Honeybee Necklace & Earring Set

My aunt recently contacted me to ask if I could make her a Honeybee themed necklace and earrings.  Apparently in his retirement, my uncle has started keeping bees, and they have been selling the honey at a local Farmer's Market.  She wanted something to wear while selling it.

The necklace chain is made from Vintaj artisan brass chain and findings, Swarovski Crystal rondells, Czech glass, and cherry quartz beads.  The honeybee pendant includes a bronze bee from Green Girl Studios, and a pewter bee charm, with bronze chain, and more Swarovski crystal and Czech glass beads.

The earrings are Czech glass and crystal beads, with pewter bee charms. 

Garden Pests April Fool's Projects

This year, after the move from Craftster to Lettuce Craft, the Mod Squad decided that Garden Pests would be a great theme for our annual April Fool's project takeover on the site.  I created a few quick  projects to join in the fun. 

A pair of earrings featuring naughty bunnies trying to steal my bok choy.  The bok choy beads are lampwork glass that I've had for ages.

Dougie, the Derpy Worm bookmark, crocheted from Darn Good Yarn's ombre silk.  The face is top stitched with embroidery thread.

And finally a set of squirrel paper lanterns.  The cut files came from the Silhouette Store, and were cut from some paper given to me by the lovely pottermouth, over at Flew the Coop.  The file cut just fine, but I did worry the whole time I was weeding it that I might tear it, and I do wish the overlap for gluing was a bit bigger, but all in all it was a quick and easy project.

Agate Slice Necklace & Earrings with Sari Silk

A piece I've been working on over the last week.  The front portion of the necklace is beaded onto jewelry wire, and the back is braided strips of sari silk.  It was made from a kit from Candie Cooper.  I love a good kit once in awhile to get you working with colors or supplies you might not choose on your own.

The earrings feature Czech glass flowers.

Purple Impression Jasper & Bronzite Necklace

I received these lovely purple stone beads in my welcome goody bag at last year's Adornments Retreat.  I believe they are dyed Impression Jasper & Bronzite.  I loved that the focal set was matched with a long strand of smaller beads to use with them.   

I paired them with some antiqued copper spacer beads, to highlight the shades of brown and copper that fairly glow in the stone.  Simple, but easy to wear with lots of things.  Also, a nice little stash-busting project.

Crystal Skull Earrings

These poor little earrings have been 'in process' for ages!  I bought the Swarovski crystal skulls when they first were released 2-3 years ago.  I knew I wanted to make earrings, but every time I tried, I had trouble getting any sort of design to work with them.  They are clearly an awesome little focal bead, but they needed to be shown off in just the right way.  So they have sat on my jewelry work surface in a little catch-all bowl for all that time.

I realized they needed little crowns about a year ago, and found some cool ones that fit just right in my stash.  I used flush cutters to remove the charm loop, and then some metal files to clean up the cut.  Since they are pewter, the metal was easy to file down.  I glued the crowns in place with E6000, and tried again to make some earrings out of them, but nothing seemed to *work* just right.  Eventually the poor little things got dumped back into that catch-all bowl.

Finally, as I was doing a big clean of my studio last week, I came across them again, along with two in process necklaces.  I cleaned up everything else, but pulled these out and placed them dead center in my empty work space, so I'd have to see them everyday until I did something with them.  I spent well over an hour futzing with them last night, and another 30 minutes this morning, until I finally came up with something I'm happy with.  I added tassels of gunmetal chain, along with a few AB2X crystal beads to match the skulls, and finished them with some tiny gunmetal bead caps.  And now I'm wearing them around the house feeling completely badass.   

Iridescent Crystal Shard Necklace w/Apatite Gemstone Beads

I picked up the strand of these iridescent crystal shard beads for some project on Craftster, back before it died.  They were neat looking and on clearance, so they came home with me.  Sadly they didn't end up getting used for any of those projects, and they've sat on my desk for a while since.  I just couldn't figure out exactly what color I wanted to use with them.  I knew I wanted to use one of the highlight colors from the iridescent finish, but nothing I had seemed just right.

