Camp Horizon Fundraiser

Last week I was approached on two different occasions, about donating some of jewelry for a couple of local fundraisers. The first is a big charity auction, with proceed going towards new beds for Camp Horizon, which is a camp for disabled children and their caregivers. I was more than happy to comply, and set about gathering some interesting pieces to create this necklace.

The somewhat heart shaped, brass filigree focal piece was  actually an old clip earring that I took apart. The crystal key charm at the very bottom, is a modern Swarovski addition. 

  There is a fabulous vintage skeleton key that is suspended from a very old circular, metal filigree jewelry finding, which is rare old Mariam Haskell stock.  I also added vintage chains and  corrugated brass beads,

.............and some wonderful vintage uncirculated Swarovski crystals...both the more recognized faceted crystals, as well as the rare matte crystal beads.

Then I decided to design some earrings to go with this necklace.

Here is everything displayed together and     ready for the auction.

I also designed another necklace for another fundraiser, and will feature that one next time! Pin It

Mondays Treasury

I created this treasury of wonderful items on Etsy, recently. I love all the rough and worn edges, the patina, and the history of many of these great things. Texture... they all have a touchability about them...if thats a word!

Please visit this wonderful collection here, on Etsy for more information on these lovely items! Pin It

Creating More Memories!

Another set of vintage memory pendants.

These were so much fun to create!

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Double Duty

These days people want more for their money, more bang for their buck, so to say.
For example,  it's always cool, when you find that perfect jacket...

kaleidoscope.co.uk/Reversible-Jacket

......but  how cool is it when you find out that it is reversible?

kaleidoscope.co.uk/Reversible-Jacket

Or the coffee table that provides extra seating for your guests in a flash.

overstock.com

I have been working on a few multi functional designs of my own.

This piece is a necklace..............

that also works as a pretty bracelet!

 Here is another piece, that once again functions as a chunky statement bracelet.....

 ....and also changes into a double strand shorter style necklace...........

 ....or  make a quick change, and, voila........wear it as a long single strand necklace!

More bang for your buck! Pin It

Falling into Autumn........

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends!

Yes, this weekend is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, so we will be celebrating with turkey and pumpkin pie.  We had a fabulous month of September with summer like temperatures, but yesterday the weather changed and we awoke to a dusting of the evil white stuff on the ground. The weather here always seems to turn cold, about mid October, and Old Man Winter settes in for his long stay. I think we have a bit of a reprieve this weekend with warmer weather once again, but we all know that the winter weather will be upon us very soon. 

You probably know that I dislike the winter season, and that summertime is my favorite time of year. However, that being said, I do enjoy the colours of Fall, and the warm days of Indian summer. 

Here is a look at one of my recently completed pieces. Some of you may have seen it when it was in the "pendant" stage, but now it is finished. My inspiration for this piece was Autumn, the warm colours of that season and the falling of the leaves.

Falling into Autumn

Falling into Autumn is now for sale in my Etsy Boutique!


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Whats on Suzy's Workbench?

Yesterday, I escaped the heat, and spent a few hours in my studio, which is located in the nice cool basement of my home.  I felt like  kid again playing with resin, and this new epoxy clay that I recently purchased. Here is what I made:

These are all going to be pendants and connectors on necklaces. I made them with vintage images, scraps of vintage lace and resin.

 This pendant and ring, below, are made with epoxy clay, which is a 2 part clay that you mix together, embellish, and  then air dries. For the pendant, I added this tiny vintage skeleton key, and sprinkled with copper mica powder for a metallic finish. the ring was embedded with an old brass floral finding, and a tiny Swarovski crystal, and then sprinkled with  copper and blue metallic mica powders. 

This was a lot of fun, and now I have several new homemade components to create new designs!

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Midnight Solstice

Here are a few photos of another one of my recent vintage skeleton key necklaces. The key is form my travels in England, this past summer, and I have embellished it with tiny metallic blue Swarovski crystals. I also added some pretty glass beads, a dragonfly charm and a cool vintage brass bead. I call this one Midnight Solstice.

           Happy weekend everyone!






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Luscious Lampwork!

