bracelet

Hmm... still waiting for my wire-wrapping mojo to return, so some different pieces at the moment while it has (yet another!) holiday....

These gorgeous coin beads are jasper... really lovely stripy markings in coffee, chocolate brown, and creamy white. They remind me of minstrels - no wonder I'm getting chocolate cravings just lately!

The rondelles are faceted smoky quartz, and I've added some hammered, textured rings and a sterling toggle clasp.

Forget-Me-Nots - Sapphire and Pearl Bracelet

I decided that this year I would try to diversify a little and do some different pieces, rather than just earrings! This is quite a simple piece design-wise - but involved many, many hours of patient coiling and wrapping!!

I made the links with sterling wire, soldered together, then coiled with fine wire and wrapped again with tiny peacock freshwater pearls. I attached chain in between the links with more wrapping, then added clusters of peacock pearls, white Swarovski pearls, and gorgeous faceted sapphires.

I have forget-me-nots growing wild in my garden that keep self-seeding each year, I'm never quite sure where they're going to turn up! I'm hoping this piece has the same humble charm :-)

Pearl and Labradorite Bracelet

Behind with posting again! So a couple of completed projects here that I just haven't got round to showing.

A bracelet for a change this time, I made the chain and clasp too, which were fun to do. The shapes that make up the focal were soldered together, then wrapped with silver wire, tiny white freshwater pearls, silver beads and faceted labradorite in the centre.

I have oxidised the whole piece, which was then tumbled and polished. I've noticed some people leave their pieces quite dark, which can be a great look - but I chose to keep on polishing this. I love the effect - hard to tell from the photo but it turned to have a lovely soft antiqued finish. Like a piece of old silver from your grandmother's jewellery box ;-)

Olivine Pearls and Garnet

I found the colours on this bracelet really hard to capture - these 'olivine' green freshwater pearls are much brighter in real life! I've used for the focal a large maroon Swarovski pearl, along with smaller bronze ones. Also on this bracelet are peridot crystals, garnet, and silver bali beads. I've attached wrapped wire 'dangles' near the toggle clasp - this helps to balance the bracelet when it's worn.

Bali Silver and Crystal Bracelet

I love Swarovski crystals and pearls - I use them a lot in my bridal jewellery range, but mainly whites and creams of course, so it's nice to play with some colour!

The focal on this bracelet is a huge silver Bali bead, there are lots of silver spacers in between the crystals, which gives it quite an ethnic feel. I've used lemony yellow Czech glass beads, two large Swarovski emerald crystals, jonquil and erinite crystals. I've finished off with a sterling toggle and a wrapped dangle.

Off to do more coiling... working on a new piece - photo later!

Amazonite and Apatite

I'm really into blues and greens at the moment - must be thinking about summer holidays and pining for the sea! These amazonite beads I bought recently are so pretty.. the colours range from pale aqua through to turquoise and deep charcoal grey. Every bead is different - each one reminds me of a miniature painting of a seascape!

Not wanting to detract from the beauty of these stones by doing anything complicated with this bracelet, I've simply teamed them with polished apatite tumblestones and some tiny sterling silver beads. The apatite has a beautiful rich turquoise colour and really brings out the blues in the amazonite beads. And just to complete the geometric theme I've finished off with a shiny textured square toggle clasp in sterling silver.