Etsy Shop for Ameera

Cherish

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:28:21 -0500

$120.00
I was recently at a friend's wedding and was deeply touched by the beautiful ceremony and the bride and groom's obvious love for each other. I came back so inspired! My head was full of ideas for a necklace that would not just be pretty but would also symbolise and tie together the images and colors associated with marriage.

That's how Cherish came about! The white flowers stand for beauty and purity, the gold chains symbolize the preciousness of the sacred bond of marriage. Both come together to create a thing of beauty!

Cherish is a mid-length necklace in my signature asymmetrical style. It is made from vintage enamelled metal flowers, hand wired, rosary style white glass beads, faux pearls and heaps of different gold tone chains. Cherish is secured with a pretty, floral toggle clasp.

Since the flowers used to make this piece of jewelry are vintage and have been around a while, don't be surprised if you find some small 'imperfections'. They are after all, what give the jewelry its character and make it perfect!

Wild Things

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:28:21 -0500

$120.00
... Wild thing
You make my heart sing
You make everything groovy
Wild thing...

Bryan Adams

Every time I look at this necklace I hear this song in my head! Wild Things the necklace was inspired by a friend's recent trip to Africa. It is my dream to visit one day too. In the meanwhile, Africa brings to mind colors, textures, sounds and images I have tried to replicate in this gorgeous piece of jewelry.

Wild Things is made of beautiful dark and light wooden beads, chocolate colored acrylic beads, slender brown bone beads and gold tone antiqued metal beads. Large brass chain links join these to the gorgeous, very detailed, brass stamping animals that give this necklace its name. The various parts of Wild Things make pretty music against each other as you move. It is a long necklace and will probably hang almost down to your waist when worn.

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Red Red Wine

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:07:41 -0400

$50.00
I had been desperate to use to use these lovely red briolette beads for ages, so when this idea came to me I couldn't wait to get it done! The beads are the color of red wine which is at once mysterious, romantic, passionate....

Sounds like you? Sounds like the you you want to be? This is the pair of earrings for you!

Red Red WIne is made of raw brass ovals. From each I have dangled a creamy freshwater pearl, a vintage enamelled metal flower with a rhinestone center and a glamorous strand of red rhinestones. This is an elegant pair of earrings and hangs 3" long not including the gold tone shepherd hook earwires.

Since the flowers used to make this piece of jewelry are vintage and have been around a while, don't be surprised if you find some small 'imperfections'. They are after all, what give the jewelry its character and make it perfect!

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Ibiza

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:07:40 -0400

$45.00
The hoops, the flowers, the colors... everything about these earrings say Spain to me! Wear them with a floral summer dress or even your jeans and a top and you're sure to stand out from the crowd... for all the right reasons!

Ibiza is made with raw brass stamped hoops that I've embellished with gorgeous orangey-red and ochre vintage, enamelled metal flowers. Where there are flowers, butterflies (gold tone metal) can't be far behind, so there they are too.

Ibiza is 2" long not including the gold tone shepherd hook earwires.

Since the flowers used to make this piece of jewelry are vintage and have been around a while, don't be surprised if you find some small 'imperfections'. They are after all, what give the jewelry its character and make it perfect!

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Envy

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:07:40 -0400

$110.00
This is what other girls will feel when they see you wearing this gorgeous necklace! Envy turned out even prettier than I had imagined it in my head! It sits just under the collarbone so is perfect to wear with almost any style of neckline.

The first time I laid eyes on it, I fell in love with the gorgeous and very detailed brass filigree (of what I think is grape leaves), used in Envy. I chose the vintage enamel flowers because they remind me of the color of grapes. The beautiful olive green faceted beads set in a gold tone bezel, fire polished green glass beads and the vintage faux pearls complete the picture perfectly.

Since the flowers used to make this piece of jewelry are vintage and have been around a while, don't be surprised if you find some small 'imperfections'. They are after all, what give the jewelry its character and make it perfect!

