Day 16: Teardrops on my Guitar Necklace

Yes, I will admit that I really like Taylor Swift's music. She seems pretty nice too. And I especially love that she writes most of her own songs, and actually plays the guitar while she sings. I just think that's amazing.

This necklace is inspired by her song "Teardrops on My Guitar."

First, I wire-wrapped some crystal clear Czech glass rondelles together. These have a beautiful Aurora Borealis finish, which makes them look a lot like moonstone. I attached those to solid brass dainty chain which measures about 17 inches long. The pendant is an antiqued brass guitar charm, along with Czech glass teardrop beads in a lovely blue, with a slight metallic sheen. I topped one of these teardrops with a tiny copper bead cap.

Look for this lovely in my Etsy shop soon!

Day 15: Jane Austen Earrings

One of my favorite pairs of earrings in my shop are my Jane Austen earrings. They are so simple, delicate, and feminine. They've also been one of my best sellers, and even featured on the front page of Etsy!

I've been wanting to make them in different colors, but it has been hard to find pearls that will fit the tiny scalloped bead caps that I use. I made a variation of them called Jane Austen at the Ball with teal colored freshwater pearls and copper bead caps and findings.

Finally, I found some beautiful lavender freshwater pearls that are perfect! You can purchase the new lavender Jane Austen Earrings in my Etsy shop.

Day 14: Hedwig Necklace & Earrings

I love Harry Potter. I remember when the first book came out. I was skeptical...weren't these for kids?? Come to think of it, I was a kid when the first book came out :) But I thought I was too cool to read something like that. Anyway, I finally gave in, and, of course, I was hooked.

Anyway, the next movie is coming out in November, and I've been wanting to make some Harry Potter items for my shop. I already have Ginny's Bracelet, but of course, I'm dreaming up more items. Hopefully I can get some done and in my shop before the movie is released.

I found some cute little owl charms, and decided I would make something in honor of Hedwig, Harry's trusty white owl.

The necklace features the Gryffindor colors, scarlet and gold, in Czech glass. The centerpiece is a brass owl with a white finish that I applied, as well as a vintage brass locket. The chain is a solid brass dainty chain and measures about 17 inches long.

Matching earrings with the same white owls!

Soon to be available in my Etsy shop! What did you make today?

Day 13: Whale Paintings

A while ago, I bought this cute whale shower curtain on Ebay. I thought whales would be a cute theme for my kiddos' bathroom! I originally wanted to paint something on the walls to go with the theme. But then, I decided I didn't want to have to paint over it later....when they got older, or if we decide to move, or whatever.

I decided to get some canvases and paint some matching whales on them to hang in the bathroom instead. I might as well put my minor in art to use once in a while, huh? Although these are not works of fine art, I think they turned out cute for bathroom art :) And it only took me a year to actually do them!

Sorry for the weird lighting in my pictures. That's what happens when you make things and photograph them at night with artificial lighting. But you get the general idea :) What did you make today??

Day 12: Hollywood Vixen Earrings

I actually came up with the idea for these last year around this time. You know...about the time that I found out baby #3 was on her way. Aaaaaand...then the morning....scratch that...all day sickness came along. And I had to shut down my shop, because I could hardly take care of myself and my children, let alone my shop.

So, I never made them. But this year, Baby Girl is here (it's been 3 months!!!) and I am not sick (YAY!!). I am so happy that I feel good enough to create things...and good enough to make meals, get dressed, play with my kids, and actually eat food.

I thought these would be especially great for Halloween. They are a little dark, a little gothic, a lot sparkly. I took vintage Czech glass gems in Crystal and Siam Ruby, then securely wrapped them in black lace. After fastening the lace, I set each wrapped jewel in an antiqued silver setting. These have antiqued silver earwires. I've already listed these in my Etsy shop!!