The ultra fabulous glass beads by artist Jane Perala, are always a joy to use in my creations! Her handmade  beads are beautifully made and have amazing depth...the camera just cannot capture how truly beautiful they really are! Lampwork glass beads are made one at a time, by melting rods of colored glass with a torch. Each one is an individual work of art! Jane is a Canadian lampwork bead artist, from one of my favorite places ....Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Here is what I made with some of Janes gorgeous beads:
Weekend Getaway #41, is a  multi strand necklace that features two of Janes glass beads, as well as a vintage button and faux pearls, a cool brass vintage number tag, abalone shell, amethyst, and an agate stone pendant .

 Spring Fling, is a  charm style bracelet designed with four marvelous water colored beads, several handcrafted sterling silver charms from Thailand, Bali silver, vintage beads and Swarovski pearls.

Visit Janes blog to see more of her wonderful work! Pin It

Valentines Date!

Envisioning a glamorous woman sitting at her vanity table, preparing herself for a special romantic date ...she has her pearls, her rhinestones and her best perfume! This necklace features a wonderful vintage, mini perfume bottle, that was the inspiration for this piece.

I also used a vintage rhinestone bracelet, a paste rhinestone floral finding, as well as a tiny Victorian metal filigree button to add romantic appeal to this long fashion necklace.

Also in this piece are pink vintage faux pearls, as well as brand new Swarovski glass pearls in gray and apricot, Swarovski crystals and vintage silver toned chains.

 This is my first listing of 2011! Available here in my Etsy shop. Pin It

Black Friday to Cyber Monday Sale!

  To help you get started on your Christmas shopping , or perhaps to treat yourself with a little holiday bling, I have 15% OFF EVERYTHING in my shop! From now until 10:00pm, MST, Monday, Nov. 29!

Use this coupon code -HRSALE2010-  to get the discount at the  checkout process.

(P.S ...Looks like I am back online, for now anyway!) Pin It

New Jewels

I finally managed in getting around to photographing some of my new designs for Fall. Today I am featuring

some of the new necklace designs that will be available for purchase at the various shows that I will be involved in staring in October. As mentioned before, there is some retro glamor  in these new pieces, in which I have combined and re purposed  vintage beads, chain and components with  new beads and chains. In this first double strand necklace, I have combined a fabulous glitzy rhinestone clasp, with vintage blue glass "robins egg " beads, which were manufactured by the Swarovski bead company. These are mixed in with new faux pearls and sterling silver chain pieces, to give a somewhat reinvented look.

Check out this clasp!

This next necklace, above, is made from brand new faceted glass beads with sterling chain, and I have incorporated some very pretty vintage  ivory  colored faux pearls  into the mix. Down below is one that I am very excited about, that features a gorgeous brooch probably from the 50's-60's, that has a new life as a pendant on this vintage copper and brass chain. The chain needed some work and I replaced all the old jump rings with  brand new ones.  I love the warm colors of this piece! This necklace can be worn long, or doubled up as shown on the mannequin, for a shorter look.

 This last necklace below, is in shades of teal, blue and purple.  Once again, I took a beautiful,  rhinestone clasp, and made it the focal of this necklace. Vintage flower shaped Swarovski crystals, adorn the neck line vintage, and new faux pearls, and dichroic glass beads, wired to modern  sterling silver chains, cascade down the front. Tres elegant!

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Crazy week

Wow it has been a crazy week here at home! Appointments, volunteering at my sons school, and getting the boys ready for Scout camp this weekend, along with the regular household chores, has kept me very busy this week. So my blog has taken a back seat, and reading my blog faves has also suffered. However,  my husband and son are off to camp tonight, and there will be lots of time for catching up. I am itching to get designing some new jewelry pieces with the beads that I purchased last weekend.  I am also looking forward to enjoying some good chick flicks, and setting my own schedule for the next two days!  Hope all of you have a great weekend planned as well. I hope to post some new jewelery pics for your viewing pleasure, early next week! Pin It

An Eclectic Collection

Are you ready for some fun summer pieces? I have taken a combination of metals, ( silver plate, gold plate, and brass) some fantastic vintage beads,  fabulous artisan glass lampwork,  lots of chain for texture and  a sprinkle of Swarovski crystals for sparkle , and come up with some very eclectic pieces.   Make no mistake.......these are statement pieces!

This one is very long, and  reminds me of  warm summer sunsets, or it could be a tequila sunrise! Golds, apricot and coral tones with lots of texture.

This necklace is done in cool  watery colors,  reminiscent of  blue gray ocean waves on a Pacific Northwest, rainy day!

 

The last one is a frivolous, bohemian, gypsy style necklace, with a mix of stone, shell, glass, metal and wooden beads.

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