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Ebony and Ivory

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:07:40 -0400

$105.00
There I was, innocently strolling through one of my favorite vintage markets, with absolutely no intention of buying anything... goodness knows I already have a stash of beads and baubles that will last me a lifetime! Then I saw them and of course, I had to have them!

The beads, flowers and leaves that make up this gorgeous necklace were lying forlorn in a tray when I first saw them. I knew immediately what I would make them in to and here they are!

Ebony and Ivory is such a girlie necklace! It is made from what I think are acrylic leaves and flowers, combined with acrylic beads and rings. Large and small, jet black fire polished glass beads add the perfect accent. Ebony and Ivory sits just under the collarbone when worn, while the leaves hang slightly lower on hand wire wrapped rosary style chains. The necklace is fastened with a gold tone toggle clasp.

Autumn Leaves

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:07:25 -0400

$105.00
The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold....
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sunburned hands, I used to hold
Since you went away, the days grow long
And soon I'll hear ol' winter's song.
But I miss you most of all my darling,
When autumn leaves start to fall.

Since you went away, the days grow long
And soon I'll hear ol' winter's song.
But I miss you most of all my darling,
When autumn leaves start to fall.

I adore this song! It has been sung by a number of singers but my favorite version is by the lovely Eva Cassidy. Her voice is magical and so soulful!

This necklace was inspired by the gorgeous golden hues of autumn leaves. I love how they crunch under your feet!

Autumn Leaves is made of beautiful, large gold foiled amber glass beads, golden yellow resin beads, African wooden beads, brass stamping leaves in various sizes, brass rings that I hand wrapped with copper wire and oodles of pretty gold tone chain and beads. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Viola

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:38:07 -0400

$130.00
I think I'm in love... with the gorgeous color of the flowers in this necklace! Purple suggests nobility, royalty, mystery, sensuality.... I've tried to combine a 'feeling' of all these qualities in Viola. The result is a beautiful and very feminine necklace. Wear Viola and all eyes will be on you!

To create Viola, I put together handmade felt flowers with glass beaded centers, intricate filigree brass stampings, pretty, floral gold tone metal beads and brass rings in my signature asymmetric style. This is a long necklace and will hang almost down to your waist when worn. Viola is perfect to wear on an evening out with your favorite little black dress or teamed with a cool, strappy summer top and jeans!

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Very Verdigris

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:38:07 -0400

$130.00
I absolutely and totally adore verdigris! Its color is among my favorites. It not only depicts the passage of time but also talks of being still, which is something I have a problem doing :-)) I look at verdigris and think of an object sitting really still somewhere and letting time and the elements wash over it. Hmmmm... what could I learn from that? :-)

This whole necklace is a tribute to verdigris! I hand painted the layered focal metal flower in old gold and then antiqued it... see, I told you I am not capable of waiting around patiently for things to take their own time! The tiny rhinestone in the center was just to lend that bit of sparkle... old doesn't have to mean dull... quite the contrary. The flower is suspended from two pretty leaves that I painted and aged the same way as it. To match the gorgeous patina on the flower and leaves I've stung hand wired rosary chains of verdigris green glass beads and tipped them with rhinestones and coppery patinated acrylic beads. Gold tone and old gold chains add the finishing touch. I love this one so much I'm struggling with giving it away, so you better hurry and grab it up before I change my mind!

Principessa

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:38:07 -0400

$60.00
These earrings are fit for a Princess... you! The design came to my mind just as I was headed to bed after a long, busy day! As I set the different parts of the earrings down on my work table, working out the arrangement from the image I had seen in my head, I got more and more excited... about how pretty it looked even before I had started creating it! Principessa is the perfect example of why I love to create one-of-a kind jewels. Wear them and you feel like royalty!

Each earring in this regal pair is 4" long (not including the lever back earwires) and made of a beautiful olive green faceted bead set in a gold tone bezel, a delicate and very intricate raw brass filigree stamping, gold tone chain and olive green fire polished faceted glass beads that I have hand wire-wrapped in rosary style.

