New Necklace ~ Burgundy Splash~

Burgundy Splash is this darling new piece. Silver plated large squares and ovals chain, rhodnite, burgundy & black square beads and swarovski crystals.  Approx. 20" long

Summer is here

Summer is here and I am looking forward to spending time at the beach after work...walking my dog and creating new jewelry.  

I have had much success selling my jewelry privately, with little or no advertising effort.    I find Etsy a mystery and   I am not sure if I will keep the account or end up tossing it aside.  If anything, I spent more time promoting my Etsy account to produce 1 sale.  If anybody has any opinions on Etsy, I would love to hear them.  Seems all my sales have been through myself at home, friends & family and through selected shops in and around town who have offered to have pieces on display. 
Meanwhile,when company comes over whether for dinner or coffee they see my collection and nobody goes home empty handed. 

Tonight I completed a necklace made of silver plated large squares and ovals chain, rhodnite square beads and swarovski  crystals.   Since it is dark out I won't take any pictures.  I will wait until morning for the natural light to shoot and post pictures.    Timing will be tight as I need to get into work early.  But I will do my best.

I made the cutest little child's bracelet a few weeks back.  Hope you like it.  Made of sterling silver cable chain with sterling silver charms. Adorable.

New Discounts

Welcome everybody. ~*NEW DISCOUNTS*~


I am pleased to be able to offer you the following discounts. Purchase between:

1. $50 - $100, get free worldwide shipping (first class mail)
2. $101 - $200, get 10% off plus free worldwide shipping (first class mail)
3. $201 or more, get 20% off plus free worldwide shipping (first class mail)

I will refund you via Paypal after payment is made, or I can make you a reserved listing with the updated pricing.

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Mother's Day is around the corner...

New Beginnings for Spring

Need an Energy Boost?  Give your wardrobe the arsenal boost with these lovely Carnelian & Black Agate beads.

Raspberry Rush - Raspberry Swarovski crystals, bali spacers and sterling silver french earwires.


Cutest little earrings for any summer outfit
 
 

These beautiful Angel earrings are a favorite of mine! The combination of Swarovski crystal and Czech glass make an irresistible pair.


Antique silver pewter angel wings, French Hook earwire , Rosaline pear shaped Swarovski Crystal
 
 

Black Tie &  Pearls
 
Classic, elegant necklace. Absolutely stunning. People may just remember your necklace more than your dress! Swarovski white pearls, Swarovski mystic black pearls, swarovski silver crystal roundelle, Swarovski roundelles Sterling hammered/stamped 3d heart hook & eye clasp.  18" in length.

RACEY RED

The intense color of these stunning, handmade lampwork artisan beads simply has to be seen in person. Paired with black agate, sterling silver beads and a silver toggle clasp are a must for any wardrobe.
7 1/2 inches in length

New Items coming ........

...........just in time for Mother's Day.    I am so excited.....I have some beautiful new pieces that I want to show you all.  I will need to photograph them properly before I put them up here and then on Etsy.   If you are looking for a birthday gift, Mother's Day gift, or a little present to treat yourself....come take a look at what I have created.

In the meantime I am working on a new technique and I can't wait to show you the rings.   Stay tuned.   For months I have been gathering my supplies, new equipment ect and waiting to have a block of time to dedicate to creating.  

Talk to you soon...

Roni

Woo hoo glitter set

Natural color bracelet and earring set ready to infuse your outfit. Made with these large Indian aventurine pear beads a natural mix of pink, yellow and green can accent beautifully your new spring/summer outfit.

Each bead has small flecks imbedded in the crystal that create a glittering effect when they catch the light.



Silver handmade components done by myself, balanced with sterling silver beads and bali's. Accented with a sterling silver flowery heart charm. Lobster claw clasp. 7 1/2"s long.


Earrings are sterling silver french hook earwire with a sterling silver bead and bali. 1 1/2"s long

Attentian Artisan Red

These red and black lampwork artisan beads are handmade.  This  gorgeous bracelet will make you the focus of attention!

Put it all together with black agate, handmade Lampwork roundels, sterling silver beads and a stunning silver hammered toggle clasp.  This is a must have.  $45.    

Approximately 8" in length

Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelet Set

Show your support...

This bracelet is made with Swarovski beads, Balli spacers, Sterling Silver spacer beads, Silver heart shape taggle clasps, lampwork beads with a pink ribbon, and other fine components.

Earrings - Swarovski crystal pearls, Bali spacers, Sterling silver french hook earwire.   See my Etsy page

Shades of a Spring

A solid start to a gorgeous color palette. Perfect for your new spring wardrobe, a delicate mixture of greens and purples that work well together accented with silver bead wire.

