Beadonna

It is a warm, Spring day, and you are roaming through Claude Monet’s garden. You can’t restrain yourself; you MUST bend over to sniff that rose! Oh, how you want to pluck it and save it forever! But a charming garden table awaits you. It is spread with antique dishes overflowing with tea sandwiches, croissants and Madeleine pastries. You nibble upon these, all the while gazing at those roses. (Calories don’t count in France. At least not in OUR daydream!) I travelled to France many years ago. (Yes, much more recently than during Monet’s life-time, thanks for asking!) It’s a memory that will last a life-time, and now I can share it with you! Place these “Monet Roses” lampworked beads around your wrist. Your bracelet also includes hand-carved Rhodonite roses, as well as silver-plated and .925 sterling roses and clasp. Now close your eyes.
Take a deep breath.
You are there.
Bienvenue!

Earrings to complement the bracelet, and you are sure to receive compliments! They're feminine, without being cutesy; unique, without being quirky. Entice with your feminine side! Be sure to pair these with the accompanying bracelet, for the true, French experience. Wear while listening to Debussy. Lampwork beads, hand-carved Rhodonite roses, sterling silver

The vocal artist, Sting (as well as many other artists, I'm sure) often does something very unusual with his songs. They begin one way, and then seem to abruptly, completely change into a new song, with a new tempo. You are surprised--and it's fun! This bracelet style is a tribute to that. You are treated to deep teal Apatite beads on the top of the bracelet, and then the tune of the bracelet surprisingly changes to a soft twist made from tiny glass beads--hand stitched into this twist by me! (This takes much more time than the traditional bead-strung bracelet.) Your bracelet also includes sterling components. What, no earrings? A pair can be made to complement the bracelet if desired. Right now, it’s bracelet-only priced.

The vocal artist, Sting (as well as many other artists, I'm sure) often does something very unusual with his songs. They begin one way, and then seem to abruptly, completely change into a new song, with a new tempo. You are surprised--and it's fun! This bracelet style is a tribute to that. You are treated to purple jasper beads interspersed with delicate tourmaline beads on the top of the bracelet, and then the tune of the bracelet surprisingly changes to a soft twist made from tiny glass beads--hand stitched into this twist by me! (This takes much more time than the traditional bead-strung bracelet.) Your bracelet also includes sterling components, and is sold as a set with the earrings. This set "rocks"!

Moukaite. Mookite. Moukite. Mookaite. I'm convinced that there is no correct way to spell the name of this Australian stone. Go ahead, Goggle it! I'm guessing you'll even find additional spellings! Your Moukaite bracelet is part of the “Inspired by Sting” line. The vocal artist, Sting (as well as many other artists, I'm sure) often does something very unusual with his songs. They begin one way, and then seem to abruptly, completely change into a new song, with a different tempo. You are surprised--and it's fun! This bracelet style is a tribute to that. You are treated to darling, paired moukaite stones (which are carved in the shape of tulips) on the top of the bracelet. The tune of the bracelet surprisingly changes to a soft twist made from tiny glass beads--hand stitched into this delicate twist by me! (This takes much more time than the traditional bead-strung bracelet, hence is a bit pricier.) Your bracelet also includes warm copper components and a clasp that I hand-forged, specially for you. What, no earrings? A pair can be made to complement the bracelet, if desired. Just ask.

I love to take a familiar, traditional item and then do something wildly different with it. This is not your Mama's pearl necklace! It consists of party-colored pearls, yet they are handknotted using the traditional Asian method. Only with non-traditional colors. But with traditional silk. In a non-traditional shade. And the closure is in the very-non-traditional front of the piece. Yes, this is Pearls Gone Rogue! Don't you just feel like breaking out in a Rumba, throwing kisses and tossing confetti? Let the party begin!

A Fairy Tale
by Beadonna

Once upon a time, there was a necklace made from clear beads. It resided in a far-away place (except to Ohioans) known as Cleveland. This land is infamous for its losing sports teams, and its brutally cold winters. The clear-stoned necklace seemed washed-out when worn on a snowy, sub-zero day, and the round clear center stone virtually evaporated in the thin air. The necklace was blah.
Just blah!
Then out of nowhere, a burst of sunshine sprung forth! What? Sunshine in Cleveland in the Winter? How can it be? The rays of the sun hit the necklace like lightning bolts, and the beads came to life in warm golden hues! The clear center stone morphed into Citrine, carved in the shape of the sun! And a hand-forged, 14kt gold-filled clasp emerged so this gift from the sun could remain around your neck. The beads seemingly danced, and will do so as it encircles you.
Now the necklace is happy, filled with golden glass beads in a design that was stitched using two needles simultaneously. And the center Citrine sun-shaped stone is encircled with tiny 24Kt gold-plated beads.

