New Items

Filed under: Uncategorized

I have been playing with FEATHERS!!! And, oh what fun they are, I must admit. Recently my Niece asked me to make her a feather hair clip. I had never made one but thought it would be fairly easy, and to be honest it was easier than I even imagined. I am going to put up a video tutorial of how I do it, as opposed to some of the others that I have seen on the Internet. But, before I do that, let me show you just a few of the things that I have made that are new to the store…

Native American Feather Barrette with Grade B genuine Turquoise accent stone. Each barrette is custom made to order. $12

This is the underside of the barrette. You can see how clean it looks as opposed to other handmade barrettes that use felt on which to glue the feathers.

Next is a new Rosary. I love making rosaries, although they are quite a bit of work, which is why they are so expensive. This particular rosary is made of corrugated carnelian beads that are flanked by 24K gold Vermeil bead caps. Each eye pin is 14K gold plated, and the Crucifix and center medal are also both Vermeil. I have one available for sale at this time. After this is sold each will be made on an order by order basis, so please allow 2 weeks for delivery.

Carnelian and Gold Rosary - $350

Vermeil center medal of the Sacred Heart.

Vermeil crucifix

More items will be added later today, like the feather hair clip and wine glass markers, but the pictures need to be redone before I can list them. And, I sold 5 sets of wine glass markers in two days, almost faster than I can make them! More to come soon, thanks for reading, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

Tags: barrettes, feathers, gold, Native American jewelry, rosaries, turquoise, vermeil, wine glass marker

Beaded Jewelry Design

Filed under: Handmade Jewelry

I am often asked how I get my inspiration. Beaded jewelry design is like any other art form–inspiration can come from almost anywhere.

One source of inspiration is the work of other designers, such as David Yurman. From his Bijoux collection, I like his use of asymmetry, in which the two sides of a necklace do not quite match. I also like the way he combines textured and smooth links in his chains. And I especially like the way he showcases special beads in his jewelry design.

Bijoux Necklace

My finished design is quite different from Yurman’s. But, you can see the combination of textured and smooth in the sterling and Hill Tribes silver, the asymmetry in the use of jade on one side of my central bead and pearl on the other, and the way I made the Grade A yellow/blue tiger-eye bead the focal point, setting it off with Swarovski® crystal rondelles.

Yellow/Blue Tiger Eye with Jade, crystal pearl and Hill Tribes silver

My beaded jewelry design often is inspired by nature. For example, I’ve interpreted the color of the sea, the sky and the coral reefs around Caribbean islands in this ring. The turquoise ranges from blue in the nuggets to blue-green in the smooth beads.

The coral is actually from Swarovski® — crystal coral-colored beads. I choose not to use real coral in my beaded jewelry design, because reefs are usually endangered habitats.

handmade components on Sterling ring

Another source of inspiration for beaded jewelry design comes from the beads themselves. When I look at a wonderful lampworked bead or a millefiori bead from Italy, I can draw inspiration from its colors and texture. I ask myself whether it calls for gold or silver findings and accents. What colors will bring out this or that color within the bead? Should I use a similar or a contrasting shade in my design?

Life itself inspires my beaded jewelry design, as in the Mommy bracelet I am designing to celebrate the coming birth of my second child. In fact, my jewelry design business began with my first child, Isabella Rose. She continues to be the wellspring of my creative spirit.

One of the things I love best about beaded jewelry design is using a variety of carefully chosen materials to create wearable art. If my designs never see the inside of a museum that’s OK, as long as my creations are eye catching and wearable!

If you have questions about beaded jewelry design, please ask. I’ll be happy to answer in this blog.

Ciao
Mariealena

Tags: coral, Handmade Beaded Jewelry, Hill Tribes Silver, jade, pearls, sterling silver, Swarovski, Swarovski Crystals, turquoise