Florite Chip beaded bracelet 7 1/2" in length

Black Tie & Pearls

Classic, elegant necklace. Absolutely stunning. People may just remember your necklace more than your dress! 

Swarovski white pearls, Swarovski mystic black pearls, swarovski silver crystal roundelle, Swarovski roundelles Sterling hammered/stamped 3d heart hook & eye clasp. 18" in length.

Check out my Etsy page

Chinese Heishi

Versatility PLUS ~ Use as a bracelet or a necklace.

Created as a bracelet however you most certainly could wear it as a necklace as well.  21 1/2" long in length you can wrap this fabulous little piece around your wrist up to 4 times. 

These irregular, stabilized Chinese turquoise heishi strands are fabulous! Keeping up with the trends is so hard these days, but it's easy with turquoise because it's always hot.  Mixed with  a unique shape of the faceted roundelle, jet black round beads from CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements and sterling silver.  Swarovski Elements beads are unmatched in terms of quality and elegance. If you want to look your best, this piece is a must have.   Look for it on my  Etsy page.

Refreshing Turquoise

Treat yourself to a bit of casual fun  with these jasper gemstones mixed with beautiful limited edition opalite diamond-shaped beads and silver bali spacers.

A mix of blue and green, turquoise has a sweet feminine feel while the darker teal shades add lively sophistication.  These stunning  dark turquoise bead bracelet mixed with the milky-white  bead creates a soft glow as the light hits them.   A perfect piece for any outfit.  

8" in length with a silver plated toggle bracelet.   Look for this on my Etsy page.

Roaring Red Leopard

Feel a little daring? Feeling a little bold?

I have used Venetian glass cube beads full of dark dramatic color. On the surface is dark ruby glass, with gold foil shining through along with subtle black dots. This metallic touch adds an elegant dimension to these vibrant beads. Coupled with Swarovski Roundelle Crystal, sterling silver beads, balis and of course my favorite sterling silver shoe charm. This piece is fun. Great accessory when you want to pump up a understated suit or outfit and give your outfit  a Wow.

7 3/4" in length. I have only used Nylon coated Stainless Steel beading wire that will hold up to 24.9 lbs. So you are assured your bracelet is durable.
 
This item is for sale on my Etsy account.

Bold Black Lava

Can you handle the heat? 

I have used large lava stones to give a dramatic effect. These matte black beads are textured with small holes from bubbles that escaped as the lava hardened. Coupled with Swavorski crystals,Swavorski spacers, sterling silver balls. Featured is an accent Sterling silver flowery heart charm.
This bold bracelet is 8" in length. finished with silver bead wire.

To purchase this item, please go to my Etsy account.

Turquoise Fun

Turquoise Jasper, Swarovski Crystals and Black Onyx, coupled with silver plated oval chain and silver bead wire today. I absolutely love the color combination. The turquoise is a great color for both summer and winter collections. Of course silver can be used anytime of year. The crystal little beads just add the sparkle I want without taking away from the turquoise jasper. The black onyx adds the drama I was looking for so I can go from day to night depending on what I want to wear.

Currently the chain is 23" long however  I am debating making it a bit shorter as that is what I prefer.  Either way is good, it just depends on your own personal preference.  I tend to go shorter as I have a larger chest and I don't like to make that my focus or anybody else's for that matter.  LOL.

I have used a toggle clasp.  I personally prefer using these instead of a lobster claw or any other clasp.  Why?  Because I find they are easier with my arthritus.  I find they provide the security of not coming undone yet easier to manage when you hands and fingers are stiff.    In saying that, I do have bracelets that I sell where I have used the lobster clasp.

This item can be purchase on my Etsy account.

Finding the right material is a challenge

My order came in on Friday and as excited as I was to finally have the order arrived, I was disappointed once I opened the package.  Funny how that happens.

I had ordered 2 styles of silver plated chain so I could work on a new technique.  5' feet of silver plated large squares and oval chain .  I only received 2' feet.   The chain is beautiful  however I have only 2' feet to play with instead of 5' feet.   I suppose it is better than none.    Still, 2' feet does not leave me much room for error when I begin to create.  I will have to be extremely careful with every inch I have.  I must  check my visa statement to verify if I was charged for the full 5' feet.  The printed invoice states 5' feet was shipped however  there is a pen mark through the 5' with a handwritten 2' in its place.   The same with my silver plated oval links rollo chain. I received only 3' feet instead of 5' feet.

