Tuesday 29 April 2014

Spring Thaw

This Saturday I will be participating in the Spring Thaw Craft Fair.  This artisan sale is being held at Re:Purpose on Gloucester Street near Bank Street.  Re:Purpose is a retail store that is affiliated with Operation Come Home, an organization that works with homeless and at risk youth. Most of the works of art in the store are the creations of the youth working with operation Come Home and are made mostly from donated items.  This programs helps youth develop skills, business and artistic, as well as provide a source of income.  Spring Thaw will highlight these talented young artisans as well as artisans from a round the city.



This week I am taking time to work on some pieces to round out my offerings.  I made this piece to highlight the gorgeous glow of copper and the incredible beauty of raw fluorite crystals.  Fluorite helps the wearer focus and helps with memory.....who doesn't need that!


Copper Leaf
A beautiful hand made copper leaf is highlighted by turquoise sari silk  and 2 captured raw fluorite octahedron crystals.  The chain is hand made copper and the entire piece is 17".

$45

Saturday 19 April 2014

Shiny Things

Yesterday was devoted to all things shiny.  Shiny faceted stones, shiny glass, shiny crystals and shiny silver....when it's gloomy out you need to create your own shine!


Regal
Faceted carnelian, amethyst, citrine, quartz and smoky quartz interspersed with gold plated beads. Matching earrings.

$50SOLD





Fun little earrings in carnelian, amethyst and crystal quartz.

$15











Smoky
Smoky quartz with silver lined seed beads.


$35


Matching double wrap bracelet and earrings.

Bracelet: $20
Earrings: $15




Venice
Murano inspired glass squares in ocean blues with brushed 
silver plated tear drops and sparkly crystals.
$30SOLD
earrings
$15 SOLD


Infinity
Silver plated infinity charm accented with fresh
 water pearls and silver plated tubes.
 $ 20 SOLD
Rain on the Beach
Recycled glass reminiscent of beach glass
 with frosted silver plated rain drops.
$23

Thursday 17 April 2014

A Real Mixed Bag!

This week was really great because for the first time I have my own workspace! I have been creating all my beaded jewelry on the dining room table for years.  It is a real pain because either we need to eat amongst all the projects on the go or I have to spend an hour putting everything away and then hauling it all out again.  My son moved out last week and I finally have a spare room after many years!  I have set it up and when I am in a beading frenzy and need to stop I can just close the doors and come back to it later...what a time saver!

Although I had to spend a day setting everything up I gained back the time in productivity by not having to constantly clean up!  


A few silver pieces.....

A sweet silver bracelet 7.25" adjustable
$30 Sold


Infinity Bracelet
$30





Dots and Dashes
Fresh water pearls with silver plated beads.

$20 Sold




Spring Drops
Flourite drops in colours ranging from the palest green to teal and purple.  Flourite is a highly protective stone that grounds and helps with concentration.
Necklace: $30 SOLD
Bracelet: $22SOLD
Earrings: $10SOLD








and then I went a little Bohemian....

 I have had these beautiful fair trade handmade glass and lucite Indonesian beads for a while now.  They seemed to have a real Bohemian vibe so I strung them on knotted waxed cotton cord and added a pewter tree.

Necklace: $26 SOLD
Earrings: $10










....and that lead to me pulling out my African ceramic, wood and bone beads for another waxed cotton cord set..




 
Necklace: $26
Earrings: $10

Wednesday 9 April 2014

A Productive Day

I have been struggling with the first cold that I have had in 2 years so I decided since I am taking it easy and recuperating I would try to be as productive as possible.  This is what happened......

First I finished up some projects I had been working on......


sold

sold
Under the Sea
 These cute pieces are made from tiny stone turtles that I fell in love with, mixed with teal and pink glass, sea blue recycled glass and fresh water pearls all crocheted on non tarnish silver wire. It reminds me of the flotsam in a fisherman's net. SOLD



Coral Reef
Beautiful dyed coral both in cubes and organic branch shapes mixed with Czech glass tear drops.





The Kumihimo Blues
I just love sodalite with it's warm blues highlighted by blacks and whites.  It is so beautiful it doesn't need anything else to shine. SOLD  
















Blue Lotus
This is a  pretty necklace with an oriental flare.  Chinese ceramic beads are highlighted with periwinkle recycled glass beads, sodalite and silver lotus bead caps.













Denim Dreams
This piece would be as comfortable with your denim jeans as it would with your finest duds. Denim blue sponge coral with amber glass beads.











And then I pulled out some beads I have had for a while and played until I was happy...

It started with mother of pearl, pearl and crystal bracelet and the next thing I knew there were 3 bracelets in the same theme...same pattern different beads SOLD. 







That lead to a necklace because I liked the colour combination so much....of course that lead to matching earrings! SOLD








SOLD








All in all a productive day!

Monday 7 April 2014

Silver and Stones and Sparkles..Oh My!

I have been busy the past week despite being sick.  In fact I made 2 silver rings with stones that I am particularly proud of.  I love making rings but it is almost impossible to make all the sizes I would need to sell.  I pondered and I pondered and then it came to me...make them adjustable...but not tacky adjustable like dollar store rings...

This is what I came up with:


The first is a beautiful African Turquoise cabochon set in a dramatic large sterling silver setting. To bring out the detail it has been given an antique patina.



$70


......the other is a bronzite cabochon set in sterling silver bezel setting also with a beautiful patina.

$50

Both pieces are on tapered adjustable bands

I also worked on some beaded pieces

The Flame Burns Brightly    
Diachroic glass pendant with wire                                             wrapped glass beads in varying colours of red accented with antique brass chain.
$25 SOLD
Bohemian Rhapsody:
An eclectic mix of turquoise, carnelian, dyed howlite, jade, citrine, recycled glass, ceramic and silver plated beads.

$35 SOLD

Juxtaposed
Beautiful jasper in colours of greys, caramels and peaches paired with sparkling crystal in hematite and clear.
$25

Sand Dunes
Sand coloured jasper with bands of steel blue and grey wire wrapped in silver plated and copper wire
$15 each


Waves at the Lake
Beautiful brown and steel blue jasper accented with steel blue mother of pearl coins.  Wire wrapped in silver plated copper wire.
$35 SOLD