And from thence-forth, Cleveland only had sunny days.
And winning teams!

The end.

(With apologies to my sister who is a College English teacher and a librarian--and knows what good fiction is and is not. And this obviously is the latter. Sorry, I'm the artsy one, remember?)

Most of this fairy tale is fictitious (no kidding!), but the materials used are true and genuine.

And the part about the winning teams? Well we do have LeBron and the Cavs...

Necklace will be sold with the coordinating earrings.



Price: $150/

My private jewelry collection contains a few of these bracelets. They are staples; "go-to" bracelets. I keep a pair in a little jewelry tray nearby for quick access, especially for those days when I've forgotten to put on any jewelry and need to run out the door quickly. (What, no accessories? Moi?)

These are perfect for those of you who are beginning your artisan jewelry collection; gateway bracelets, so-to-speak. Their versatility is unparalleled because they "go with" just about anything you're wearing. They are a classic investment! (I mean, c'mon, how long have chains and pearls been around? Forever?!) They're also wonderful for more seasoned Artisan jewelry owners/wearers. You can wear these alone, or to augment the other jewelry you have on.

Those of you who do not own Artisan jewelry may quietly wonder, "Why so pricey?", yet are too polite to ask. So here's my little Economics tutorial on costs.

Bracelet #1: Faceted freshwater pearls. Faceted, as in diamonds-are-faceted! (Not plastic pearls or hollow beads--but PEARLS!) Stacks of .925 sterling silver beads (not base metal, not plated metal, but sterling); design time; work, Work, WORK!

Bracelet #2: Sterling-silver chain made with little sterling silver circles/hoops. This chain is not machine-made. I sat there amongst piles of these little loops, opened and closed them with my pliers until I was cross-eyed, but a gorgeous chain was born. Now, how many of your friends own a hand-made chain? And as a bonus, I added tiny glass beads to many of the little loops for that designer touch!

Buy one. Buy them both. And welcome (or welcome back!) to the world of Artisan Jewelry!



Price is per each.

So, you had a beautiful baby girl about 12-16 years ago. Do you remember that joy that overcame you? How her new, fresh skin smelled? Her impish smile? The emotion that overtook you--oh my! All you knew is that you would do anything to protect her and ensure her happiness!

Fast forward 12-16 years. What, now she's interested in boys? "Group" dating? (Dating as a couple?) Will she make proper choices? Will she date guys who will treat her the way she *should* be treated? The way she *deserves* to be treated? The way you want her to be treated?

Up until now, she was a child. She wore jewelry purchased from big box stores that fell apart a week after she bought it. She's growing up now and is a young woman, and the sooner you realize it, the better! Surprise her with her first grown-up piece of jewelry, that's made with genuine freshwater pearls and sterling silver. Close to the clasp dangles a darling pair of charms: A heart with a key-hole and its accompanying key. Gently wrap it around her wrist, and remind her that her parents love her and trust that she'll make wise decisions with her life. Ask her to glance down at the bracelet and to remember that you respect her--that she should respect herself!--and should insist that her boyfriend does as well.
Because one day, there will be that one-and-only guy who will "hold the key to her heart".
Ask her to call you, no questions asked, if she feels things are getting...well... out-of-hand. You'll come to get her with hugs and no lectures--only praise for not succumbing to peer pressure!

Give her a kiss on the cheek.

Confidently smile.
Tell her to have fun!

And remind her to be home by 11.

Now pray.

Go watch tv.

And wait.

From my Purity bracelet line. Please see item description on Purity bracelet #1.

Sold to the parents of a lovely young lady!

A similar one can be made per your request. And these also make thoughtful, memorable gifts when given by grandparents and loving aunts and uncles!

Even though we are strong women, we like to play up our feminine side a bit. These earrings fit the bill! Lovely sterling silver filigree hearts drip delicate pearls like warm weather dew-drops. (Do you have any idea how long it takes to get those wee little pearls into the center of these hearts?) And then the prize is the lovely hand-carved conch shell rose at the bottom. My guess is that you'll be the *only one you know* who has conch shell roses! They are very difficult to find, and you'll have two of them!

These earrings will sway as you gently turn your head, and you'll feel as though you are wearing a bit of early Summer, no matter what season it is.
They do not SHOUT;
they will whisper, "beauty".

(I made them with lever-back earring components, however I can swap those out for the wire "fish-hook" style if you prefer.)

Years ago, it was a sign of affluence to sip your beverage out of crystal. Brides would request fine crystal as wedding gifts, which could cost even one hundred dollars per stem! But what elegance! And drinks do seem to be more refreshing when you're holding crystal!

