Totally Green

No, I'm not talking about my eco-friendly lifestyle.  I'm talking about a brand new pair of earrings.  These chrome diopside briolettes really spoke to me when I found them in Tucson.  I suspended them from fine silver circles I fused from wire and added a bunch of vesuvianite (often mistakenly called vessonite, which is not the name of any stone) rondelles.

These earrings have lots of movement and the two different greens really work well together.  You can find them for sale in my etsy shop.  Click on the photo to go directly to the listing.

A New Scarf Takes Shape

Surprise -- I found 2 skeins of yarn that I forgot I had.  This is almost as unlikely as discovering I have too many beads.  hehe.  This yarn is 100% superfine alpaca.  I really don't know what classifies it as superfine, but I DO know that it is amazingly soft.

I selected this basket weave pattern, which looks a lot more complicated than it really is.

The yarn is a yummy forest green with a touch of olive.  Here's a close-up of the fun pattern.  I hope I have enough yarn to make a scarf of decent length.  I'm not really good as estimating that.  Yet.

I guess, whenever it was that I purchased this yarn, I also purchased 2 skeins in a different color.  Those skeins are a variegated blue/purple/burgundy that is just wonderful.

A New Pearl Mix Necklace

I love making these pearl-mix necklaces.  I spend lots of quality time selecting just the right combination of pearls for each necklace.  Me and my pearls -- a match made in heaven.  Hehe.

For this necklace, I selected peach irregular rounds, green coins and green pyramid-like pearls.  Next came a creamy beige roundish pearl followed by a cocoa brown square pearl.  Once the selection of 5 different pearls (yes, it's always 5) is made, I play with the arrangement.  The pattern I select will continue all around the necklace.  In this case, it goes on for 16 inches.

Click the photo to go to the listing in my etsy shop to see the whole necklace.

Holiday Party Bracelet

This bracelet is festive, but also great for everyday wear. The colors are a great mixture of blues, greens and purples.

It starts with a modified right-angle-weave stitch for the base. I then add lots and lots of tiny fringe to the top surface. The fringe consists of seed beads and interestingly shaped pressed glass beads.

This bracelet is finished with a vintage glass button, which makes for a very easy clasp to do by yourself.

The best part? It's on sale. Originally $125, the bracelet is now on sale for $98. And, FREE SHIPPING continues through year end.

Click on the photo to go directly to the listing in my etsy shop and see some more close up photos and one of the entire bracelet.

Brass Earrings = Success!

I introduced my brass earrings locally at the State Fair. You've seen them here and in my etsy shop, but for my local customers, it was something very new. And guess what? They were a big hit. The price point is very reasonable and people seemed to like the vintage look of the antiqued brass.

This pair is my latest listing in my etsy shop. The glass
beads are two-toned emerald green and deep purple. The beadcap has a leaf design that I love. I've topped them with a purple glass bead and a small god filled bead. The antiqued brass lever back earwires offer great security and are comfortable to wear.

Click here to see all of the brass earrings in my etsy shop.

I haven't posted a tutorial in a long time. If there is anything in particular that you would like to learn about jewelry making, let me know by leaving a comment!

Three Beautiful Stones

These softly colored stones look so lovely together. The largest stone is pale green prehnite, and it looks as though it is lightly frosted. On the left is a plump briolette of aqua chalcedony. On the right is a small pink amethyst, which is really closer to a lilac color.

Half the fun of making necklaces such as this one, is deciding which stones look best together. I place them in one palm, sometimes rejecting one that look out of place, sometimes adding a third (as the pink amethyst was in this case). I've been known to spend an hour just making up several stone combinations before actually wrapping any wire and constructing any necklaces.

This sweet necklace is for sale in my etsy shop.

Hydro Quartz

You may remember this post, when I purchased these lovely emerald green briolettes in Tucson. At that time, I wasn't completely informed about Hydro Quartz. Now that I've done some research, I know that this *stone* is man-made, but beautiful nonetheless.

It was difficult to capture the remarkable green color in these briolettes, but trust me, they are deep emerald green. And because they are lab grown, they are perfectly clear.

They are for sale in my etsy shop, or click on the photo to go directly to the listing.

Golden Citrine

The citrine briolettes featured in these earrings were purchased at the Bead Shack in Anchorage. They are incredibly clear and smooth. I'm usually attracted to faceted gemstones, but these just spoke to me.

I've suspended them from a short length of sterling silver chain. From each link, I've added a gemstone, alternating iolite rondelles and peridot briolettes.

This color combination is regal and also makes me think of spring!

Click on the photo to be taken directly to the listing in my etsy shop.

Aqua Blues . The Necklace

These colors are so reminiscent of the ocean and all things tropical. I enjoy making these free-form wire wrapped elements, but the real fun is in composing the collection of drops.

