The Rest of the Necklace

Inspiration for jewelry can come from all kinds of unexpected sources, beyond color and shape. When I first glimpsed upon the dainty vintage red and white cabochons, the charms in this necklace, I immediately thought of redwork embroidery. I knew I wanted to design a necklace or bracelet based on this theme. I have so many happy memories of my mother teaching me how to embroider when I was quite young. As a young girl, I loved the classic British novels, and taking out my needle and thread and sewing hoop and working on a piece of embroidery created a quiet camaraderie with whatever character or plot I was caught up in at the time.
So I had my redwork cabochons set aside in my bead box, but there they sat for a very long time because I just couldn't find the "rest of the necklace". It was truly such a thrill, when one day, when I wasn't even looking, I found the glass cabochon with the lovely floral basket, so typical of embroidery themes, and how wonderful that it was red and white. The crisp white background of the cabochon reminded me of embroidery cloth. Now that the necklace is done, I have a few of the smaller cabochons left over, so I am thinking of working on a matching charm bracelet.

Mix and Match Sunday

When I saw this coral tea dress, it was love at first site. You will find this dress and many more delightful frocks at sohomode on Etsy. (sohomode.etsy.com) Not to mention the most amazing collection of tea dresses for your wedding party. Absolutely charming!

I thought it would be fun to browse through Etsy to find a necklace match for this dress. There are lots of different ways you can add jewelry to this dress, and there were so many possiblilities to choose from.

In the end, this Autumn Fields necklace from Ferry Tales Gifts on Etsy totally won me over. (ferrytalesgifts.etsy.com)

 

I love the way the dress and the necklace play off each other. The vintage buttons and lucite flowers in the necklace seemed so compatible with the dress. I can see this dress with all kinds of jewelry, including a vintage brooch. I know if I were lucky enough to own this lovely tea dress, I would try one after another of different colors and styles of necklaces, and earrings too.

Actually, what I like about the dress is how it's lines and colors can be used for many different kinds of "jewelry moods", so each time you change the jewelry you wear with the dress, you've created a completely different look. 

What I love about the necklace is how it will work with several different colors and add such a finishing touch to any look. Aren't the layers of texture in this necklace so rich! This necklace puts the "s" in statement!

Friday Favorites

One of my favorite shops on Etsy is: Surprise Supplies. I love using flowers and leaves in my designs, and this shop has such a delectable selection. I often plan to pick out some flowers, and I end up ordering other items as well because there are so many pretty beads here. I can never resist browsing through the shop to make sure I haven't missed any new listings. It's not just the delightful "garden of beads" here that makes it one of my favorite shops. The shop owner is wonderful, always answering all my crazy bead questions, checking for a particular style, and from day one to the present, has been so kind and welcoming.

Care to take a peek?  http://www.etsy.com/shop/surprisesupplies

Do you have a favorite Etsy shop? Please post your favorites here.

Sneak Peek

Here's a sneak peek at one of the necklaces on my bead board this month. Can you guess what inspired this necklace? Post your guess. The first poster with the correct guess will receive a surprise.