Bridal Cuff, Ready to Attach

Here we have the finished beadwork all ready to attach to the cuff.

I have to trim the cuff a little so that it fits just right so the finished piece will be posted later tonight. I am hoping to get some better photos so you can see the ivory and white more clearly. It really is quite striking!

As it turns out, I really like the silver in this piece which is quite a surprise ot me beacuse at the onset I did not think I would.

Be sure to stop by Divella Delights to see the finished cuff later tonight!

Classes, Sale and New Items

I have very exciting news! Divella Delights is moving to Vermont! We are very excited but as I look around at everything there is to pack I am feeling a bit overwhelmed.


I have decided to put nearly everything in the shop at 50% off. Hats, Bags and Jewelry!

Please help me out and pass this on to anyone you can think of who might be interested in getting some really good deals. This is a great chance to get some beautiful designer jewelry at the same prices my wholesale accounts have.

We have Easter right around the corner and Mother’s Day coming up soon too! If you are really the organize type you can shop for Christmas early too!

I have some great new pieces and a new section in the shop for the Ravishingly Robust woman.

I will be very busy for the next few months getting the house ready to sell, packing, donating, etc…so the next time I talk to you will be from Vermont a few months (and miles) down the road!

Take good care

Saving Money on Jewelry Making Supplies

There are a couple of things I try to do when buying supplies for my jewelry business. Free or low cost shipping! Not only do I want to save my own money, but also I want to be able to extend that price break to my customers. One thing though, I don’t ever want to sacrifice quality.

There are times items are less costly with one supplier than another but after I compute cost with shipping I am actually paying more per item.

After comparing prices, which takes a great deal of time, there are a few suppliers I use regularly who offer free shipping over a specific amount. I am not talking about thousands of dollars, a $10 or $25 minimum so it is not like I have to keep my list going forever before I make my purchase. I don’t have thousands of dollars at my disposal most months so I don’t use the $1,000.00 minimums or the 200-item minimum to get the best price.

There is one very large supplier out of California I used to use for gems and pearls but the quality had gone downhill and the cost had gone up so much I had to find others. I want to use high-grade materials in my creations. I don’t want to spend my time creating beautiful designs and then use inferior supplies.

So which suppliers do I use now? Well, there are several depending on what I am looking for.

If it is pearls, gemstones or gemstone chips on my mind I check out Artbeads.com and Beadin Path. The quality is very good and they both offer free shipping if your order is over $10 and $25 respectively. I do not think I have EVER spent less than $25.00 when buying jewelry making supplies! If you want it quicker there are other options but I prefer the free shipping.

If I am looking for copper I go right to Accessories Susan. Not only are her prices really good but her materials or lead safe and nickel free. She also has free shipping and with no minimum!

Any glass I buy I usually go right to the artisan. I did a blog a month or two ago about what some companies refer to as ‘Artisan created’. Careful here, most of it is not created by an Artisan as we think of it. My personal favorites are Generations Lampwork and Rufus and Roxy (free shipping $25+), both found on Etsy. Generations does charge shipping but it is nominal. They are both wonderful with special orders. Seed beads in bulk is something I have yet to find free shipping for so if anyone knows of anyone, please let me know. I buy most of my seed beads from Caravan Beads in Portland, Maine. If I am just looking for a tube or 2 then Beadin Path has a good selection but Caravan is definitely my go-to place for Delica beads. Caravan also has delicious pearls.

Although Gemphora is a little costly and they do charge shipping, they have wonderful great quality gems that I have trouble finding elsewhere like Kyanite, Fluorite, and Labradorite. I always get the $5.00 donation pearls when I shop with them. They pick them so it is a surprise each time I receive an order. I have never been disappointed.

I get most of my findings and Swarovski at Artbeads.com.

I hope this helps you find some better prices for your supplies. Let’s face it, we all enjoy saving some money when we can and I enjoy begin able to create pieces without having to worry about the end price.

Do you have any favorite suppliers?


I was not paid or compensated by anyone for this blog post

Lucite Flower Earrings

Here are some nice little treasures for your ears and you can see more at Divella Delights.

I have been having a good time putting these together, getting ready for Spring. In Maine we like to dream early, think of our gardens while the snow flies.
The flower earrings make a great gift if you are just trying to find a little something without breaking the bank. It is always nice to say 'I was thinking of you' and this is a great way to do it. I can even put a nice little gift card in with your gift boxed jewelry for you and mail it right to your recipient.