Hollywood Vixen Earrings . Ruby . Classic Hollywood Glam

Hollywood Vixen Earrings . Crystal . Classic Hollywood Glam

Day 11: Autumn Leaves & Berries Necklace

Isn't it crazy that it is almost Autumn again!!?? Where has the summer gone? Not that I am really complaining. Texas summers are BRUTAL. I really think Autumn is the best season in Texas. Although I miss the leaves changing (that tree in our back yard is a Live Oak...which is green year-round). Spring in Texas is super windy. At least here in Dallas. Summers are scorching hot and the humidity...I'm still not used to it after 5 years. Winters are usually pretty mild. But they can be sooooo cold...that blasted humidity again. It feels like it's seeping into your bones. Plus, I think the super-hot summers have made me very sensitive to the cold now.

So yes, Autumn is the best. Mild temps, darker a little earlier....I can wear layers again. Love it.

Oh, and I love making Autumn jewelry. Here is my first attempt this year:

I found these great vintage brass oak leaf charms. They have a nice coppery patina to them. Very fall-ish. I paired this sweet charm with rich red Czech glass nugget beads. The beads also have a slight coppery sheen, so they go well with the leaves' patina.

The chain is antiqued brass and it closes with an antiqued brass lobster clasp and decorative antiqued brass ring.

Measures a little under 17 inches! Available in my Etsy shop!!

So, what did you make today??

Day 10: Coin Pearl & Citrine Quartz Bracelet

I know I'm in "trouble" when I finish a jewelry piece and I immediately put it on. Not that it's bad to like your own creations. But it's kind of bad for business...when you want to keep everything you make :) That's how I feel about this one. So, I'll probably have to make two of them.

I haven't come up with a great name for this one yet. But I think it's so pretty and can go with just about anything. And I still want to keep it.

I made this using freshwater coin pearls, and one faceted citrine quartz coin bead. All of the metal components are sterling silver. I especially love this chain! It is a little more substantial than a regular necklace chain. It has this great texture to it as well, and is also somewhat oxidizd or darkened. Love it.

I make very few things using sterling silver and gemstones. I think I get nervous that I will mess up with the sterling silver wire, because it's more expensive than brass wire. Don't want to waste it! I have a bunch of gemstones and sterling silver sitting in my studio. They've all been there ever since I started this whole jewelry business. I need to stop being so scared and just MAKE SOMETHING with them!!

Anyway, maybe you will see this beauty in my Etsy Shop soon, if I can bear to part with it!!!

Day 9: Floral Wreath

I've had the supplies to make a wreath for a few months now. That is why this wreath looks like spring and it's almost Autumn. Oh well...I can still hang it up until mid-September when it's technically still summer, right??

I think I'd been putting this off because I was scared to cut all of the flowers apart. Who knows why. I kind of get the same way whenever I sew something. I hate cutting out the fabric. Because there is no going back.

But, anyway. I finally jumped in and made this floral wreath. I love the roses and hydrangea combination. Now, I have a wreath for each season. I just need some more for random holidays :) My husband will be so excited!!

Here's the photo. I apologize for the quality. They just don't turn out as great when it's 10 o' clock at night.

What did you make today??

Day 8: What did I make??

Today, I'm working on a wreath for my front door. But I didn't have time to finish it. I blame it on my husband being home. Or that I don't get enough sleep. Or some other reason that I can't come up with right now. But, anyway...it's not finished, so I can't use it for today's item...and I don't have pictures either.

But I did make something today. Something that actually takes me A LOT longer than some of my jewelry. Yes, I made an Etsy treasury. I did this one for a Curation Nation Team Challenge. Anyone can join the challenge, so just clickety-click and read all about the rules!

Treasuries are so fun to make, but I take such a long time to make them. Must be the artist in me. I think I can always find an even more perfect item to add to the mix. Oh well. I just love it when the whole thing finally comes together and I click "save." If you want to check out my treasuries, please click here: http://www.etsy.com/people/ellabelleboutique/treasury

So here is what I made today, with lots of my Etsy friends included!

"Blue Skies Smilin' at Me"

Day 7: Marilla's Amethyst Brooch

One week down! I am soooooo tired tonight, and it's not even 10 o' clock. So I must post this and then off to bed.

