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Lampwork glass chandelier necklace

Lampwork glass chandelier necklace

This handmade chandelier necklace is one of a kind!  It was born out of an abundance of lampwork glass beads and a spark of creativity :)

Four 10 x 5 mm cobalt blue borosilicate glass beads form a dramatic pendant with accents of Swarovski crystal and sterling silver.  The 4 mm crystals glimmer in a light sapphire satin color that beautifully complements the boro beads.

Lampwork glass chandelier necklace

The pendant measures approximately 43 mm (1 5/8″) from the top of the sterling silver circle to the bottom of the longest sterling silver headpin.  It hangs from a 1.4 mm sterling silver double rope chain with a sterling silver spring ring clasp.

The lampwork beads are also handmade, though not by me :)

Lampwork glass chandelier necklace

I loved designing this pendant because the lampwork beads are just beautiful.  They have great depth and amazing color.  Anyone who likes blue will undoubtedly be drawn to them.  Visit my Etsy shop to learn more about this necklace today!

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Pretty little soldiers

After several intense weeks of searching for a new job while working extra hours at my current job, I finally found myself back at the beading table last weekend.  It was a much needed break, and it felt wonderful to explore my creative side once again!  Though I admit, I did feel a bit guilty about playing with beads when I should have been cleaning the house or digging through the paper blob or working on one of a million other things on my to do list.  I think I’m this close to a complete meltdown at any moment.

Lampwork glass, Swarovski crystal, and sterling silver earrings

But the beads were calling to me!  How could I resist?  This lovely set of pink / purple lampwork beads had been patiently waiting for me since February.  They were handmade by Barbara Steffen of Fire Spirit Beads in northern California.  I snapped them up almost as soon as she posted them for sale!  I knew that I wanted to accent them with Swarovski crystals and sterling silver, but I couldn’t decide which crystal color looked best with the deep, rich hues of the glass.  Indecision finally resulted in a different crystal color for each pair!  When I lined them up partially finished, they looked like pretty little soldiers to me.  Hence, the title of this post :)

Lampwork glass, Swarovski crystal, and sterling silver earrings

Rather than the standard sterling silver fishhook earwires that I use in most of my designs, I selected smooth, flat sterling earwires here because I wanted these earrings to be extra special.  The sleek curves of the earwires beautifully complement the saucer shapes of the lampwork beads.

Lampwork glass, Swarovski crystal, and sterling silver earrings

Check out the closeup shots of each finished pair below.  I’ll post all of my new earrings in my Etsy shop as soon as I have a chance to photograph them with the fancy camera.  In the meantime, please feel free to contact me if you’d like to order any of these earrings today.  Cheers!

Lampwork glass, Swarovski crystal, and sterling silver earrings

Lampwork glass, Swarovski crystal, and sterling silver earrings

Lampwork glass, Swarovski crystal, and sterling silver earrings

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Black & white crystal collar necklace

Another new listing!

I’ve been trying (and hopefully succeeding!) to rev up my Etsy shop these past few weeks with new listings, updated photos, better descriptions, anything that will make my creations stand out in a sea of beautiful jewelry.  What do you think of my latest item?

Black & white crystal collar necklace

This elegant collar necklace is perfect for a formal occasion or special event.  I call it my “blizzard baby” in honor of its wintry color scheme and the wild snowstorm that raged outside during its construction!

Black & white crystal collar necklace

Bold black 10 x 10 mm Swarovski crystal stairway beads are the focal points of this piece.  The stairway beads are accented by grey and clear Swarovski crystal bicones and sterling silver spacers.  Additional sterling silver beads and components complete the piece.  This multi strand necklace includes a sterling silver chain extender for adjusting its length from 16″ – 18″.  It closes with a sterling silver lobster claw clasp.

Black & white crystal collar necklace

The classic black, white, and grey color scheme of this bib necklace coordinates easily with any outfit.  Wear it to a wedding, an anniversary party, a holiday function, anywhere you like.  No matter the season or the occasion, you will feel extra special with two strands of sterling silver and crystal sparkling delicately at your neck.

Black & white crystal collar necklace

Even at its shortest length, this necklace is comfortable to wear.  Its two strands of beads lay flat against the skin and move easily with you.  With its multitude of crystals, this necklace does have some weight.  It is recommended to wear this piece at or just above the collarbone.

Black & white crystal collar necklace

Visit my Etsy shop to order this necklace today!

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Crystal sun earrings

Check out the new items I added to my Etsy shop on Friday!  These two pairs of earrings are perfect for the confident and modern woman.  The large Swarovski crystal sun pendants glitter beautifully in rich shades of blue and green or purple and blue.  I love the simple shape of the sun pendants because it doesn’t distract from the saturated colors and serious sparkle that will catch everyone’s eye!  The pendants are attached to sterling silver fishhook earwires using antiqued sterling silver ice pick bails.  Visit my Etsy shop today to learn more about these lovely earrings!

Bermuda blue crystal sun earrings

Heliotrope crystal sun earrings

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Artists for Alex online craft showcase

Two days only!

The Artists for Alex online craft showcase is in full swing!  This weekend’s showcase features ten artists whose beautiful creations include upcycled clothing, stamped jewelry, pet accessories and costumes, vintage hand embroidered linens, my very own beaded and woven jewelry, and much more.  A portion of the showcase proceeds will be donated to Alex’s Lemonade Stand to help in the fight against childhood cancer.  This showcase only runs for two days, so hurry and visit the site now!!

