YOJ 2012 Week 12: Picasso Jasper heart pendant, fine silver

This is a Picasso Jasper heart that I have wire wrapped with fine silver and sterling silver. I have added a small Ruby bead to it. The stone got a bit scratched while wrapping....and I read later that this stone is very delicate and soft, and can get damaged easily. Next time I'll be more careful. It took me a long time to make this, because the stone and the wires were not in any mood to cooperate with each other. However, I do think it turned out nice. After taking pictures I can see that I need to file the wire ends on the curls more...and I'll do that before listing it on my Artfire store.

Red Jasper heart necklace for a bride

I had recently donated a piece for a fundraiser, and 2 people contacted me later saying they couldn't win it, and if I could make a similar piece for them. One of them was a would be bride, and wanted to wear it for her wedding. I felt so happy and honored to do this for her. I feel a marriage is so sacred...and to be part of it in any way is an honor. Here is what I made for her, and she did wear it with her beautiful white wedding gown. She sent me a picture and she looked gorgeous! :-))). I made the chain with fresh water pearls. The clasp is a Bali flower clasp.

Valentine's Day...romance, love, affection...sweetness: Carnelian Heart Necklace

To buy this, please go to my Etsy Store.

With Christmas and New year gone, I was thinking how there's going to be a long blah period. I totally forgot the sweetness that Valentines Day brings! What does Valentine's Day mean to you? When I was younger, it meant romance. But now as a wife, a mum, a daughter, a daughter-in-law, a sister, a friend, a sister-in-law, aunt...and so many other roles that have become important, Valentines Day means simply Love....sweetness. It is also the day I met my sweet hubby for the first time. Valentines Day is a day for me to wish anyone I love...and there are so many I love. So many that I can't count. I hope it is the same with you.

So for Valentine's Day, I made this sweet necklace. A deep orange Carnelian heart, wrapped in sterling silver wires, following Judy Feskun's tutorial. Pearls too stand for innocence, love and sweetness for me, so I hung this pendant on a simple string of pearls, finished with a hand made sterling silver clasp. The fresh water pearls chain is 17.5" with the clasp.

This got me thinking...love is a great subject. I think for a while I will focus on making pieces on themes of love...on the world's greatest romances, Divine Love, affection, love between different relations. Do you have a great love story to tell me on which I could possibly base a piece? If you do, email me at cobaltblueastrid@yahoo.com.

YOJ Week 11: Cross (not on theme)

The theme for YOJ this week is Barbados Culture, but I'm not on theme. I really wanted to try Iza's tutorial for making a cross. It has a heart shaped pearl in the center, and I tried to make a halo with Labradorite beads...but instead of looking like a halo, this element is making the cross look like a key! And I royally messed up the weaving, especially on the left arm...what can I say Iza? I have crucified your cross...lol!

But...I think it doesn't look bad for a first attempt at it. I will love wearing it. The clasp is hand-made too. I have attached 2 Labradorite beads to the chain as well. The piece is made with sterling silver all the way.

Next time it will be better :-).

YOJ Week 9: PURE HEART

This piece was made in honor of Andrew Jordan. He IS my friend Connie's son. He ascended to the higher dimensions, but he lives on. Andrew was given the name of "Pure Heart" and he is signified by an Emerald heart. I have felt his leaving the physical plane very deeply, and I have felt his mother's grief and her love for him very deeply. When I feel something so much, I need to give it creative expression. And I also wanted to create something to honor the person...the child who has taught us much. I wanted to honor the love of a mother who wants to give up on life, but still goes on courageously, in her faith in life eternal, and to live up to what her son has taught her.

When I asked Andrew to help me create a piece in his honor which would be special to his mum, he told me that even if he is an Avatar, a great being, a great Master, he is still small enough to be enfolded within his mother's love. He gave me this gold shape to use around the Emerald heart to signify the womb, and the highest love. Gold is the color of LOVE from the highest, so I used gold-filled wire to cradle the heart. The heart is made of 50.4 carats genuine opaque Emerald. The gold weave is Connie's love for her son, and the Emerald heart is Glan Croi - Pure Heart.

Jade set

This is a Jade heart pendant, Yellow Turquoise beads and gold-filled wire necklace. I learnt this style of wrapping a heart from Judy of http://stix-n-stones.ca/. This is the second one I made in this style. I like it, but it hasn't yet turned out as lovely as hers does. But I am happy with it.The first one was the coral heart I did below.

I am also happy with how the chain links turned out. And I love the way they sound -- ching ching ching! LOL! Feels great to wear this set. I feel gooooood and quite divinely royal when I wear it!
:-)))))))))))))

And here are the matching earrings....again...feels great to wear them. The beads are Yellow Turquoise.

Red Spongy Coral Heart

I know this will not be a favorite for many because of many reasons....one maybe because it is so busy? But as Natasha put it, "It is a nice kind of busy....sometimes busy looks nice". I like it...it looks warm and friendly, and looks like it is smiling :-).