New jewelry! Tree of Life and Cherry Blossom pendants

I've been so busy posting on my Crafty Dee Dixon Etsy page and my Crafty Dee Dixon fb page, I've totally forgotten to post on the original Crafty Dee Dixon blog! LOL

Around Christmas I started making a design called the Tree of Life.  I found the idea when researching Celtic inspired designs, and made the first one from scratch.  After that I looked up a tutorial, which streamlined my method a bit.  Here's the ones I put up on Etsy:

The response I got to the Tree of Life (ToL) pendants made me brainstorm other branch/plant type designs I could create in wire and beads.  I tried a branch with tiny beaded cherry blossoms, and loved the way it came out!  I also like that it's something original, never seen anyone else make something like it (yet :)

You can see the first Cherry Blossom branch pendant I made in the picture above.  Below are some rectangular variations, which I like even better:

jewelry: smokey sparkles ring and bracelet

My friend Rachel was saying yesterday how much she loves the color gray.  Usually I start a jewelry set by making the earrings first, but she doesn't wear earrings.  Rings definitely don't come easily to me yet, but it wasn't as hard as the last one I made a few months ago.  I liked it, then took it outside for pictures and the sunlight catching all the sparkles made me love it!

 (you can tell I'm getting more into photographing my stuff in a flattering and interesting way :)

Then I made a bracelet with two strands of silver, antique silver, and hematite colored wire and various white-gray-black baubles.  It's a little fussy, but I am thrilled with how it came out in the end.  I honestly didn't expect something that's so monotone to be so classy and interesting!

If I put this on Etsy, I'm going to have to price is relatively high because the ring and double strand bracelet are extra time consuming

jewelry: aqua and black swirl jewelry set

I made this one quite a while ago, before I started doing the wire working.  I just listed it on my etsy site (along with a bracelet that I think I already posted here):

https://www.etsy.com/listing/117133667/aqua-and-black-swirl-wire-jewelry-set

I love the combination of dramatic black swirls and bright beads (in my favorite color too).  Now that I know more about wire working I might do it a little differently.  The straight wire doesn't sit as nicely as links or thread or fishing wire.

silver snowflake set

Bright silver (colored) wire, light blue beads, and misc periwinkle and clear beads. 

The snowflakes were made with a jig (that I made myself from a block of wood, a drill, and nails), and then hammered flat with a ballpeen hammer on the concrete patio in the back yard.  This inspired me to get a proper jeweler's anvil and small ballpeen hammer.  The hammered shapes look super cool, but they're also very delicate.  Hopefully practice and/or using the more delicate tools will make them sturdier :)

silver and amethyst daisy set

I made this one for my friend Jamie, who despite moving away years ago, I am very close to.  Happy birthday sweetie!

It's antiqued silver wire, various findings in that color (two sizes of daisies and spacers) plus a variety of amethyst colored beads.  I used iridescent crystal style squarish beads plus plum colored e beads and some other misc purple, gray, and black beads.  I like the way the crystal looks suspended in the large daisies :)

marbled gray and black wire set

black wire with various white, grey, and black marble-y beads.  this one I made for my baby sister Lisa for her birthday.  I tried two other color combinations before I finally found one I liked.  might make a matching bracelet, or might just drop it in the mail.

also contemplating whether to use black nail polish to touch up all the places where the black scratched off the wire, exposing copper colored wire.  or maybe that's part of it's charm :)

autumn beads with gold wire

My latest, pretty amber colors and gold (colored) wire, perfect for fall!

I actually made the earrings a few months ago for my friend Rachel (who wears a lot of earthy colors), before I remembered she doesn't have pierced ears

This was the first set I made where I didn't have someone specific in mind.  I think I'll start putting some on etsy soon, fun but eek! :) 

Rainbow bead necklace for my niece Eva

She doesn't have one favorite color, so I made it with rainbow patterns.  I think the big to small beads (not a trick of the crappy camera) will help it feel like a fancy necklace so he'll less interested in her mommy's grown up necklaces :)

Beading supplies and organization

I've been building my beading and wire working supply since I got back into it a few months ago.   I've also been organizing and reorganizing it all!  After a trip to the Container Store last week where I found some perfect containers (clear, inexpensive, snug-lidded, and with lots of small compartments), I am finally happy.  Now that I am happy with how it's all organized, I can also better see what I have an what I don't have.  It turns out I own a lot of blue-to-green, for example :)

I put all the smaller compartments in a file storage box that has a carrying handle, so I can take my projects with me.  In addition to the beads and findings shown in this pic (which I'm having trouble attaching from phone), I have a box that holds wire and tools, plus a tray that has my current project(s) in it

purple bead soup jewelry

this uses some similar aspects to the pink set I made for Hannah.  most of the beads I used for these came from my friend Allana who sells beads.  She sells mixed beads which she calls "bead soup" in lots of different colors.

still having a hard time with rings.

 I'm glad I "splurged" on the black velvet display thingy (actually only cost $4), makes the pictures look so much nicer :)

green bead and black wire earrings and necklace

these I made for my sister Niamh's birthday.  I'm getting better at the wire working, but the black wire is actually silver coated with black, so all the marks I make fussing to get it just right show up much more than on the silver colored wire.

still came out cool.  I was practicing making spiral metal links and when one came out looking like a music clef I thought that would be fun for my sister, who is very musical :)

I'll have to work on getting better lighting and backdrops when I take pictures...

rose crystal silver wired necklace and earrings

I made these for my friend Hannah's birthday, whose favorite color is pink.  this was my second wire working project, and I am very, very pleased with how it came out.  the combination of dusty pink and tarnished silver looks very classy and old-fashioned, which suits her nicely.  At the last minute I managed to make two matching rings, but forgot to take pictures of those.  Maybe Hannah will model them for me :)

edited to add blurry, cropped cellphone pic of one of the rings.  this one didn't match the above set in style, but she says it matches everything else and she wears it all the time. :)

teal and lime beads wire bracelet

my first wire working project: a bracelet made for myself with "bead units" (wire link with a bead in the middle, loops on the ends, and nice curlies etc :)

edited to add: put this in my etsy shop as a bracelet / anklet
(since at 10" long it's much longer than most bracelets)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/117131353/teal-and-lime-wire-braceletanklet