Charmed Bracelets

Happy Accident: SOLD

I was playing around with sterling silver chain and oxidizing goop when I had a happy accident.

 

I love the look of oxidized chain, and I've made a couple of pieces. Here are two views of the first oxidized necklace I made:

Megan Models the Shell Necklace

Gray on Gray

Then, later, when I was trying to oxidize another length of chain, the links came out a metallic blue with purple highlights, instead of black.

The color is a brighter blue than in the photo at left.

I liked it, LOVED it, in fact, but I had no idea why or how it had come out that way.

So I consulted with some of my mentors at my favorite bead store--BeadWorld on Roosevelt Ave. NE in Seattle. They told me the color of the oxidization varies with the temperature of the solution. So if you dip it when the solution is hot, you will get black or dark gray. If you let it cool a bit, you will get other colors.

I loved the chain, and I wanted t make something special, so I spent about two months designing the necklace in my head--when I was trapped inside an MRI machine, or on an airplane, or sitting in doctors' waiting rooms. I never drew pictures, I just kept the design in my head.

Then one day last week, I decided to put it together. The amazing thing was that it went together just perfectly. I had the right size jump rings. The length of chain was perfect--I only had to sacrifice one link. I made it standing in front of the mirror with my tools and findings and put it together in about half an hour.

The necklace is about 20 inches long and closes with a handmade hook.

Then, even better, I sold it to the first person who saw it, before it was even photographed or posted to the site. I made her wait to take it home because I needed some photos.

I have several more lengths of chain, and I plan to make another one like this but with a different shade of oxidization, probably dark gray, plus the bright sterling chain.

Then I have a couple of variations to try.

Price: $120, which includes taxes, postage, and insurance to U.S. destinations.

 

Photos: @ Monica Strasen 2010.

Design and text: @ Jeanne Sather 2010. 

 

 

 

 

Gifts From Some of My Favorite Suppliers

Cynthia, who has the only online store where I buy vintage beads and vintage glass on wire, sent me a very generous gift today: She refunded the cost of my last order.

I was surprised, and touched, although as with so many suppliers I admire, I think we've become friends.

Go take a look at her shop, and see if you don't fall in love with these old materials, many from Italy and Czechoslovakia. EsseVintage

Here are some of the things I've made with vintage beads from her shop: 

Very Special Vintage Beads From Japan

More Persimmon Jewelry

I have accumulated quite a supply of Cynthia's materials, but a couple of bracelets that I've made up haven't been photographed yet, and others are waiting for me to come up with the right design--or for the time. 

I asked another supplier, who sometimes sells me sterling silver charms, if they had any sterling shoe charms, especially Dutch clogs. I wanted a pair with the blue and white enamel for a bracelet I'm making called the "shoe-lover's bracelet" ... or something like that. I've been collecting shoe charms for this for over a year now. 

Not only did Elaine and Cate send me photos of a dozen or so shoes, from high heels to baby shoes to shoes that must have walked right out of the Arabian Nights, but they told me they wanted to give me any of the shoe charms that I wanted. I picked out six or seven (I think, I don't have them here to count), and now I have enough shoes to make two "shoe-lover's bracelets."  Look for those on my site soon. 

Here is their site on Ruby Lane: Del Mar Classique

Thank you again, Cynthia, Cate, and Elaine--I certainly didn't expect this.    Jeanne

Triple-Trouble Necklace: SOLD

 This necklace has three strands of gemstones, and each of them could stand alone in a necklace or bracelet. In fact, I've used each of these gemstones alone in several pieces, with excellent results (if I do say so myself). 

But, combined, this necklace really pops!

A strand of round carnelians. A strand of natural turquoise coins. And a strand of squares with rounded corners in lemon jade. 

Length: about 15 inches, plus a three-inch extender chain. The strands of gemstones are gathered into flower-shaped cones of Thai silver. These cones are so pretty that it's almost a shame to put them at the back of the necklace. I had originally meant to use them as pendants. 

Then there's a couple of inches of sterling silver chain and the clasp is a handmade sterling hook. The extender chain has a leaf of Thai silver and some tiny coral and turquoise beads. 

The necklace is one of a kind.

Price: $130. The price includes taxes, postage, and insurance to U.S. destinations. 

See also: 

Carnelians: Wear Your Heart on Your Wrist

Turquoise: Cat in a Garbage Can

Jade: Lime Jade Triplets

Photo: @ Monica Strasen 2010. 

@ Jeanne Sather 2010. 

Buy a Raffle Ticket?

 This was one of those friend-of-a-friend things ... I find I meet a lot of interesting people that way. 

So, I met Collin when she popped up on my cancer blog shortly before her double mastectomy. She told me about her family, which includes three darling children from three different countries. Her youngest child is a little girl born in China. 

Then Collin introduced me to Jen, who has two daughters from China and who is trying to raise money to pay off some of the adoption expenses for the younger girl. I had already made a ladybug bracelet for Collin's 4-year-old, because I like ladybugs and I use them fairly often in jewelry for little girls. 