Here, I've used a large rondelle of chrysocolla, an abalone rectangle, a faceted amazonite rectangle, little teal coin pearls and a beautiful glass leaf. You see an assortment of other little goodies as well -- turquoise, sterling silver beads and a crystal.

All of the silver has been oxidized and hand sanded to reveal just a bit of the shiny silver. This necklace is for sale in my etsy shop.
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Bold Color!

I tend to work in subdued and neutral tones in my jewelry designs. That's why these earrings should be a big surprise to anyone who knows me! The opaque chartreuse beads at the bottom of this stack are from Raven's Journey. They carry a wide selection of glass beads that you just don't see everywhere. I purchased these particular beads at a huge bead show in Tucson.

The combination of green and purple works so well. The purple I used in these earrings is more of a violet. The earwires are sterling and I used a decorative Bali silver bead at the very bottom.

As always, these earrings are for sale in my etsy shop.

A Trio of Greens

Today I'm featuring a pair of earrings that use the color green in three forms. Green aventurine is a pale, translucent shade of green. A rondelle of apple green variscite comes next. It is often mistaken for turquoise, but these particular beads are greener than any turquoise in my collection. The third green bead here is a faceted teardrop of green topaz.

These greens work so well together. Here, they are hanging from a textured circle of fine silver and gracefully arced sterling silver earwires.

I have oxidized and tumbled the silver for a shiny, steel gray finish. Sophisticated ... and sweet all at the same time.

They are for sale in my etsy shop.

Vintage Glass Beads

OK, I admit to having a serious weakness for vintage glass beads. I've been collecting them for about 10 years. I'm always on the lookout for a unique shape or color. Old necklaces are a great source for these elusive beads. Such is the case with the green beads featured in these earrings.

They were part of an unattractive (yes, it was ugly) necklace I stumbled upon in an antique mall in Arizona. I cut apart the necklace and kept the very cool brass clasp and salvaged these wonderful emerald green glass beads. They are a fluted melon shape with a little bit of wear. I'm not sure why, but I love that.

These earrings are for sale in my etsy shop.

New Lampwork Earrings!

Now that the State Fair is over, I can get back to concentrating on my jewelry making. Here's my latest pair of earrings featuring some beautiful lampwork beads that I purchased in Tucson.
These beads contain so many colors, but the colors are subtle and work so well together. Sitting on the surface of the beads are raised swirls of black glass, deftly applied so as not to hide the colors below.

I have suspended them from sterling silver leverback earwires. Hanging below is a collection of 4mm Czech glass beads in coordinating colors.

These earrings are for sale in my etsy shop.

Flapper Necklace

This top-drilled serpentine pendant has been difficult for me to use -- I bought a whole strand in Tucson. Then, I discovered this fan shaped filigree component. It works perfectly when wrapped around the pendant. I added some coordinating crystals and voila, a flapper-worthy necklace was created! Glass and brass beads top the pendant and the whole assemblage hangs from brass link chain.

Blast From the Past Earrings!

These 2 pairs of earrings feature color combinations that remind me of my youth -- avocado green refrigerators and turquoise blue princess phones!

I forged the earwires myself using 20 gauge sterling silver wire. I heated one end until a ball was formed. When cool, I hammered the ball on my anvil to make it flat. Added a few artful curves and voila -- earwires!

Aqua Blues Necklace

One of my newest creations uses the free-form wire wrapping technique I learned in a class last year with Nina Bagley. I put together an eclectic cluster of beads to feature as the "pendant" part of this necklace. Included are chrysocolla, amazonite, abalone, crystal, freshwater pearls and a glass leaf. All in the ocean inspired colors of aqua blue and green. All of the silver is sterling and I oxidized it for a slightly distressed look. I've added one small turquoise bead at the clasp end for a finished look to the necklace.

Green With Envy - etsyBEAD Theme of the Week

Each week, my Etsy street team, etsyBEAD, chooses a theme. Members select items from their shops or create new pieces to feature. I usually offer 15% - 20% off my themed items. The theme this week is "Green Withe Envy". Here are a couple of my theme items.

To see more of my "Green With Envy"
jewelry and my whole collection,
visit my etsy shop.

Multi Strand Knotted Necklaces

I started creating these necklaces in 2000. Since then, the style has been refined and I've developed 25 different color schemes. The necklace is finished with sterling silver cones and a hand-crafted hook clasp. It is about 30" long, so it can just be put on over one's head instead of using the clasp. It's nice to have that option.

The nylon cord used to string the necklace comes in so many wonderful colors, which have inspired some of the combinations I offer. I wholesale this necklace (and 2 variations of) to Portfolio, a beautiful clothing store in Anchorage, Alaska.

The necklace pictured here is done in soft turquoise blues, pale greens and shades of yellow. It perfectly fit the etsyBEAD Theme of the Week "Sun & Surf" earlier this summer.