Challenge Week 49

If you need luck, several world cultures have believed at one time or another that turquoise is the stone to give you good luck.  I guess it’s more durable than a rabbit’s foot and easier to get.

This week I made a necklace using turquoise, silver and crystals. I took a traditional southwest look and gave it a little bling.  The turquoise beads are round and are either 3mm or 5 mm, and then I put green crystal cube beads in-between and added some silver saucer spacer beads.  The focal bead is about the size of a quarter and is the reason why I made the necklace.  I found the focal bead in NYC at a bead store, then had to decide what I was going to make around it.  It’s like buying the shoes before the dress, but I really liked it and wanted to make something with it.  The clasp has an interesting design on it and is great because you can adjust the length of the necklace by moving the clasp up or down on the chain that is on the opposite side of the clasp.  At its shortest the necklace is 25 inches long and can be extended approximately another inch and a half.

I hope you enjoy.  Leave comments; let me know what you think.

Challenge Week 48

As the end of my challenge draws near I look back and find that I’ve tried new things and have stretched my creative ability. I don’t think I would have made some of the items that I’ve featured without this challenge pushing me.  The earrings that I made for today’s challenge is one of those times when I have gone outside my comfort zone.

 I took an item that I found in a jewelry store.  I had no idea what I would do with it but like the look and feel of it.  When I got it to my work room and put it with several different items I decided to combine it with a Swarovski Rivoli and came up with beautiful vintage-look earrings.  The backings on the Rivolis are made of antiqued copper and remind me of lace doilies.   I used the deep blue Rivolis to compliment the color of the copper.

These are one of a kind; I doubt you will see them in any other shop.   

Challenge Week 47

We are back to cold weather but I still have spring on my mind and continue with the spring theme.

This week I experimented with Swarovski Rivoli buttons and wire and made this really great bracelet.  I am so pleased with how it came out because I have had this idea in my head for a long time.  I wanted to make a bracelet inspired by flowers on a vine and I think this bracelet looks like the inspiration.

The flower is a Swarovski Rivoli and I used antiqued silver leaves on two pieces of 20 gauge wire, then wrapped the wire with 14 gauge wire. 

Let me know what you think!

Visit my website at http://www.jewelrybydm.com

Challenge Week 46

So last week I said that it was like I was living in a black and white move and no one seemed to be wearing spring colors yet.  This week the temperatures were in the high 80’s, coats came off and color appeared. It was wonderful.  The colors that were predominant were all shades of blue, coral, peach, tangerine and some bright yellow.  Re-inspired, I decided to make a necklace to go with the earrings and bracelet that I made 2 weeks ago.

I decided to make a 2 strand necklace with the coral coin faceted beads, two shapes of silver beads, pink crystal and a deep coral round bead.  It is about 18 inches long and fits perfectly inside the scoop neck coral top that I have.  This necklace is for me, I needed to spice up my jewelry since I sell most of the things I make and really don’t keep may pieces for myself. 

Looking at the weather reports for this week we are supposed to have rain all week with a possibility of snow.  Yes, I am writing this in April, hasn’t it been strange weather?  My prayers go out for all of the people in the mid-west affected by the tornados. The news reports fade away but the devastation takes a long time to clean up. 

Have a great week everyone!

Check out my website at www.jewelrybydm.com for more jewelry.

Challenge Week 45

Congratulations to Karin T. on winning the earring give away.  She left a really nice comment on the McLachlan Design Studio Facebook page, here it is:

"I love the April earrings because of the cute little flower in it. It is a nice new touch to your design. I would give the earrings to my friend Alyson who just had a new baby. New moms always need something to make them feel pretty!"

Last week I made some spring inspired jewelry and decided that this week I would look around New York while I walked to and from work and see what new spring colors the fashionable New Yorkers are wearing.

Usually when I walk I'm looking down at the sidewalk to make sure that I don't step in anything yuckie (yes that is a technical term). Or I'm watching to make sure that I don't get run over when crossing the street, and believe me when I say that my life has passed before my eyes more than once. So I decided to live on the wild side and observe people as I walked.  As I looked around I noticed that everyone was dressed in black, grey, beige and brown with a little white thrown in.  No more exciting colors than that. Where are the spring colors?  What's wrong with these New Yorkers?  Isn't NYC one of the fashion capitals? When the big lines put their locations on their tags and brochures they list London, Milan, Paris and New York as their places of business, the big four fashion capitals of the world. I thought, "Is NY really a fashion capital?"  Then I looked at what I was wearing, grey slacks, black top, grey sweater, black coat, black shoes and black purse with, yes, a touch of red.  Ah, ha, I found a little color. 

When I went into the office and looked around I found nothing different than what I saw on the street.  I felt like I was living in one of those black and white movies and the producers decided to only put color on the taxis. What a disappointment.  So, at least in real life no one in NYC is wearing color.  Maybe the fashion magazines are better, I'll let you know next week.

Which leads me to this week's challenge.  I call them layered earrings and although I didn't put any spring colors in them because I decided to use what I saw in the city, I used both silver and gold.

The bottom layer is black enamel with a swirl design in it, then the next layer a gold sun and the top a heart. They are fun earrings which you can wear with either silver or gold.
Next week I'll use some more spring colors ;-)

Have a great week.  If you get a chance visit my website at www.jewelrybydm.com

Challenge Week 44

I’m in the mood for spring which inspired me to use the colors in this week’s earrings and bracelet.

If you are a frequent reader of this blog you know that I work in NY and occasionally go bead shopping on my lunch hour.  This week I really needed to get out of the office so I took a long walk and ended up, where else, in the bead shop.  Ahhh, as close to Heaven on Earth as a jewelry maker can get.

I used deep pink coin shaped faceted glass beads, light pink crystals, coral beads, and two types of silver beads.  This is a set that I made for myself because I have this shirt that is the same color as the coin shaped beads and needed some jewelry to wear with it.  Currently working on a necklace too, but I’m still tweaking the design so it didn’t make it into this week’s blog.  I’ll show it to you next week.

Don’t forget to enter to win the earrings that I’m giving away.  See last week’s blog below. Hurry, tomorrow is the last day to enter.

Have a very happy Easter or Passover, whichever one you observe.  I will see you next week to announce the winner of the giveaway.

Denise

Earring Giveaway

This week I’m taking a break from the challenge, a birthday break.  To celebrate my birthday I’m giving away a pair of earrings.  Sounds good huh?  You’re going to have to work for it though.

From today through Sunday, April 8, 2012 you can enter by posting once on either my blog or McLachlan Design Studio Facebook page, or both. You have to tell me who you want to win the earrings for (it can be yourself), and what you like about them.  Each of the entries on the blog and Facebook pages have to have different reasons why you like the earrings.  At the end of the week I will draw one name from all of the entries and will post the winner in 2 weeks, on April 15th.

Link for Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/McLachlanDesignStudio

Good Luck!