I did have trouble trying to construct the charms (with hindsight I see all the things I would have done differently) but I really am quite proud of two particular charms that I 'fabricated' - or well - at the very least I 'embellished' them.First up is the wee bunch of cherries charm:
Obviously being a boy, Handsome Prince had not the faintest idea what this was supposed to be but both my beautiful sisters recognised it for what is was/is. It was quite fiddly to work with but I really liked the result and cherries are fabulous (both in terms of eating and accessorising with!)And next up the lily charm:
This one is a bit of a cheat because I had the flower charm but improvised a little stamen/stigma out of tiny multi-coloured seed beads. A few green tube beads for the stem and a little leaf completed this particular charm.I followed up the flower theme with some metal petal (it's fun to rhyme!) and flower charms, a couple of chains and a few Swarovskis and it was good to go!!!
Blue pearl beads, opaque blue swarovski crystals, blue shell star and little metal stars - such a lovely blend of beads and blues - in fact, it's a very good remedy for 'the blues' - pearls, crystals and stars - they make my heart happy!
I added a couple of dangly details (the wee Made With Love tag) and two butterfly wings hanging back to back to give a bit of texture and add another dimension to the piece (that sounds very space-y - adding "another dimension!"). 
In between the front pearls I added a little sparkly rondelles (I ADORE them!!) and I think they just lift the whole necklace. The sparkles come from Germany – now let me quantify that statement with news that Muma will probably not find too pleasant so I apologise but just keep in mind “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” – Muma – confession – I found these beads – on the street – as part of a silver, gold and sparkly necklace. I deliberated about using them – normally I loath anything second-hand (I can’t abide owning copied DVDs, not thrilled with second-hand books either – except the really old ones! They are fabulous!) Anyway I just love the sparkles, plus they would be pretty pricey to purchase so the fact that I got them gratuis is even better – so apologies but that’s where they come from. Even so they do a stellar job in highlighting the pearls and adding a little je ne sais quoi to the overall effect.
And my Sweeto has worn it ever since I gave it to her (I must say I'm very flattered!), she even wears it in bed and in the shower - but I have noticed this is not reacting too well with the wire in the Tigertail so it may have to be restrung but I dont mind - I'm just delighted she loves it enough to wear it - which is what this whole blog is about!!!
The blue shard(?) also matches the one on her sailor necklace (I just love intertextuality!) and then on the other earring I made a heart out of blue wire and hung a wee colander off it to signify Spooners' love for cookery (and for Super D?!) I was torn between using a wee teapot charm (as J loves her tea!) but in the end I went with the colander as it is way cuter and more unique (much like the girl herself!) More stars and the wee clothes peg is rather topical as she has just invented a craft that requires pegs to string up letters to welcome guests and also she has a certain small (yeah right!) love of clothes - making and wearing!! So all in all, this is a rather true portrait of June through the medium of jewellery!
I didn't have any measurements for this so I just laid wire along the bought bracelet to gauge the length of each piece - the bought one is much stronger than mine and bounces back into shape a lot more easily (mine tends to take on the shape of the last way in which it was bent) and despite all my attempts at measurements (which are reknowned for being poor at the best of times!) this one is a little too big for my wrist but it does make a nice mid-forearm-near-elbow cuff!
The plaiting was pretty hard and all the lengths are tapered (in the bought one) so I just attached them all at an angle to make them fit!! As mine is a little on the generous side space-wise whenever I wear it I use ribbons to hold it together, Handsome Prince says I should attach lobster claw clasps to hold it together but I think that will take away from the overall effect, after all this type of cuff isn't really supposed to have a fastening, just cling to your wrist and then spring back to shape after you take it off and I think (in my humble opinion) that the ribbons are sweet and add a whole other dimension (if slightly out of theme) to the whole ensemble!
The ginger girl always remembers her anklet with fondness and whenever she travels to the north coast she is always on the lookout for six dolphins playing among the waves, though she has not seen one even to this day. But, dear reader, she has never given up hope that perhaps one day, maybe darting through the moonlight reflected on the waves, or smoothly sailing through the first golden rays of sunrise, gilding the rippling water, she will spot the dorsal fin of one of her darling dolphins - fun-loving, free and fabulous! And They All Lived Happily Ever After. The End.