Fall Infatuation

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. George Eliot
There is no place that compares to Nature’s palette during these months here in New England. A drive up I-95 in autumn is simply amazing. The further north one goes the deeper the colors of the trees and the crisper and cleaner the air becomes. There are places where the hillsides appear to be in a blaze, the oranges and reds so deep and vivid. No doubt about it, living in New England is for the lovers of autumn.
Creating jewelry is always easiest for me this time of year; the inspiration so stunning and the colors are my favorite palette to draw from so it made this design come quite easily.
I began with this stunning copper leaf from Artbeads.com as the focal point of my 21-inch necklace. Behind that leaves created with seed beads peek out. Several inches on each side were then woven using the same Toho seed beads, coppery pearls, Swarovski in Padparadscha, and Goldstone. I always Fireline for my weaving because of the strength and the fact that is does not stretch. The last part of the neck is done with this wonderful lovely copper chain with tiny little leaves swaying gently from the links. Finally a copper toggle clasp to pull it all together making it easy for most anyone to put on and remove. Be sure and see all my new fall designs and my hats too at Divella Delights.

Blog for Beads by Artbeads.com contributed a large part of my materials in exchange for my honest evaluation of their merchandise in my blog. I am not paid to endorse them in any way.

Free Drawing

I am giving away this Pearl Medallion necklace and all you have to do to have the chance to win is s imply go to Divella Delights and sign up on the e-mail list. I only send out 1 e-mail a month so your inbox won't get inundated with useless nonsense. Come by and take a look at what's new!

Baroque Pearl Jewelry

Oh I just love baroque pearls. I never know exactly what I am going to get in the way of shapes and these are wonderful! I made a triple strand beaded necklace for them with beautiful silver seed beads as well as some really pretty hex beads. The clasp is a sterling lobster claw and the earrings are sterling a button pearls.

Charmed Affections

My youngest daughter, now 23 lies enlisted in the US Navy. She left for Boot Camp in Great Lakes, Illinois November of 2008. When she got out of Boot Camp it was off To Pensacola for school and now she is stationed in Hawaii and will be deployed sometime this year for 7 months.
I wanted to do something special for her before she left and Artbeads.com came to the rescue. It was time for the Valentine’s Day Blog for Beads!
I have wanted to do a charm bracelet for some time now but never really had a theme I could decide on. This was it! They have an amazing selection of charms and some beautiful sterling chains, they even have a stunning US Navy charm, which I quickly added to my chopping cart. I cannot tell you how fast the wheels began to spin after I spotted that. I decided to get some state charms for every state she has been in since enlisting; Illinois for Boot Camp, Florida of "A" School, Connecticut where she was living when she enlisted, Maine because that is home, and Hawaii because that is where she is now. I also chose a beautiful daughter charm in the shape of a heart and a flower toggle clasp in sterling. I was very pleased with the charms I received. They have a very nice weight to them unlike charms I have seen elsewhere.
Now I wanted a little color so I added Swarovski crystals in pink, and then added a couple of pink opals and pink pearls that I placed on sterling headpins. I found another really cool item while shopping, sterling oval jump rings, which are better than round. This was the first time I have used them and I love them! I will probably never use the round again. You can read the how and why here.
I have also invited her friends and family members to stop by Artbeads.com and take a look, choose something and have it sent to me so I can add it to the bracelet. Artbeads.com has free shipping with every order no matter how small or large so it makes it easy for others to contribute (I love that when I only need a couple of items). As difficult as it was I left space for more to be added during her Navy career.

Blog for Beads by Artbeads.com contributed a large part of my materials in exchange for my honest evaluation of their merchandise in my blog. I am not paid to endorse them in any way.

Sweet Dreams

I have had this vision locked away in my head for quite some time. With the Holiday madness and working 2 jobs I didn’t have any time to be creative. Now that things have quieted down a little and thanks to the generous team at Artbeads today is the day. They contacted me and asked if I would be willing to review some of their inventory free of charge. Well, what designer can pass that up?
I love lampwork and have used a lot of it my work. I really had a hard time choosing between the bamboo lampwork pieces and the one I finally chose. I also use a lot of seed beads and Artbeads has an extensive assortment of colors and finishes making it easy to get those ideas in my head into reality.
I am very left brained and I have wanted to branch out a bit and try something asymmetrical.
To create this 20 inch necklace I used #8 beads in a light green then made a weave with #11 seed beads in Opal Topaz and Green Picasso along with Smoky Quartz gemstones and genuine pearls . Oops, I nearly forgot the 4mm Swarovski crystals

It was really hard for me to do the two sides different but I think it turned out beautifully...what do you think?