Another negative is the Toggles I was waiting for.  I had not ordered this particular style before and I took the chance and ordered online to see what they look like.  The pictures on line were good and the description seemed ok, however once they arrived the Hill Tribe Silver Triangle toggle clasps (HTS138) were too small.   The size was in the description which I should have paid attention too.  Measurements: Approx. Loop 8.5x9.5mm, Bar 15mm    So note to all of you beaders....these babies are small!!!  I would recommend them only for children's bracelets.  One would need fine motor skills just to work with them to get them opened and closed.   They are beautiful, but they will have to go back because the toggle is too small to use. 

My girlfriend and I chat about what we order, all the time.  I live on the Westcoast and she is in Ontario.  Both of us are highly addicted to beading. Should I use the word addicted?  Or shall I describe us both as passionate about beading?  However, when we get our orders we discuss what we have bought.  Today we emailed each other about my new order and her response back to me is: 

You and I seriously need to start some conversations about specific items we like and don't like. I have a few favourite toggles and some I wouldn't order again.

To help us both, I will blog this return so we both have a point of reference for the future. No, we are not old that we can't remember what we have used, liked or disliked.  We are incredibly busy women with much responsibilty that we do not have time to remember such details.  (Yep, that is my answer and that is what I am sticking too) The good news is, my dear friend purchases from the same company I use and their return policy is fabulous.  She sent some of her beads/toggles back and Arbeads was great in crediting her credit card/paypal account and informing her via email what they had done.  Now that is service!

On another positive note, I have 2 other styles of toggles to work with and I am thrilled to start creating again.  I am excited about the chain I received too.  In my bead box I have some fabulous components just waiting to be touched and made into something fabulous.  I can't wait to show you all what I end up creating.  Will the chain be used for bracelets or for necklaces.\?  Let see what happens.

Below is a list of her likes and dislikes and her reasons why.  I am so happy she has given me a list that I can reference too.  Once she get's her work up on Etsy, I will post a link for you all to see what she creates.  The lady has an eye for style too!  Love her work!

Well, got to run, shower, change and get ready for church.  Then back home quickly to watch the hockey game between Canada and the USA.  Who will win the Olympic Gold? 

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Here are some of her favourite items:


STG-RNDL3 - at first I didn't like them, but then discovered they are about the size of the silver coloured seed beads I use, but these are brighter looking than the seed beeds
SS-RND2 - very tiny silver beads. At first I thought they were ridiculously small, and would maybe be good for earrings... but I have tried them as tiny spacers between natural stone when I don't want to detract from the beauty of the stone and they look great
SS-TOG77 - I just love this toggle. So simple but not bland
SS-TOG75 - this toggle is very small but cute
SA-0676 - antique silver plated Jubilee toggle - heart shape. One of my favourites so far when I want to go less expensive than a sterling toggle

DONT LIKE:

PSA-TOG001 - silver plate. it seems thin. Underside is flat and unattractive.
SS-TOG07 - not thrilled with this sterling twisted toggle.
STG-RNDL5 - 5mm sterling roundel spacer. Way too plain, thick - would probably work in a contemporary design that I haven't figured out yet

A few of the stones I am waiting to work with

I am waiting for my toggles to come in.  Everyday I go to the mailbox and peek inside to see if the mailman/woman has delivered my package from the states.   Today will be no exeption.  In the meantime I took a few photo's of some of the beads I will be working with.

Matrix Turqoise Jaspers

Indian Aventurine

Florite Chips

Venetian Glass Leopard print - Ruby with Black spots

Blue & Beige Lampwork

13mm Rhombolds

My beautiful sterling silver bali beads. I love using these.




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

My new black agate squares.  Another semi precious stone that I love to use.  They just anchor a piece down.    
 
 
 

Hurry up toggles and get in so I can start making some pretty's.

 

You know you are addicted when;

When you need more cases and jars for the latest shippment of beads! Oh my gosh...I just got new beads in last week, and I don't have anymore little jars to put them in. Several weeks ago I bought a case and filled it with my silver beads and components.

What is funny about all these cases and beads is I don't have any toggles or clasps to finish any projects.

As you can see my bead board has a project starting to take shape and I am stuck to finish until my next order arrives. LOL

Waiting has been torture for me. I want to make a bracelet. I want to make a new necklace with the silver links I purchased. I want...I want....but I have to wait. My grandpa always told me "Patience is a virtue".

Bottom line.....I have to wait. Update you soon when my toggles arrive.

About me

http://www.etsy.com/shop/YrDiva

Come see some of my work that is for sale while I set up my blog.

I am a little behind schedule this morning as I just got back from a run with my puppy Dilbert. I still have to have a shower and get ready for work. But I will come back and talk about my bead work and the new pieces I have created.

TTFN....