Fun, funky and fast. I found a bag of multi-coloured pegs in a craft shop in Belfast and decided to turn them into a pair of earrings. Just pick your colour scheme, number of pegs and shape (this one is zig-zag, but you could also do curvy pointing towards or away from your face, for example) and then clip them in place!! Word of warning however, they do tend to 'ping' off every so often so a wee blog of wood glue between the 'nippy-bits' should hold them in place. I haven't glued mine because I like being able to change the colour combinations and length to suit my mood - 2 pegs day wear, 4 pegs night wear - but the sky is the limit, you could clip them all the way down to your waist if you so desired! Or simply make lots of versions and secure them all safely with glue, as a bag of about 50 pegs costs abround 80p-£1 you could make as many of them as you want!!
I just love the wee copper heart - I didn't have a charm that would go with the the peachy coloured bead so I fiddled about with a bit of copper wire and bent it into the shape of a heart - I love the adaptability and versatility of wire work! And it means it's a little bit more personal than before. (I'm think of making a bag chain made up only out of home-made charms..hmm...)
These beads are truly beautiful but I never seem to photograph them well, I lose their glittery sparkle with the flash and lose their shimmery shine without it - so I just have to go with whatever photo is clearest so the above pic is the winner! Also I am attempting to photograph my jewellery in different locations or situations until I get some sort of bust or jewellery hanger to display them on but at the min I'm using my crystal glasses - double bonus as I can now highlight my beloved glassware! 
The above pic gives the impression that the bracelet isn't the same width/breadth all the way round but this is a sort of visual-illusion, or the pic was just taken from a funny angle. My colour choice was quite simplistic here and if I make another one I'll definitely spice things up a little, also next time I will use wider beads, the ones I used here are pretty standard-small 'seed beads' which made it more difficult to thread the needle and threading through, especially as some of the beads were passed through three or four times! But overall I love the look (and feel) of it and best of all it is easy-peasy and quick to make!!
I began with the thickest (and longest) chain as the foundation of the necklace, it was the heaviest and also the strongest so it could support the weight of the rest of the necklace, without being too overpowering (both in terms of link-age and weight!) I attached a few sailing-inspired charms (anchor, ship's wheel) and a some special pieces - like the chinese fish pendant and the mother-of-pearl-esq shard that hangs in the centre. The clam shell on the left is made up of two shell charms joined by wire, that can be opened to reveal a little pearl hanging in the inside. I made a pair of earrings that feature this idea and will be shown here later - I just love the idea of secret jewels (or in this case pearls!) you know it is there and you can tell people or keep it a special secret!!! [You know this reminds me of a pair of shoes I got years ago in Clarks - Mum kept asking me if I was sure they didn't hurt and to be honest they could have made every single one of my toes bleed and I would still have wanted them because they came with a key and this key, once inserted into the heel turned a little turntable so that you could see a picture of a rose or a 'diamond' showing through a small window on the sole of your shoes - brings a whole new meaning to the concept of 'Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes' - as an (gulp!) adult I now wonder what on earth was the point of having pictures of roses and small 'diamonds' on the soles of your shoes? Knowing how proud I was of them I have no doubt that I probably crawled about on all fours so people would notice them - seems strange now - especially because the top (read-visible) side of the shoe was so dull! White with maybe a flower motif somewhere but just nothing compared to the secret underneath - and that is probably where this hidden pearl, secret surprise, utter delight probably stems from - so thanks for that Mum - see what you have created!?!] Anyway where on earth was I? Oh yes, back to the necklace. I made the blue chain out of metal wire which is surprisingly maleable (or is that ductile?) and lightweight and then attached it to the main chain (it's fun to rhyme!). Above the clam shell is a little blue twist (I thought it reminded me of a wave? - or maybe that was just my over-active imagination?!) and a ring with tiny bells on it, to add a little jingling sound! i then attached the finer chain and hung more seaside charms (dolphin, crab and wee clam shells with blue sparkle beads). 
I wanted to use the metal heart as the catch as I have done with othere necklaces but the chains were just too heavy and kept pulling it apart so in the end I hung it beside the 'made with love' charm and used a regualr lobster-claw catch to hold it all together! Though I have just realised i put the catch on the wrong side - Doh! Rookie mistake!!!
I added a wee 'MADE WITH LOVE' charm and an extension chain with a little heart on the end to add a little flourish to the bracelet because I believe all sides of jewellery (front and back) should be pretty to look at. For example, when your necklace (inevitably!) spins round so the catch and the pendant are side by side, instead of detratcing from the overall effect, a pretty catch or an extra we
