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.

Persephone Earrings

I thought I'd take the plunge with some gold-filled wire... beautiful to work with, and the colour seems so warm after working so long with sterling silver!

I'm really pleased with this colour combination - I've used pale blue chalcedony and aquamarine, with some rich ruby garnet to contrast.

Sugar Plum Necklace

I love the berry colours in this necklace - wrapped and soldered wire focal (this measures about 4cm in diameter), with faceted garnet and amethyst beads.

I've added a cluster of more garnet and amethyst, with faceted pink amethyst briolettes for some added sparkle. Finally to finish off, an amazing plum-coloured ruby drop.

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 ;-)

Dreamcatchers

I thought I'd play with some fine silver on these earrings - balling up the ends of the wire shapes. This was quite a fiddly design as there is no soldering, I really need an extra hand sometimes!

I've used some rich golden hessonite garnet beads in the centre and on the dangles, and some tiny goldfilled beads - I really like the look of mixed metals, it's quite subtle on these though. The beer quartz briolettes are an amazing colour - I've found it a bit of a challenge to know what to put with them, but I think this works!

Hot Spice - Oxidised Earrings

I agonised over these earrings, trying to add beads to the centre, changing my mind - unraveling lots of wire in the process! I finally realised that what I'd actually liked about these was the shapes and the swirls - where I was going wrong was in trying to cover them up!

So, some very fine coiling around the top and bottom with tiny faceted Hill Tribe beads, and dangles of rich spicy garnet beads and faceted marquise drops. I have then oxidised and spent lots of time polishing, buffing and burnishing for a soft antique effect!

These should be up on my website and Etsy shortly, so you can check out more pics!

Autumn Bronze Earrings

Autumn is now here I guess - not that we really had summer! You just can't beat the wonderful colours that go with it though - and I'm anticipating them with these earrings!

Wonderfully rich red faceted garnet marquise beads dangle from these fan-shaped frames, coiled with fine gauge sterling silver wire, and wrapped with topaz-coloured seed beads and bronze freshwater pearls.

Indian Summer Earrings

Indian summer is a little bit of wishful thinking on my part I think...! These earrings were fun to make - the garnet drops are gorgeous rich autumn colours, and the chains really sparkle when they move!

The diamond-shaped frames are coiled and wrapped with sterling silver wire, I've added some Karen Hill Tribe faceted seed beads - I wish I could capture the shine and sparkle on these!

Garnet Art Deco Earrings

These earrings are inspired by the Art Deco style of the 1920s-30s, probably due to my watching lots of old episodes of 'Jeeves and Wooster' just lately!! I love the geometric shapes and bold colours, I think I'm going to be doing a few more in this style.

I've coiled and wrapped the rectangular frames with fine gauge silver wire, adding tiny sterling beads and gorgeous faceted garnet rondelles in a rich red colour.

Garnet and Citrine Pendant

When I made the garnet and citrine earrings, someone suggested that they would make a nice pendant - so here it is!

As usual, I first shaped and hammered the wire frame, then I wrapped across the top part of the pendant with very fine wire, I included some sterling silver beads to add interest. The little faceted drops are garnet and citrine. The bottom part of the pendant was then coiled with sterling wire and beads to form the lacy 'picot' edge.

Wire-wrapped Garnet & Citrine Earrings

These earrings are quite delicate -looking and feminine, mostly lots of shiny silver with a little bit of subtle colour! I've wrapped across the teardrop shaped frame with very fine sterling wire and then added tiny faceted garnet and citrine briolettes. Along the bottom of the frame I've coiled some sterling silver beads to create a lacy border.

The wrapping at the top of the frames, like the flower pendant I've made previously, has a 'satiny' sheen when the light catches it that is so hard to capture on a photo!

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.