Marcasite & Keshi Pearls

Recently listed in my etsy shop is this lovely necklace featuring olive green keshi pearls and perfectly round marcasite beads.

The keshi pearls are in a cup-like shape and the headpins that hold them in place have a ball at the end that makes the combination look a little like a flower. The grayish green color of the marcasite beads is a perfect complement to the pearls. This cluster hangs from a circle of fine silver wire that I shaped and fused from wire.

I purchased the marcasite beads from my friend Deb at Crysallis Creations. I had never seen marcasite in bead form before -- only as little sparkling elements.

Rolo style chain is my latest favorite. The links are round and substantial. I oxidized all of the silver and tumbled it for a sleek, polished gray finish.

Midnight Blue

I listed this new necklace in my etsy shop a few days ago. I adore the deep blue pearls that make up a good part of the chain and most of the front waterfall. I've added some sterling silver chain and a decorative dangle at the clasp end. The addition of the 2 faceted twist iolite beads contributes just the right amount of sparkle.

Another special element is the sterling silver ring you see where the 2 sides of the necklace join to form the waterfall. It has a bit of a brushed finish and a soft, hammered texture. To receive special offers, please sign up for my etsy shop newsletter using the form on the right side of my blog.

Dragonfly Lovers Unite!

I just listed a brand new pair of earrings in my etsy shop featuring little brass dragonfly charms. These round charms are resting on a textured leaf charm of copper. These warm metals look beautiful together. If you're looking for some cute and lightweight earrings, these are perfect for you.

As long as we're focused on dragonflies, here are some other pieces of jewelry in my shop that have dragonflies on them in one form or another.

Freeform Wire Wrapping

These "messy" (aka freeform) wire wrapped bracelets are fun to make. I start with lots and lots of 20 ga dead soft sterling silver wire and create the wrapped elements. I oxidize them and sand them by hand with 800 grit sand paper to highlight just a small amount of the shiny silver.

The elements are connected with jump rings and decorative dangles are added in between. Voila, a bracelet is born!

I currently have 2 of these bracelets listed in my etsy shop. To receive special offers and news, please sign up for my etsy shop newsletter.

Artisan Beaders Giveaway!

With the holidays almost upon us, we're nearing the end of our weekly giveaways, so don't miss your chance at winning a gorgeous artisan piece of jewelry!


This week, we have a spectacular pendant courtesy of Jael from Jael's Jewels! It is created by hand from polymer clay, and the center of the flower is accented with a dichroic glass cab. This beautiful pendant hangs from a gold plated headpin and measures 1 1/2 inches long by 7/8 inches wide x 3/8 inches thick.


How to enter to win:

Visit Jael's shop, then leave a comment on the Artsian Beaders blog with a link to your favorite item. We will be picking the winner** on Friday, December 12th, at 5:00pm EST, so you have until then to leave a comment. The winner will be announced shortly after, so make sure you check back Friday night. Thanks for playing!


* If you don't have a Blogger account, please leave your email address or a way to contact you if you win.
** Winning name will be randomly chosen by using Random.org.

Beaded Barrettes

These labor intensive lovelies get plenty of attention in my etsy shop and at craft shows. They require the kind of beadwork that takes intense concentration and constant measuring. The beaded panel is completed before the piece is attached to the barrette finding.

Freeform bead weaving can use all of the stitches, but the ones I use most are peyote, brick, and right-angle-weave. Looking for the perfect "add-on", such as a pearl or a single gemstone is the fun part. The difficult part is including it in such a way that it looks very much at home in the piece.

These barrettes are all one-of-a-kind. I couldn't repeat them, even if I wanted to. I use high quality barrette findings that are made in France. The beaded panels are sewn securely onto the finding as a separate step in the process.

Click here to see more photos of each of these barrettes.

Don't forget, newsletter subscribers get 25% off any one item in my etsy store!