Silver Triangle Necklace With Pink Swarovski Crystals

How do I know that I've gotten way too immersed in making jewelry? I've been dreaming about designs. I'm not kidding. I'll often fall asleep thinking of new ideas for necklaces or bracelets, or of different types of beads and crystals. I think that if doctors were to examine my brain, it would be covered with bling.

I'll also see everyday objects and wonder how they could work as jewelry. For instance, I recently found myself staring at power lines and wondering what gauge wire they were, and if I could make a spiral out of them. Pathetic, huh?

Don't worry, though, I'm not about to make necklaces out of any telephone cords. Today's featured piece was made from regular 14 gauge sterling silver wire.

This is what I've nicknamed my Hershey's Kiss necklace. I'd attempted to bend the wire into a triangle, but the corners came out slightly rounded. I then had this idea to string a band of Swarovski crystals across is, but the only way they'd stay is if I did it at an angle. Because of the not-quite-a-triangle shape and the way the beads were strung, it turned out looking like a Hershey's Kiss with a wrapper.

I still think it's pretty cute, though. It would make a sweet gift for a girlfriend, for example; you could give her this along with real Hershey's Kisses (Mmmm..... chocolate). Or it could be a nice piece of jewelry for a fan of the color pink.

Well, it's almost time for bed over here .... let's see what designs I dream of tonight!

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs or Naomi's Studio.

Sterling silver necklace pendant in a zig zag design

When it comes to actually wearing jewelry, I'm sort of a minimalist. I'm not a big fan of necklaces that have rows and rows of pearls and diamonds, or just too many things on them. I like my eye to go right to the focal point of the piece.

This is why so many of my handcrafted items are so simple. I'll use only one or two elements so that each element gets the chance to be front and center.

That said, I do like pieces that are unique and even when I'm making something simple, I like to do something interesting. Whenever I work with a metal, like silver or gold, I treat it like a sculpture and see what kind of cool shape I can come up with. Often the metal does the "talking" and the end result is a surprise to me!

This zig zag pendant is made with 14 gauge sterling silver wire and a black silk cord. That's it. But 14 gauge wire is so thick and tough that you're basically working with a sheet of metal. There is some labor involved in bending it into something presentable, then hammering and polishing it. I've never seen myself as the type of girl who'd work with hand tools, but hammering metal is very satisfying!

Some jewelry makers like to hammer wire until it's flat, but I just kind of gently bang it to give it some texture. There's really not a "correct" way to do it; it depends on what you want the end piece to look like. I'd wear this piece with pride, though, so I'm pleased with the result.

To see or purchase my work, head to Naomi's Designs or Naomi's Studio.

Sterling silver necklace with yellow crystals

I've never been gung ho about diamonds; in fact, my engagement ring has an emerald in it. However, I really like the look of yellow diamonds, especially when they're paired with silver. Silver and yellow don't seem like two colors that would go well together, but they really do.

Obviously, yellow diamonds cost a fortune, so I went for the next best thing: yellow crystals. I then brainstormed some ways that I could highlight them in a piece of jewelry.

I ended up creating this necklace with 16 gauge silver wire and yellow crystals. I wanted to do something unusual so I created this abstract squarish design. Since the crystals are round, I like the way they look against the sharp angles of the wire. I then added a long centerpiece onto the necklace, which is simply a string of the yellow crystals. It gives the necklace some depth and balance.

To me, yellow is a "happy" color, representing sunshine, daisies, warmth. I hope that this necklace radiates all of these good feelings.

To buy my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs or Naomi's Studio.