The sunshine has gone to my head!

Well, I've had a few days off work, and a couple of days good weather, and I think it's fooled me into thinking it summer! Now that the clocks have changed, I'm wearing summer tops and eating salad (yes, eating salad!).

I suppose this sudden burst of goodwill and sunshine inspired me to make a summery piece.....

This coral branch and turquoise necklace was the fruit of daydreaming about holidays. Everything always looks brighter on holiday, the colours are more vivid and everything tastes better! I was thinking of a holiday on the Indian Ocean, of milky white sand, turquoise blue sky, and pretty coloured seashells when I came up with this - I really think it's a little burst of summer. I added the handmade glass starfish to really give it that beachy, holiday feel.

In a total contrast, I've made necklace of coloured jade 'pears' - subtle, muted colours, inspired by the colours of the countryside around me. Maybe Fife isn't quite 'coral bright' but at this time of year, there are some beautiful colours emerging with the first flowers of the season, and after what seems like forever, everything is starting to change colour. In winter everything looks grey or brown, but at this time of year, pale greens, soft fruit colours start to appear - it's such a relief after a long winter season!

These coloured jade stones capture that perfectly. Some of them are really unique, and have little pieces of moss, or twigs inside them. I've included a close-up of this necklace so you can see how individual each stone is.

I'm now thinking of a whole collection of 'summer holiday' inspired jewellery, it seems the sun has gone to my head!!

New Jewellery

I have lots of new jewellery available now, after a somewhat frantic jewellery making session over the weekend.

I think the sunny weather inspired me, and most of my new designs have a fresh, springtime look, inspired by little green buds in the hedgerows, and the first glimpse of colour in the garden.

My 'Candy' lariat is available for £50 in Artery Gallery, St Andrews(http://www.arteryuk.com/). This is made from Lapis Howlite chips, cherry quartz chips, shell nuggets and assorted glass beads - each bead is strung on and knotted individually. This photo shows how it would be worn - slung around the neck, and loosely knotted like a scarf. (left)

I have made a pendant style gem-stone necklace of cherry quartz chips, interspersed with tiny little pieces of pretty green peridot, and a pendant of facteted lemon quartz. The lemon quartz is near flawless, in a beautiful clear lemon shade. It has a large sterling silver toggle clasp at the back. This 'Spring' necklace is available for £50 at Artery Gallery. (right)

Also in my Chunky Gemstones collection, I have a bracelet of carnelian and Swarovski crystals. The crystals are a firely orange/red, and really highlight the beautiful natural colours in the carnelian stones. This bracelet is £35. (see left)

I have a very pretty, traditional style string of pearls for any spring brides out there. This pearl necklace is made from superior quality rice pearls, which have a stunning high lustre and no ridges. The necklace is strung in three shades - lavender, pink and white. Anybody who appreciates quality will love this necklace. This necklace is available for £55. (left)

I have tried to make some more unusual pearl jewellery - something a bit funkier, and a step away from tradition. Have a look at this emerald green blister pearl bracelet, with tiny serpentine beads in between. The colour and shape are really vibrant, and a small, simple clasp doesnt detract from the design. (right)
I have also made a traditional style bracelet in an unusual colour - small potato pearls in a silvery sage green, with little pink Swarovski crystals in-between. It's quite a delicate bracelet, which would be suitable for a child as well as an adult, £35. (see left)

I saw some very unusual pressed glass a few weeks ago, and couldn't resist buying it, and I finally came up with an idea for it over the weekend! I have irredescent flat, swirl shaped glass, which I have turned into a bracelet with tiny little clear crystals as spacers, for £35. I also have gorgeous pressed glass butterflies, which are now earrings, with sterling silver earhooks, at £20. These might be the first butterflies of the season!

I hope you love the new jewellery - please feel free to contact me if you would like to commission a piece for yourself (no extra charge for this) - also if you like something which has now sold, I can always try to make something similar for you.

Contact me on debraelizabeth@live.com

Morocco, Stacey, Petunia, Pansy....it's all in a name....

My lariat style necklaces are something I both love and hate to make. When I'm thinking about making one, my brain is a jumble of colours and textures for a couple of days, until I finally hit on something I like the idea of.

I love making them, because they really are a treasure trove of colour. I get out all my little pots and boxes of beads and crystals, picking out pieces that grab my attention. This is what I love - I feel like a pirate plundering through jewels to find that enchanted ruby, or that magical emerald - obviously this has been over stimulating my imagination! To me, there is nothing more exciting than colour and shape - it takes me to far away places (like one-eyed-willie's ship in 'The Goonies'), different colours make me picture different places or people.

I hate making them because they take ages! I'm all about the finished product - I'm a bit of a quick fix girl, and something that takes such time and patience is a real challenge for me. Each lariat is made on one long, continuous strand, with beads and stones interspersed along the way. Each tiny bead is knotted behind, and in front to keep it in place. This type of knotting is also a decorative part of the necklace. However, since these necklaces have so many stones and beads on them, it can literally take hours to knot it all together. Once I've finished one, I stand up, all crooked and curled from staying in the same position so long. But then it's soooo worth it when I see one finished!

I use different types of beads - glass, vintage crystals, freshwater pearls, pieces of shell, big chunky pieces of gemstones, little tiny chips of gemstones - anything really!! I love collecting all these pieces - I'm a bit of a hoarder, so looking out for pieces for jewellery really just indulges that hoarding instinct in me. Sometimes, I can have an idea of a particular colour I'm looking for, and stumble upon it, or sometimes I might see some beads, that I don't really need, but I've just got to have them!

