Genie Drop Pendant

My colour choices for this pendant have certainly been influenced by the weather we are currently experiencing in the UK (snow and ice) with a cracked rock crystal briolette, moss aquamarine rondelles and a single moonstone rondelle.

GENIE ICE DROP

Moss Aquamarine, Rock Crystal & Moonstone Sterling Silver Arabesque Spiral Pendant

This pendant is a variation of my Genie Drops tutorial and has just been listed in my online shops.

New Tutorial - Spiral Bells

I have been stuck at home for nearly a week as I tore a muscle in my calf when playing tennis last week.  So I made the most of not being able to move around much and got on and wrote a new tutorial based on my latest design. 

It is called 'Spiral Bells' and is now available for purchase in my Etsy and Folksy shops.

Also for sale are these Spiral Bells earrings that I made during the tutorial:

SKY SPIRAL BELLS

Blue Topaz Sterling Silver Earrings

And so is this Spiral Bells pendant which is a variation of the design (also explained in the tutorial).

 CRYSTAL SPIRAL BELL

Crystal Quartz Sterling Silver Pendant

Journey into the Centre

There are two reasons behind the name to this blog post. Firstly, because of the beautiful beads in the centre of each pendant - a stunning faceted amethyst coin bead and a natural aquamarine bead which has a feeling of a mystical world with swirls of coloured mist.

PURPLE LEAF

Amethyst Spiral Loop Leaf Frame Sterling Silver Pendant

And the second meaning behind the name is to do with my recent journey into wirework where I have been making lots of different framed pendants and earrings with spirals and loops surrounding the frame. This time I have ‘journeyed’ into the centre of the frame with loops and spirals and have been inspired to do so by the wonderful wirework of Diny of Natural Jewels whose work I have admired for a long time.

MISTY SWIRLS

Natural Aquamarine Spiral Circle Frame Sterling Silver Pendant

Both of these pendants are for sale in my online shops: Etsy and Folksy

Sea Maiden

With shapes and colours of the ocean, here is my latest 'spiral loop frame' pendant. This Sea Maiden pendant glitters and sparkles.

SEA MAIDEN

Prasiolite & Moss Aquamarine Spiral Loop Teardrop Frame Sterling Silver Pendant

Now on sale in my online shops (please click on the photos for more details).

Cinderella Pendant

Not all my jewellery has a name or even a story behind it but this pendant certainly has...

CINDERELLA

Pink Amethyst Spiral Loop Teardrop Frame Sterling Silver Pendant

... Initially, this started out as a much more simple frame for a smaller bead of a different gemstone. It was actually going to be one of a pair of earrings. Then I wondered what it would look like with more spirals and loops around the frame... I liked it, but then decided it was too much for an earring and better suited to a pendant. Then at the last minute, I swapped the bead to this plump pink amethyst briolette... it was a perfect fit... as if I had made it for that bead all along... It was just like Cinderella trying on the glass slipper!

Lilac Amethyst Five Bead Flower Pendant

I've been working on this design for a couple of months on and off, in between all the other busy things that go on in my life, trying to work out the best way to secure the beads and petals. Then a few days ago I had a 'Eureka' moment and voila... my 'Five Bead Flower' design is ready to be shown to the world!

Lilac Amethyst Five Bead Sterling Silver Wire Flower Pendant

I've got lots of variations of this design to show you but just need to find the time to take the photos. My next project will be to turn this design into my next tutorial. Watch this space for further information about that...

Green Trefoil Pendant & Green Leaves Earrings

Another trefoil pendant with co-ordinating earrings... this time with beautiful swirl glass beads made by Jenn of Kanna Glass Studios.

I am really enjoying 'drawing' with my wire at the moment and love watching the wire spread out when I hammer it. These beauties are now on sale in my online stores (please click on the photos for more details).

Jewelled Flowers - tutorial and jewellery for sale

It's been a while, but here's what I have been busy with recently... my fifth tutorial which is entitled 'Jewelled Flowers'.

You can buy this tutorial for $5.00 from my Etsy shop or from Jewelry Lessons. It is also for sale for £3.00 in my Folksy shop.

Some of the jewellery that inspired this tutorial is also for sale in my Etsy and Folksy shops and will be listed over the next day or so.

GOLDEN JEWELLED SUNFLOWER

Hessonite Garnet & Spessartine Garnet Sterling Silver Hammered Flower Pendant

RED JEWELLED DAISY

Ruby Sterling Silver Hammered Flower Pendant

PINK JEWELLED DAISY

Pink Tourmaline Sterling Silver Hammered Flower Pendant

LIGHT BLUE JEWELLED FLOWER

Aquamarine Fine Silver & Sterling Silver Hammered Flower Pendant

LILAC JEWELLED FLOWER

Amethyst Sterling Silver Hammered Wire Flower Pendant

DENIM BLUE JEWELLED FLOWER

Kyanite Sterling Silver Hammered Flower Pendant

It's going to be a tough decision on which pendants to keep, to give or to sell... any suggestions?