How ironic that now it is seemingly affluent (albeit quite convenient!) to sip water from plastic water bottles. And there you are, in your expensive dress--holding, well...plastic. Rock stars on stage, wearing costumes that cost thousands of dollars, drinking from plastic. World leaders attending important summit meetings, drinking from plastic. For some reason, we've traded class and style for convenience. How did we allow that to happen? Can't form co-exist with function? The solution:
My invention.
(At least I haven't seen anything similar before.) A removable crystal gown that you slip over your water bottle, disguising that plastic and allowing elegance to thrive.

I hand-stitched together over 800 genuine Swarovski crystals to a perforated, somewhat-water-absorbent base. You gently slip your water bottle into this gown, and your bottle instantly transforms into what looks to be a hand-cut and faceted vessel. (There is a bit of a stretch to the finished product, and it will cling to your bottle.) And now your beautiful dress and elegant shoes are in good company, and you can quench your thirst in beauty, style and sophistication. When your drink is done, carefully remove the gown/sleeve and tuck it into your purse for later use.

Here's quite the incentive to consume your 64 oz. a day!

I've carried my bottle in a Water Gown even when I'm not in elegant attire. I've carried it when wandering through art shows, carried it to outdoor concerts, carried it whenever I was in the mood to feel pampered. And, ooh, the feel of holding crystal!

Each gown takes hours to stitch. And even one Swarovski animal decoration (in those curio cabinets at gift shops) can cost in the hundreds. So I barely break even at my price of $350.

What a gift for the person "who has everything" or is "difficult to buy for". And you know you've spent more on clothing or accessories that may have been used only a few times! This will be used repeatedly!!

The Crystal Water Gown will be a gift to remember, and she'll applaud you for your ingenuity and generous pampering!

(Gowns can be made in clear crystal to "go with anything," or color coordinated to that special outfit. For fun, request colors to match your favorite Sport teams, or school colors.)
Different sizes/shapes available to accommodate your favorite brand of water.

Cheers!

Meet fellow members of the
Crystal Water Gown
Society.
(Please see item description on the other Water Gown entry.)

Price is per each.

I have a dear friend who typifies the word "thoughtful". She was wearing a piece of Beadonna jewelry she had purchased, and her mother-in-law admired it. My friend made a mental note of that. She knew her mother-in-law had never owned a custom, commissioned set of jewelry, and she wanted to pamper her in that way!

My friend requested a set that was not "too funky," was "timeless" and mainly in black. She wanted feminine, but not too fussy. After that, she gave me free reign with my design!
This is the result! Butterflies flit amongst sterling silver, and the necklace contains "black stone" as well as onyx beads. I attached easy-to-use magnetic clasps that would be gentle on arthritic hands. Her mother-in-law loved the set (yeah!), but I'm sure she appreciated being blessed with a fabulous daughter-in-law even more!

Let your loved one know that you appreciate her enough to have a piece designed specifically for them. Please contact me, and I'll help you to make that happen!

Speaking of thoughtful, a lovely young lady requested that I design a set with black stones, specially made for her mom. Her mom is trendy, fun, funky and fashionable. The daughter requested a set that would echo those attributes, and then gave me free reign to design away! (I did have a budget and did a pretty good job of keeping within that budget!)

I present to you the end result!

OK, can you guess what the large, black stones are? Look closely. Lava stones! Yes, as in volcanoes! I also used large, open-work sterling-silver chain and freshwater pearls in an asymmetrical design that does not look too imbalanced or crazy. (There you go—balanced asymmetry. Let’s see you try to define that one!)

Please pay special attention to the centerpiece pendant as well as to the black lava stones dripping from the earrings. Are those…encrusted with Swarovski crystals?! Why yes, you guessed correctly! How fun is that? (And good luck finding these elsewhere because they are somewhat difficult to locate.)

What a totally cool daughter to present this type of gift! I guess that thoughtful people travel together in the same circles. (She happens to be a friend of my daughter’s!)

I’m thrilled that your mom liked it, Kristin!

Imagine that Johnny Depp just told you that you could dive into his pirate's treasure chest and remove as many beads as your scooped hands could carry!
OOh, say no more! Of course you would put those hands together to form a make-shift shovel and dive in!
And what did you retrieve?

Oodles of lovely green Amazonite from Madagascar. Pearls in so many shapes and sizes from the orient! A sweet sterling tassel from Turkey, and sterling dangling roses from Indonesia. And tiny glass beads and turquoise.
You peel off with your bounty, realizing that you just lost your chance to sail with him on the Black Pearl.
Oh well.

The bounty is made into one long strand, each bead more beautiful than the one before, and ended with those darling Indonesian silver roses.

And you have an accessory that can be used in so many ways!

You can loop it around your neck, allowing the remaining strands to hang. You can knot those strands if you choose for a double strand-necklace look.