Ever since I can remember...and possibly before I was even born...I've been an Anne of Green Gables fan. And it possibly goes beyond that. I've read all of the books a few times over. My favorite is probably Anne of the Island, but really, every book is just so wonderful. Reading them can always make me happy. And I really wish I could be more like Anne.

So, if you love Anne, I'm sure you know the little story about Marilla's Amethyst Brooch. You know...how it is lost, and Marilla is just sure that Anne had something to do with it. Anne insists that she hasn't taken it. But Marilla is stubborn and does not believe the orphan could be telling the truth. She shuts Anne up in her room until she can tell the truth. And won't let her go to the picnic that she's been dying to go to. Though Anne did not take it, she dreams up a story about how she did and tells it to Marilla so that she can go to the picnic....eventually, Marilla finds the Amethyst brooch behind her dresser, and, of course feels terrible that she doubted Anne.

Here is my Marilla's Amethyst Brooch creation. Don't you think this would be a lovely Autumn wardrobe addition?? You can purchase it now, in my Etsy shop!

Marilla's Amethyst Brooch . Anne of Green Gables

Yay!! I've made it one week in the challenge! Hope to keep it up for the rest of the month!!

So, about

Day 6: Classic Hollywood Dainty Dangle Earrings

I have literally hundreds of vintage glass jewels in my studio. So many that have not even debuted in my shop yet. I've had some of these colors...probably over a year, and just have not had the time to put them all together.

So I was going through everything and found these lovely pale pink gems, and these pretty spring green ones. Happily, I had settings for them too! After hunting those down, I put these lovelies together. I should really clean out my studio and it wouldn't take me so long to create more jewelry pieces....

Anyway, the pale pink ones will be called "Betty" after Betty Grable, to go with other pale pink "Rosaline" earrings I have in my shop. But, I don't have a name yet for the spring green "Peridot" ones. Any ideas, based upon a classic Hollywood starlet? Or a character in an old Hollywood film? Please let me know so I can get these babies listed!!

Day 5: Classic Hollywood Post Earrings

This week, our family is having a "staycation." We thought that going somewhere would cost too much money. Since we would probably go visit my parents or my in-laws and they live in Idaho and Colorado. And we didn't even want to try driving that far with the three kiddos. I know some of you do that all of the time. We are just not brave enough. We did it with the first two. The vacation was fun. The driving, not so much.

So we're staying home this year. And we've been busy. And I've noticed that when my husband is at home, it completely throws off my schedule and I'm definitely not as productive. Does that happen to you? When he's at work, I can keep the house clean and the kids are on a great schedule. Then, when he's here for a few days, my house looks blown up and my kids seem like they're at least 90% crazier.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is that while he is at home, I probably will not be making anything that takes hours or lots of effort. But the things I make will still be pretty (at least I hope!!).

So, I forgot to post this yesterday, but this is my Day 5 achievement. A few months ago, before baby #3 debuted, I made a bunch of sparkly post earrings for a bridal party. They were all in aquamarine and light amethyst. I was going to list some of those in my Etsy Shop but then life just got crazy, I had the baby...and never got around to it. So, yesterday, I decided to try out some other colors that I just received, and here are the results:

Grace Dainty Post Earrings in Aquamarine - Vintage Czech Glass Gems - Octagons

Carole Dainty Post Earrings in Capri Blue - Vintage Czech Faceted Crystals - Rounds

Hepburn Dainty Post Earrings in Crystal - Vintage Czech Faceted Crystals - Rounds

The round earrings measure about 11mm wide and are set in raw brass settings.

The octagon earrings measure 12x10mm and are set in raw brass settings.

All pairs of earrings have gold plated post earwires and earring backs.

Day 4: Silent in Solitude Necklace

I am sooooo excited about this necklace. SO. EXCITED. I've had the idea in my head for a while now, and just barely found the time to actually create it. And I'm so happy with the end result! Sometimes my ideas don't exactly pan out, and it's really disappointing. But this is not one of those times.

This took me a looong time to make. But the end result was worth it. The hardest part was figuring out how to attach all of the chains to make the intricate pattern. I used all gunmetal findings. The setting is brass with a black enamel finish. The skeleton cameo is acrylic. The tiny red crystals are Swarovski.