You can see more photos of this piece and get more information on my website at Divella Delights.
Disclosure...As a reviewer of products at Artbeads, I receive the elements in this necklace above free of charge. I have been asked to review these products and give my honest opinion of the products. I am not being compensated by Artbeads for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed

Weekend Special

This is my special this weekend...50% off at Divella Delights

I want real flowers, perennials which not only grow and change and die, but also rise again and astonish me. A garden shouldn't just bloom and look pretty; it should develop like the rest of life. Otherwise it, and we, live only to be spaded under.- Emma L. Roth-Schwartz
I had such joy creating this necklace although it took me a month to complete. Each leaf, each petal, each delicate wing of the butterflies were stitched one bead at a time with great care. The pearls you see here are genuine. There are also macramé beaded leaves for some added texture. The entire piece measures about 20 inches but do keep in mind that the center rises quite a bit. On me the top of the center arrangement falls just below my collarbone.Despite the size of the piece it is very comfortable to wear as it lies flat on your chest.The flowers were sewn on Ultrasuede and the backing is felt and is colorfast; I tested a swatch prior to use.The clasp is appropriately a copper flower and stem toggle. I guarantee there will not be another like this one!

See more photos at Divella Delights.

Today's Special

This is the special for today marked at 50% off. You get all the wonderful details at Divella Delights

Daily Special

Every day at Divella Delights we have one itme that has been reduced by 30%. They change every day.Here is the one for today 11/16/09:Fit for a Princess, these earrings are made with Swarovski fine lead crystals from Austria and creamy pearls. Each pearl has a lovely twist of beautiful copper around it for an ultra feminine look. I could not stop taking photos of these, they really sparkle and they cascae so gracefully.

Caught in the Net

I showed you the earrings earlier and I have at last completed the necklace.

Having a stunning drape of 18 inches, this necklace contains over 4500 seed beads each one applied by hand one bead at a time. On the surface of this lovely creation you will find Bamboo Leaf Jasper, genuine pearls and Swarovski crystals. It has a smooth base so it lies beautifully and comfortably on the skin. The closure is a beaded loop and golden button.
More than a necklace, this is a stunning one of a kind work of art. Make sure and drop by Divella Delights, there are more photos of this lovely piece as well as the earrings that match!

A New Style for a New Season

A New Style for a New Season.
Last year’s Ella’s Flapper hat did very well and I will be doing those again this year. I have created a new style for this year with a bit of youthful appeal and I am calling this one the Diva Flapper. Diva is the youngest of my twin granddaughters while Ella is the oldest of the pair. This hat is made with the same wonderful fibers as the Ella Flapper (lambswool, wool, mohair, acrylic and blends) but in a slightly different style. These are not quite as thick but perfect for those who live in a more temperate climate or who tend to get hotheaded!
As with all my hats they are crocheted by hand and by me. The embellishments are either hand knit or crochet, or perhaps beaded…again by yours truly. They are made " one size fits most" but can be made larger or smaller. Last year, one hat (out of 173) came back for sizing so they truly do fit most women from teen to adult. You can see the Diva Hat and mony other hats, scarves and jewelry items at Divella Delights

Fun with Ndebele

I am having a lot of fun with the Herringbone stitch, or Ndebele as it is sometimes referred to. Here are a couple of necklaces I have done so far. The "chain" part feels so good on the skin…very silky and the drape is fabulous! I do the embellishments the same way I do on my gemstone weaves so it is pretty quick once I get to that part. I don’t know how many of these I will make, mainly because they take so much time. I will just have to wait and see how well they sell. You can see these and more of my creations at Divella Delights
I am very excited about my order from Art Beads arriving soon; I just received an e-mail telling me it has shipped. They are sending me some Swarovski crystals to try out so you will be reading about them here as well as seeing some photos and design ideas. I have a few rambling around in my head now so I am anxious to get them!

I am also looking forward to working more with the Ndebele stitch. I figure I will get faster with more practice.

