FREE SHIPPING!

There is something new at Divella Delights! I am offering free shipping which includes delivery confirmation so you can track your package! This offer will be good until the end of the year on everything in my shop! Also when you purchase jewelry items they will come in a gift box tied with a pretty satin ribbon appropriate for gift giving. Shop handmade at Divella Delights!

Great New Hats

Great New Hats!
I have been having lots of fun creating my new hats for this winter! I am now making them in 100% acrylic in addition to the wool blends like last year and I have come up with some wonderful new embellishments. New to my line are some wonderful crochet children’s hats.

Now I have crochet hats for men
For children And for Women
Check them out at Divella Delights today!

NEW Crochet Flapper Hats

As the thermometer here in Maine dips below 40, it gets me going on my new crochet flapper hats for this winter. Last year, I made them only in wool blends but I had a few requests to make some in 100% acrylic for those who suffer from sensitivity to wool fibers. Alas, your wish is granted! Check out all the new great hats at Divella Delights. Here is a little preview of the new hats!

Swarovski Bead Crochet

These bracelets are a hit! I am having very good luck with these bead crochet bracelets both on line and wholesale to the local jewelers. I have discovered that the usual way of joining these (1 bead weave) does not work as well for these. It is best if you take the first 3 beads on the same side and then go through the Swarovski pick up 3 beads on the other side, take it back through the Swarovski and through the center and repeat with the other strand. then pull snug but not too tight knot, glue weave it through a few more times and glue again before snipping off the ends. This seems to work much better making a nicer, smoother join. I have not tried this new technique on the "invisible" join like this one but I plan to give it a try if I make any more of these.

How to make a Hat Display

Inexpensive Hat Display
I have a mannequin head to photograph my women’s hats on but I needed something for children’s hats. It is impossible to find mannequin heads in child sizes so I set out to my local craft store to see what I could find.
I picked up a Styrofoam ball 6" in diameter and cut it in half. I put a stocking over it to keep it from shedding them asked hubby to make a base. I put a piece of our maple tree that we have cut down into the Styrofoam and glued it into the base (a hole was drilled first) and Voila! The total cost was $4.47.
My husband is currently working on a solid hardwood version for me so I can use them at shows, I have seen what he has done so far and I can’t wait until they are done. The cool thing about these is that I will be able to use the same ones for child and adult sizes and he is making me different heights to make my display with several hats more aesthetically pleasing.
For now all I need it for is photos for my website so the foam version works great and the price was surely right!

Once the other ones are done I am going to put them on my website for sale. If I have had such a hard time I am sure there are others out there as well!

Weekend Hat Sale

Weekend Hat Sale

It is getting a little chilly here in Maine! Whenmy husband went to work it was 44º. I am going tohave a kick off sale for my hats so I have reducedthem by 20% all weekend. This includes Hats by Jessy and kids hats. Sale begins now and endsSunday at midnight. Check out the new designs at Divella Delights Congrats to TR and Arlene who were the August andSeptember monthly drawing winners!

Getting Noticed

The last couple of months have been busy! Divella Delights has been featured on Shopping Connection Galleria and Accessories Suzanne. I have also had 2 articles published in regard to jewelry making and marketing with an e-zine and it has brought a lot of traffic to the website.
It has taken a couple of years but Divella Delights is finally getting noticed. I am very excited!
I hope all this makes for a prosperous Holiday season this year.
My hats are also going into Bonnet Boutique next month and they are already in Rise Gallery and doing very well.
Thanks so much to all of you who have passed the word around!

Sign up on the e-mail list at Divella Delights for a chance to win free jewelry. I have a drawing every month!

This necklace features a faceted Swarovski Teardrop in Topaz wire wrapped tornado style with 14K gold filled wire. Genuine Red Aventurine, Turquoise and more Swarovski crystals surround it to a length of 16 inches. The clasp is one of my wire wrapped ( again in 14K gold filled wire) and has a turquoise and a Swarovski. I cannot take credit for the photo...when I put the necklace in the box it just did this!

