Introducing Golden Hues!

In preparation for a local art fair, I've started working in gold-filled wire as well as sterling silver!  Here are my first designs featuring yellow and rose gold hues - it's very exciting to be expanding into new metals once again.

Rose Quartz Briolette Earrings in Rose Gold

Jasper Dagger Earrings in Rose Gold

Deep Purple Chalcedony in Yellow Gold

Lavender Beryllium Opal in Yellow Gold

A little about gold-filled wire - gold-fill is NOT the same as gold-plated.  There is a brass core with gold-filled wire, but the gold covering the core is THICK and won't wear away like plating does.  It has the wear-ability of solid gold with a price tag similar to sterling silver!  

Thanks for looking!
~Hannah

Bracelets & More!

I now have some of my pieces in a local shop, called The Collective Boutique - so if you are traveling through downtown Idaho Falls, ID, you see them in person!  It's exciting news for me, and I need to make more pieces to keep both shops full.  Not that that is a problem - I do love working with natural stones and metal!

Here are some new lovelies:

Sodalite bracelet in sterling silver.

Tiger iron bracelet in sterling silver.

Green agate earrings in sterling silver.

Sodalite earrings in sterling silver.

Thanks for looking!
~SSS

Busy Busy Busy! Newest Designs

I've been busy with custom orders and haven't had a lot of time to work on my own designs, but here are a few that I've managed to squeeze in!

Amethyst chunks and sterling silver - handmade earwires.

Quartz beads and drops, sterling silver wire - handmade hoops.

Green picasso jasper and sterling silver beads, handmade clasp.

I'll have photos of the custom pieces to show soon! 

Happy Creating!
SSS

Creative Wire Work

I got a little more creative with my wire work this time.  I started simple, with some tiny herringbone wraps accenting beaded link earrings.

Sterling silver beaded links featuring agates.

Then I moved onto a more complex, handmade clasp.  I really love how this one turned out and would like to incorporate it into more bracelets - but I need to find some more sweet beaded gems to purchase!

Sterling silver handmade clasp on amethyst bracelet.

Finally, I dressed up a simple green cabochon with some wire scrolls and a beaded chain.  It ended up looking very elfin!

Sterling silver wire capture of a Peruvian Cat's Eye Opal.

Thanks for looking and happy creating!
SSS

Jewelry Sets - Combining Wire & Beads

I'm loving the creativity I'm finding with sterling silver wire, but have been missing beading lately, so I combined the two in a couple of jewelry sets!

First up is a gift for a dear friend's birthday - it is a necklace and bracelet convertible set!  They can be strung together for a long necklace, or worn separately as a collar and bracelet.  They feature matching handmade clasps.

Convertible Set - bracelet & necklace

My next set isn't a perfect match, but they both feature the same vibrant blue glass seashells and broody freshwater pearls.  I wanted to make my own chandelier earrings, and during the process I happened upon some wire weaving that looked like a mermaid tail - especially after adding a little seashell for her fin!  It was a happy accident that I wanted to incorporate into a bigger piece - the necklace.

Chandelier Earrings - pearls & seashells

Mermaid Necklace - pearls & seashells

I have been busy busy with new designs.  My torch is set up and and use.  More is on the way!

Happy Creating,
SSS

Earring Extravaganza!

My next batch of one-of-a-kind earrings!  All are sterling silver with handmade ear hooks or hoops and all gemstones are genuine unless otherwise noted. 

So much fun to create create create!  All designs are available in my shop or have been sold.  I'm also happy to take custom orders (those are my favorite!).

Amethyst Teardrop Earrings

Amethyst Chunk Hoops

Aqua Terra Jasper & Jet Earrings (jasper is dyed)

Beaded Zipper Earrings (glass)

Rhodonite Hoops

Sodalite Dagger Hoops

I'm working on some more pendants and a bracelet or two for next time!

Happy Creating!


SSS

New Earrings - Sterling Silver and Gemstones

As per my goals this year, I've been busy creating new designs for my shop!  I've been playing around with sterling silver wire, sterling silver beads, gemstone beads, and Swarovski crystal beads.  My favorites feature the hand-faceted gemstone beads - I love how the matte finish looks!  They remind me of nature and hikes in the mountains.

