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

Arabian Nights Bracelet

Our last bracelet of the week.  I've had these packs of really pretty beads mixes from Jilly Beads just sitting in my collection for ages.  I keep saying to myself - one of these days I'll make a quick bracelet or a pretty necklace - and nothing happened.  Well today is one of those days.

I tried picking up random beads, but the OCD part of my brain didn't like that, so it's in a repeating pattern that still manages to look random.  I hung a beaded dangle from each end to give it an extra feature.

The beads are in lovely jewel tones - Jade greens, emerald greens, ruby reds, sapphire blues and amethyst purples - with the occasional flash of copper and bronze, so I can see it being a really good look for the Autumn.

It's on memory wire, so you can just wrap it around your wrist.

=: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.

I Heart...Dragons Bracelet

As promised, we start the week with a new addition to the I Heart...Collection.  There seem to be an abundance of necklaces in the collection at the moment and even though that's what I like to create most, I wanted to make another bracelet.  This time I've decided to go with a cuff style.
I love Dragons and I think they are my favourite mythological creature.  Also, my Chinese astrological animal is the dragon, which I share with my Mother.  So I created this bracelet, drawing on inspiration from them.

Happy Birth/Mother's Day!

I don't usually post at the weekend, especially when it's my birthday!  However I was silly enough to be born around Mother's Day here in the UK so today I have to share the celebration of my arrival on this Earth with celebrating the amazing woman who gave birth to me. I don't have much to offer, so I thought I'd add to the ever expanding collection of jewellery that I have made for her.
As you may or may not be aware, I adore semi-precious gemstones and they are my favourite to work with.  I love the random beauty of natural stones.  I was excited when one of my favourite sites [Beads Direct] to get gemstones were having a sale as it gave me an opportunity to work with a stone I've wanted to buy for a while - Druzy Agate:

I Heart...Prosperity Necklace

Next up in the I Heart...Collection is the ...Prosperity Necklace.

Dragon Eye Ring

Rings are my favourite type of jewellery and lately I've got into beaded rings.  They're not as uncomfortable as they look, they're a lot easier to freeform than wire rings, they don't wear or tarnish as easily - depending on what beads you use - and you can make them from any old beads you have lying around - particularly useful when you have old beads that needs using up!
This is the first bezel ring I've made.  I had these really cool glass beads that reminded my of dragon's eyes - my favourite* mythological creatures, keep your damned unicorns!

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.

Mintberry Swirl Necklace

I've really got to think of a better name for this necklace before I sell it!

I've had this pack of lampwork beads that I received in a goody bag (I think!) for while and I haven't really known what I wanted to do with them.  So using my new found beadwork skills, I've transformed it into this beautiful necklace.

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.

Handmade Christmas Decorations

In the weeks coming up to Christmas, I've been making my own decorations for our little tree.  I hoped it would get me back into the habit of making things for fun, and it's been working!  I've been inspired to make a great many more things, which I'll share soon.
Making my own Christmas decorations isn't a new thing for me, as I always used to make my own decorations when I was little.  It was only things like paper chain rings, or snowflakes that I'd cover in glitter and thread onto string to make curtains that I'd hang from the ceiling or the window frames.  Still, they were pretty, and it made me feel like I had a part to play in the celebrations.  As I say, I've always been a creative person, so this is just the next step.
These are only the first two decorations that I've created, but I do intend to make more and share them with you as soon as I have.  Depending on the reaction they get, I may decide to add handmade decorations to my Etsy shop for next year.

Peppermint Cream 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 love peppermint creams!  The ones made by Fry's, York's Peppermint Patties and the bags you can get at the supermarket.  So when I saw these glass pearls, I knew exactly what I was going to do with them:

Peppermint Cream Set

 The necklace features alternating clotted cream and teal coloured glass pearls, which vary in size (obviously you have to have more cream than peppermint!).  The pendant is a beautiful glass bead that I've been meaning to use for a while.  Diamond shaped with green and gold glitter swirled into white.

Pendant

 I knew I couldn't use an ordinary clasp, so I used this Rhodium plated (so it won't tarnish) clasp with a turquoise rhinestone.

Rhodium plated clasp with turquoise rhinestone

 The earrings are pretty simple, but stunning nonetheless.  Same design as the necklace with nickel free earwires.

Peppermint Cream Earrings

The bracelet is the one I'm most proud of.  Its design is a bit different to the necklace, as I added teal green seed beads to imitate the peppermint chips you get in some peppermint creams.