Great Finds in Findings

Finding gems and beads is not usually too much of a challenge. They are not only all over town but all over the Internet as well. If I find someone new with good prices I order a few gems and/or a strand of pearls just to test out the quality. Sometimes I am disappointed and sometimes extremely pleased.
Finding findings on the other hand is not so easy but the news today is great!
A couple of years ago I found Morning Glory Designs who makes vintage inspired, heirloom quality jewelry, including romantic Victorian, fantasy Art Nouveau, Cameo treasures and more. and in he profile she suggested Accessories by Susan. I have found the most beautiful items there. She has everything feminine and wonderful! Her prices are insanely low too!I use her bead caps quite a bit in my crochet bracelets and they are great for multi strand necklaces and/or bracelets as well. She has beads, pearls, chain, filigree, and the list goes on and on. You have to check her out! I have made purchases from her shop just because there was an item I could not do without even though I had no idea at the time what I would do with it.

Beading Studio on a Shoestring

I have found a great use for some bulletin boards that were headed for the garbage by a local company. Hardly used but not too pretty they were going to throw them away and replace them with some more modern and attractive models.
I was always digging through bins and drawers to find my pearls and gems and I never really knew what I had or needed. I put the bulletin boards up in my studio and started pinning my treasures in small plastic bags, many of which are the bags they came in. I also have a box for retired bags so I always have plenty on hand. Now in addition to being able to see what I have, I feel much more inspired and I can just go around the room and pick what I want off the board. In addition to that now that those are on the walls I have more space on the shelves.
My seed beads are on shelves by size and color so they are also in plain site.
I use the large plastic salad containers to organize my thread and lightweight stringing material and tin cans to hold tubes of beads, again organized by size and color.
The drawers that used to hold my beads now hold fibers and other stringing materials (mostly for macramé) keeping them safe from the sun and lighting that can fade them.
I hope someday to be able to get some sort of sliding wall to put them on so I can close them when I am not using them to keep them from the light and be a little more attractive but for now this works very well!

Cold weather, Hot flashes and Beading

Cold weather, Hot flashes and Beading
Being comfortable and hassle free is important to me when I am working. I spend much of the day in my studio either working or learning new techniques and it is difficult to regulate my internal thermometer as I go through the trials of menopause.
As the temperature dips and we enter the cold weather season I am reminded of a handy little tip that I came up with last year while trying to bead with a flannel shirt on. The thread likes to grab the buttons and causes problems for me. I like to keep it a little cool in my studio but sometimes it gets just cool enough that I need another layer but not enough to turn up the heat.
Now, I could wear a sweater or sweatshirt but this poses a problem for me which a few of you will understand. There are times when I have to quickly take off the outer layer. All of you who are there, or have been know how hard it is to regulate our body temperature and how quickly it can change! I got angry one day and cut off all the buttons on one of my shirts and this works very well!
Now I keep this shirt in my studio to wear when there is a chill in the air. I can take it off quickly when my body turns up the heat and put it back on when I return to "normal" several minutes later. I actually have 2 shirts I have done this to, a flannel and a regular cotton denim shirt for times when I don’t need quite the warmth of a flannel. I just fold the sleeves up and I can continue beading without the interruptions.

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!

Swarovski Golden Shadow

Art Beads and I have teamed up again to bring you a truly beautiful pair of earrings. They are actually made to match a necklace I am working on that will be available soon but I could not wait to post these jeweled beauties.

They were created using Swarovski Golden Shadow Briolettes , 4mm round Swarovski , genuine pearls and14K gold filled wire. Each pearl and crystal were wrapped (not looped) by hand and placed on a pair of my handmade ear wires, also in 14K gold filled wire. The wire I use is not plated so will not tarnish, crack or chip. To learn more about this wire you can visit my Care page.

Watch for the necklace coming soon!

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

Swarovski Beaded Bracelet

Happy September! I am so happy to Autumn approaching for it is my favorite time of year. It is also what inspired these 2 Swarovski Beaded Bracelet bracelets. The bracelets are crochet ropes using high quality seed beads and the dazzling center is an 18-mm Swarovski large hole, bead that really makes these bracelets sparkle and come to life. This bead used in both bracelets is the Swarovski 18 mm Faceted Roundelle Large Hole. It looks really spectacular against the creamy beads. You can get the completed bracelets at Divella Delights or you can go to Art Beads make your own Swarovski Beaded Bracelet.
Go to and get these and many other gorgeous colors. The beautiful copper/topaz color can be found here