Pastel Crystal Bracelet, Rose Quartz and Serenity Beaded Charm Bracelet

Thanks to “spring cleaning”, this pastel crystal bracelet was created. 

I was cleaning my bead stash and noticed I have a lot of clear and light crystals and that I have not used for a long time in my pieces. Cleaning forgotten, I started playing with the beads and was thinking whether I should go all out on the whites or have another color to partner with it.  In the process, Pantone 2016 color came to mind; Rose Quartz and Serenity. 

                                                                      

Now, I decided to choose the lightest spectrum of the Pantone color, so the palest pink and blue.  I wanted the clear crystals to be the host and the pink and blue the guests.  This will be an airy, ephemeral color palette.

I started wire wrapping a mixture of transparent and translucent crystals (rose quartz, Chinese crystals and Swarovski Elements) in pale pink, light blue, clear and milky white beads.  I was experimenting between silver or antique bronze wires but decided to go with the antique bronze.  The antique bronze wire gives a nice contrast with the pale and light beads.  

I am very happy on how the cool light sky blue and warm soft pale pink crystals cast a haze of color and play up the variety of shape and texture onto the mix of clear and frosted multi faceted beads for this wire wrapped crystal bracelet.

How this crystal bracelet sparkles and shines beautifully with the light! I love how the beads appear to dance with the light. Now it would be just grand if I could capture that in my photos.

I was going over to my Etsy shop to list this bracelet but I am happy to say it has already found a new home.

You may notice that I am going through the beaded charm bracelet phase.  Just needed some fun, movement and easy to make pieces for now.

And not forgetting, I have yet to finish my cleaning of my bead stash......

Red and Purple Brass Charm Bracelets, Red Hat Society

While skimming through the color palettes in The Beader’s Color Palette by Margie Deeb, I found a color palette that I have yet to fully embrace – red and purple.  While googling ( I had to as I am the  – you know....curiosity kills the cat type of person)  these two colors, I found out that this is the color scheme of the Red Hat Society.

FYI, Red Hats Society is a playgroup for women created to connect like-minded women, making new friends and enriching their lives through the power of fun and friendship.  Women over the age of 50 wear red hats and purple clothing, while those under 50 wear pink hats and lavender clothing.  I can understand why they chose this colors as purple is associated with spiritual and creativity while red as confidence and vitality.

I decided that I would make one for my daughter and myself. We are both fun people – Ha-ha.  Since the theme for these bracelets will be an inspiration of the Red Hat Society, I wanted pink and lavender for my daughter – but “uh-uh no way, she said” – she is not a fan of pink. So red and purple color it will be for us.

I have decided that I do love the luxurious harmony of the bold and bright red and rich energetic purple in these delightful brass bracelets.

Now both bracelets are charm bracelets with the red and purple color scheme but yet different in execution.  

My daughter preferred the chain bracelet with dangling brass charms so I chose to make a slightly different version for myself.  She wanted larger charms too.

I paired the shining donut purple tanzanite AB Chinese crystals with berry red Czech spacers.    Metallic silver Chinese crystals donuts and bronze gold seed beads were added for the bling-bling effect.  As I wanted the fun and playful look, the brass plated charms are a mix of fun quirky charms that will jingle charmingly on the wrist.

It does add a dose of the unexpected quirky in my jewelry box. 

Restyling Broken Jewelry - From old to new, Modern Bracelets

A dear colleague had this stash of crystal beads from her broken jewelry for such a long time in her drawer and was going to discard it.  Thank goodness I found out in time and volunteered to help her. 

Restyling broken jewelry can be a quite "refreshing" project.  Bringing new life to old jewelry opens your mind to new creations, new ideas,new possibilities.... and allow me to create colorful and modern bracelets for her instead of the usual stringing of one color one gemstone bracelets.

They were potato pearls, agate, onyx, rose quartz, hematite and some other pretty beads that I could not verify whether they were glass beads or crystal. 

I started with the black pearls and the black beads of hers to make her a dangle bracelet.  A fun pearl bracelet with lots of movement.  Perfect for a dressed up.

The lovely blue glass beads were  paired with greenery twisted oval Czech beads  to make a stretch bracelet (which she prefers). I added metallic pink seed beads along with silver and gold Greek ceramic spacers for added color and playful fun. 

I am not a fan of elastic bracelet even though they are easy and quick to make.  (Sorry to those who loves stretchy bracelets) They tend to break easily as it lacks durability.

Another stretch bracelet of honey brown oval agate beads combined with pale orange cats eyes and milky beige twisted oval glass beads.  I brightened it up with the metallic red seed bead and gold Greek ceramic spacers.

Hematite bracelet, which was simply restrung, with metallic teal seed beads.  There was not enough hematite rounds so I had to add the teal seed beads to make a fit.  I finished it with a oval gunmetal toggle clasp.

This rose quartz bracelet was inspired by the 2016 Pantone color of the year; Rose Quartz and Serenity. 

For her pale yellow agate beads (since they were only 4 beads), I added the papaya mix colored millefiori round shape glass beads to complement the pale yellow agate beads.  Loved how it turned out - a very fun and cheery bracelet.  I finished it off with a brass plated heart toggle with a seahorse and a beaded dangle dangling from it.