In all my jewelry, when I use raw brass components, they are intentionally not plated. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Ella

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:38:07 -0400

$110.00
I once knew an elephant called Ella... honest! My four-year-old son even has a song in his collection, about an elephant named Ella! This necklace with its beautiful brass stamping elephant just had to be named Ella. The stamping is so detailed you can even see the folds and wrinkles in her skin!

Ella is the first of a series I plan to do: Wild Things. The colors of this collection will all be earthy and it will feature gorgeous animals, among other things. Watch this space for more....

Besides the elephant brass stamping, Ella is made of tubular bone beads, wooden beads and African beads made from I not sure what :-) (they were a gift from my then boss who was South African). All these are strung together on gold tone chain. Besides Ella the elephant, the necklace has two other focals which I hand wrapped with gorgeous copper wire. Ella is light and has lovely swing. It's like wearing two necklaces at once since it's layered. It hangs almost down to your waist when worn.

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, they are intentionally not plated. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

The Royal Medallion

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:38:07 -0400

$125.00
Regal and royal were the words that came to mind when I first set eyes on the gorgeous filigree brass stamping that forms the focal of this necklace. At almost 3 inches across it is also large, so it makes a statement! I just had to to pair it with the color purple, the color of royalty. For that, I hand painted and patinated purple, metal flowers and teamed them with big, bold, beautiful purple foiled glass beads and creamy white faux glass pearls. You can't leave out gold when you're talking royal, so the pearls, flowers and purple beads are punctuated with gold tone metal beads for a mellow rich contrast. I hand patinated the medallion to bring out its intricate detailing.

The shape of the necklace is in my signature asymmetric style and inspired by Roman Fibulas (toga pins) that were worn at the shoulder. The cascade of old gold chain dotted with the faux glass pearls, hanging from the medallion, represents the soft folds formed in the toga's fabric as it is held together by the fibula. The Royal Medallion is designed so that the medallion will sit roughly 6 inches below your shoulder.

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Music to My Ears

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:38:07 -0400

$50.00
Bangles tinkling, anklets chiming... I love jewelry that makes pretty sounds! Something about it is very feminine. With Music to My Ears, it was not just a look that I tried to create. I wanted to include that element of sound. It worked!

Wear Music to My Ears and that's what you'll have! Every time you move your head, they softly tinkle and make their own sweet music.

Each earring in Music to My Ears is 4" long (not including the lever back earwires) and made up of a pretty raw brass leaf stamping, cascades of gold tone chain and hand wire-wrapped leaf-shaped and fire polished faceted black glass beads. The classic color combination of black and gold means you can team them with any outfit.

In all my jewelry, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Flowers in the Moonlight

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:27:18 -0400

$50.00
One of my absolute favorite things to watch is a full moon! I love how it lights up the sky and how when its beams fall on things, they seem to glow!

The pretty shell discs in these earrings look like perfectly round, pearly moons while sparkly rhinestones play the stars in this night-time scene. The dripping chains are moonbeams falling on the tiny golden flowers.

At first glance you won't see the difference (because it is so subtle) but, Flowers in the Moonlight is an asymmetrical 'pair' of earrings. Take a look at the pictures to see if you can spot that.

Flowers in the Moonlight are perfect for a bride looking for something unique. They will look gorgeous with an up do... at roughly 4" long (not including the lever back earwires) they will gently brush the shoulders everytime you move your head!

They would also look stunning with jeans and a shirt, a dress....

Flowers in the Moonlight is made of cream shell discs, rhinestones, tiny antique gold tone metal flowers and gold tone chain all hand wired together.