Finally while digging through my stash for something else, I bumped into a strand of apatite beads I had purchased on a whim because the color was so beautiful.  They perfectly matched one of the highlight tones, and brightened up the overall tone better than something dark blue or purple would have.  Back in December I strung them onto beading wire, and the whole piece has sat there since, until yesterday when I decided it had to get off my table.  I ran some errands, and while I was out I picked up the wire guards I needed to finish it off, and 5 minutes later it was all done!  It's amazing how often a project languishes in want of 5 minutes of work. 

The necklace display often shows things in an unrealistic way, as its neck is much smaller than a human neck, so it appears to hang lower than it really does when place on the display. In the top picture I'm holding it pulled up on the form, which shows a more realistic view of how it hangs on the neck.  The lower pic shows it just resting on the form.

Gemstone Friendship Pendants

I've had a rough couple of months, and two dear friends have really been there for me throughout them.  I wanted to make them each a little something to thank them for all their love and kindness. 
The first is a pendant, made from a kit from Candie Cooper.  It includes a double point of quartz crystal, along with rose quartz, rose glass, and gold beads from TierraCast, on a base from Beadalon.  It's been wrapped in thin gold wire, and suspended from a burnt orange cord with sliding knots, so it can be worn as a long pendant, or a short choker.

I was drawn to the kit because the rose quartz is representative of caring, kindness, and friendship, while the quartz crystal is said to enhance the properties of the stones around it.  I also knew the recipient would like the deep orange color of the cord. 

The second pendant was for a friend who is trying to get pregnant.  So this is my little fertility 'good wish' for her & her partner.  It contains amethyst, rose quartz, aventurine, aquamarine, clear quartz, and two charms, a heart, and a little goddess figure.

The chain is sterling, and the findings are all either sterling, or sterling filled.  The charm of the goddess is from TierraCast.  The amethyst is for clarity, balance and protection; rose quartz is for unconditional love; aventurine for lighthearted sexuality and luck; aquamarine for calming, and clear quartz to enhance the properties of the stones around it. 

I hope it brings her some luck, and lets her know there's someone on her side, as she embarks on this journey. 

A Stack of Essential Oil Diffuser Bracelets with Lava Beads

Last Sunday, after we had checked out of the big Lodge in Asheville, sheepBlue, curiousfae, Abbeeroad & I went shopping again in downtown.  We visited a few gift shops, and I saw a nice little diffuser bracelet, that fit me well.  (I have tiny wrists and most bracelets are too big for me.)  I was going to pick it up, until I noticed the price of $20, for an item that was factory made.  Knowing I could pick up a strand of the lava beads for just a few dollars, I left the bracelet behind in Asheville.  A quick internet order later, and I had a mix of black and colored lava beads to make a stack of diffuser bracelets. 

(Clockwise from top are magenta dyed mountain jade, a coral pink Czech glass, and semi-precious aquamarine stones.)

To use them to diffuse essential oils, you simply place a drop on one of the lava beads, and allow it to soak in for about five minutes, so the oils won't stain any of your clothing.  Then just put it on, and go about your day.  I did 8 in the last two days, and have plenty of beads left to make many more.  I foresee another stack in my future! 

(This set includes just the lava beads, both the color and the black can be used for the oils.)

Last one I made, from agate and lava beads.  I think this one might be my favorite. 

Antique Key Necklace

This was made for LeapFeetFirst in the Asheville Adventure Swap.  The swap had partners who had not 'met' or didn't know one another well here on Craftster, get to know each other by exchanging a letter, and later a medium crafted item as well as a craft supply that your partner could use and some sort of local treat.  The final portion of the swap was optional, and allowed for partners to bring a final small crafted item to give their partner in person. 

The pendant base is an antique key.  It was decorated with a glass Christmas light bulb, stone beads, freshwater pearls, antiqued charms, a paper bead, bits of ribbon, and anything else I could find. 

Hooker's Helper Necklace & Scrappy

I promised yesterday to share the yarn cutter & stitch marker necklace that I made to match the Scrappy Quilt As You Go Basket.  Each individual charm hanging from the pendant is actually a crochet stitch marker that can be removed and replaced via a lever-back earring hook. They are clipped to a pendant consisting of two sizes of metal hoops, and the large disk is a yarn cutter, perfect for NOT losing your scissors in the couch cushions.

Here are each of the stitch markers laid out individually.  They include Vintaj charms, Czech glass beads, and freshwater pearls. The color scheme was chosen to match the scrappy quilted basket. 

