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3.30.2012

HOLLIE BL823-12 S$98 SOLD OOAK - No repeats






I'm working on several necklaces, earrings of course and at the same time making sure my stores @ Fashion/Restaurant/Bakery Story are updated, neighbors tipped, items replenished.......so I really have little time to sit around and be idle ;p

This will probably be my last upload for the month of March ........... really? Well, lets see how it goes on another almost complete pair of earrings but almost safe to say that I might not be able to complete that pair yet.

I was really excited about this necklace, which comes closely behind a custom necklace I did this week comprising keishi pearls, a side focal but no pendant. I've added this lovely, flawless, briolette to which I've fixed a bail which I picked up in Hong Kong when I holidayed there last year. The bail is actually rose gold but its a pale rose gold so it goes well with the gold filled wire I've used for the wirework throughout the necklace. Iridescent, irregular shape, keishi pearls, another flawless amethyst but in the shape of a puffy coin approx 10mm across, and the egg shape, crystal encrusted side focal is actually a very strong, magnetic clasp. This is a necklace with no visible clasp and is truly gorgeous.

SPECS:
Brio: Green amethyst quartz (heat treated to enhance the colour) 12 carats - 15mm x 11 mm
Magnetic clasp: 20 mm (including the 2 loops)
Necklace length: Approx 20"/50cm
Pendant Drop: 25mm
Price: Its a bargain :D

3.28.2012

SIERRA BL822-12 S$120 SOLD




I've been working on this necklace for a couple of days....choosing/matching the stones that would work well with the raw spinel briolettes which come in a lovely range of pinks, purples, lavenders, red and a couple of blues. These are raw so don't expect them to have the lovely machine polished surfaces. I picked out freshwater keishi pearls, labradorite, iolite, rose quartz, ruby and green amethyst rondells and brios to form the cluster on each side of the spinel, the rest of the necklace comprises gorgeous rose quartz cubes and irregular shape faceted nuggets. Quite refreshing and breathtaking when seen up close....

Necklace measures approximately 21" and metal findings are a mix of gold fill and gold vermeil.

3.24.2012

MONIQUE BL821-12 S$85 SOLD

Saturday afternoon d'lite.........Green amethyst, rubies and multi coloured tourmalines. Like a water colour painting of a bouquet of spring time blooms......

Octagon shape Green Amethyst weighing in at approx 32 carats and measuring 25 x 10mm

Drop : 5cm


3.21.2012

AVRIL BL820-12 S$100 SOLD

I have a soft spot for tourmalines when it comes to minerals, of course I also love my jaspers but tourmalines are special. These are a lovely set of irregular shape tourmaline nuggets with shades of pink, yellow, light and dark green and equally lovely small round faceted tourmaline balls in similar shades. These lovely stones would do just as well on their own but I've made the necklace a little more interesting by featuring a stuning oval shaped focal, encrusted with cubic zirconia crystals - on both sides - and measuring an impressive 23mm.

Necklace is 25" long and ends with gold filled chains on either side at the back and fastens with a toggle.

ANGELA BL819-12 S$70 SOLD

I've called this pair ANGELA because of the ethereal, angelic vibe it sends out........an amazing set of smooth brios that combine mother of pearl and smooth gold rutilated quartz. The MOP base gives these brios the beautiful rainbow effect........like pearls but with an inner glow......I'm doing such a lousy job of describing them but they are nothing less than breathtaking.

Moonstones, freshwater seed pearls and palest of pink rose quartz rondelles flutter above the brios.

Brios measure approx 14 x 10 mm with a flat base
Drop: 4.5cm

3.20.2012

JOVITA - CUSTOM ORDER


Fit for a bride.....this lovely pearl necklace with a gorgeous mother of pearl huge briolette for the pendant.....
The keishi pearls used for the necklace have a rainbow lustre and are without pits or blemishes. Just gorgeous.

Necklace measures 19". Wirework, except for the bail are in sterling silver.

Jovita is the name of a lovely lady I've just got to know and the purity and beauty of these pearls remind me of her.........

3.18.2012

MARTINA - CUSTOM ORDER

I've been 'to-ing' and 'fro-ing' these past couple of weeks doing this that and the other but every spare moment I've had I've made sure I caught up with my crafting. Finally completed this custom order. 37" with a 1" extension at the back....... can be worn long or wound 2x round the neck for a shorter style.

3.16.2012

MARTINA - WIP

After I showcased CLARA, I received numerous requests to replicate that necklace/pendant set. However, I am unable to do that as the pendant belongs to my client. She handed me the chrysoprase cabochon a while back and I only just managed to get down to doing something up for her. When I first started 'shopping' for supplies, I remember picking up a few cabs from one of my sourcing trips and I just stashed it away because I had not learnt how to create frames/bezels to encase these lovely stones. The requests I've received after CLARA made me go and look into my boxes of focals/pendants and I found a stash of these gorgeous smooth oval cabs.....unfortunately I don't have chrysoprase, just these rose red aventurines - colour enhanced and heat treated but they're a beautiful pinky red shade. I've decided to work on one using sterling silver, freshwater pearls and clear quartz.....looking good ;p

This is now spoken for...........somebody has already laid claim on this piece :D

Have a great weekend everybody!

3.11.2012

AMBER BL818-12 S$188 SOLD


Beautiful Sunday morning, sunny and windy and picture perfect. I continued with a necklace I started on Friday featuring gorgeous keishi pearls with an awesome lustre, apatite rondells and unusual shaped beer quartz. Of course all this pales when you look at the faceeted cushion dark citrine which measures an outstanding 25mm x 20 mm and weighing in at around 48 carats.

