A necklace full of sparkle

This is still one of my favourite designs, and as it has been a while since I last made one of these I thought it was time for another to be added to my collection, even though my thumb was numb for a week afterwards - it is still worth the effort. this necklace has over 200 Swarovski crystals in it and is just absolutely stunning, even though I say so myself.

...and wouldn't you just know it - no sooner had I made this I had an order for another in totally different colours to this so another week of a numb thumb is on the cards very soon!

This necklace is now available from my Etsy shop

handmade jewellery by Angela Smith

Two new Bumblebee pendants

Bumblebees and summer for me go hand in hand - I have spent many an hour just sitting and watching them fly around our herb garden - summer just wouldn't be the same without their gentle buzzing and flashes of bright yellow and orange but not only are they beautiful to watch they are also central to our ecosystems as great pollinators, without them many of our fruit, vegetables and wild flowers would not survive, worryingly bee numbers are declining in the UK due mainly to changes in agricultural practises, We can all do our bit to help bees - just by planting a few bee friendly plants in our gardens - it could be as simple as that! 

I sat outside, enjoying a beautiful summers day, making these bumblebees, surrounded by the constant hum of our own garden bees- it was wonderful!!!
These make fun summer necklaces and although I have made and will continue to make several of these I can guarantee that each one will be different as I don't use a template to make the bee frame therefore each one will vary in size and shape and the colours and size of stripes will also vary too.

These two are currently for sale in my Etsy shop 

handmade jewellery by Angela Smith

A summer ladybird

Another beaded pendant today to add to my wildlife inspired collection, this is my second ladybird pendant and is larger than my first which is currently available from Gallery at 12 in Eccleshall 

The pattern is repeated on both sides

This ladybird is currently available from my etsy shop

handmade jewellery by Angela Smith

jewellery re-vamp

Every so often I am given old items of jewellery no longer loved or needed, and quite often I leave them lying in a pot where I can see them until I have a light bulb moment! This is the result of one of those light bulb moments!

Nothing like any earrings I have made before, but now I've made these I might have to think about making others in this style, just need to look out for some more bright and colourful beads!

handmade jewellery by Angela Smith

Orange-tip butterfly -

Normally I would post photos of butterflies on garden gate blog or my beyond the gate blog, but this isn't that sort of butterfly.
This is an orange tip butterfly - photographed in my garden a couple of years ago

This is my interpretation of an orange tip butterfly - made with beads and wire

unique handmade jewellery by Angela Smith

new ear hanging delights!

In other words earrings - the reason I started making jewellery in the first place, I just love making and wearing earrings.
This morning I woke early - thanks to a magpie at our window, so I took the opportunity of the good light before breakfast to make a few more pairs of earrings with some of the new beads that arrived in the post yesterday, along with some I already had in my collection.

Murano glass and Swarovski crystal

Murano glass and Swarovski crystal

glass beads with silver plate stick

Murano glass 

Murano glass and Swarovski crystal

Murano glass and Swarovski crystal

I also had time to make a couple of pendant & earring sets too

Murano glass and Swarovski crystal

Murano glass

handmade jewellery by Angela Smith

Things don't always go to plan!

Today I provided an end of term jewellery making session for some year 6's at a local primary school, the plan was that that the girls would make a simple floating necklace and the boys could do a plaited bracelet - that was the plan -
So some floating necklaces were made - by some of the boys, the rest of the boys and all the girls made the bracelets. In future then it would appear that I just offer these bracelets!!!!!

A summer dragonfly

My new make for today is this beaded dragonfly pendant

handmade jewellery by Angela Smith

sparkling seahorses

two more seahorse pendants, stunning to wear and when not around your neck, hang them in your window and watch them sparkle in the summer sun!

handmade jewellery by Angela Smith

A rare event

Today was the Church Eaton scarecrow festival and the sun shone all day!
Normally I would take a gazebo and battle winds and at the very least showers, but today it was glorious and  I opted to take just a parasol. My stand was on the school field so I chose a spot in  a corner and set up my stall, which included my jewellery , beaded cards, photo cards and a make your own leather and bead necklace or bracelet. To help my stall stand out  and hopefully attract people over |I also took a couple of colourful windmills

Bumblebees -

I could make these all day - oh yes wait a minute I did!
Two more bee pendants made today - I can see me making many more of these if my fingers let me!

the bee on the right is the one I made last week - as you can see the two I made today aren't as big!

original handmade jewellery by Angela Smith

beaded ladybird

and they keep on coming - here is another of my beaded pendants - great for the summer

 unique handmade jewellery by Angela Smith

nine sparkling necklaces hanging in a row

Just in case you were wondering if you would ever see an every day necklace from me ever again here are a few simple necklaces made this morning using a shamballa style bead, tiny glass beads and a Swarovski crystal, hanging from a silver plate snake chain

handmade jewellery by Angela Smith