Artists for Alex online craft showcase

Several door prizes are up for grabs at the showcase this weekend.  One of them is a lovely pair of crystal and silver earrings designed by yours truly!  Check out the earrings that I created by clicking here.  You can enter to win one of the door prizes simply by sharing the Facebook post below with your friends.  It really couldn’t be any simpler!  Winners will be drawn tomorrow night at the conclusion of the showcase, and prizes will be shipped this coming week.  Thank you for supporting handmade artists, and I hope to see you at the showcase!

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Crafter Central weekend showcase

Great news!  My Etsy shop will be featured in an online showcase hosted by the friendly folks at Crafter Central from Saturday, March 14 to Sunday, March 15.  The showcase will highlight ten artists and their unique handmade products.  The best part about a virtual craft fair is that you don’t have to feel self conscious about shopping in your pajamas!

Crafter Central weekend showcase door prize

To thank customers for visiting the showcase and for spreading the word on social media, I will be offering this pair of earrings as a door prize to one lucky winner.  Watch for my blog post on Saturday to learn how to enter the door prize drawing.

Crafter Central weekend showcase door prize

In designing these earrings, I wanted to play with a fresh minty green and teal blue color palette rather than my typical purples, pinks, and reds.  This pair is made with 8 mm mint alabaster Swarovski crystal cubes, 6 mm blue zircon Swarovski crystal bicones, and silver plated spacers, headpins, and earwires.  Though not shown here, I will also include two flexible clear plastic ear nuts to keep the earrings securely in place.

Crafter Central weekend showcase door prize

After the showcase has ended, I will contact the winner for his or her mailing address and will ship out the earrings as quickly as possible.  Please visit the Crafter Central online showcase this weekend to see all of the featured artists and their amazing work!

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Brand spanking new!

Over the past two months, I’ve spent countless hours working on my Etsy shop.  It’s exhausting!  From adding photos to freshening up descriptions to tweaking tags and titles for better search placement, my head spins from it all!  I’m crossing my fingers that this enormous effort will lead to greater visibility for my shop, especially in the super saturated jewelry category.  It’s just so hard to be found in a sea of other pieces!!  I also listed several new products recently that I thought you might like to see.

Blue green crystal earrings

Volcano crystal earrings

These super sleek dangle earrings are perfect for the modern woman.  The slender Swarovski crystal pendants sparkle beautifully in a rainbow of rich colors.  They are attached to sterling silver fishhook earwires using antiqued sterling silver ice pick bails.  I love the minimalist design of these earrings!  They would be a lovely addition to any wardrobe.

I’ve also branched out into other handmade categories so as not to have all of my eggs in one basket :)  These super cozy hooded wool scarves are my latest creations.

Navy blue and gray hooded wool scarf

I invented them because I hate wearing hats, but you do need something to cover your head in the middle of a blizzard.  They are excellent alternatives to the dreaded hat because they don’t squeeze your brain or crush your hair, but they do keep your head sheltered and dry.

Each hooded scarf is fully reversible with a different color of wool on each side.  Flip the scarf back and forth to match the color of your coat, gloves, or other clothing as you like.

Red and black hooded wool scarf

The two layers of all natural, premium wool are soft to the touch and provide medium weight warmth.  I like to wear my own hooded scarf while clearing snow off the car because it keeps the blustery winds from going down my neck and giving me a chill.

I chose to use wool in these scarves because wool is much less prone to static than artificial fibers, so your hair won’t be (too) crazy after wearing it! I designed the shape of the hood to be deep enough to wear over a ponytail or bun and still cover your head but not so deep as to fall over your face when your hair is down.

Red and gray hooded wool scarf

I hope that you’ve enjoyed seeing my latest work!  Please comment below or visit my Etsy shop to learn more.

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Beautiful blue lampwork beads

Lampwork beads, Swarovski crystals, sterling silver components

Just a quick photo of my latest creation.  I snapped this image with my phone, so please excuse the shadowy lighting.  The handmade lampwork beads are a lovely deep sapphire color, and the components are all sterling silver.  It will be posted for sale in my Etsy shop very soon.

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Raspberry pearl & copper jewelry set

I created this custom jewelry set for my good friend Pauline a couple of years ago.  She had had a large embellished copper cross pendant in her jewelry box for a very long time but had never been able to find the perfect necklace on which to hang it.  Most chains were either too delicate to carry the weight of the pendant or visually too small to balance its heft.  She had searched high and low to no avail, so I was thrilled when she asked for my help.

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I took Pauline to a local bead store, and together we chose the raspberry colored freshwater pearls, peridot crystals, copper beads, and other components that you see here.  I use primarily sterling silver in my own jewelry line, so working with copper was a fun change.  I made sure that Pauline was involved in the entire design process because I wanted her to absolutely love the finished set.

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I particularly liked the clasp that she chose for the necklace.  Its intricate detailing added an unexpected touch of romance.  The ridges and grooves of the irregular raspberry pearls gave the pieces an earthy flavor that is lacking in beads of more uniform shape.

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The bracelet mimicked the general shape of the necklace and included a cute crystal and copper dangle for interest.

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Lastly, the earrings maintained the beautiful colors and dramatic style of the entire set but were fashioned on a smaller scale so as not to be too heavy for everyday wear.

You can find more of my jewelry creations for sale in my Etsy shop.

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Pink crystal heart necklace

Pink crystal heart necklace

Perfect for spring or summer, this simple necklace features a 14 mm Swarovski crystal heart pendant in a soft shade of rose pink.  It is attached to a sterling silver bail and hangs from a sterling silver double rope chain with a spring ring clasp.  It is available for sale in my Etsy shop.  Prefer a different color?  Check out my other options here.