Anansi Set (Halloween)

Sorry it took me longer than I intended to get these photos taken. First I'd like to share the very first idea I had for my Halloween jewellery.  Don't forget to click on the photos for a better view! ;)

 I had these triple stud bridge beads from Beads Direct which I love using.  My idea was to mix them with some Swarovski neon pearls that I'd bought on sale.  As I discovered when making the focal, I had to tinker with the sizes of the pearls on the top and bottom to get the gentle curve I wanted.  I had also failed to take into account how I was going to keep the bottom beads from falling off.  As you can see in the finished necklace below, adding a jump ring and a couple of spike pendants not only solved my problem, but also adds a little something extra to the unusual design.

I attatched a chunky silver curb chain to either side of the focal and also added these cute little spiderweb charms from Jilly Beads.  Taking a step back, the finished design kind of looks like a grinning face with fangs?
For some reason I couldn't leave it there, and quickly created these earring to go with the necklace.

I'll leave you with some closeups, but please let me know what you think - would you like them to be available to buy?

=:x

Monochrome Floral Bracelets

I seem to have developed an addiction to glass pearls and lucite flower beads lately, so I thought why not combine them?

I'm not usually a fan of polymer clay.  I mean, I appreciate the effort that must go into making things with it, but the end results never seem to go with my style of jewellery making.  That was until I saw these roses over at Jilly Beads.

Candy Cubes Bracelet

Today's bracelet is one I've been meaning to post for a while, but every time I tried to take a photo the lighting was all messed up.  Anyway, I think I've finally got some that I'm actually happy with = Perfectionist.

The design is based on this tutorial from Ruby's Beadwork.  I used brightly coloured acrylic cubes with an AB coating.  They kind of remind me of the Jap sweets you get in Dolly Mixtures - in fact I think I used them in the Dolly Mixture set. I know, I know...more sweet inspired jewellery - I swear I'm not trying to recreate the Sweet Tooth Collection!

It's a basic Daisy stitch, with seed beads lining the cubes.  The ones I used are a mix I got from Jilly Beads called Sugar Sprinkles.  I didn't really like the gaps left between the cubes.  In Ruby's design, she added beaded loops, however I didn't think this would look right on a bracelet, so I added the slightly bigger version of the Sugar Sprinkles seeds, called Sugared Almonds.  I couldn't make this up if I tried - I swear I don't do it on purpose!

I made a toggle clasp from the seeds, so it's another metal-free bracelet.  However, I'm not sure if the electroplating on the seed beads counts - so it might not be completely metal-free.

=:x

Butterfly Catcher Bracelet

I seem to be making a lot of bracelets lately.  In fact every post this week (bar yesterday) is a bracelet, so let's call it Bracelet Week!  I really enjoyed doing the Ogalala Netting for the Passion Necklace.  So it manifested itself into this:

I've been buying a lot of pastel and candy colours recently.  I hardly ever purposely buy a particular shade - unless I'm in the middle of a project and I've run out of beads - but it's like my mind unconsciously knows exactly what colours I'm going to need for each season.  I don't know if I've mentioned, but I'm not exactly fashion-conscious and many of the ideas recycle themselves anyway.  On one of my trips to Beading Amazing, I found these ceylon yellow and green seed beads and thought they'd be perfect for a Spring/Summer project.

I just kept adding more layers, alternating colours, building it up - however I could sense there was something missing.  Then I got the idea of adding these 4mm pink/clear crackle glass beads.  It added another dimension and the finished article kind of reminds me of the Rosy Apples sweets!  Why does nearly all my jewellery seem to be influenced by sweets in some way?

I knew I wanted to make a beaded clasp and have it metal free, but for some reason a toggle clasp didn't look right in my mind and I hate making beaded ball clasps.  So I decided to use something else I got on my trip to Beading Amazing...

Not original (what is?), but it makes it look so cute!

=:x

Neon Punk Bracelet

I've been taking on many complex projects lately, so every now and then it's nice to just create something simple.

Recycled Beads Ring

Another tutorial on Ruby's Beadwork caught my eye, and I thought it would be a nice way to use up some of the old beads I have lying around in my recycled bags.  I don't actually have that many beads in there to play around with though, as most of the stuff is earrings and brooches.
I've been trying to find uses for these milky glass beads that I have - which I think were glass pearls whose coating came off.  I've used them before (On A Sunny Day In England, Sweet Tooth Competition Prize and My Beating Heart) and this seemed like the perfect project to use up the rest of them

Christmas Cluster Necklace

This is a necklace I designed for Christmas with a red and green glass bead mix.  I added some gold metal beads too and hung them from a gold plated cable chain.

More Decorations

I have more decorations to show you before I sign off for Christmas.  I've made a couple of new snowflakes and some wire trees.

Zn (Zinc) - The Metallics Collection (Part VIII)

Part 8 of the Metallics Collection is Zinc...

Zn (Zinc) Set.

 More photos are available on Etsy.

This was one of the first sets I designed for the Metallics Collection.  Actually it was just the cuff/bracelet that I designed...

Zn (zinc) bracelet cuff - original design.

