Dusk on the Boardwalk
80′s chic! 20″ of deep pink rhodochrosite coins, pale blue angelite, and shiny black onyx with antiqued silver-plated findings and a rhodochrosite coin pendant. Finished with a toggle clasp. The colors remind me of summers at the Jersey shore in the 80′s before neon took over the t-shirt shops. 
The Forge After a Rain
Purple iris and smoke glass, antiqued silver-plated rondelles, and a textured pewter pendant set off by two deep purple Swarovski crystals. Necklace is 21″ including pewter toggle clasp; pendant hangs 1 1/4″.
Custom Ocean Jasper Set
We met Sally at one of our many holiday craft shows. She was looking for an earthtoned bracelet, in the style of Bright Bangle of Baubles. I didn’t have anything in stock, but offered to get in touch after the show with some options for a custom piece. A customized bead catalog, a few email conversations, and a few weeks later (read: today), I shipped her a necklace, bracelet, and earrings set that I’m pretty damn proud of.
This is a closeup view of the necklace. Earthtone glass beads were used as a focal point to anchor hefty 15mm ocean jasper rondelles that I ordered especially for this set. Black agate rounds and silver-plates spacers add depth and sparkle to the lower, heavier section of the necklace.
The other half of the necklace tapers down to an 8mm size. This was done mostly for comfort, but also to keep costs down. I added some 10mm green opal rondelles for a nice transition to the thinner section, which continues the ocean jasper, black agate, and silver trend with smaller ocean jasper rondelles, rounded black agate rectangles, and thin silver-plated discs. The necklace comes to a close with thin black agate ovals and a silver-plated toggle clasp.
While the bracelet was the starting point for the custom order, it was the second piece in the set to come together for me – I actually designed the necklace first. A chunky stretch bracelet like its inspiration piece, the bracelet again contains ocean jasper, black agate, and coordinating earthtone glass. I really fell in love with this particular piece and had a hard time letting it go.
The earrings were the final thing to come together in this set. Ocean jasper, green opal, and black agate on sterling headpins dangle 2″ from the sterling earwire. I loved these so much, I’ve made them available in our shop: click here for your very own ocean jasper and green opal earrings.
I really do love doing custom work, and I hope that Sally enjoys her set as much as I enjoyed creating it. If you’re looking for your own custom piece — for a special event, gift, wedding, or just because — we’d love to create something for you. Contact us today to get started.
A Custom Necklace and a Gorilla
Modeled by one of our household gorillas, this is a custom necklace I made as a gift for a friend a few months ago. She’s allergic to metal, so the entire necklace is metal-free. the center stone is an oval of crazy horse stone, and the remainder of the piece is a varied pattern of black agate rondelles, dumortierite barrels, tumbled pietersite nuggets, picture jasper spacers, small red crystals, and silver leaf jasper rounds strung on black silk. The clasp is a wonderful black agate toggle clasp that I bought from FMG specifically for this piece. Here are some more shots (sans gorilla); click to enlarge:
Oh, and the gorilla? There’s a standing rule in our house that a gorilla must always occupy a place of prominence. This guy is one of two that share the top of our TV with our Wii sensor bar.
Channeling Cinderella Winners and Losers
A few months ago, I designed a Cinderella-inspired necklace for the Channeling Cinderella challenge at Stringing Magazine. While we didn’t win, I’m very glad that I entered – designing for Cinderella took me into an area of beading where I don’t normally venture. The resulting piece, Eyes Up Here, is a three-strand Swarovski pearl and crystal necklace with a sterling heart toggle clasp. I love the necklace and am working on its sequel, Autumn at the Castle.
There were a lot of amazing entries – and even a tie for first place! They don’t have the winners posted yet on their site, but if you view the challenge entries here, keep an eye out for the winning pieces: #25, Jennifer Judd, and #60, Serena Polheber, tied for first place; #14, Cynthia Powers, in second place; and editors’ choice winner Tiffany Dodgen, #68. I do like Tiffany’s entry, and would love to see the focal piece up close.
Congratulations to the winners! Now…what to make for the Black and White Challenge? Hmm…
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