Bead Crochet Instructions

The sale is going very well at Divella Delights and the crochet bracelets are selling fast, thanks to all my wonderful customers. Because I still have some beads left and the gemstone style sells quite well I will be working some of those up until my stash is depleted.
If you know how to do bead crochet and you are interested in making them yourself I am going to tell you how! If you don't want to go through making these yourself, I have a number of these available on my site right now at very good prices. I will also be happy to make you one in your color choice while my bead supplies last. http://www.divelladelights.com/
The first thing you need to do is make the rope leaving long ends, about 12 inches. There are a number of good sites explaining this technique; I have provided a link to those below. Once you figure out how long you need the bracelet to be you need to figure out how much you want in the center and collect gemstones, seed beads (#6, #11 and #15), pearls and the like. Remember the bracelet has to roll over the hand so you want to measure the hand at the widest point with the thumb folded in towards the palm.
So you have your crochet rope. String your first end cap, your #6 seed beads and your other end cap. Fasten that securely by taking it through the center of the rope, knot, glue and then weave it through a couple of times and repeat. As you pull the string through the knot will go into the rope and not show. Finally, weave it through again, do not knot, glue, give it a pull and cut. The string will disappear into the rope.
At this point you are ready to do the center and you should have something that looks like this
Take a beading needle and Nymo thread that has been conditioned with beeswax. Enter at one end leaving enough of a tail to tie off later, about 3 inches being careful not to go through your crochet string. You are now between the first and second bead. Add a gem or pearl and a size 15 bead and push it down to the bracelet. Take your needle and go through the gem and the next #6 bead, repeat to end, turn and repeat back to beginning end. Tie the ends together but do not cut! Repeat this until you have the desired fullness then tie off, add a dab of Hypo cement, let dry and wear! Here is a picture of the bracelet above finished.

Good source for end caps: http://accessoriessusan.com/
Beads: http://www.beadinpath.com/
Crochet Rope Tutorial (Free): http://www.sova-enterprises.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=2_5_134_189;products_id=814

Another Freebie: http://www.beadcrochet.com/lessons/basicbeadcrochet-rt.htm

I have been working on this free form peyote for a while now and think I have some pieces I really like. The newest one can be seen in the bracelet section. It took some tweaking and no two are alike but I believe I have come up with a template for the design I approve of. The center 49 strand professional wire and a clasp is attached to that, usually hand made by me in either sterling or 14K gold-filled wire with a gemstone or Swarovski twisted in. The rest is done with a variety of seed beads, gems, pearls and Swarovski crystals to add texture and make the piece truly a conversation piece. The result is a sturdy, beautiful piece of jewelry that will give pleasure for years to come. The thread I use is a nylon professional grade made for stringing gems and is very tough.

Centipede Bracelets

This design I am working on reminds me of a Centipede. It came about as a result of my woven designs when the local jewelry store requested hat I come up with something a little less expensive this year for the Holiday season. So when I went to photograph my first Caterpillar bracelet I laid it out and it screamed out " I am a Centipede" to me so there you have it. I use hundreds of tiny seed beads and a variety of gemstones and pearls and Swarovski crystals in each of the Centipede bracelets. I also use a heavy-duty stretchy cord and double it so they are very sturdy and at the same time they will fit most women. I can’t say one size fits all because that is never the case from my experience.
Although each Centipede bracelet takes me well over an hour to create, I love doing them. I like the beaded toggle clasps, I feel they give the pieces continuity and they are easy to work with. Oh right, I make those too. The have a wonderful slinky feel to them when you wear them and lots of movement and a little sparkle. The Christmas Centipede has 2 original lampwork beads I purchased from Libelula Designs.
They are very affordable so this year I think every woman needs a Centipede Bracelet!

HANDMADE JEWELRY SALE

Pictured here are some of my latest designs and there is something new almost daily. I have the gemstone line, a crocheted line, lots of great earrings, bracelets and necklaces. I even have ID lanyards that have the breakaway feature.

I am having a Grand Opening sale at my new website! Come and check out all the new designs. When you go to www.divelladelights.com click on the Grand Opening link at the top of the page and enter gopen08 all lower case, all one word then click on the Gallery link watch the prices drop 15%! This offer is good until 10/15/08 so shop early for Christmas. If you would like to add your e-mail to the guestbook I can send you info on sales and new designs! Please sign the guestbook anyway and let me know you came from Blogger you don't have to put in your e-mail. I would like to know where people are visiting from.

A classic combination with a twist. Toumalinated Quartz is a milky white quartz with striking black needle-like inclusions of black tourmaline and was the inspiration for these pieces. The necklace is 17 inches and has 4 layers of high quality seed beads, Tormalinated Quartz, Black Onyx, black and gray Pearls and Snow Quartz. As is the case with this piece I usually add in some Swarovski fine lead crystals from Austria for some extra sparkle. The Onyx in the necklace center is faceted for a little sparkle of it's own. All of the silver in the the necklace and both pair of earrings is Sterling. You can see more photos of this piece and a lot more at my new website at http://www.divelladelights.com Come and browse and sign my guestbook!