 I'd bought these cool metalised acrylic columns with my £50 voucher, and they were just begging to be turned into a cuff.  In my original design, I figured coloured rondelles (flat donut-shaped beads) would look best on the top and bottom of the columns.  However when I started attaching them they wouldn't sit right, plus they felt really uncomfortable.  
Digging through my beads I found some small glass beads that I had bought ages ago and still hadn't found a use for - I have quite a few of those!  Once added, I found they crowned the top and bottom of the columns beautifully, and being half clear/AB (Aurora Borealis) and half silver they give an amazing glamorous futuristic look that I wasn't expecting when I first designed it.

Zn (zinc) bracelet cuff - finished design.

I was just going to sell the cuff on it's own, however I was persuaded to create a necklace and earrings too.

For the necklace, I attached the glass beads only to the end of the columns, and then threaded the columns onto leather cord, which when worn creates a fan effect.  I'm trying out my new barrel clasps on this necklace, if you would prefer lobster clasps just let me know.

The earrings didn't look right with the beads at either end, so I just left the columns as they were.
The bracelet is made with clear elastic, so it stretches onto your wrist.  I will still need your wrist measurement, so I know how many columns to use.

Necklace: £42.00

Earrings: £25.00

Bracelet Cuff: £42.00

or buy the set: £85.00

Cu (Copper) - Metallics Collection (Part VII)

Part 7 of the Metallics Collection is Copper...

More photos on Etsy.

I've had these geometric glass coins for quite a while, unsure of what I wanted to do with them.  The silver ones I used in the Sn (Tin) Set, these ones however, mixed with acrylic copper beads and spikes, created a contemporary steampunk look that I really like.  I resisted continuing the design all the way along the necklace and bracelet, so the spikes wouldn't become uncomfortable. 
I don't have any copper coloured nickel-free earwires or clip-ons, so I'm afraid I can't offer those options on this set.

Until I can find some similar glass coins, I won't be able to sell the pieces separately.

Buy on Etsy: £70.00

Mn (Manganese) - The Metallics Collection (Part VI)

Part 6 of the Metallics Collection is Manganese...

More photos on Etsy.

This is the first set that I actually sketched down the design that I had in my head instead of just making it straight away. 

Manganese necklace sketch

I'm not going to win any design drawing contests, but as you can see from the photo above, it turned out almost exactly as I designed.

I knew I wanted a statement focal, similar to the stunning metal necklaces that they wear on the catwalks and red carpets.  However there were two issues to be addressed.  First of all I'm not a goldsmith or a silversmith, and I don't have access to the materials or equipment needed to make something like this, and I hardly think my little hobby Dremel would be happy to cut through huge sheets of metal!  Second, metal tends to be heavy, and I prefer to make jewellery that looks like the real thing, but is actually wearable.

I discovered these beautiful rumpled rhomboids when I was looking what to spend the £50 gift voucher I won on.  I combined them with these acrylic metal twisted squares that I had left over from another project.  The silver spacer beads that I usually use didn't have the effect that I was looking for, so after raiding my accent bead box I found some acrylic metal rondelle spacers, which looked more like the lopsided circles I'd drawn in my design.

You'll notice in my design, that I only have two silver squares, which didn't hang right, so I added another with some very frustrating wire-bending techniques.  I didn't want the chain to detract from the focal, so I found the smallest chain I could.

The earrings were another problem.  There weren't any smaller versions of the squares that I'd used in the necklace, and yet just one of either the gold or silver looked wrong.  I measured both together with the earwires, and they didn't seem as long as they looked.  Only problem was, that even my longest headpin wasn't long enough.  Luckily I had left over wire from the necklace and bracelet, which I coiled into a spiral at the bottom to hold the squares in place.

As you can see, a lot of work went into this set, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

Necklace: £50.00

Earrings: £32.00

Bracelet: £30.00

or buy the set: £90.00

K (Potassium) - The Metallics Collection (Part IV)

Part 4 of the Metallics Collection.
I've used Ametrine (Amethyst and Citrine) and metallised acrylic beads in this set.  Both are faceted so they catch the light and sparkle beautifully in the sunlight.  The acrylic beads are great because they have the look of metal, without being heavy.   I've been looking to use the Ametrine for a while as it's one of my favourite semi-precious stones.  I alternated the beads, graduating in size on the necklace, to give it a fan effect.  I tried adding the Ametrine to the earrings, but it made them look unnecessarily clunky and I wanted to keep them light.

More photos on Etsy.

Necklace: £40.00
Earrings: £25.00
Bracelet: £35.00

or buy the set on Etsy for £80.00!

Pearl Button Ring

Another from the recycled bag. I think this used to be a button but I'm not entirely sure. Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll agree it makes a beautiful ring. It's a white acrylic pearl button, and has a flaw which you can see at the bottom in the second photo. It's adjustable at the bottom so it should fit most fingers.

 

£45.00 (ex. shipping)

Buy now on Etsy!

Sherbet Set

Disclaimer:  No copyright infringement is intended.  These are my own interpretations of various sweets and candy using various beads.  Nothing in the Sweet Tooth collection is edible.  Please try to refrain from eating!