Necklace measures approx 24"and ends with a toggle.


3.08.2012

FLAME OF THE FOREST BL817-12 S$78 SOLD

Above are daytime shots.




After TANGERINE I've been inspired to create something else with those same colours. In this piece I've used green aventurine, agate, frosted carnellian flat squaresm jade and polymer clay. Instead of a clasp at the back, I'm using a magnetic clasp that deserves to be shown off. Flower shape and encrusted with crystals, this sits to the side.

Length: Approx 34

3.07.2012

TANGERINES - CUSTOM ORDER


Such a joyful necklace and I've had fun but also a lot of manipulating the number of links/chain to ensure it all falls nicely........a request for a 3 layered necklace with beads of her choice.....

3.06.2012

CLARA - CUSTOM ORDER


I'm back........I've missed the first week of March due to an unfriendly influenza bug but I'm not about to let it get me down any further. Feeling almost 'normal' but still not wanting to push my luck, I have been quietly completing this lovely pendant/necklace set. The pendant is a lovely smooth oval chrysoprase cabochon which belongs to my customer and I weaved a sterling silver bezel for it so that it could be worn with a simple, classic moonstone/sterling silver necklace. I know she likes her necklaces a little longer than usual so I've made this 24" long and ended it with a sterling silver toggle, which she also prefers.

This has kick started my muse which was on a hiatus whilst I was down with the flu. So......the engines are warming up and the muse is hovering so I must strike whilst the iron is hot......

3.04.2012

SPIN DOCTOR


Whilst I was away from my desk..............................



Thought I'd drop by my site to see if its 'still here'.....I've been MIA for maybe a week and decided to shake off this 'funk' and get back on track.

Exactly a week ago I woke up with a very, very sore throat. Thinking it was the usual sore throat before a cold - this is my own personal experience and something that usually happens before I develop a cold - I just sucked on some lozenges and thought I'd see through the weekend and if my nose started running I'd then go off to the Docs on Monday. Throat didn't seem to be improving on Sunday and I developed a very high fever by Monday morning........2 paracetamols and more lozenges later, I felt a little better and decided to have a lazy day just playing on my iPad and answering mails. By evening I was flat out. Fever was back, entire body felt like I'd been thru' a marathon session at the gym. Sleep was fitful and so on Tuesday morning, I was driven to the doctor. Fever - check/sore throat- check/body aches - check/cough - check/and then she listened to my chest......and again......and one more time just to be sure. OK.....I'll give you an injection to bring down the fever immediately and a week of antibiotics and.......I interrupted "so I have a full blown cold?" ...... Dr: No. You've got the flu and developed bronchitis. Errr....ok......that explains everything..... The clinic was filled with people who were either coughing (those of us with a fever had to use a mask) and wearing masks and the rest looked like they'd been through hell and high waters to get to the clinic.....everybody looked really washed out.....me included. There's a horrid bug going round and round and round.....this is my first experience with the Flu......I have only ever had a cough and cold, never the flu.

I got home, fever came back down real quick, took all my meds and all I wanted to do was sleep. I plonked myself on to the sofa, iPad - check/iPhone - check/TV controls - check.....meds/hot honey lemon tea - check..............none of it I put to use because I was out in a flash. About two hours later, I was woken by a horrible hacking cough.....something that had kept me awake the last few nights but this was x 10 on a scale of 1 - 5. It's a tickle at the back of the throat that you can't reach..........its actually a post nasal drip and its the worse condition you could experience because nothing, absolutely nothing will help you reach that 'tickle'. I coughed so much over the last few days - all non productive - my rib cage hurts even when I touch it and my head is pounding like there's a pneumatic drill on overdrive inside that little cavity above my eyes! Night time is the worse. I fall asleep and within 30 minutes, that irritating, niggling, sensation comes back and you start to cough uncontrollably. At 2 am, 3 am in the morning I'm on my iPad googling "Relief for post nasal drip cough"......... I would eventually fall asleep in a sitting position. Last night we used a fan in the room instead of the airconditioner and that really helped. I managed to get at least 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep.......4 hours because I was stubborn and wanted the airconditioner on and only around 4 am after a whole night of punching my pillows when the cough came back, did I relent and allow my husband to turn off the A/C and turn on the fan.

I feel much better today, I think tonight I should be able to have a good sleep. Throat is sore from so much coughing but the non-productive cough is a little more productive so hopefully the expectorant I took will help me clear it all up.

I lost my voice, much to my husband's delight because whenever I tried talking or start on one of my spins about why the PWD has suddenly decided to put up railings beside the drain along the road outside my house or why the Recycling team has changed their collection day from Friday to Saturday, he'd say "don't talk so much it will make your throat worse" but in actual fact he was thinking "Praise the Lord, I have a legit reason to tell her to shut up" :))

A few hours each afternoon I'd feel 'back to normal' and would come into my workroom and take out a tray of something I'd feel inspired to work on but it would never be accomplished as quickly as it would on days when I was 100% OK. I managed to complete a pendant which a customer has left with me to go with a moonstone necklace. Inspite of being slightly drugged out I managed to weave a bezel for the cabochon, after many clumsy, uneven attempts and much wastage of sterling silver wire, and will start on the necklace soon. I also started on a pink topaz/black rutilated quartz necklace with a flower cut fuschia quartz pendant......
All should be back on track this coming week.

In the meantime, a peek into what I've started.




SSP.......your necklace will also be completed by next week.

I'll take it slow today so that I can fire up the engines and get from zero to 'Finish' in a flash ;p