Monday, March 30, 2009

Daylily Pendants

I have a dear friend, Chris, who loves daylilies! It is such a joy to watch her speak of them. Her eyes sparkle and she gets so animated. And her daylilies are beautiful! Last year I enjoyed strolling through her garden and admiring the precious flowers that God created and she tended. I decided to capture daylilies in a pendant. But I couldn't do it in one. I made two, but even so, I think this is a concept that I could explore for a very long time! Such beauty in those flowers!

She described her daylilies like this, "Adam Eaton is a creamy white that sparkles with 'diamond dust' when the sun hits it. And Derrick Carr is a purple so rich and deep it is almost black." The pendant shapes signify a petal from a daylily.

In the first pendant, which I named Daylily Delight, I chose to use gold-filled wire swirls and the sparkly gold-filled bead to represent the diamond dust. There are some daylilies that have lovely creamy petals that become purple and then yellow inside called Doodle Bug. I included a black pearl bead to represent the dark ends of the stamens and a green crystal for the leaves of the plants. The Sterling has a beautiful patina that makes this pendant look like an antique treasure. The gold-filled wire is bright and sparkly. Amethyst, Pearl, Swarovski crytals and pearls, Gold-filled beads and wire, and Sterling Silver wire and bail. 52mm long. Item # 1219 $105

The second pendant, Divine Daylily, was inspired by another of my friend's daylilies called Derrick Carr. This divine pendant features deep garnets and onyx. Crystals too, so it is very sparkly. This is a dense 3-dimensional pendant that looks very rich. Garnets, Onyx, Pearls, Swarovski crystals and pearls, Sterling Silver. 45mm long. Item # 1218 $98

These are photos of Chris' daylilies. Aren't they gorgeous? I can't wait to see them this year. And, of course, I really love to see her too!!

Thanks, Chris, for the inspiration!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Family Bracelet

What a lovely way to celebrate a family. This bracelet features large (8mm) Swarovski crystals for each family member's birth month. Gorgeous Sterling silver beads and 14K Gold-filled beads make up the rest of the bracelet. The toggle is a heart to show the love you feel for the family. Complete with a "Family" charm and a hand stamped Gentle Spirit Creations tag.

These bracelets make great gifts for those special women in our lives. But it's also a wonderful way to celebrate our own families. I love wearing mine. I included crystals to represent Matt and me, as well as our boys, in my bracelet.

This design shows 5 birthstone crystals. Designs will vary for each family. Will need wrist measurement. Please allow 4 weeks for special orders. Item # 1189 $125

Sunday, March 22, 2009

My Ode to Spring

I'm so thrilled that Spring is here! Today we went for a walk and enjoyed sunny, warm weather. I saw signs of Spring.....crocuses, daffodils, trees budding and little flowers in the grass.

I made the above pendant and named it, Flower Song. The amethyst reminds me of the crocuses and the rose quartz, crystals and pearls make me think of tulips. Oh, I love the tulips!

I've enjoyed making pendants that incorporate wirework and stones. I plan ahead what I'm doing, but as I make it, each piece takes on a life of it's own. This Flower Song Pendant, I didn't antique but left it bright silver. It's a bright, sunny Spring day.

But this blue set, is darker, like a rich evening. These pieces I didn't plan entirely in advance. I just went with it and saw where it would lead me. When I look at it, it just seems like it is joyous in wild abandon! I've named it Unbridled Joy. This set is mine. It signifies the joy that Jesus has put in my heart. And if I let Him reign supreme in my life...it's an Unbridled Joy!

I'm so grateful for Spring. And I love that God has put this creativity in my heart. I hope you enjoy it too.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Wild Safari Bag

I'm ready to go on a safari! Well, at least I have a stylish bag for it. I fell in love with this fabric. I used to keep a nature journal and this fabric looks like a journal from a safari. Can you imagine what it must be like to go on a safari and see these majestic animals in their natural habitat?

And I used to have a bag when I was a teen that was a basic canvas bag with a large giraffe printed on it. I loved and used that bag until it needed to be thrown away! So, I really enjoyed using the giraffe print fabric too. The lining fabric has lots of giraffes on it.

This is yet another different pattern. It has the drawstring effect as a design element, but the real closure method is a magnetic snap. I had to learn to install eyelets. Matt helped me figure it out. Took quite awhile to install all 24 of them, but it was worth the effect.

I was hoping to find a giraffe charm to embellish with, but couldn't find any. But isn't that a great elephant? I wanted to do more embellishments, maybe some Swarovski crystals, but they just didn't seem to go. Sometimes I just have to leave well enough alone.

So, what do you think, too wild?