There are still some beads from her stash that I have not utilized and I am glad that she understands and allows me to finish them when I can.  I have not been well since middle of last year and hopefully now after my surgeries, things would pick up.  

Rev..... revving up.....

PS : I am so glad that she has let me revive these beads to something new, modern and easy-to-wear designs that she can wear all over again.  It would have been a tragedy if she had tossed them away.

Crystal Pave Bracelet, Tube Bracelet, Pave Bead Bracelet, Sparkly Bracelet

This multi-color crystal pave bracelet is the first of the "We love Pave  Crystal" series.  

Add a touch of sparkle to your everyday outfits
with this tube bracelet.

Or a sparkly bracelet to brighten up your day....

This pave bead bracelet features paves and  Swarovski crystal in blue and green on a silver plated chain. 

I have been doing easy and simple bracelets to start the wheel in my creative department rolling. These are a few of my bracelets using crystal pave beads.  I have been using crystal pave in my designs here and there; as in a bracelet I made for my niece and also other bracelets listed in my Etsy shop.  

Restyling Broken Jewelry

A friend needed help with some of her stretch bracelets that were broken. 

I decided not to re-string them all over again  as they were originally designed (I felt that the original setting did not reflect her personality) and since she did not mind it, I was happy to create entirely new pieces for her.   Restyling broken jewelry  is a great option to repurpose the gemstones into new modern pieces and  I wanted the pieces to look young, fun and playful - just like her!

         

She gave me these loose blue beads in a bitty bag. The gemstone was unknown but I suspect it could either be amazonite, aquamarine or blue agate but I could be wrong as I am not a gemologist.  

I wire wrapped each bead individually and added some clear crystals for a little glint.  It needed texture and so I dangled some quirky silver metal charms. 

I made for her a fun playful beaded charm bracelet.

I am pleased to say that she loved the bracelets.

A pair of fancy dangling earrings from her stash of amethyst Chinese crystal 

swinging prettily from s-link connectors.

A little shine and glitter perfect for any party or occasion.

It makes me very happy that these beads will not be sitting and collecting dust in her jewelry box. My heart is singing that I could give her a fresh look and style that she can actually wear over and again.

Charm Chain Bracelet, Beaded Charm Bracelet

This charm chain bracelet was a gift for my daughter some years ago.  However, it was left sadly in the bottom of her jewelry box.  I changed the clasp from a lobster clasp to this flower toggle hoping that it would change her mind.  Sadly, it did not.  So I thought it was time for a makeover ......

The charms are metalized acrylic so they are very lightweight.

Here’s the new look :

I remembered I had a small packet of metalized acrylic based charm that was given to me some years ago, which was at the bottom of my bead stash (not a great fan of metalized acrylic beads, dont ask me why; i just dont).  I added those to the bracelet along with some pretty pink glass pearls for color. However, the charm bracelet needed more drama.  So I wire wrapped some irregular clear glass beads with pink seed bead together with some white seed bead dangles to complete the makeover. 

 PS :  I am glad to say that she loved it and the bracelet is getting some of the love and attention from her. 

 Afterthought:

Jewelry makeover with other designer’s jewelry saddens me.  It makes me feel as I do not respect the inspiration, ideas and joy of the creator; that the piece has lost its identity.  However, it makes me sad when jewelry is not worn as it should be.  Every jewelry piece that has ever been made was made with love, passion and hard work and we should respect and appreciate that.

Basic Jewelry Making - The Balancing Act - Symmetrical Bracelet

It has been a long log long time since my last post.  What can I say?  There were many things going on and I let myself be drowned in it.  Not a way to live but everyone needs a break now and then.  We are humans, right?  We err and we do allow many stupid things to go on before we see the light of day. Learn and live.....

Well, since my last dry spell, I have been trying to get my creative juices flowing again by going back to the basic - starting with the first principle of basic jewelry making, which is Balance. There are 3 types of balance; the symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial.  

Of course, the symmetrical (and the easiest) is the perfect balance as the bracelet would be balanced in materials, colors, texture shape and form. Centering is the easiest way to achieve a balanced design.  Symmetrical jewelry is pleasingly orderly and expected.

Asymmetrical balance or informal balance deals with designs with visual weights that are equivalent but not identical.  It takes more planning and practice to ensure balance.  I find the best way to achieve asymmetrical balance is to have more or less equally placements of different size, shape and color randomly distributed throughout the design. 

The final balance is radial balance whereby all the elements in a a design radiate from a center point and the visual weight is distributed equally, like a starfish.  Like a charm bracelet.

Here are the photos :

I love the irregularity and the color of these swirling purple-blue Czech beads.

A classic bead and chain bracelet from natural hand-cut lemon topaz
with gold-toned miyuki seed beads.

Practicing my wire working.  This is lilac stone with copper craft wire.  This was a vast  improvement from the earlier piece I made for my sister,  Things to do list - to remake my sister's bracelet.

A multi strand bracelet of sunny yellow and sun colored chinese crystal rondelles
 individually hand wrapped with gold toned craft wire.

          

A wire wrapped Swarovski Elements pearl bracelet in grey with a brass charm with an extract from Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 - " And every fair from fair sometime declines"

As you can see, I made many symmetrical bracelets.  Always start with the easiest, right?  I have not taken photos of the other pieces....will upload as soon as I can....Promise!