Showing posts with label Pearl Jewelry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pearl Jewelry. Show all posts

Knotty Board Fun!

I'm sure you've all heard me mention how I absolutely LOVE the waxed jewelry cord Sandra over at The Knotty-Do-It-All carries (it's great for knotting gemstones and some of my large hole pearls!) and how I love both my large and small Knotty-Do-It-All boards

So, last year when I saw Sandra was carrying some great 'Tassel Cord', well, of course I had to place an order and try it out. 

Here's a photo of two tassels I completed with the Knotty-Do-It-All board using Sandra's instructions.


I haven't yet completed necklaces to go with these - bad me!!


 The cord feels great and it works up perfectly into tassels which have that 'swing' you want a tassel to have. (yes!)

Tassel Cord from The Knotty-Do-It-All

I got quite a few colors, but I might have to go back for more - they're all so yummy!! 

So, if you're making tassel necklaces (like, who isn't these days?!) and stocking up on supplies you'll need for the 'holiday times' then you're gonna want to grab up some of these spools of tassel cord. 

I use my Knotty-Do-It-All boards quite frequently while making knotted jewelry. It's easy, fun and the quality of these boards and the accessories which accompany them are really great.




Here's some pieces of jewelry I've created with the help of The Knotty-Do-It-All Boards.

Also, most of these designs were created using either the waxed jewelry cord or the nylon cord Sandra has over in her shop.














Oh, and here's my little 'disclaimer'.  
"I did this review of my own free will and spoke completely freely 
about my feelings regarding the product(s) I mentioned here today, because yes, I really use them
and yes, I absolutely love them!



Until Next Time,
Peace, Love and KNOTTY Beads and Pearls, Baby!
~Shel~

Playing A Bit





Silence is golden. 

That's what they say anyway. 




Probably not such a good idea for a blog though, right?  

My apologies for the silence here lately. 





There's been a lot of things going on work wise and personally and blogging 
took a back seat for awhile.


 



I was able to create a few things these last couple of weeks and so I wanted to pop in and give you some jewelry eye-candy.


Sterling Silver Dragonfly Button from Kim over at Untamed Spirit Studios on Etsy


 
You know me, 

It's All About The Pearls!!



 
 Thanks to everyone who's messaged me and/or left comments via email or on Facebook and Instagram,
I appreciate them! 





Until Next Time,
Peace, Love and Pearls, Baby!!
Cheers,
~Shel~

 




 The cord I used in the knotted pearl necklaces is waxed jewelry cord from Sandra over at  
The Knotty Do-It-All.

It's pretty awesome stuff!!


3 Day Blow Out Sale and Time To Say Farewell,...

Well, it's time to pack it in and call it a day! 

I'm closing my Etsy store on November 30th.




Most of you who follow along with me here know that I have been doing a lot less, jewelry-wise, this year because I've been immersed in the business I co-own and run with the hubs.

And, since things are continuing full-force, I decided it was best to close up shop and let the jewelry business simmer for awhile. 
  


I think I'd stop breathing if I had to quit creating all together, so I will be doing things here and there, and I'll be putting designs up over on Facebook (I honestly get more inquiries via FB than anywhere else!) or here on the blog every once in a while.  

If you see something you want, just message me to ask about it and if it's available, I'll 'ring it up' for you!

And Here's The Good, Juicy Stuff,...

 
This Sunday from 10:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. my sister and I are having our annual Fall Boutique at her house. It's going to be my last show for a while too, so if you're here in central AZ, stop by and join us. We'll have all kinds of fun jewelry designs, plus, my sister will have many of her fantastic paintings  and note cards she's been doing recently (did I mention she's an amazing artist??) for sale as well.  

Here's some of her work she's posted over on facebook recently.



Incredible, right?! 

In the meantime, before I put my jewelry making tools away, I'm having a huge Jewelry Blow Out SALE over in my MiShel Designs Etsy Shop.  



For the next 3 days, 
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 
November 15th, 16th and 17th, receive  
40% OFF Your TOTAL ORDER

Yep, that's right - 40% OFF! 

Just use coupon code BLOWOUT when you check out through Etsy.  

Then, starting the 17th of November all items will be offered at 35% off by using code SAVE35 upon check out until I close my shop the last day of November.


 

Thanks for all your support, I can't tell you what it's meant and how much I appreciate it!


And, please come back here to the blog to catch up on things or follow along on the MiShel Designs Facebook page - I'll still be around every once in a while!


 

Until Next Time,
Peace, Love and Transitions in Business!
Cheers,
~Shel~


 


Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! 2014 Blog Hop Reveal!





Welcome to the 2014 
Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! 
Blog Hop Reveal!



Are you ready to see some gorgeous pearls today?  I know I am!

The guidelines for the Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop were quite simple.

"Show Us Your Pearls!" 

Yes, that's about it. It didn't have to be jewelry or bead related. Anything you wanted to design and create with pearls was fine - and welcomed!