As I said before, when I'm designing a piece of jewellery, I try to think of who will buy it, where they will wear it, how it will look on them. I suppose I create a personality for each piece, which is why all my lariat jewellery has a name. I give them names which reflect where or what I was thinking about while I was creating them. Sometimes this is a girls name (for example, I can picture exactly what a 'Lola' necklace would be like, or a 'Stacey'), sometimes it's a place name, or a cocktail, or named after a flower. I've included a photo of 'Singapore Sling' here - it makes me think of brightly coloured cocktails in silly shaped glasses (the kind you drink on holiday, but would never be seen dead with at home), cocktail umbrellas, and sparklers. The first cocktail I ever had on holiday was a Singapore sling, and I thought I was the height of sophistication.....OMG.....!

I'll never make a piece of jewellery when I'm in a bad mood though....I'm sure nobody would want to wear a necklace called 'misery' or 'mire'!!

Different strokes.......

I have three main collections of jewellery available - pearls and sparkles, chunky gemstones, and hand knotted lariats.

The three collections appeal to different tastes - pearls and sparkles collection is a very feminine style. It's very pretty, delicate and shimmery. This collection is made from genuine freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals and sterling silver. I find that it's really hard to get pretty, delicate jewellery at the minute - it's all about chunky jewellery on the catwalks just now - but everybody has different taste, and sometimes, it's hard to carry off a big chunky leopard print bangle with pretty summer dresses. I find it a little frustrating that the catwalks dictate what's available in the shops as well - if you're not into big statement jewellery, what are you supposed to do? Saw it in half to slim it down?!! That's why I try to offer something to suit all tastes.

My chunky gemstones collection is made from genuine gemstones, such as agate, citrine, jade and quartz, often given a little glitz with accents of Swarovski crystals. All the clasps etc are sterling silver, so anyone can wear them - even those with sensitive skin. I love gemstones - I am utterly fascinated with their mineral composition, and the healing properties they are said to have - I suppose I unleash the geek when I'm making these! I look for unusual gems - either unusual stones, unusual colours or markings, or unusual cuts and shapes. Everyone loves to feel unique - and gemstones are always totally unique. It is impossible to recreate one stone the same as another.....just like us really!

Hand-knotted lariats are really unusual and funky. They are something totally different, yet bang on trend. These 'wrap around' necklaces have all sorts of stones, crystals, pearls, and glass beads on them. They are hand-knotted - much like old-fashioned pearl necklaces, and consist of one long string of beads. This can be wrapped around the neck, and tied loosely, like a scarf. This is where I really get to have fun with colour - some are subtle and botanical, some are inspired by the colours of the 'souks' of Egypt - rich and exotic.

I am also developing a small range of wedding and bridal jewellery at the minute - traditional pearls, subtle colours, little heart clasps and embellishments. I can make these to order and in all sizes - suitable from flower girl, to mother-of-the-bride!

It's all different strokes for different folks I suppose......

A Butcher, A Baker, A candlestick Maker

Although I make jewellery and work in an art gallery now, I haven't always had a conventional career, or even a career!!

My very first job was when I was thirteen, as a waitress and dishwasher in a local hotel, which seemed to set the tone for things to come. I have been everything in the hotel and catering trade, from pot washer, to chambermaid, to bar tender and receptionist. It seemed so cool back then, earning £2.25 an hour, taking home my pay in a wee brown envelope on a Sunday morning, blowing it all on Smash Hits and bad eyeshadow by lunchtime.....I loved the banter in the kitchen, and the feeling that I had worked hard - paid my dues - 13 years later I was still paying my dues!!! Aaaarrrgh!! I was still waitressing at 26, having done all sorts of bits and bobs in-between.

I had been an Ann Summers Rep, which did not impress my father -we had a brief discussion about it which went like this:

Me: Dad, I've got a job as an Ann Summers Rep
Dad: What's that then?
Me: Here's the catalogue....
Dad: Go to your room!!!

I have been a seal-feeder - I kid you not! Feeding the seals twice a day at a local sealife rescue center. Falling in the seal pool, smelling of fish, and shovelling a half tonne of seal crap every week really couldn't have been further from the sexy glamour of Ann Summers.

I have been a clown - dressing in a fluffy costume with giant feet and being paraded round town to encourage people to book children's birthday parties. I had to judge sandcastle competitions in the somewhat sweaty costume in the midst of summer, and endure people mooning at me, knocking me over,bizarely - trying to feel me up (!) and the peculiar smell of bacon inside the costume, which my predecessor had left for me.

I have been a typist, receptionist, shop assistant, babysitter, nanny, waitress, barmaid, web manager, chambermaid, cook, fish-feeder,chemists assistant, flower arranger, cleaner, and finally I work in a gallery.

I finally have time to make jewellery - something I started in my teens as a bit of fun. It was a cheap way to make sure I had trendy jewellery that was unique, so I didn't look like a clone of my friends - a philosophy I apply to my jewellery making today.

When I'm designing jewellery, I get to have fun, working out what colours I want to use, imagining who'll buy the piece, what they could wear it to - I give every piece a story and personality, which I think helps me make wearable jewellery. Affordability always comes into the forefront of my mind, when I recall why I originally started making jewellery - who says handmade goods need to be expensive?

Have a look and see what you think......