I must warn you, that my mom has already reserved one of these sets!  The necklace is actually one of my own designs and I hope you like it too.

The "sherbets" are acrylic and hanging between them are firepolished crystals.  The colour of the crystals will alternate, the sherbets won't.

Sherbet Set

 Feel free to choose which colour sherbets you would like for your earrings. :)

Earwires are nickel free.

Sherbet Earrings

 The bracelet I would like your input on...

I only had enough crystal beads to put on the necklace - they were a free gift - but it's no problem getting them.  So do you think I should add them to the bracelet in the same manner as the necklace, or leave the bracelet as it is.  It's up to you! :)

If you would be interested in this set or would like me to make you something similar, please feel free to contact me at: kymberligee@gmail.com with "Sherbet Set" in the subject line.

Fairy Satins Set

Disclaimer:  No copyright infringement is intended.  These are my own interpretations of various sweets and candy using various beads.  Nothing in the Sweet Tooth collection is edible.  Please try to refrain from eating!

I'm not actually a fan of Fairy Satins, to me they always looked prettier than they tasted!  So I bought some dyed shell nuggets to imitate them.  The necklace is then tied up in a pink satin ribbon.

Fairy Satins Set

 For the focal, I hung a fairy charm from a connector and then threaded AB (Aurora Borealis/Reflective) acrylic cubes with a few random shell nuggets.

Fairy charm

AB Acrylic Cubes and Shell nuggets

 The earrings are similar to the focal on the necklace, except I just hung shell nuggets from the bottom.  The earwires are nickel free.

Fairy Satins Earrings

 For the bracelet, I alternated shell nuggets and acrylic cubes, then added some chain for length.  I may need your wrist measurements to get it the right length.

If you would be interested in this set or would like me to make you something similar, please feel free to contact me at: kymberligee@gmail.com with "Fairy Satins Set" in the subject line.

Dolly Mixture Set

Disclaimer:  No copyright infringement is intended.  These are my own interpretations of various sweets and candy using various beads.  Nothing in the Sweet Tooth collection is edible.  Please try to refrain from eating!

This is the Dolly Mixture Set:

Dolly Mixture Set

This collection is all about interpretation, so forgive me if they don't look EXACTLY like a bag of Dolly Mixtures.

Dolly Mixture Necklace

 There's a good mixture of bead types anyhow.  You've got resin donuts, glass ovals, cubes and cylinders, acrylic cubes and seed beads, all in a variety of Dolly Mixture colours.

Dolly Mixture Necklace

The earrings are glass "gumdrops" hanging from the resin donuts.  Nickel free earwires are used.

Dolly Mixture Earrings

 The bracelet is a mixture of all the beads on two coils of memory wire.  Please note that each set will be different as in a bag of Dolly Mixture!

If you would be interested in this set or would like me to make you something similar, please feel free to contact me at: kymberligee@gmail.com with "Dolly Mixture Set" in the subject line.

Bubble Gum Set

Disclaimer:  No copyright infringement is intended.  These are my own interpretations of various sweets and candy using various beads.  Nothing in the Sweet Tooth collection is edible.  Please try to refrain from eating!

As a child, I loved getting a piece of gum or a gobstopper from gumball machines when I'd finished swimming.  That was what inspired the Bubble Gum set:

Bubble Gum Set

 The necklace is a simple strand of alternating pink and blue acrylic marble beads.  Simple but effective.

The earrings are the beads threaded onto a coil of ring memory wire and connected at the top by the nickel-free silver earwire.

Bubble Gum Earrings

 The bracelet is on memory wire also, so again it should fit any size wrist.

Bubble Gum Bracelet

If you would be interested in this set or would like me to make you something similar, please feel free to contact me at: kymberligee@gmail.com with "Bubble Gum Set" in the subject line.

Smarties & Chocolate Eggs Set

Disclaimer:  No copyright infringement is intended.  These are my own interpretations of various sweets and candy using various beads.  Nothing in the Sweet Tooth collection is edible.  Please try to refrain from eating!

Easter is coming up and who doesn't love unwrapping chocolate eggs?

 Multicoloured egg-like acrylic beads and silver grosgrain ribbon to tie.  Spaced between the eggs are metal smartie shaped beads inside hammered metal flowers.  New acrylic eggs are bigger than these pictured.

Smarties and Chocolate Eggs Necklace

Acrylic eggs and Smartie spacers

Smarties & Chocolate Eggs Earrings

 The earrings feature a smartie shaped bead (rainbow fluorite bead pictured) inside a hammered metal oval.  The earwires used are nickel free for anybody that has a nickel allergy. :)

Other coloured Smarties are available, so please let me know your preference upon order.

Smarties & Chocolate Eggs Bracelet

 The bracelet is on memory wire, which means it will fit any adult size wrist.  The bracelet pictured is a mixture of foil acrylic "egg" beads, rainbow fluorite "smarties" and sparkling glass "smarties".

Please note that all sets will look different from this one pictured, as I use a random mix of eggs & smarties.

 

If you would be interested in this set or would like me to make you something similar, please feel free to contact me at: kymberligee@gmail.com with "Smarties & Chocolate Eggs Set" in the subject line.