Twisted Red Earrings - sterling silver and Swarovski crystal

Bali Bead Earrings - sterling silver

Emerald Bead Earrings - sterling silver and hand-faceted emeralds

Gemstone Chain Earrings - sterling silver, ruby, and moonstone

Most of my designs lean toward modern, simple lines.  I do pull inspiration from Art Nouveau and nature - the trick is to keep the designs simple and yet reminescent of my favorites! 

I hope you enjoyed this little preview - I'm off to buy some more cabochons now!

Happy Creating,
SSS

Green Onyx Drop Jewelry Set

Now that the holidays are past, and all the handmade gifts I made this year have been received and opened, I can show what I made!

Green onyx, Swarovski crystal, & sterling silver.

First up is a green onyx briolette and sterling silver jewelry set for one of my sisters.  Her favorite color is green and this was such a bright but wearable shade - I loved it!  I made a set of earrings and a necklace, but they could easily be worn with other pieces or separately.

Green onyx, Swarovski crystal, & sterling silver.

Each briolette was wrapped in sterling silver wire and attached to the sterling silver chain.  The necklace also sports some spring green Swarovski crystals as links between the briolettes and the chain.

More gifts coming for the rest of January!

Happy Creating,
SSS

Red Galaxy Earrings - Sterling Silver Wirework

Red Galaxy Earrings - Sterling Silver & Jasper Daggers

Between all my projects, I managed to squeeze a little time in to make some earrings!  I've finally delved into sterling silver jewelry - unless specifically requested, my jewelry will now be made with sterling silver and gold-filled metals (though I will probably bring in warm copper now and again).  No more plated base metals in my new designs!  YAY!

Jasper Daggers - deep red wit white and green inclusions

I've been watching a lot of Star Trek: The Next Generation with my husband recently, and I think I was subconsciously inspired to create a design with clean, simple lines.  The jasper daggers really do look like red galaxies or Milky Ways spread across their surfaces.  Very pretty!

Red Galaxy Earrings - sterling silver and jasper daggers

There is a pendant in the works, too - one of my first with a wire weave and bead setting!  Photos coming next week.....

Happy Creating,

PZ

A little teaser....BSBP reveal postponed

The 8th Bead Soup Blog Party REVEAL has been postponed a week as our fearless leader takes time to heal.  Please come back next week to see what we've all been up to!

As a little teaser, I'm showing off the earrings I made from the little extra gift from Gloria - these awesome rough cut aquamarine beads!  As they weren't technically part of my soup, and the reveal was scheduled for today, I feel it's okay to show off just these today:

Rough cut aquamarine beads - some are opaque, some are translucent.

Wire wrapped earrings made with the beads - these beauties are mine!

I love how the wire wrapping at the top turned into little butterflies, and I just love the blue color of these beads!

Happy Creating!
PZ

Fun with Filigree: My Earring Redesign

I was redoing photos of my jewelry when I noticed a pair of earrings that were a little sad - I thought they could be livened up with some additions or reworkings, but wasn't sure right then what to do with them. So I set them aside and finished my photos.

The Sad Earrings

I was a little lost as to what to add to them to make them more exciting and fresher.  I had just made some earrings with lots of dangles in a cluster, but I didn't want all my earrings to look like the same, so I scrapped that idea.  Next I thought about just taking them apart and remaking the entire design, but I liked the simple dangle still....

Cluster Earrings

After a couple more pairings, I decided on some fun filigree!  I don't work with filigree much, but I was inspired by some past magazines that I'd been rereading. I shaped the filigree with some soft waves and added them to the backs....

Filigree to the Rescue!

I think this redesign is fabulous!  The filigree added interest, movement, and length without overwhelming my original dangle or adding excessive weight.  Before you take something apart to rework it (which I do a bit of too....), maybe try adding some filigree or dangles or a splash of color to liven it up!

My current designs are available for purchase in my Etsy Shop, and I am happy to take custom orders!

Happy Creating,
PZ