Here's a view of the pendant, when the stitch markers are removed.  I love how it came out, and have ordered a copper toned pendant to make one for myself soon.

Gilmore Girls Charm Bracelet

Recently a favorite customer asked me to make her a Gilmore Girls inspired bracelet.  I've only ever caught a few episodes of the show, so she chose the charms herself, and we worked out a color scheme based on a few iconic images from the show, the Luke's sign, the Dragonfly Inn sign, and a deep sky blue from many of the title cards of the show.  I really like how this one came together color-wise, and she seems to be thrilled with it. 

Pumpkin Spice Charm Bracelet

Love it or hate it, you know your Facebook & Instagram feeds were full of them today....  The Pumpkin Spice Latte has returned, and heralded the season of PUMPKIN SPICE EVERYTHING!  So to celebrate, I created a Pumpkin Spice charm bracelet.  Goes great with yoga pant and Uggs....  Or you know, real clothes. 

The charms include pumpkins both big and small, bags of coffee beans, coffee cups, muffins, croissants, shortbread cookies, and milk cartons.

The beads are a mix of Czech glass, Swarovski crystal pearls, and stone, in shades of pumpkin, copper, rich coffee brown, cafe au lait, and a touch of deep green, in a nod to the iconic coffee house's green straws.

After staring at this all day, now I'm wondering if I have the makings of pumpkin spice muffins in my cupboard..... 

Bracelets for National Girlfriends Day

Did you know that August 1st is National Girlfriends Day?  I didn't either.  Not until I bumped into it on a calendar of weird holidays.  It also just so happens to be a night I'm going to see The Little Mermaid at the arts center in Nashville with two of my girlfriends.  Since one of them was awesome and bought the tickets (and got us invited to the opening night reception, thanks to being a season ticket holder), and the other friend is driving, I decided to make gifts for these two lovely ladies as a thank you. 

Each bracelet features a Swarovski crystal ring, with stainless steel charms, crystal heart links, and gunmetal chain and findings.  While they all match, each one has a different charm.

'She's like whiskey in a teacup' for Heather

"She believed she could... so she did' for Jena

'Though she be but little she is fierce' for me.

Bad Ass Bitch Necklace

I recently had the great fortune to partner with kittykill in the Feminism & Diversity Swap.  I knew that I wanted to create a piece that felt like donning armor when putting it on; something with weight to remind her of her own innate strength while fighting for equality.  The result is almost a gorget in size and area covered on the body. 

I made the chain from large individual gunmetal links and Swarovski crystal 'cosmic rings' in jet black.  Each individual element was chosen to reflect intersectional feminist principals, or to reference kittykill specifically.  I'll list a few of them...  The central eye pendant to help us stay woke, and keep an eye on The Man.  The pink crystal hearts represent one of her favorite songs, Rebel Heart by Madonna.  A large claw shaped stone to remind her that sometimes we need to use our teeth and claws to grab and hold onto our rights.  A Mexican coin to represent the 'Bad Hombres' among us, working as allies in our fight for gender equality.  A Queen Bee bottlecap as a reminder of 'who runs the world'.  A resin pendant that reads 'elusive', as reference to the fact that after decades of bold suffragettes and women's libber's alike fighting for equality among the sexes, that equality still eludes us in the pay gap, in stereotyped gender-based marketing campaigns, in how we treat the victims of sexual assault, in what toys are marketed to our children, and so many other issues.

There is an antique key gifted to me as an extra in a Craftster swap, to remind her of the strength found in friendships among women and the communities we create for ourselves.  A 'P', for kittykill's first initial; a wing to soar on; a playing die for luck in the game of life.  I'm really thrilled with how it turned out, and hopefully it will bring her as much joy as I had making it.

Beaded Wire Shawl Pin

I recently participated in the Warm & Cozy swap, with the lovely LadybugsAndBumblebees as my partner.  As my main project for the swap, I crocheted a blanket sweater for her.  But since it didn't have any sort of closure, I decided to try my hand at making a shawl pin to go with it.  This was created from 14 gauge wire, and wrapped with some thinner copper and bronze wire, and finished with deep teal AB beads. 

Important to note:  Dogs do NOT like the sound of you hammering wire on your work desk, as they try to nap underneath it!   :D