Tuesday 31 August 2010

another first for my jewellery

I am asked from time to time if I make rings, I have always steered clear of them in the past but having just knitted a choker and bracelet on sterling silver wire and Swarovski crystal pearls and tiny glass rocaille beads, I found I had just enough wire and beads left to knit this ring.




The question is would anyone like it enough to buy?
You will have to wait to see the choker and bracelet until I have framed them!

Friday 13 August 2010

Old friends reunited

Recently I had these earrings loaned to me by their owner, as a matching necklace was ordered. I made the earrings eighteen months ago and it was lovely being reunited with them, even if only for a day or so, while I waited for the matching beads to arrive. I thought I would show you the earrings and the necklace I made to go with them.
I know the earrings are loved by their owner, I hope she is equally enamoured with the necklace!

Thursday 5 August 2010

Playing around with buttons

Back in June this year I was enjoying a morning reading some of the blogs I follow and came across a tutorial for making a button necklace on Angel Eden's blog , now as you know I use mainly glass and semi precious beads, I have never used buttons, so I read the blog with interest and thought to myself, may be one day I might have a go at using buttons to make some jewellery.
I then went off to Zigzags Fabric Shop in Newport, Shropshire to buy some ribbons to make some lavender bottles,  as I was paying for my ribbons i noticed on the counter these fantastic buttons.


Now if I hadn't read Angel Eden's blog Zigzags may still have had some of these buttons left, but I decided to buy the lot, One of those impulse purchases, which I try not to make a habit of doing too often!
They were then placed on my work desk waiting for me to buy some cord or coloured thread to make my jewellery.

Later in July I read another blog by my blogging friend Maggi of To dream to stitch and in it she mentioned some buttons, which again reminded me that I still hadn't got round to using mine!

Well I guess sometimes it just takes a while for seeds to grow, all these little prompts led eventually to a flash of inspiration just as I was getting ready for bed last night! why it took so long is beyond me. It occurred to me that I didn't need cord or thread to create some unique jewellery with my buttons, I just needed to do the same as  I would do with so many of my other beads,  I would crochet with coloured wire and use the buttons along with some swarovski crystals, so I slept a little, dreamt a little, about making jewellery of course and then I woke up at about 4am itching to start making, at 5am I gave up trying to get back to sleep and set to with my designs.



The result three totally unique necklaces, and one remaining green button, can't decide between making it into a brooch or the centre piece for a necklace!