Bangle Bling

I made this on elastic with silver seed beads between in Montees. The thin bracelet look likes a tennis bracelet but without the cost. I had a chance to wear it to a dance formal a few weeks ago and it was lightweight and didn't catch on anything :)

Chiffon Flowers

Chiffon flowers are great items to add as a flower in the hair, added to a dress as a strap (about 6 make a single strap) or as a brooch.

• Cut out circles of chiffon and fold into quarters.
• Start with four sewn together into a base, then add another folded up circle layoured until you get the volume you want.
• You may want to decrease the size of the circles are to get to the top layer or add beads in the centre for 'pollen'.

If you are looking for a tutorial, try the Ideas Magazine.

Third Times a Charm

As a bride you should not need to wear a watch, its your day to shine, why worry about the time, others however may wish to keep charmed when waiting for people or in queues. The watch face is attached to a chain and charms are added to create a charm bracelet.

Hair Pins

Beautiful hair accessories are hard to find in pearls and crystals. The hair pin featured is centred around a clay flower and wire is twisted to create fronds.

This particular pin is made with Czech crystals and glass pearls but can be made with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals.

These flowers can also be made into brooches to wear on a blazer lapel.

Earring Commission

The other day I was asked to do a pair of earrings to match a necklace the person had been given and had been unable to find anything suitable.

The result was two pairs of earrings, one medallions and the other rhombics?

As I side note, I love photographing jewellery on Hessian (burlap), it provides an interesting background.

Eyepin Necklaces

Be the envy of your friends with this long necklace. Wear it as a complement to a monochrome outfit or to add a bit of casual fun. And if you need a piece of arm candy, just wrap around your wrist for some instant glam.

Fashioned from a collection of glass accent beads and brass spacers linked together with brass loops.

Length: 60cm

Evening Bling

Bracelets provide a fabulous addition to an evening outfit. This bit of sparkle is a comfortable bangle style.

The bracelet is threaded on thick elastic. Crystals are evenly spaced with silver spacers. The crystals can come in a variety of colours ranging on elegant black to fun red to sparkling blue or for a bit of fun the colours can be alternated.

St Petersburg Options

A St Petersburg necklace can be done in a variety of colours and sizes and types of beads. My first attempt at one used glass pearls. 

Attempt 2 was a lot more adventurous, a double-sided St Petersburg lariat in seed beads with fringe ending

The most classical version I have completed included tiny pearls (left) and the most delicate of size 11 seed beads and a Swarovski drop (right) made for a group of bridesmaids to match their watermelon colour dresses.

Bead Drying Stand

Ever need to hang your beads up while they dry? I was making a 6 strand necklace the other day and needed to hang each strand so they did not stick to any surface.

Enter the wooden dowel rods positioned over two speakers from the hi-fi. Works brilliantly!

If you ever need to photograph jewellery, this is an easy way to do so too. I normally use the disposable chopsticks that come with takeaways.

Hair froth

Flower with fronds

This gold flower is the perfect addition to an off centre updo. The flower is made from lightweight wire threaded with seed beads on a base. The black fronds are dotted with gold beads and stem from underneath the flower. The flower is attached is placed on a hair comb, either in plastic or wire.



Flower with leaves

The second is a flower design is created from gut threaded with seed beads. The leaves are fashioned from wire and attached together with the flower to the hairclip. This flower is much heavier than the gold clip, but is smaller and easier to wear with any evening hair design.

An example of how the flower looks in the hair

The Classic: Pearl Necklace

Pearls add elegance to any occasion, it is just a question of length.

Necklaces are normally made to a standard set of lengths, namely:

• Choker: 35 - 40 cm
• Princess: 45 - 50 cm (standard length)
• Matinee: 50 - 60 cm
• Opera: 70 - 80 cm
• Rope: 80 cm - 1.5 m

Most of the pearl necklaces are made to Princess length, and contains about 50-55 pearls. 

You can view pearl necklaces for sale at: Purple Gecko Designs on Hello Pretty 

Slinky Bracelets

These fun, quirky bracelets provide hours of entertainment while looking good. Made from memory wire that remembers its springlike shape, these lightweight bracelets provide an alternative to numerous bangles on a wrist.

Like a spring, Memory Wire 'remembers' its shape and retains its coil form. Made from thin tempered stainless steel, which is tarnish and corrosion resistant, it is rigid and snaps back to its original form when expanded and released.

Memory wire bracelets will fit almost any wrist size. It does not require clasps or ends, so is extremely easy to put on; you just expand the coil and wrap it around your wrist. It is strong so, unlike thread bracelets, it will never break (only chip the beads if some creative child or adult tries to use it as an actual slinky)

Multi-way Knot

This necklace can be worn many ways. Created from six seed bead strands in a randomised collection of colours along a theme.

The necklace can be worn in the following way:

• Six loose strands as a long necklace
• Strands twisted to form a princess length necklace (with oval clasp to hold it together)
• Worn as loose strand knotted in front mimicking the 1920s knotted pearl strings.
• Twisted and then knotted in the front as shown in the featured picture (with oval clasp)

Have Craft, Will Travel

Many a time I go away and pack myself a beading project to complete on my journeys. This is what my away case tends to look like: beading mat or felt, beads in individual containers, thread cards, needles and some thread conditioner.

I normally return home with a nearly completed object or UFO (Unfinished object) that needs glueing or a clasp.

Wrapped Loops

Delicately wrapped wire is shaped into loops and individually linked together to create an elegant crystal and pearl necklace. Consider purchasing a matching set with the wrapped loop crystal and pearl earrings

This technique makes the necklace incredibly light and is not suited to long strands that could potentially catch on buttons or for people who fiddle with their jewellery all day (I am just as guilty of this!)

Nature's Inspiration

Inspiration comes from many sources, this time a bouquet of flowers in my moms house, a gift from visiting family.

The lilacs, purples and green are stunning and I think would look beautiful in a bracelet or set of earrings.

Hello Pretty

Purple Gecko Designs is now available for purchasing on Hello Pretty! Head on over to have a look at the unique pieces I've been adding to the stores inventory. You will be sure to see some pieces I've been writing about on my blog over the past year (and will be writing about in future as I catch up on my blogging).

Houndstooth Designs

With all the Houndstooth material being used for fashion item this season, I'm feeling rather inspired to duplicate the pattern in a bracelet (and maybe a pair of earrings)!

Now if only I can could get the pattern right! Seems attempt number 4 might finally be correct

For those wondering about the graph paper, Fire Mountain Gems and Beads have a wonderful set of FREE printable graph paper for brick stitch, peyote and square stitch.

Earrings everywhere

Earrings were the items in production this afternoon, all now waiting to be photographed. All earrings are wrapped at the top to provide an elegant finish.

The flat discs are coin pearls, quite unusual in comparison to nuggets or round pearls. The crystals have a metallic iris shimmer and match the wrapped loop necklace made last year.

Each pair will be put up separately soon.

Purple Gecko Designs

 Purple Gecko Designs  has officially launched. Items will be be going up every week handcrafted by H&L. Watch this space for new designs, old favourites and exciting commissions.