Peppermint Bracelet - laid out

 It has another of the diamond beads as a focal and is multi-stranded to it looks more like a cuff when worn.  This is definitely one of the more elegant sets I have ever created.

Peppermint Bracelet - as worn

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 "Peppermint Cream 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.

Butterfly Garden Set

Despite hating pink and "girly" things, every once in a while, I do surprise those around me by liking something girly.

My American supplier had a gorgeous pendant with a butterfly embossed on it and some beautiful two colour beads (Rose & Peridot).  I had no idea that by combining the two, I'd end up with something this...well, girly: 

Butterfly Garden Necklace

 All of the beads are glass and you may recognise the silver flower spacers from the Calypso necklace.  As you can see, I'm still having fun with wire.  I threaded the wire through the holes in the pendant and wrapped them into spirals of varying size, which I think makes an intresting focal.  

Hanging from a line of small crystal glass beads is the fringe, which I made from turquoise, light green and lilac beads.  The colors are supposed to represent the gradual change of the colour of the sky throughout the day, with crystal clouds on top of course!

Next I alternated the rose and peridot rice beads with the crystal beads, which to me is the dusky pink of the evening sky in the butterfly garden, slowly turning into night. (I'm a writer, I'm allowed to have imagination!)

Round crystal beads with Rose & peridot beads

Finally, to tie it all together I decided to use ribbon, but I didn't want it too wide.  Fortunately, a friend of mine makes the most amazing candles and soaps (please check out her site - One Stop Pamper), and her candles are tied with tiny white ribbons!  So guess where I got these from? ;)

Candle ribbons

One of those, I'm not sure if it's the left or the right is from her Butterfly Meadows votive candle, so it actually smells like a butterfly garden too!

The Earrings took a little more thought.  I'd run out of the rose and peridot beads and I was fast running out of the crystal beads too.  So I decided to carry on the fringe effect from the necklace.  None of the butterfly charms I had, matched the feel of the necklace, so I used these dragonfly charms instead, which are equally as good.  I hung them from the hoop I made from some left over wire.

Butterfly Garden Earrings

Irene's Present

In April, my Gran asked me if I could make her a necklace as a birthday present to give to her next door neighbour.  I then found out her birthday isn't until November!  I showed her the beads I had and we deliberated for a very long time.  Mainly because my Gran, unfortunately doesn't have much of a talent for visualising.  To make it easier for her I asked what Irene's favourite colours were and I could build around that.  My Gran replied that she didn't know, she'd lived next to the woman for over 50 years and still didn't know that much about her!  My head hit the desk.

Anyway, we eventually discovered her favourite colours were red, black and green and I got to work mid August.  When I took the finished necklace to my Gran for her thoughts, she was admiring my bracelet (the one in this post).  We agreed I'd make one as an addition to the necklace for Irene.  


Now I've got photos of the necklace, but I forgot to take photos of the bracelet before I gave it to my Gran.  When I next go over to my Gran's I'll try to remember to get a photo.

My Gran wanted something light and long enough to fit over Irene's head so she wouldn't have to fiddle with a clasp.  I used the rest of the red seed beads I had left from the Americana set and alternated with black fire polished beads.  On the right side I added a copper petal connector, which I manipulated into a flower.  On the second strand is a mix of emerald green seed beads and more of the black Czech glass beads.

As a focal, I peyote stitched black coral and green seed beads together and wrapped it around the strands to make it look knotted.  On the ends of the strands are red acrylic bicone beads and light green Czech glass beads.  I hope Irene likes it.  I'll let you know!


I posted this to give you a glimpse of the customisation process.  This design was loosely based on one I made my Gran for Mother's Day (Sorry I don't have a better photo):

Calypso Necklace

I'm designing more summer jewellery and here is the latest installment:

The Tagua Nuts are back, this time in fuchsia pink!  I wanted a bright, colour clashing necklace that really stood out.

I added these pretty flower spacers and used the beaded star bead caps to cover the large holed Tagua nuts.

Next we have these turquoise and black Greek ceramic beads and in between those are lime green acrylic beads with an AB coating (reflects various colours), which were taken off an old bracelet. 

I thought I'd show you a close up of what one of the bark blemishes look like.  As you can see, it only adds to the uniqueness of these beautiful beads.

Finally; the necklace is strung onto leather cord, and connected by a lobster clasp, although it is long enough that it should fit over most heads.

There is a limited supply of this necklace.  Once they've gone they've gone.

SOLD!