Wire Wrapped Quartz Pendants

Although I haven't had a lot of time to myself lately (the hubby is still deployed), I did take some time last night and made a couple of playful pendants out of quartz.

I bought this strand when I was playing around with different ideas for my wedding jewelry, so it's about time I did something with these.

When I first started working with wire, I was obsessed with neat, tight wraps. Honestly, that gets boring after a while. It's a lot more fun to play with the wire and make something different... however, artistic creativity should not be confused with sloppy carelessness. Typically, even the artsy wire wraps start out with the neat, tight wraps to ensure the integrity of the piece.

Anyway, clear quartz is considered (by those who believe in the power of healing stones) as the "master healer." It treats physical conditions as well as emotional... but in particular, it is said to calm its wearer, aid concentration and memory, and help motivate positive action.

Doesn't that sound perfect for school?

Hee hee. My son is a fidgety kid. He is constantly talking and asks a million questions. I doubt that would stop if I somehow managed to create a quartz piece he would actually carry. But, it's a nice thought, right?

Pencil Urchin necklace

Until recently, I haven't made many necklaces. Part of the reason is that when I first started beading, my most of my previous crafting experience came from sewing... therefore, I was drawn to beadweaving and other intricate, time intensive, eye straining techniques.

Obviously, in the end, my impatience got the better of me. Besides, while I do wear chunkier bracelets, I don't wear beaded ropes around my neck... For daily wear, I like delicate chains and simple but unique focal. Actually, I personally like sturdier construction on bracelets, since I am rough on jewelry. Maybe it's weird that I like such delicate chains...


So anyway, this particular CZ pendant is a 9x36mm Light Amethyst faceted flat teardrop. Buying things online can be tricky, since the concept of scale can easily be misconstrued. I actually got two of these, intending to make a pair of killer, dramatic, threader earrings. When they arrived, however, I immediately recognized that this piece is just too spectacular to get lost in a pair of earrings. And so I made a necklace instead. :) This is a really beautiful cut -check out the firey sparkle and delicate color!

The chain is a sterling silver link, connected via handmade bail constructed from 22 gauge sterling silver half hard wire. Due to the small openings in the links, I also used the same method to attach the chain to the clasp.

You can find this necklace and other creations online at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SimplyLeilani

Disclaimer: The CZ pendant was sent by Artbeads, free of charge in exchange for a product review. I was not compensated for my opinion or endorsement. My opinions as expressed are my own.

New Storefront

Since my husband's been deployed, I've really been hard pressed for time to keep up with the kids, housework, and just life in general. So anyway, I finally got around to revamping the Etsy shop so that the URL matches the name of the store. :) Hey, better late than never, right?

Check it out:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SimplyLeilani

For now, the old store is still technically active, and items listed there are still for sale... but new items will be listed in the new store and the inventory in the old store will slowly dwindle down as the listings expire.

Thanks so much for following along!

Cutest little earrings...

Here's a cute little pair of earrings made with peridot colored cubic zirconia briolettes and 2.5mm Swarovski bicone crystals. Very simple design, a little tricky due to the small sizes, but SUPER cute!

If you were to see the 2.5mm bicones in a store next to all the other Swarovski crystal bead sizes available, you would wonder who in their right mind would ever need a bead that tiny. Trust me, those itty bitty beads are perfect for accents, wire wrapping, and all the really fun stuff! Believe me, if you do any wire work whatsoever, you will love these tiny little dew drop sized crystals.

The 6x9mm cubic zirconia beads are also really versatile. (I also got these at Artbeads.com.) They're dainty and understated, but you can tell by the way the light refracts through them, that they're made of quality materials. (Cheap beads often have facets that don't match up or aren't uniform from bead to bead. If I had one to put side by side, you would see less sparkle/fire in the lower quality bead.) These would also make really cute birthstone pendants for girls.

By the way, if you don't know how to wrap briolettes, you can find some great tutorials online. Just google "How to wire wrap briolettes" or something similar, and several videos will pop up, that you can watch for free.

I have been asked to review these products and give my honest opinion of the products...positive or negative. I am not being compensated by Artbeads.com for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

Never the Twain Shall Meet?

A few months back, Artbeads.com sent me this Swarovski Crystallized Components 18mm Rondelle (wide hole) bead for a product review. I thought I was getting something suitable for the focal bead on a lanyard... the bead was a lot larger than I expected. (The radius is 18mm.) I guess I could have gone with the lanyard idea, but I got distracted by my Christmas sewing projects and I had a "better" idea.

This bead is the perfect size to use as an accent closure on my satin purse. Thanks to the unusually wide hole, I was able to use a heavy duty thread (normally used for hand quilting) and ensure the bead was sewn securely enough to handle repeated use. A 4mm Swarovski crystal pearl bead is used to hold the thread and anchor the bead firmly. Pictures do not do this bead justice. It is nice and heavy, with lots of faceting that throws light even in dimly lit rooms. I imagine this bead would also make a great knob/drawer pull on an ornamental box or jewelry box. Given its price relative to other Swarovski products, this is a TERRIFIC value!

It's kind of funny. When I first saw this bead, I had no idea what anyone would ever do with such a huge bead. Now, I think I'm going to have to order a couple more for some other household crafting projects I've been working on.