Anyway.

I love Halloween. I just think it's so much fun. And I kind of like being scared. I mean, not actually scared...but Halloween-type scared. And I like watching scary movies with my husband. Because he gets even more scared than I do. Probably why he never wants to watch them....

So here is my necklace, based on this portion of a poem by Edgar Allan Poe:

Be silent in that solitude,

Which is not loneliness--for then

The spirits of the dead, who stood

In life before thee, are again

In death around thee, and their will

Shall overshadow thee; be still.

This eerie beauty can be purchased in my Etsy Shop!

Silent in Solitude . Necklace

Day 3: Ingrid Lilacs Bracelet

One crazy day, over a year ago, I got a convo on Etsy from an Etsy Admin. Now, that just doesn't happen very often. Or ever. I thought it was some kind of mistake. But he assured me it was not.... and that they had recommended me to possibly be featured on Good Morning America a couple of days later.

So, as many of you know, some of my items and my Etsy Shop were featured. I still can't believe that it ever happened. You can read about it HERE.

Anyway, as I was being featured on TV, Etsy was kind enough to also feature my Ingrid Lilacs Luxe Earrings on their front page:

Ever since then, I've wanted to create something to match these earrings. I thought a bracelet would be beautiful and found some great vintage glass gems in the same light amethyst color. I actually made a prototype once and was about to list it, but then my mom came to visit and ended up taking it with her :)

I set these lovely glass gems in antiqued brass settings and linked them together with vintage brass roses that are also attached to settings. The chain is antiqued brass plated steel with a great texture. The clasp is vintage brass, and a tiny Czech glass bead dangles on the end. The bead is actually a light yellow and lavender mix and looks lovely paired with the light amethyst stones.

The bracelet measures about 9 inches total, and you can adjust it to be that long or much smaller, depending on your wrist size.

After I take some more photos, this little beauty will be available in my Etsy Shop...and a perfect match for my Ingrid Lilacs Luxe Earrings!!

Day 2: Create Something Challenge

I've been wanting to make another brooch for a while. I made a couple around Christmas that were a little more Christmas-y...red, silver, you understand.

But I came across a couple of these really great golden topaz colored vintage jewels and immediately thought I should make a honey bee brooch with them! So I finally tracked down the supplies that I wanted and voila! Here it is!

I had a hard time getting it all to go together, but I think it turned out pretty, and it would be really fun to wear in the fall with a nice plum colored scarf....hmmmm....

This little beauty will be up in my Etsy Shop shortly! Here are the photos to prove that I actually created it :) Ginger and Honey . Brooch . Classic Hollywood Glam

LOOK!! The back is pretty too!!! :)

So, it's been a while...

Not sure if anyone is out there anymore, but here goes :)

I am finally "back" after having my baby! Life is crazy, but fun, with three kiddos to look after. My Etsy Shop is back too!! Lots of old favorites and LOTS of new goodies too! You should go check it out. Seriously, go! :)

I'm kicking off August (and the last couple days of July) by doing a 30-Day Create Something Challenge! My fun Etsy friend Janae of http://claireandjanae.etsy.com/ is hosting this fun challenge over at her blog HERE!!

You should do it too! After all, the best way to develop talents is to PRACTICE THEM!!

So without further ado, here is the first thing that I made for the challenge:

Anne Shirley . Avonlea Bracelet

I made this using lovely aquamarine quartz beads. They are silky smooth to the touch. I love these beads. They are shaped kind of like pumpkins. I used these same beads in some Anne Shirley Earrings that I made almost two years ago (the first jewelry that I ever made for my shop!!). The center focal of this bracelet is a beautiful flower carved out of white jade.

The bracelet measures about 8 inches long, but because the beads are so lusciously round, it takes up some of the length. It probably fits more like 7 1/2 inches.

I hope to be able to keep up with this fun challenge and show you all some amazing things in the next 30 days! Thanks to Janae for hosting such a great challenge!!! (Did I mention there is a prize in this challenge too??? Go check out her blog!!!)