Sitting Pretty Pendants

It's been a while since I blogged but I'm still here! I have just started a new part-time teaching job and with that, and my other part-time job and all that goes with being a mum and a wife, my jewellery making has had to take a back seat. I still go to bed thinking about designs as I fall asleep (which I find much more relaxing than thinking 'What do I have to do tomorrow?') but those designs will have to wait a while, whilst my life settles down.

Anyway, here is a pendant I made a couple of weeks ago and have just listed in all my online shops (Etsy, Folksy and Dawanda). It is based on my 'Sitting Pretty' earrings I made last year but this time with a sparkling gemstone adorned in the centre of the fine silver flower.

SITTING PRETTY IN GREEN

Peridot Fine Silver Flower & Hammered Circle Pendant

Here's another Sitting Pretty Pendant I made for myself. I love rhodolite garnet. It seems to satisfy my need to wear pink without being too 'girly' and co-ordinates beautifully with my ever-growing purple wardrobe! (I have a current addiction to purple clothes - any shade considered).

SITTING PRETTY IN PINK

Rhodolite Garnet Fine Silver Flower & Hammered Circle Pendant

Wire Blossoms - jewellery for sale

Following the promotion of my 'Wire Blossoms' tutorial, I also have Wire Blossom jewellery for sale at all my online shops (please click the links on the right-hand side of this page to see more information on each piece).

LUSCIOUS BLOSSOM

Amethyst Sterling Silver Wire Blossom Pendant

MAGICAL BLOSSOMS
Labradorite Sterling Silver Wire Blossom Chandelier Earrings

DIVINE BLOSSOMS

Pink Amethyst Sterling Silver Wire Blossom Chandelier Earrings

GOLDEN BLOSSOMS
Citrine & Hessonite Garnet Sterling Silver Wire Blossom Chandelier Earrings

MYSTICAL BLOSSOMS
Blue Mystic Quartz & Kyanite Sterling Silver Wire Blossom Top Earrings

Ice Maiden - Tanzanite and Crystal Quartz Coiled Jewel Pendant

I was rummaging through my stock of gemstones the other day and re-discovered these tanzanite rondelles I had bought ages ago. I had forgotten how special they are - such a beautiful lilac colour, almost iridescent.

This is my Ice Maiden Pendant and I have teamed the tanzanite with a perfectly clear and sparkling briolette of crystal quartz. For more details please click on the photo or head over to my Etsy or Folksy shops.

I've been fusing!

I had a go at fusing fine silver wire last night. It went surprising well, apart from when my husband said 'What happens if you keep heating the wire up?' I held the butane torch over the wire and we watched it get hotter and hotter and then bubble, turn into little balls and then pretty much disappear! That was quite an expensive experiment - I hate wasting valuable materials.

Anyway, here are my first pieces of jewellery made from fusing silver wire. Firstly I made some Super Shiny Hammered Ring Earrings. They are light and delicate but surprisingly strong (an hour in my tumbler helped to polish and strengthen the rings).


Then I made a larger ring from 14 gauge wire. I found fusing thicker wire easier than thinner wire. I used the ring to make a matching Super Shiny Hammered Ring Pendant.

Please click on the photos for more details.

All in all, I found fusing very satisfying. I had a very late night last night as I went straight on to fuse some slightly smaller rings from the 14 gauge wire which I intend to use in a bracelet design.

Coiled Jewel Pendants and Earrings - A Holiday Project

Regular readers of my blog will recall my recent frustration at losing my motivation and inspiration for jewellery design last time I went on holiday. It took weeks before I felt I was back 'in the zone'. So as I was packing for our 2 week family holiday to Brittany, I decided to take my sketchbook and a few tools and materials. I felt a bit guilty at first as I was 'on holiday' but a few days into the holiday I put down my reading book and picked up my tools.

Inspired by the beautiful coastline we were staying at and feeling nicely relaxed, I really enjoying creating these Coiled Jewel Pendants and co-ordinating Coiled Jewel Earrings.

I will be listing some of these pieces in my Etsy and Folksy shops over the next day or so.

Teardrops and raindrops

Regular readers of my blog will remember the gorgeous green swirly beads I won from lovely Jenn of Kanna Glass last month. Yesterday I decided I had been looking at the beads for long enough and was ready to make something with them. I knew I wanted to design something quite simple as the beads would be the main focus but I also wanted to feel there was a bit of 'me' in the design. Here are my Teardrop Earrings.



I took the above photo in my garden but believe me it wasn't easy as the weather has been very changeable today and I was running in and out of the house trying to dodge the raindrops! Then whilst I was waiting for the rain to stop I made this matching Teardrop Pendant.




Both earrings and pendant are now for sale in my Etsy shop.

Blog giveaway - Spiral Loop Circular Pendant

This Sterling Silver Spiral Loop Circular Pendant is the latest piece from my developing 'Spiral Loop' range of jewellery...

... and here is your chance to win it in my second blog giveaway.

All you need to do is take a look at my Etsy store and leave a comment below this post to tell me which is your favourite item. I will randomly draw the winner's name from my pot a week from today (that's Monday 27th April) and post it on my blog. Please remember to check back to see if you won.

If you want to double your chances of winning - please put a post on your blog about my giveaway (send me a link to your post) and I will put your name in twice.

Good luck

Kristin :)