Ash of Roses

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:27:18 -0400

$60.00
My first encounter with Ash of Roses was when my Gran stitched me a silk evening dress in this gorgeous color! I wore and cherished it for years. Ash of Roses also featured in best-selling book The Thornbirds as the color of the dress Meggie Cleary wore to her Aunt's birthday celebration. In this scene Meggie is young, sweet and very in love with Father Ralph Bricassart! I loved that book and loved the dress even more when I saw the mini-series a couple of years later! It is these associations that make this the color of love and romance in my mind!

These really feminine earrings are floral goodness personified! When I made them I envisioned them being worn with a strappy summer sun dress. You could also wear them with jeans and a lacey tank top...

Ash of Roses is made with gorgeous vintage enameled metal flowers, mauve-pink faux glass pearls and tiny glass beads all suspended from lever back earwires. They hang at roughly 4" not including the earwires.

Since the flowers used to make this piece of jewelry are vintage and have been around a while, don't be surprised if you find some small 'imperfections'. They are after all, what give the jewelry its character and make it perfect!

My Fair Lady

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:12:06 -0400

$105.00
The young woman in the cameo inspired this necklace. She looks utterly stylish and her outfit so well thought out and coordianted, I wanted to choose colors that would complement it. So I searched high and low for the right color of polymer clay to make the flowers. The rest just flowed from there...

Aqua blue flowers with coppery highlights, floral metal beads, gorgeous acrylic beads that look good enough to eat and golden rings and tassels make up this pretty necklace that just seemed to come together so easily! My Fair Lady is along necklace and will hang almost down to your waist when worn. It is perfect for dressing up a casual outfit like jeans and a Tshirt or for pairing with something more formal.

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Blue Skies

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:43:53 -0400

$130.00
It's been raining all week where I live! While these are perfect times to curl up with a book and a hot cup of coffee, too much rain makes for a very restless and bored girl... me. I've been longing for the sun and when it peeped out of the clouds today, just for a wee bit, I was so happy I could've danced! Well, I did :-) This gorgeous, one-of-a-kind lariat necklace in my signature asymmetric style, is my tribute to happy, feel-good, cornflower blue skies!

Blue Skies is made of pretty blue hand painted (by moi!) metal flowers, intricate and very detailed filigree brass butterflies, millefiori beads I bought 6 years ago but didn't know where to use (they're so nice I didn't want them in the wrong piece of jewelry), a Syrian glass bead from a prayer chain and candy-like blue plastic beads, all strung on thick rope chain. It doesn't have a clasp because it is a lariat and one side slides through a ring so you can adjust it to put it on.

Blue Skies is a long necklace and will hang almost down to your waist when worn. This makes it very versatile because you can wear it with just about anything – you are not limited by the neckline of your top/ dress as is the case with shorter necklaces.

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Under the Sea

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:43:53 -0400

$55.00
Under the sea
Under the sea
Darling it's better
Down where it's wetter
Take it from me
Up on the shore they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away
While we devotin'
Full time to floatin'
Under the sea

From Disney's 'The Little Mermaid'

I loved this movie and this song in it was my favorite! The images it conjures up of golden beaches, blue seas, lazy days and having fun, suit my laid-back personality just fine! :-)

With Under the Sea, I've tried to capture all these images and feelings. The individual earrings in the pair don't match and that's intentional. One is an intricate filigree raw brass stamping sea horse while the other is a shell. Both are dripping with chains embellished by 'slices' of shell!

Both earrings in Under the Sea are approximately 5" long not including the lever back earwires. Wear them with blue jeans and a T-shirt, your favorite sun dress or even a pair of shorts and just wait for the compliments to come! I assure you, they will!

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Sugar For My Honey...

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:43:53 -0400

$125.00
From the looks of it, this pretty little Honeyeater can't get to the gorgeous flower soon enough!

I love how this necklace turned out! It is exactly what I had in mind when I found the flower brooch on one of my pre-loved jewelry hunts! I wanted the bird to almost, but not quite, reach the flower. That way every time you move and the necklace swings, he gets closer and gets to sip deeply from the nectar!

