Spiced Pear

In the autumn my mum and I visit the fruit orchard at my uncle's farm, which used to belong to my grandparents. There was an abundance of apples this year - we timed it just right with the blackberries, and we managed to pick a lovely warm, sunny day too.

As well as pears, lots of different varieties of eating apples, cooking apples, blackberries and rose-hips, earlier on in the year there are plums, damsons, crab apples and elderberries. I was lucky enough to grow up in the same village - helping out on the farm sometimes collecting eggs, picking potatoes, or riding on the trailer stacked high with hay bails ( I fell off it once - or rather the bails did, with me sat on top of them! Amazingly I came away with just scratches...).

I remember my dad went through a stage of making home-made wine, he used to pay us for every pound of elderberries we could collect. That included using a fork to get all the little berries off the stalks - it took us forever. Talk about slave labour! When I was old enough to drink it though, I did appreciate the wine ;-)

These earrings I've made with both sterling silver and gold-filled beads - I'm really liking the look of mixed metals at the moment. The tassel is made up of citrine, tsavorite, and tiny freshwater pearls, with gorgeous beer quartz briolettes at the bottom. Apples, pears, and sunshine :)

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.

Periwinkle Earrings

It's been far too long again since I last posted any new jewellery! I have lots of gold-filled wire and findings waiting to be played with too....

Some lacy earrings edged with faceted sapphires, gorgeous denim-blue colour! I've added some tiny peacock freshwater pearls, Hill Tribe seed beads, and mystic blue topaz briolettes.

Renaissance

Something a bit different from me - and oxidised for a change! This sort of evolved really, from the basic cross shape I originally had in mind I added lots of detail - balled fine wire swirls on the inside, and picot beading on the corners of the cross ends.

In the centre is flashy blue labradorite, with sterling beads and mystic quartz briolettes. Pretty as it looked all shiny, it was crying out to be oxidised, so after much deliberation I took the plunge and dipped it, then polished to a soft antique finish.

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.

Orange Grove Pendant

Just a quick one! This is to match the orange grove earrings - this time with a teardrop shaped frame for the pendant. Again, a faceted vesuvianite drop at the bottom, with a cluster of sunstone and peridot beads.

Lemon Merengue

That's merengue the dance, not lemon meringue... (a play on words, I'm not really that bad at spelling!).

Phew... not especially difficult these ones, once I'd worked out how I was going to do them, but quite simply a lot of careful coiling and wrapping several times to get the effect I wanted!

Gorgeous sunshine yellow citrine, with lemon quartz and freshwater pearls. How fab would these look with a suntan?!

Orange Grove Earrings

Something fresh! The simple, but very effective weave round the soldered circle makes a really pretty, lacy frame for these summery gemstones!

I've added clusters of vibrant faceted sunstone that has a gorgeous iridescent shimmer, leafy green peridot and faceted vesuvianite drops.

Sapphire Heart Pendant

Similar to the ruby heart pendant I made before, this time I've used tiny Hill Tribe tube beads to 'fill' the heart shape. I love these sapphire beads - they're a gorgeous denim blue colour and look great with the shiny silver.

I've added some along the chain too, and a cluster near the toggle clasp. The heart itself has a surprising amount of weight to it with all the beads and silver wire!

Click on the photo for a much larger image and more detail! :-)