You can loop it around your neck three times like a torsade, and knot or tuck the ends into the back. Or do the same in the front, weaving the ends through the strands to peek out.

You can wrap it around your wrist several times and knot to make a knock-out bracelet!

You can fold it in half and wrap it around your waist and knot it for a belt to spruce up that little black dress!

Or you could attach a life-preserver to it and toss it out to Captain Jack Sparrow and see if he'll abandon that Black Pearl. But so what, even if he doesn't, you'll have quite the souvenir!

OK, you’ve had it with all this frou-frou stuff. This just isn’t you!

WAIT! STOP!! DON’T GO ANYWHERE!
This necklace is for you!

You are the type of girl who is more comfortable in jeans than in heels. You recycle. You garden. You’d rather eat organic food than processed Cheese Puffs.
You know that compost is not cyber-lingo for writing a post on a computer webpage.
Putting on gobs of makeup is a waste of time – you’d rather spend your time outside taking a hike on this beautiful day!

Put on your cargo pants, pull your sweater over your head and pop on this necklace which makes you feel connected to the Earth.
It’s made with rectangles of Tree Jasper interspersed with Labradorite stone nuggets that have been tumbled smooth.
Tiny sterling leaves and flower buds peek out by the center stone, and the necklace fastens together with a sterling leaf-shaped clasp. Tree jasper, flowers, and leaves—perfect for the outdoor girl!
It feels like you’re wearing a snippet from the Amazon rainforest close to your heart (but a carefully pruned snippet that will only yield additional lush forestation!!).

Now toss on your jacket and explore the world from the top of that mountain—
or from your Harley.

Because there’s a whole world for you to explore and you’re not going to waste it! You’re free, uninhibited, fresh and courageous.
You’re a tomboy, an “earthy girl”.

At least you are today!

A Rutilated Quartz cabochon takes center stage in this cuff bracelet. I was inspired by the "gold" rutiles in the stone; they are all hap-hazard, and appear to be trying to escape. I surrounded the cabochon with a bezel of Swarovski crystals. Gold-filled chain and tiny beads comprise the remainder of the beaded portion, mimicking the colorways of the cabochon. Metallic thread spurts from the bezel--perhaps the rutiles were able to break free from the stone after all!

The inside of the bracelet is lined in a soft, suede-like material for my wearing comfort.

My comfort? Yes--the bracelet is part of my personal collection, therefore it's not for sale. Unless you want to zero-out my daughter's college debt, of course.

My father was in the U.S. Navy during World War II. There is an old saying, "Red sky at morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailors' delight!" The centerpiece Pietersite stone appears to depict a raging storm, most likely preceded by a red sky! I carried this theme into the bracelet band by allowing the bead hues to meld into one another. It appears that the bracelet band is glass mosaic, with gold as its grout. I hand-stitched beads through 14kt gold-filled chain, which ripple amongst the waves.

This piece is dedicated to my father, who forever may remain the best artist in the family.

The bracelet is part of his daughter's personal collection, and is not for sale.

When I first saw this cabochon I laughed out loud! It had such a wild look to it, and I wondered if I could do something with it. Much of my work is very feminine; could I stretch my bounds a bit and do this stone justice?

Even though it looks African, the stone is called Mexican Crazy Lace Agate. And I still can't believe that the pattern is actually the stone--not a design that was painted onto it. Crazy? I'd say--Amazing!

I used tiny beads to fabricate the bezel (stone's "frame"). Then I stitched tiny copper-plated glass beads through 14kt gf chain for the remainder of the bracelet cuff. I lined the inside of the bracelet with a soft, suede-like material, which I "invisibly" hand-stitched to the beaded portion of the bracelet.

"Africana" is part of my personal collection and is not for sale. Because this girly-girl just might have a wild side after all. *wink*

Vistaite is a jasper which hails from Oregon, and has gorgeous turquoise and tan coloring. I love the autobiographical nature of this particular stone! Vistaite is a coveted stone, with lovely splotches of turquoise and tan. But this stone is extremely special! It appears to have mountains as, if it's showing an onlooker a picture of its home. Autobiographical! Go ahead, do a Google Image search: I doubt that you will find a more beautiful cut of vistaite than what is in my bracelet!

I was so impressed by this stone, I wanted to do it justice! I bead embroidered the remaining of the scene as I imagined it: it's neighboring mountains in the range, the cloud-dotted turquoise sky, random areas of greenery that have sprung up in patches.

Majestic.

Tranquil.

I lined the cuff in a suede-like material, so it is oh-so-soft to wear.

This bracelet is not merely adornment--it is a glimpse of our "Wild West".

Click on the magnifying feature to inspect the beadwork.