Feel free to show off your pearls along with us. Just use the InLinkz Link Up tool at the bottom.

If you'd like to have the InLinkz code so you can have the link up tool on your blog today too, just clink here and you'll go to the page that has the link to the code.

With everything going on this month, it was challenging, but I did managed to create a couple of designs. 


First up, I got to play with some solid gold!

Oh YES! It was heaven!




And it isn't just any piece of gold either.

It's an 18k yellow gold original cross that my hubby, Mike, and our friend, Steve, created and cast earlier this month.

It measures a whopping 1.75 (almost) inches long and has some heft to it - but not too much!

I had no idea what or how I wanted to use this cross - especially since I don't wear gold - so this was a challenge.

I knew it deserved the 'good pearls' in my inventory.
And something that would make it 'pop'. 

The really nice freshwater cultured drop pearl that dangles on it is approximately 13mm in size - rather large.

The pearls in this necklace are freshwater cultured pearls from Majestic Pearl.

I wanted to make the cross charm something that could be taken on/off easily so the pearls could be worn on their own and so the cross could be worn on other necklaces, too.

I'd seen several versions of this sort of 'bail' over on Pinterest lately, so I thought I'd try creating my own version and it worked out quite well.

Did you know there is a difference between a 'bail' and a 'pearl enhancer'?  

You can read a nice article from my online friend Calla Gold about the difference here.
 





This necklace reminds me of Old World Kings and Queens and a time when, despite the rugged materials the craftsmen had to work with, pieces were elegant, opulent and exquisite.

It was extremely fun playing with 'the good china', as I call it!

From the pearls, the handcrafted clasp, to the cross - this one's a keeper! 

Except Mike keeps telling me he's taking the cross and melting it down and making something else with his gold.

Umm,...no. I think it's perfect the way it is. 

And then there's this fun little guy. 

Better known as 'Donald Trunk'.




My hubby found some old molds at a jewelry supply store in town here and he poured me this pewter elephant using one of them. 

Mike calls him "Donald Trunk" because he's got this 'blob' of pewter on the top of his head,...see that??  

It's like a wild pewter 'comb-over' or toupee.  Yep. LOL!!



 The pearls in this necklace are also freshwater cultured pearls.
The dark ones have been dyed to get this awesome deep color and they come from Majestic Pearl as well.

They represent the deep colors of the elephant, both his skin and his eyes.

The really fun 'waffle' pearls (that's what I call them - it's neither a correct nor industry used term!) are keshi pearls that I picked up several years ago from Ayala's Originals at the gem show down in Tucson. 

They represent the rough skin of the elephant and his wonderful 'wavy' ears and the color of his tusks.

Both necklaces were hand knotted on C-Lon cord that I purchased from the BeadShop.com

I like using C-Lon (and Superlon, too) on many of my designs because it doesn't stretch as much or absorb body oils, lotions and perfumes as quickly as 100% silk does. Which makes caring for it a bit easier than designs created with silk. And to me, it drapes/hangs much like silk, which I like.

 When we did the Pearls Blog Hop last fall, many of you said you liked all the links I provided to various educational sites about pearls and many of the video tutorials and things of this nature, so here's the link to
with all the links for anyone who wants to see them and revisit any of the goodies that were included in last fall's reveal post.

Also, here's the link to my Pearls page here on the blog where you'll find lots of pearl information, video tutorials on pearl knotting (not mine, but a lot of other people's tutorials) and other links such as jewelry, tool and pearl suppliers as well, so be sure to check it out.

I do want to share with you a really good video of how to knot pearls with out the use of tools, such as awls, tweezers or knotting tools or boards.  

This is a great method when you're stringing a simple strand of pearls - they come out beautifully!

This video is compliments of the wonderful folks over at Pearl Paradise.  Pearl Paradise owner Jeremy Shepherd and his wife, Hisano are a wealth of wonderful information and the designs that Hisano and the crew over at Pearl Paradise put together are just AMAZING!!  

Make sure to check out the latest post over on their blog, here.  And, of course, have fun drooling over all the beautiful pearls they offer for sale - wow!

And yes, the pearls in the below video are real, Saltwater Cultured South Sea Pearls,...Honkin' Huge!!




Now it's time to check out what all the other participants below have created with their pearls! 

Thanks to everyone who is jumping in today and sharing your pearls - I can't wait to see what everyone has created! 



Until Next Time,
Peace, Love and All Things Made With PEARLS!!
Cheers,
~Shel~


Wearing Your Pearls!

Although the 2014 Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop that's happening this Sunday, June 29th here on the MiShel Designs blog had simple instructions that you could create ANYTHING with your pearls - it's a pretty obvious that my contribution will more than likely be PEARL JEWELRY. 

NO!?!  (You would have never guessed that, right?!)

So, let's get a little pearl fashion going on here, shall we?


 

It's fun and exciting (to me, anyway!) to see how pearls have been pushed front and center these last couple of years (FINALLY)!!

