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I played with some more combinations of my “work bench bead soup” – where I grab items off my work bench and combine them, just to see how the colors look together. I thought these looked pretty good!  These aren’t always colors that are used together – peach, aqua and green, or daffodil (jonquil) yellow and deep purple amethyst. But the colors work, don’t you think? And sometimes color is what it’s all about 😉 And now for something a little different – I’ve been playing with patinas lately, and I’m pretty happy with this verdigris (blue-green patina).  These are bronze over steel, not brass – which means they’re thinner and lighter in weight than brass would be (but still sturdy). And these are big – about 45mm in diameter, or 1-3/4″. Even at that size, they’re lightweight enough to be comfy earrings. Use them as is – or add complementary jewels – I’m going to try a few designs and revisit these later this week. And you know the color – this gorgeous teal blue-green – is like the most flattering shade ever. Year round – flattering – comfy – these are a win! I love this rich, deep smoky topaz – this oval pendant feels very luxe – and the earring jewels are adorable. No,k they’re not an exact match – but beautifully coordinated? Oh yes.  These jewels are a great example of – when you’ve got something classy and fabulous, you don’t need fussy, you don’t need a lot of *stuff*. They work on their own. Add a jump ring and chain to that pendant, and your necklace is ready – and gorgeous. Add earwires and your coordinating earrings are ready to wear. When you’re in a hurry (and we all know what that’s like) something you can use *now* – and it looks great – and it’s affordable – That’s a win 🙂 Because black is always in style. It always looks fresh and new. It always works.  These are not large – just under 1″ high. So they don’t feel heavy – either physically or visually. They’re clean-lined and modern (though the black navettes are from the 1960s). And you can choose the color of the tiny rhinestone – crystal as shown for a cool contrast, or any of a dozen pretty colors. Available in my Etsy jewelry supplies store, of course 🙂 These pretty little heart beads or jewels are just the color of orissa garnets…. so pretty, so unusual and hard to find!  They’re absolutely perfect for petite earrings (they’re only about 3/8″ high). Great for a romantic touch to add to your business outfit. Or just because you want to remember the romance in your life. Or just because 😉 Several time customers have asked me what’s the easy way to attach a glass jewel to a chain, to turn a “teardrop jewel” into a pendant. Jump rings are the quick, classic way. So I did a couple quick sketches, to illustrate more clearly than a few paragraphs could, how and why we use a jump ring.  See what I mean? No long explanation needed. You open the jump ring (see next pic), slip it on the chain, and slip the little ring at the top of a jewel setting onto the ring. Then close the ring. Voila: your jewel is a pendant. You’ve got a necklace. The second sketch shows the correct way to open the jump ring. It matters because if you open the ring sideways, it’s easy to close back up securely. If you stretch it wide – it’ll never get closed up properly again. The sketch helps explain 🙂  See? Easy peasy. Open it sideways. Close it back up. There are tons of tutorials and videos over on YouTube if you want to go peek – but this is the basics they pretty much all cover. Jewelry Making 101 – and this simple bit of assembly knowledge will go a long way for you 🙂 PS The second pic is one I found – and I forgot to write down the link. If you know the original poster, would you let me know so I can give credit? Thank you! These are just so cute! New in my shop. You choose the color of the tiny rhinestones. And look at how pretty!  You can get these with one ring – add earwires and you’ve got a charming pair of earrings! Or use the two-ring connector settings as shown, and combine with all kinds of pretties…jonquil teardrops. Orange cabochons. Amethyst rondelles. You name it. If you love color, you’re going to have so much fun with these! Remember those black diamond triple rhinestone connectors I talked about recently? (the post is here, just to refresh your memory. Well – I just found some fabulous octagon jewels in a great black diamond color….  These are a perfect medium size – 14mm x 10mm, or about 5/8″ x 3/8″. Of course you don’t need to use them with the triple stone connectors – but they’d be great together. Really I just wanted to show off these jewels. The neutral gray of “black diamond” glass, and the size and faceting of these jewels makes them one of my favorites. Classy – not too heavy – quiet but sparkly – these are just going to be great with your holiday outfits! What can I say, I’ve been in the mood for sets lately – easy, fresh, and sparkling. And my customers seem to be agreeing with me – I think we’re all short on time! So this delicate yellow glass (rhinestone) jewel set is pretty popular.  The jonquil pendant here is about 3/4″ x 1/2″ and nicely faceted, in a classic pear or teardrop shape. And the matching earring jewels are little rivoli rounds (“rivoli” means the faceting comes to a gentle point on the top, rather than a “table cut”). They’re small, a bit over 1/4″ in diameter, and I show them here in one-ring settings… all you need to do is add earwires. But they can also be placed in two-ring settings, so you can add pretty pearls or dangles. Or use them as connectors for bracelets, or necklaces. Either way – pretty. Easy. Affordable. This is all of the good 🙂 I’m all for easy, pretty, affordable – like this set of sheer sapphire glass teardrop pendant and earring jewels:  A gorgeous color, and easy to use earring and pendant jewels. I think people really appreciate this today – when everybody is pressed for time, and most of us don’t have a lot of money – but still want quality. These are just what they’re supposed to be – no fakey stuff – pretty glass jewels. A great jewelry set. And available in my Etsy shop. Well yeah, I’m supposed to say that 😉 (And if you need other colors? just ask. That’s a hint) |
Jewelry and Accessories
Vintage, Recycled, Upcycled!
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