Can't join the fad?

Do you have trouble wearing most pieces of fashion jewelery because it turns your skin green, bothers your ears, or otherwise makes you look like an alien? Feel like you can never have fun with your jewelery because you can only buy the really expensive stuff?

There are options!

there are coatings available that brush on like nail polish and create an invisible barrier between your skin and your jewelery. Some are made from medical grade silicone and have an almost zero reaction rate amongst anyone. This is the same stuff that is used in breast implants, plastic surgery, skin grafts, etc. Although I am not 100% sure I would want to have it inserted permanently into my body, I would not hesitate to wear it against my skin (and even in piercings) for long periods of time.

Metal can react with skin to turn both the metal and your skin green, black, purple or a variety of other colours that are pretty on My Little Ponies (if not necessarily on you). This does not mean that there is something wrong with your jewelery. Some metals just react that way with some people, and the acidity, oils, bacteria, etc. on your skin can make that chemical reaction happen faster or slower than if someone else were to wear the exact same piece.

If your skin reacts to metal by changing colour, a coat of hardware store spray paint (I like high gloss Tremclad at $3.49 a bottle and I am still on my first bottle) that will just coat the metal and keep the air, which is what causes the reactions, out. (I do not think I would use the spray pain on earring posts. Something about spray paint just screams "For external use only").

So go! A whole new world is opened to you for only the cost of a can of spray paint!

Sentimental and Practical

What makes and estate piece of jewelery valuable? Certainly it is not the cost of the materials or the effort involved as often these piece go for a price high above what would appear to be their value. Often an estate piece may have no intrinsic value at all... a pretty piece of glass handed down through the generations. A small brass locket holding a piece of an ancestors hair. It is the historical significance and tradition behind the piece that elevates it to a whole new level and brings out that "special" quality.

So why not create a historical estate piece from something you might have hiding in a musty box in your basement?

Do you love rings but have trouble finding ones that suit you? How about something filled with family history and tradition, while also being bulky and funky enough to look like a piece of sculpture on your finger?

This ring, made for my own collection, is created from an heirloom piece of my great grandmother's silverware! Almost any piece of metal can be made into jewelery.

What a wonderful gift this would make to children or grandchildren, or even a new bride. A lovely way to carry on the tradition of "family silver" while allowing the bride to choose her own pieces for use on her table.

Each ring can be made to size, but there is another option. Each ring can also be created so that it is adjustable to within 4 sizes. This means that it can be moved from finger to finger with only a minimum of pressure. No tools needed. 1 ring, many sizes!

I can use a spoon with your family history behind it, or pick one up at a pawn shop and we can create a history together. Please feel free to contact me for more information.

Earrings to suit your gorgeous face!

Trying to figure out how to bring out your best features? Did you know that right shaped earrings can frame your face and help complete that stunning work of art you were born with?

A round chin can be complemented beautifully by long, tappered earrings, however, for those of us blessed with cheeks and chins to spare this is not always enough. The balance often looks a little off.

One of the solutions is an earing that only appears to taper, but actually has a little substance at the bottom. While the earrings posted look like they taper, they actually come to frame your face and pull emphasis from your chin and place it around your eyes.

Be the talk of the party with these beautiful 3 inch dangling earrings. The slight tinkle as you move will call all attention to exactly where you want it. The gorgeous op-art design will keep it there!

So what are Swarovski Pearls?

In order to produce stunning results at a fraction of the normal cost I often use Swaorvski Pearls instead of their cultured or freshwater swankier relatives. I will ALWAYS detail this information in an item's description. All items made with Swarovski Pearls can be ordered by commission with cultured or freshwater pearls.

So what are Swarovski Pearls?

Swarovski's crystal faux pearls have a leaded crystal centre that gives them the weight of natural pearls. This means that they hang and drape just like their underwater cousins, and do not look cheap and plastiky like many of the faux pearls available in trendy stores. The core is then covered by layers of a man made nacre for a shell that is nearly identical natural pearls.

Because they are man-made and laboratory controlled, Swarovki pearls have a beautiful and consistent natural colour and luster. they are also available at a reasonable price in a variety of colours and sizes not easily available in cultured and freshwater pearls.

Swarovski pearls warm to the skin just like their more expensive cousins, however that is where the similarities end. Unlike cultured pearls they are also resistant to perspiration, UV rays, perfumes, scratches and gentle washing. This makes them an excellent choice for fashion jewelery, people with sensitive skin, and people who are particularly hard on their jewelery. They can be worn while swimming (for that oh so chic swimsuit and pearls look), and can be stored in a glove box for those "pearls and a ponytail" moments.

Swarovski Crystal Pearls are available in 4 shapes, numerous sizes, and over 20 different colours.

Mermaids delight

This is one of the first pieces I made way back before I started playing with metalsmithing and was only able to work with what I find, but it is still one of my favourite pieces.

This was when I first started to play with transforming jewelery. This piece goes from long to short and day to night without ever losing it drama. Perfect as a choker or as a long pendant these Swarovski Crystal pearls and Venetian glass pair with sterling silver to create a beautiful accent that draws attention to exactly where you want it!