I'm thoroughly enjoying their nice little run in the fashion spotlight.

Here's a few things I found on the Internet
to get your pearl fashion cravings satisfied.

First up, this article by Brittany Siminitz a couple of weeks ago over on JCK online, (which is super!) highlights some great luxury pearl jewelry, like this awesome cuff by 
Vincent Peach.

 
Vincent Peach Cuff - LOVE this!!!
Fashion forward and fun!

Then there's the pearl body chains that every one's wearing - sexy, aren't they? 



 
What a great way to wear your pearls!

Then of course, one of my favorites,
Layering your pearls! 




The hottest earring designs around this year 
are those with pearls, too. 

Like these by Dior,...


Dior Earrings, worn by actress Emma Watson - Via Pinterest, Charmandchain.com

Worn by actress, Emma Watson.

FABULOUS!!

And then of course, there's always my favorite designer,
Todd Reed.

His new line of jewelry has bunches of gorgeous pearls included! (Yeah, baby!!!)

Just look at this gorgeous ring of his!

Todd Reed Ring - with PEARLS!!!
 

So, now that your creative juices are flowing,
get out your pearls and start creating!

Then come back here on 
Sunday, June 29th,  and join in the  
2014 Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!! Blog Hop 
and show us your PEARLS!! 




Until Next Time,
Peace, Love and All Things Pearls!!
Cheers,
~Shel~

Girls and Their Pearls

This Sunday, June 29th, is the 
here on the MiShel Designs blog. 



The challenge was simply this: 

Create something using pearls. It doesn't have to be jewelry or bead related at all. It can be anything your little heart desires; from pearl encrusted stilettos, to a pearl laden writing journal or lamp shade, the choice is yours.



June has been a much busier than normal month 
here in our household.  

There's been more travel this month than usual, some very sad moments of losing friends and other loved ones, an unusual amount of extra paper work for our business and school (yes, even though it's summer!), appointments for senior photos, dental and doctor appointments, designing and ordering our 20th Wedding Anniversary rings (Mine's being created by the wonderful team over at Todd Reed in Colorado, and Mike's having our friend Steve help him craft his own - I can't wait to see them both!!) and all sorts of other 'home' stuff to manage.

So, needless to say, I started to majorly stress out about the Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop I decided to host this month. 




However, a friend nicely reminded me that although I'm hosting this hop, it shouldn't be stressful at all because it's just a "link up" type of hop. 

What's that mean you ask?  

It means that if you'd like to participate that all you have to do is come here on June 29th and 'Link Up' with us via the InLinkz link up tool that will be at the bottom of my blog post that morning. 

Simple as pie!  



So, I hope you'll link up with us here on 
Sunday, June 29th 
and join in the Pearl Fun!




In the meantime this week, I am going to give you a couple of posts to wet your whistle on pearls - I mean, how could I knot. I mean not. LOL!




First up, here's a couple of quick and easy reminders on how to care for and store your  pearl jewelry.

Always keep your pearl jewelry, whether it be real pearls or imitation pearls, out of the 'chemical baths' of perfume spraying, lotion lathering and hair spray fogging.  Seriously. Be sure to use your lotion, your perfume and your hair spray BEFORE donning your pearls - and yes, that goes for pearl earrings as well gals! 


Never clean your pearls with liquid chemical jewelry cleaners. I did this once. It was on some really nice Swarovski Crystal Pearl jewelry I created many years ago with sterling silver. I dunked the entire necklace into the little basket, put it in the jewelry cleaning liquid, sealed the lid and left it there for almost 15 minutes. When I came back and took out my beautiful Swarovski Crystal Pearl and Sterling Silver Necklace,...the silver was all shiny and gorgeous again, but the crystal pearls were, shall we say, a bit 'sticky'. 

I had thought, "I'm only dipping them for a brief moment, what could possibly harm them that quickly?"  Well, DUH!  It's a chemical that cleans,...deep cleans. And obviously eats away at certain substances,...like pearl coatings, plastics, pearl nacre, resins, the stabilizing materials in stabilized turquoise and other gemstones.   So, my advice, "No chemical cleaners for your pearls, okay?" 


Also pearls, if strung on silk, nylon or other cording, should not be hung up in your jewelry box or from those cool DIY jewelry displays made out of a old picture frames and vintage drawer hardware or hooks. Nope. It looks really cool indeed, but it stretches the cord more quickly than normal wear and tear, thus leading to having your pearls restrung sooner than is actually needed.
Not Knot on Etsy


Ideally, it's best to store your pearls in a flat box - not a zippy bag or sealed plastic container as they need to breathe - with a nice soft jewelry cloth around them. I've used antique hankies to store mine in and to wipe them clean (you'd be amazed at the damage oils from your own skin can do over time) before I put them away.   And, I feel good that my antique handkerchiefs are getting used and not just stored in a drawer somewhere. 

Okay - that's about it for today. 

Until Next Time,
Peace, Love and Pearls, Baby!!
Cheers,
~Shel~