Dragonfly Pendant Set!

One of my favorite orders to date - three custom "hidden" dragonfly pendants!  These pendants are handmade from sterling silver and natural stones, with a special cutout on the reverse side.

Tiffany Stone Pendant with dragonfly in sterling silver.

Shattuckite stone pendant with dragonflies in sterling silver.

Lepidolite stone pendant with dragonfly in sterling silver.

 The last pendant was set a little differently with a non-traditional setting - it's a partial bezel setting that shows off the sides of the stone as well.  It's been awhile since I've made this type of setting and I'm excited to make more!

Thanks for coming by!
Hannah

Silver Pendants featuring Natural Stones

A fun, summery streak of handmade pendants!  Each cabochon featured here was made by a local cabber and then set by me.  The amazonite and lapis were made specifically at my request - normally I design around an already made cabochon, but I could get maybe get used to designing and then having the cabs made....

Beryllium opal in a handmade sterling silver setting.

Kambaba jasper in a handmade sterling silver setting.

I think the beryllium opal cabochon looks like a lovely sunset with the purples, pinks, and oranges in perfect layers across its surface.  The kambaba jasper reminds my husband of Starry Night by Van Gogh - I can see that a bit too.  I had several cabs made from the amazonite rough - it was too lovely to pass up!  This one is in a more art deco/geometrical design, while the lapis is set in a more whimsical setting with a rainbow of color play in the texture from a patina.  

Amazonite in a handmade sterling silver setting.

Lapis lazuli in a handmade sterling silver setting with patina.

Lots of summer fun!  More on the way, including a couple pins.  I have some really lovely stones that I look forward to designing around!

Thanks for stopping by,
Hannah

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

Tiffany Stone Pendants

At the end of last year, I posted one of the Tiffany stones that I had set in sterling silver wire.  Well, this past week I wire wrapped the other two that I had!  You can read more about Tiffany Stone (also called beryllium opal or Bertrandite) in my original post.

Tiffany Stone pendants wire wrapped in sterling silver.

Tiffany stone pendant.

Tiffany stone pendant.

The slabs that my local contact had were pinkish purple.  The beauty of Tiffany stone is that is can range from light pinkish lavender to dark bluish violet.  I hope to find some in the blue range for next time!

Happy Creating,
SSS

Viking Knit Pendant in Copper

I'm really enjoying working with the viking knit weave - I set an odd-shaped stone with copper wire the other day.  It looks round, but the surface is actually wavy which made setting it interesting to weave around!  I'm not sure what type of rock it is, but it's very smooth and mostly a mauve color, undyed (natural).  I asked when I bought it, but the lady wasn't sure.

The wire frame (heavy gauge wire) looks out-of-round because of the wavy surface of the stone.  It was actually a large focal bead, but I'm liking it better treated as a cabochon....  I haven't yet decided if I'll make a chain for it or not.  Currently it is being used as a sample for my students' perusal.

Happy Creating,
PZ

Remaking a Design

Today I'm showing some designs I restrung for my sister.  What I should have done was take before and after photos, but I didn't....

The first one features a dragon pendant, and another little dragon charm at the end of the chain!  It was on waxed cotton cord with a few red and green wooden beads.  My sister wanted something more sophisticated to wear, but still fun!  I chose to string it with gemstone nuggets, crystals, and seed bead spacers.

Dragon Pendant - redesigned and restrung with gemstones and crystals.

The next piece is a multi-strand necklace.  Originally it was all teal and green, about 10-12 strands of seed beads and chunky glass beads strung randomly and all twisted together.  There wasn't really anything wrong with the design, but some of the beads were loosing color (cheaply painted beads) and it was too bulky for my sister's taste. 

Multi-strand Necklace - redesigned and restrung with a removable pendant.

So I remade it with only 5 strands, and a couple of those are very light.  I reused the salvageable seed beads and some of the smaller glass beads, and added bugle beads and gold beads.  My sister also had a pin she wanted me to do something with, and I thought it would work perfectly with the necklace as a removable pendant! 

She loves both designs, so my work here is done!  Until she give me more jewelry to remake - or until I redo some of my old designs!  Don't be afraid to remake a piece - practice brings you closer to perfection!


Happy Creating,
PZ

Wire Wrapped Bezel Setting - Tiffany Stone

I'm on a roll!

Tiffany Stone Pendant - set in sterling silver wire.

Here is another pendant featuring Tiffany Stone from Utah!  Tiffany Stone is also called Bertrandite or beryllium opal fluorite and it is very rare.  It's only mined in Utah, and most of it is crushed for the beryllium it contains.

Tiffany Stone Pendant - I love the range of purples in this rare stone!

I picked up a couple pieces from a local rock hound.  He had a slab of Tiffany Stone and made several cabochons for me - I'm amazed at the great variety of colors and patterns in this stone!  His slab had shades of purple from pale lavender all the way to deep mauve; some stones have deep blueish purples too!

Available in my Etsy Shop - or you can request a custom piece!

Happy Creating,
PZ

Friendly Kids Decor - Pillows!

Pillows for my daughters - pink skulls and purple owls!

My girls and I were in a fabric store looking for curtain material to decorate their rooms, but instead found these cute fabrics made from heavy canvas material.  While the material wouldn't make very great curtains, it certainly would make great pillows (it withstands the hard use of children quite well)!  Plus, soft and unbreakable is great for kids' rooms....and it doesn't get softer and more unbreakable than pillows!

Piping Edge on Pillows - adds a little something more!

I wanted the pillows to be a little more special than just a square, so I rounded the corners and added cord piping on the edge.  It took less than an afternoon to make both pillows, the girls love them, and their bedrooms have a little more "personal" touch (other than the constant toy mess on the floor.....)!

If you want to make your own pillows with piping, I suggest this tutorial by The Seasoned Homemaker.  It's the one I (mostly) followed and she even shows you how to make your own piping (I did not do that - I bought cording already made for piping instead).  I prefer the envelope pillows to zippered ones because I really dislike sewing zippers, and I don't like hard zippers on my soft pillows!  She does a nice job, so there was no reason for my to attempt a tutorial....

Happy Creating,
PZ