My necklaces are almost always asymmetrical and this one features a pre-loved and now repurposed, hand painted flower brooch on one side and a lovely, amazingly detailed Honeyeater raw brass stamping on the other. Both hang from hand-wired rosary chains made with pretty green cats eye glass beads and fire polished, faceted amber glass beads. Suspended below them from a brass ring, is a beaded tassel made from gold tone chain and a luminous, green Syrian glass bead which was once part of a chain of prayer beads! Sugar For My Honey is a long necklace and will hang almost down to your waist!

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

And I Love You So...

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:43:53 -0400

$125.00
And I love you so.
The people ask me how,
How I’ve lived till now.
I tell them I don’t know...

Perry Como

I love this song! The man in the pretty cameo pendant appears to be declaring his love for his lady.... They're in a garden... surrounded by pretty flowers and leaves.... Red roses are a symbol of passionate love... These were all the thoughts I had in mind as I created this necklace.

And I Love You So is in my signature asymmetric style. One side of it is made up of gorgeous green cloisonné beads - hand wired rosary-style - that used to be part of a prayer chain I picked up on my travels! The other side is bold gold tone chain punctuated by a deep green acrylic bead and a stylized gold tone metal leaf. This leaf was once a brooch that I have repurposed for the necklace.

The focal point of And I Love You So is a gorgeous, deep red millinery rose with a rhinestone heart! Beaded dangles and a pretty picture 'drip' from it.

And I Love You So is a medium length necklace. It is light and easy to wear conversation-starter and will make anything you wear it with, look beautiful!

Pretty In Pink

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:43:53 -0400

$130.00
This necklace is for the little girl in you! I was never too fond of pink but for some reason, now that I have two sons and find my self surrounded and sometimes overwhelmed by masculinity, I adore it! Maybe it's my way of clinging to the feminine. Anyway, needless to say, my collection of all things pink, just keeps growing!

With Pretty In Pink, I wanted, pink of course but also delicacy and a certain lightness. So, I started with the pink hand painted, antiqued metal flower as the focal point. The fragile looking, hand crocheted (by me) wire discs in pink and gold followed and frame and embellish the flower. They are further enhanced by really pretty pink glass beads and creamy faux glass pearls – to me pearls are the ultimate symbol of femininity. All the elements come together to create a necklace that when worn, will make you feel like a Princess!

Pretty in Pink is a medium length necklace and feels really light and delicate when worn.

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright...

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:43:53 -0400

$105.00
My four-year-old son loves tigers! Actually Tigger the tiger from Winnie the Pooh to be precise. So we have Tigger plush toys, Tigger on his pillowcase, Tigger on his pyjama pants and winter jacket and Tigger on his toothbrush... He even has Tigger toothpaste! So, surrounded as I am with bouncy, happy tigers, how could I help but think of one when I saw the gorgeous striped agate in this necklace? It was however, not Tigger the tiger that came to my mind. It was this one...

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

From 'The Tiger' by William Blake

I've used fire polished, faceted glass beads to complement the beauty of the agate and for some glimmer and shine, added gold tone, spacer and corrugated metal beads. The gold tone and old gold chain tassels dripping from between the stones were a further attempt at mimicking a tiger's stripes. Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright is a short necklace and sits just below your collar bone when worn.

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Oriental Princess

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:43:53 -0400

$105.00
The deep red, intricately carved focal bead in this necklace reminded me of cinnabar. Cinnabar is mercury sulphide, one of nature's rare lipstick colored minerals! It is also the commonly used name for a Chinese handicraft where a desired shape was painted with multiple layers of lacquer into which the red mineral Cinnabar was mixed. Once a certain thickness was achieved, the lacquer was then carved intricately to create patterns on its own surface! The result was stunning but since the mineral Cinnabar is toxic, it was also deadly! The 'Cinnabar' of today is therefore a completely harmless, non-toxic resin dyed red to look like the real thing. Now enough of the science class... :-)

The Forbidden City in China, beautiful, regal women in yards of deep jewel colored silks, gold drapes, intricate carved décor... images floating around in my head when I saw this bead! As the design formed in my mind, I pictured it worn by an Oriental Princess, hence the name.

