Micro-crochet Beaded Necklace

My jewelry making life has taken a back seat to my embroidery life but I whupped up this necklace for my mother for mother's day a few weeks ago and thought I would share it.  The two nubby- looking beads of purple are ones I utilized combining my love of fiber work with jewelry by micro-crocheting them with fine silk wool and sewing thread with a size 14 steel crochet hook.  It took some figuring out to get the increases and decreases to fit the bead but here is the end result and I am satisfied with it for a first endeavor.

Size 20 mm micro-crochet bead.  The beads to the left and right are lampwork glass beads I've been hoarding since 2008.  :-)

Another closeup.

Beads paired with tied rustic leather cord and brass chain and clasp.

Here is a bead in progress.  It begins as a simple wooden 20 mm bead, with thread wound on a small plastic tab, and using my trusty Addi Turbo steel crochet hook, I work around and around with teeny tiny single crochet stitches, marking the start of the row with a safety pin, although since this bead I have switched to a piece of thread to mark the spot, pulled through with the hook.  Determining where to start increasing to fit the bead is a bit of trial and error at first and in fact, this little piece was frogged back a few rounds to fit better before continuing on.

The finished bead from above, strung on a simple silver chain.  Thanks for looking at my blog!  

Luminescent Talisman Necklace

Up for offer in my etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/jenniferstumpf is this lovely necklace featuring a my prettiest, highest quality moonstone and freshwater pearl beads, with a gorgeous pink and white agate bead, and a pleasing jangle of talisman charms.

I etched this little nickel pendant, along with a plethora of other etched pendants, back in my three years ago hayday of etching pendants.  It had been so long since I made this pendant, that I had to look up how I did it!  I'd forgotten how much fun it was to make these, and how each one looks completely different from the last, even using the very same text.  I like how weathered and industrial looking this one is, yet the "different" text is clearly visible.  The blue/purple lampwork disc is one of a pile I got at the Whole Bead Show in New York City in early 2008.  Unfortunately I moved three times since then and I've lost the name of the artist.  Isn't it just lovely workmanship?  And the little faceted bead is a rather hard to find mossy amethyst rondelle, with gorgeous striations throughout and a beautiful, mystical hue.  What fun to create this after a long lull in jewelry making!

Now I am starting again, like I used to, with all kinds of design ideas, and sketching them in my old sketch book.  It's almost like an awakening.

Princess Mary-inspired Chandelier Earrings

I had to dust off my blog before entering these, and my tools and beads before making them, but I have been inspired to create some new earrings!  I have been reading about Princess Mary of Denmark and was fascinated to discover that she has a deep love for chandelier earrings.  Of course they are the diamond and platinum variety, which for me only exist in my wedding rings, so here is my boho version and tribute to Princess Mary's earring faves, which can be found listed for sale in my Etsy shop. https://www.etsy.com/shop/jenniferstumpf.  I have no idea at all what is going on in the jewelry making world as I have been on a couture embroidery roll for several years, and I couldn't find the right sized beads I was looking for in my stash, which necessitated a trip to the bead store, which emptied my wallet but left me with a big enthusiasm for making small pieces of jewelry again.

These are lightly hammered vintaj brass ear-wires, with double decker drops of faceted amethyst, red carnelian and czech crystal beads.  Sandwiched in between these are copper bead caps, copper and brass spacers, beads and charms.  The bottom tier is two inches from side to side and the drop from the ear wire is 2.5 inches.  They are kind of a mix of boho chic and delicate Renaissance beauty, and are surprisingly lightweight and durable and I am really liking them!  I hope you do, too.

I've listed a few boho bracelets on Etsy...

The title says it all.  Mostly these days I am busy working on couture tambour embroidery.  Jewelry--not so much at all but there are still a few creations looking for a good home.  Check them out on my Etsy page.  

tokens of my affection is on etsy!

This pendant is now available on my etsy shop (see sidebar) with more available made to order.  I will be making some that have another hole in the bottom so there can be something dangly or jingly (my favorite!) added to it.  And I have one that is in progress as a finished necklace.

Now I am off to catch up to my husband and our dog, who have set out on a walk without me!  It's a beautiful day in Richmond.  Hooray for cooler weather!!  xo

tokens of my affection pendant

This is a pendant I finished yesterday.  I love insertions, whether it be rivets, eyelets or clean drilled holes.  This one was meant to have another hole at the bottom to dangle a bead or charm but I accidentally sawed it off when I was cutting the piece from the sheet of silver.

This past June we had a huge yard sale since we moved to an ever smaller apartment and I sold a ton of my things, including all my ledger books that I have bought over the years at yard sales and thrift shops that I used to use all the time for my jewelry props.  Dumb, but I thought it was a good idea at the time since I hadn't made jewelry in so long, plus we made enough money at the sale to purchase a new mattress, so I didn't feel the sting until now, when I am finishing off pieces and saying, hmmmm...  what to photograph it on?  I have some old autograph books I am using (above) and some old books, but I miss my ledger books like crazy now.  Anyway, I have another version of this pendant that says "a token of my affection."  Now the question is to put them in my etsy shop as pieces by themselves?  Or finish them into necklaces?

to begin again

After a year working for the government, several deaths in the family, an amazing pinch-me-I'm-dreaming stint studying couture embroidery in Paris, exploring other mediums in fiber arts, four apartment moves in three years, and helping my husband with his business, I am coming full circle and back at my bench making jewelry.  It's been a pretty long break and probably well needed.  I have ideas, ideas, ideas, and lots of sketches.  The rather washed out photo of wire wrapped pearl and aquamarine chandelier earrings above is a little sample of what I have been up to, beginning again.

There is too much, way too much, to encompass in one post, so this is just a "I'm still alive!" post, with more jewelry to come.  Also I am new to the new Blogger, and it is a doozy, isn't it?  I am embarrassed to mention how long it took me to re-vamp this page from the old.

You can see my work this month in Best of Step by Step Wire Jewelry 2012, page 73.