Thursday, January 29, 2009

Emeralds

I love most greens, but nothing is as luxurious as Emerald green. I used metal spacers with a mix of light and dark green glass beads. Honestly it was very simple. I did use two crimping beads at the ends of each side for extra strength and a silver toggle clasp.

I hope you come again soon.

Marie

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Jade and Cherry Quartz


My favorite colour has been green for the longest time. It is rich, natural and goes well with my eyes. lol. I promise it is not a vanity thing. I discovered rose quartz the first week I started making jewelry. I loved the deep peachy tones and the chips are great to work with. I love the different sizes and how they sit next to each other. I decided to mix them with the jade chips a few silver spacers and a a couple of clear glass beads for variety.
This is another memory wire bracelet. I made a ton of these when I first started because they were easy to do. I learned a lot from making these. The way I like to place the beads and the colours I like to mix together. I also learned how to make the loops at the end to keep the beads from falling off. That took a little practice but I think I have it now.
Thanks for visiting!!
Marie

Monday, January 26, 2009

Black and White


Ok it's not quite white it is clear but it sounded good. I have been really into black and white this last year. I wanted to re-do our bedroom in Damask black and white but my DH said "Why??? what is wrong with what we have now? Don't waste money on re-doing something that is just fine the way it is." Or something to that effect. So I must live my black and white passion through my art. Clothing, Cards, Scrapbooking and now jewelry. I alternated black white and silver on these two different bracelets. One is quite random and the other is Silver, black and clear. These were made on memory wire with basic glass beads and bulk silver beads on the right and hand picked silver beads on the left.
Thanks for coming by
Marie

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Amethyst and Peridot shell

I have to say it is amazing how pictures, once on the computer, change the look of an item. Frankly these pictures do not do this bracelet justice. This is one of the first things I made and it remains one of my favorites. Purple and green is one of my absolute favorite colour combinations. Add a little silver to that and you are bound to have a hit.

This bracelet is much richer on ones skin without the bright light of a flash. It looks a great deal more yellow in this light.



I used the silver spacers and alternated shell and amethyst on the three different strands of stretch magic. Once completed I tied off the cord and made sure the knots were nice and close to the edge of the spacer bar so they would not be visible.
That is about it I think :)
Marie


Saturday, January 24, 2009

So I am looking at this bracelet now and I think that maybe it would have looked good with an antique brass toggle instead of silver. I of course don't have anything other than silver right now so it will just have to do.

I really love the mix of brown, amber and gold. It is so rich and warm. I added this leaf charm on it for a little "extra" and I really love how much it adds to the bracelet.

I used all glass beads, large seed beads and a mix of different shapes for the main beads. They are all strung on metal wire and attached to the toggle with crimping beads.


Thanks for coming by


Marie

Friday, January 23, 2009


I have never claimed to be a great photographer, but even in my ineptitude you can see how in different lighting the same object can look so different. The top photo was taken on a soft pillow in natural lighting which made these glass beads look mostly opaque. In the bottom picture you see it on a shiny wooden surface with artificial lighting and the beads look transparent.

My 4 year old son helped me make this bracelet. I picked the colours and "suggested" to him which one should be the next one to go on. lol. All that matters is that he had fun. All the beads are glass beads that I mostly got in mixed bead containers. No better way to start out than with the cheaper stuff. At least you get to try some stuff out and experiment at a fraction of the cost. I really like this one and I imagine it only cost me about a dollar or two to make. What a bargain!!
Marie

Monday, January 19, 2009

Pink Passion

I loved pink as a child and when that obsession wore off I hated it for years. Now that I have children of my own, I relish being able to dress my girls in pink and I seem to have found a new passion for it. This bracelet stems from that passion being renewed.

I used memory wire as the base, it is so simple to use and I love the way that it looks when it is done. I used an assortment of metal beads and a nice variety of pink glass beads. There is really no rhyme or reason to the way I select the beads and thread them on, it just happens. When I have a little more experience under my belt that might change and I might have a vision of how I want to assemble a particular bracelet. For now I am learning from my mistakes and getting a feel for the different techniques out there. I can not wait to see what I will be able to create...

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Amber and Chocolate

I don't remember when I started to like browns but I think it was when I moved into our house. We bought a bigger house so that my mother and father in law could move in with us to help. We needed the help while my husband went back to school and they needed a place to live because of some disconcerting events that caused them to lose their home. {now don't worry, we get along quite well} When we first moved in, there was a cocoa coloured wall in the front room. At first I thought that we would paint over it and eventually I fell in love with it and now I can't wait until we paint it that colour again to freshen it up.

Since then I have added some brown touches in the front room that bring in warmth and depth to the surroundings. It has become a favorite and has started top appear in my wardrobe as well as my scrapbooking and card making.
I used some vintage glass pearls in this bracelet. I had bought a bunch of vintage jewelry at a flea market in Montreal and this particular necklace was damaged. Of course the thrifty person in me just had to hang onto it. Now I get to use the pieces one by one where I see fit.
I also used smoky quartz chips, amber and brown glass beads, and a mix of brown, amber and black seed beads. I just randomly placed them on memory wire and they created their own pattern.
Come again soon...
Marie

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Ocean and Sky

Some of my favorite colours are the ones you find by the sea. I have never been anywhere tropical in my life but dream of it often. I loved collecting sea shells on the shores of the St-Laurence River when I was a child and treasure those memories.
This bracelet was made on memory wire and I used aqua and sky glass beads with a few silver spacers and some shells. I mostly made it randomly but I tried to have a certain rhythm to it.
Thanks for visiting.
Marie


Tuesday, January 13, 2009

I Love Toggle Clasps!

I thought I would show you a bracelet made with my favorite decorative hook, the toggle clasp. LOVE IT!! So easy to put on and sooo pretty. I really love all the different shapes and textures they come in. The best part of them is of course, that if it is visible it is decorative instead of backwards.
The second one does not have a toggle clasp but I added it to this post because I made these two at the same time. I think I did pretty good considering that these were the first two bracelets that I ever made!! I also sold them 5 minutes after I made them. lol. That is how it begins don't you think? How can I resist making more if they sell so quickly.

I love the colours on these two. If I was a better photographer you would see a difference I am sure.

I hope you come back again soon!!

Marie

My New Passion!!

I guess I should start by telling you how long I have been doing this. It all started at Christmas time {yes this last Christmas} I was working at Pier 1 and I was hanging up jewelry that we had gotten in for the holidays. I was fascinated by what I saw and just started craving {worst than chocolate when I was pregnant} you heard me, Craving!!! the creative assembly of wire and glass beads. I could see pictures in my head of all the wonderful things I could make and hopefully sell. So here we are now less than a month later...
For my first post I guess I will show you a couple of my memory wire bracelets. I first had a hard time trying to figure out how I was going to cap off the bracelets. I tried a couple of things and after a little practice I was able to make some decent loops at the end and everything is staying put.
I am amazed by the array of beautiful beads you can get out there and I can not wait to have the skill to start working with silver and gold. I just figured it was better to practice on the cheap stuff first. lol.

I will be able to come back and post once in awhile until I get my computer fixed but in the meantime I will keep creating so that I have more to show you.

Thanks for visiting

Marie