Oriental Princess has a large cinnabar look alike resin focal bead. This is framed by gorgeous metal castings that I was desperate to use in a piece of jewelry for ages! In my signature asymmetric style, one side of the necklace picks up the color of the focal bead and mirrors it while the other side is a double strand of gold tone chain. More gold tone chain drips in layers from he necklace to create a sumptuous yet delicate feel. Oriental Princess is a mid-length necklace.

Fantasy Garden

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:43:53 -0400

$125.00
I just can't seem to get the pictures to do justice to the gorgeous color of the flowers in this necklace. They're sort of deep blue with a sparkle! I've never really seen any 'real' flowers that color but who cares, these are fantasy flowers... like the ones in my son's picture story books! To further highlight the undulations in the petals, I've hand painted (literally!) them with bronze paint... the result is really pretty! Big, golden, brass stamping leaves form the perfect foil for them. Where there are flowers, butterflies can't be far behind and this necklace has two!

Fantasy Garden is in my signature asymmetrical style and when worn will hang down almost to your waist. It is a generous, sumptuous looking piece of jewelry but surprisingly, does not weigh too much.

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.

Ruby

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:43:53 -0400

$55.00
I started these earrings off with a completely different design in mind! Sometimes however, the beads have a will of their own! I'm glad because I love how they turned out.

Ruby has 'weight' - without being heavy - and lovely swing. Each time you move your head, the gorgeous, ruby red, hand wrapped beaded 'flowers' catch the light and twinkle. Their rhinestone centers add sparkle and a hint of luxury. The deep, almost-wine-colored glass briolettes capped with delicate filigree are the perfect finishing touch to this beautiful and very feminine pair of earrings.

Ruby is about 4" long (not including the lever back earwires) and made from fire polished, faceted glass beads, rhinestones, tiny brass beads, gold tone chain and brass filigree bead caps.

Charmed I'm Sure

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:43:53 -0400

$130.00
I was out as usual on one of my pre-loved jewelry hunts. I adore taking what could have been somebody's favorite piece of jewelry and using it in one of my creations! So anyway, there I was and my eyes fell on The Rose! It was love at first sight! I couldn't wait to get home and use it in a necklace that would frame and highlight its delicate prettiness.

This necklace was inspired by The Rose :-)... from its theme to the colors in it. Just looking at The Rose (I'm sure you can tell by now that I love it) made me think of garden tea parties and sophisticated ladies chatting politely. Surely somebody would say to somebody else in the course of conversation, "Charmed I'm sure my dear" :-)

The Rose is enameled metal and the tips of its pretty peach petals are randomly dotted with tiny rhinestones! Other charms in Charmed I'm Sure include a filigree raw brass stamping butterfly and a dragonfly, a gorgeous Syrian glass flower-shaped bead which I wire wrapped, a floral cloisonne bead, peach acrylic beads teamed with Swarovski crystals, faux glass pearls, glass beaded chain tassels and an earring! Basically, a treasure chest of pretties! All this hangs off gold tone double link chain paired with peach faux glass pearls that I hand wire wrapped rosary chain style.

Charmed I'm Sure is a mid-length necklace and will sit roughly 2.5 inches below your collar bone.

In all my pieces, when I use raw brass components, I intentionally do not plate them. That way, with the passage of time, they darken and 'mature' and add much character to the piece. If you do not however like that darkening of the metal, all you have to do is polish those components with a brass cleaner and soft cloth. To keep your gorgeous piece of art jewelry looking its best, treat it with love and kindness :-). Keep it in its box when you are not wearing it. Try not to get it too wet and if you do, just wipe it down with a soft cloth. Do not directly spray it with perfume or deodorant as this may cause it to discolor.