Accessorizing a Grand Wedding Celebration - Part 2

Who doesn't love a good wedding??? Honestly, weddings put the fa, la, la in "Eat, Drink & Be Merry!"

As the premier designer for my sister Amy's wedding (like that Amy... premier designer, you lucky girl) ;)  I am getting to make several pieces of custom beaded jewelry, for the leading actress and all her supporting actresses.  Except we know she's not just acting... it's the real deal!

Now I've gotten permission to share this, so nobody can give me blog spankings, okay?

I've started on the bride's jewelry.  The WOW piece (in addition to her veil, which I see in my mind, but haven't yet started on) is her bracelet.  I was contemplating what to create for her when the April/May Beadwork arrived.  One thing that is really important to Amy is to have some serious sparkle in her jewelry.

Yet she's a tiny little size 4, so the jewelry couldn't be overstated, bulky or heavy.  Together we wanted something that looks classy and elegant.

So when my Beadwork arrived, the bangle on the cover starting talking to me.  My usual routine is to flip through the magazine, admire the creations and the talent artists that designed them, then follow my heart creating something not at all related.  BUT this time, this bangle really sparked an idea - AND I LEARNED Something!

Did you know they make oval shaped memory wire for bracelets?  Why of course YOU did, but I didn't until I saw this tutorial.  I was super excited when I found out though!

So looking at the makings of this bracelet I had 2 distinct thoughts.  1.  LOVE how the oval wire will keep the bracelet from turning around on the wrist.  2.  All that Swarovski will stay on the top and blind people!

YES!  This was it!

Tutorial From April/May 2012 Beadwork by Cristie Prince

SO indeed this is the first time I've actually made a piece right out of Beadwork, using my own colors - light silver grey Miyuki 15's and Ceylon pearl cubes.  With the dynamic sparkle of the crystal this bracelet is fitting for a queen... and most definitely will be a beautiful accessory for a beautiful bride.

If you didn't get a chance to check out Part 1 of Accessorizing a Wedding, check it out.  I made a very special pair of bead embroidered earrings for the Mother of the Bride (my sweet mom.)

More to come... love to share!  Thanks so much to you for following and sharing my love for creating special, one of a kind jewelry.

{Hugs!}
~Dawn

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Accessorizing a Grand Wedding Celebration - Part 1

This summer, my sister is getting married!  We've been shopping for THE dress (and have secured it.)  In case her fiance is reading this, it's pink w/ green polka dots and tube top style! ;)  And that's all we're saying! tee hee ☺

We're all so very excited to help Amy celebrate her nuptials.  Being that I'm the artisan in the family, Amy has asked that I help accessorize her (and the rest of us) for her big day!  SO this is the first blog post in a series of projects I'm working on for Amy's wedding.  I'll be doing the bride's jewelry, her wedding veil (which I'm so excited about), my mom's jewelry and a few other surprise pieces thrown in there too!

I'm so excited to share these bead embroidered earrings with you.  I made these for my mom who's wearing a gorgeous pink chiffon dress.  It has some beadwork on the asymmetrical handkerchief hem.  She has a necklace I made for her already, but these earrings are the perfect finishing touch to her outfit.

My mom used to have pierced ears, but after years of not wearing earrings (two wonderful grandbabies that would see earrings as fun toys) her earring holes have closed up.  So I wanted to make her a pair of clip earrings that didn't look like traditional clip on earrings. 

Because the necklace has multiple shades of pink, I wanted to mirror that in the earrings.  This makes them more versatile that she can wear with multiple pink outfits. And who wouldn't want to wear these... like all the time!  :o)  If you've been reading my blog, you know I'm all about big bling!  I LOVE CRYSTAL (and soon, I'm sure I'll have to find a support group for that).

I used a Swarovski flat-backed crystal as the focal then bead embroidered around it.  The fringe off the bottom also features Swarovski crystals and a Swarovski tear drop.  They look stunning in person and my mom is thrilled with them not looking like "old lady" earrings.  PLUS they are super lightweight, so her ears won't get a headache from carrying around anything too heavy!

Stay tuned for more in my series of Accessorizing a Grand Wedding Celebration!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

Black Tie Affair - part deux or dos or 2

Whichever your language... late last week I blogged about Nicole's BeadBacking which is my base of choice for bead embroidery.  You can read why back here.  And since we're on the topic, this is a sneak peak of a design I've be working on made with N.B.B.s purple shade... which is COMPLETELY wonderful.  More on that (because it'll be finished with JulsBeads you are going to LOVE!) Seriously!

But more on this next time...