 What I didn't know, until Collin told me, is that ladybugs are considered lucky in China, and many of the parents who adopt there have taken on the ladybug as a symbol of good luck in their adoptions. 

Following so far? Collin thought that I might make something for Jen to sell through a raffle, and I agreed. I made a pair of mother-daughter ladybug bracelets, and the raffle is up and running.

Go to this link if you'd like to buy a raffle ticket--the information is in the right column, and tickets are $10:

Mother-Daughter Ladybug Bracelets Drawing

See also:

Mother-Daughter Ladybug Bracelets 3

Mother-Daughter Ladybug Bracelets: The Details

@ Jeanne Sather 2010. 

Even More Charms: Love & Marriage (& Baby Carriage): SOLD

 I bought this "mechanical" heart charm last fall from a dealer in Canada. It was one of three mechanical charms in a group of a dozen charms that had been collected during the mid-20th century by a well-to-do Canadian woman who traveled widely, adding charms to her bracelets as she went.

 I like to think that she traveled by ship, but in fact I have no idea how she got around. 

(A mechanical charm is a charm that has moving parts. This type of charm was very popular from the 1940s through the 1960s. After that, very few were made, probably because of the amount of work that went into each tiny charm.)

The 1960s heart opens to show an embracing couple, and it would be the perfect gift for a bride. It is valued at about $30.

 The heart with baby footprints is not a vintage charm. I bought it new because it was such a perfect fit for this jewelry series. It is so very sweet. THIS ONE IS SOLD, SORRY. 

See also:

Love & Marriage (& Baby Carriage)

The Love Letter Charm Bracelet

Photos: Monica Strasen.

@ Jeanne Sather 2010. 

 

Special Sale on Lost Earring Charm Bracelets: SOLD

SOLD. 

I've marked down two "lost earring charm bracelets" on my site. 

 The two bracelets are similar although not identical (all my bracelets and necklaces are one of a kind). They are a rich combination of amber, garnet, sterling silver, crystal, mother of pearl, and glass beads plus lost earring charms from my own stash of single earrings. 

The bracelets have a pleasantly chunky feel on the wrist and are sized for largish wrists. They measure about 8 inches, which fits a wrist up to 7 inches. 

Price: $70 each, marked down from $100. 

To see more photos: Lost Earring Charm Bracelets 

Please e-mail me if you are interested in one of these bracelets, and I will send you a Paypal invoice for the sale price: jeanne.sather@gmail.com  

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

 

Joy's Necklace--A Close-up

Here's a close-up of the necklace I made for my aunt to wear to a family wedding this weekend. (Now I just have to get to the post office and get it in the mail to her!)

As you can see in the photo, I assembled sections with gemstone beads and jump rings, and then spaced these out with sections of chain. 

Except for the section with the square jade beads, there are two of each section, so that it's balanced when you wear it. 

The necklace can be wrapped once, twice, or three times, to suit different necklines. 

See also: Joy's Necklace

I have the beads to make another one similar to this one, so if you'd like one, let me know: jeanne.sather@gmail.com

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

Joy's Earrings

Here are the earrings I made for my aunt to wear with her new necklace. (See: Joy's Necklace)

They have small jade, garnet, and chrysocolla beads--all beads that I used in the necklace--on sterling silver wires of graduated lengths. 

I have more of these beads, so if you'd like a pair like this, send me an e-mail: jeanne.sather@gmail.com

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

Joy's Necklace

 I made this necklace for my aunt to wear when she goes to a family wedding next weekend. 

The necklace is about 60 inches in length, and can be wrapped once, twice, or three times (thrice?) around the neck. It closes with a sterling silver toggle, which you only need to open if you wrap it three times.

The beads include carnelians, garnets, chrysocolla--which looks like turquoise--and three colors of jade. The chain is sterling silver. 

I made her a matching pair of earrings, but haven't photographed those yet. 

The model is my friend Laurie, who has a couple of blogs of her own. One for her art, and one for her massage practice.

See:

Laurie Fronek, LMP 

Artwork by Laurie Fronek 

If you'd like a similar necklace, please e-mail me: jeanne.sather@gmail.com

 

For more photos, see:

Joy's Necklace: A Close-up

Joy's Earrings

Click on either photo to enlarge. 

 

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

 

 

 

 

'Lost Earring' Necklace 2

I made this "lost earring" necklace for an editor I used to write for. (I also made one for her grandmother. See: 'Lost Earring' Necklace 1)

She sent me the earring--which is a great one, a sterling silver dragon on a dark bead--and I matched it with jade rondelles and sterling silver chain to make a double-strand necklace. 

The first strand, with the jade beads, sits at choker length at the base of the throat, and the longer chain with the dragon bead hangs below it. 

The two chains fasten with a sterling claw clasp, and there is an extender chain for a perfect fit. 

If you have a "lost earring" that you'd like to have me recycle into a bracelet or necklace, just e-mail me and we can talk about it. I love special orders.   jeanne.sather@gmail.com

Photo: @ Monica Strasen 2009.

@ Jeanne Sather 2009.