In the mean time, I want to share with you the compliment to the Black Tie Affair Necklace I shared with you in the NBB review post.  Using shades of black, pewter, silver and finally a creamy white, I've created a pearl bracelet that is the perfect accompaniment!  Hence, calling it Black Tie Affair Part 2! Using Delica Seed Beads, Fire-Polished Czech glass rounds, and glass pearls, this bracelet was born.  I finished it on a 20 ga. full-hard wire with a wire wrap so it wears stiff like a bangle bracelet.  I love it!  More to come with this pearl netted style.  Wouldn't it be the perfect rope to display a bead embroidery pendant... maybe, just maybe? :)

Available in my Etsy Store

http://www.Custom-Made-Jewelry.info

Hope your day is full of sunshine!  I've baked cookies (rhubarb coconut w/ a cream cheese frosting - sorry about the drool), I've blogged, I've gotten laundry done and now I'm off to bead!

Have a fantastic afternoon!
{Hugs!}

Wedding Jewelry Makes Me Happy!

If I haven't told you lately, I just LOVE being able to design wedding jewelry.  Brides are a very special class of ladies... and their glow is unmistakable.  I've been commissioned to design a special set of jewelry for a local bride that was referred to me from a good personal friend.  In meeting with this bride, it turns out we have other mutual friends that we didn't even realize we knew. It's a very small world out there.

So today, I scheduled an appointment to meet with this special bride to show her the custom designed wedding set I created just for her.  Because each piece is born of pure love from my heart, getting the brides reaction is so, so special.  Today's reaction was worth it's weight in gold - and then some!  She just adored the jewelry and even more than that, she couldn't wait to show her bridesmaids and her mom.  I love, LOVE knowing she's going to take "me" home to meet her mama.  tee hee ;)

I've seen her dress in a photo from when she was trying it on, so I know she's going to be a beautiful bride.  I just feel so grateful that I got to add a little extra sparkle to her special day!

From my heart to yours... big, BIG hugs!

October... did you knock before you entered?

Holy Jeepers... seriously, all of a sudden October is here!  It seems to have snuck in sometime after I went to bed last week and now... Monday and *BAM* we're smack dab in the middle of it!

What does October mean for me?
* An early Holiday Open House
* My Sweetheart's Birthday
* My Mom's Birthday, Mother-in-Law & nephew's b-days too
** Holy Cow... I did say Open House - as in THIS Thursday!

Yikes!

I'm in super hero mode as we speak.  Finishing some more wire crochet pieces as those were really popular at my last open house.  Bringing in a few elegant pieces that will be perfect for holiday parties.  And laying out the one of a kind piece for my giveaway... yes, that's right!  All open house attendees are eligible to win a piece of custom designed jewelry!  Plus over the weekend I finished the jewelry for a very special bride.  I'll ask her permission to share pictures first... but I have to say, I just LOVE creating bridal jewelry!  :)

So that's what my crazy week looks like.  Can I just say... I absolutely love it?  I feel so blessed to be so very busy!  Hope your week is as promising as mine is too!

{Hugs!}

Busy Weekends!

Is it just me, or are your weeks like crazy busy from May through the entire month of June?  For me, it's many celebrations, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Sister's birthday, Dad's Birthday (yeah, he pretty much hauls some serious loot in June) This year add to that a bridal shower, a Memorial Day picnic and sometime in between toiling in my soil and planting my pots with beautiful flowers!  Oh yes, and multiple graduation parties to celebrate too!

It amazed me as I looked at my calendar yesterday that we've rounded the corner toward June... I'm honestly not sure who took my May, but I'd like a few weeks of it back, please?!?! 

This afternoon is a bridal shower for my cousin and I'm very much looking forward to seeing the family.  The chandelier earrings I posted about the other day I made as a gift to her.  I'm positive she's not on blogger this morning, so I don't have to worry about ruining my own surprise.  LOL

What are you weekend plans?  Do you have craft shows you're selling at or parties to attend?  When I find the "Lost Weeks of May" I'll let you all know where you can find yours if they are missing too! :) 

{Hugs!}

Crystal Chandelier Earrings

Fit for a queen... or for a princess... or for a bride!  I've been having oodles of fun with beautiful Swarovski crystals.  It started with the prom jewelry I created in April, then I received a custom order for a dear friend who's attending a wedding... in PARIS!  I know, how romantic is that?  So I ordered the special crystals to go with her gown and ordered a few extras to "play" with.  I can't wait to show you that piece.  I'm using the Swarovski that I can't pronounce the name of... but it's perfect!  Padparadascha... or something like that!  LOL

There's something special about the sparkle of Swarovski... I don't know how they do it, but they're amazing!  After seeing the highlights from the Miss USA pagent on Sunday night, one recurring theme jumped out at me.  I don't watch the whole pagent, I just don't care that much... but I do love the evening gown competition.  Why?  Because the gowns are gorgeous and I LOVE jewelry.  So what a better showcase of all the most beautiful bling on the planet!  (And the hottest formal jewelry trends)  The one HUGE trend I saw was the long chandelier style earrings!  I love chandeliers, always have.  But seeing them all "blinged-out" on the runway... I was salivating!  Seriously, I was in my element.

Imagining, dreaming, planning for a cruise - which is still just in dream stage, or my wedding and picturing all that bling - even if I'm just standing on a beach in sandals!  So let's all take a moment, and than Swarovski for creating so much bling in such tiny packages! :)