I'd have Christmas year round if I could. :)

Each year, I create one new Christmas tree pin or pendant design.  This year, I've created a wire tree pendant, adorned with gemstones.  This pendant features genuine garnet, and a vintage crystal dangling from the bottom for added glitz.  It will truly be a fantastic addition to your Christmas tree jewelry collection!

The design was inspired by a vintage Eisenberg wire Christmas tree pin and also the work of Swoboda jewelry (another vintage jewelry company) who used gemstones in their pieces. The two inspirations swirled around in my brain for quite a while, and finally everything came together to create this gorgeous tree.

The tree is available in my Pendants section. :)

Remember that song?  I used to listen to it and sing it all the time when I was a kid. :)  As I worked on this ribbon pendant, I thought of it, and soon the words were drifting through my mind as I wove the wire.

I started thinking about this design because October is coming up.  October is breast cancer awareness month.  I never really paid much attention to this designation until a few years ago when my gallery owner asked me to be involved in a breast cancer awareness luncheon event.  I made a special polymer clay pendant for this local event called "Puttin' on the Pink".   My pendant was given away at the luncheon.

Each year since then, I strive to create a new design around this time of year.  This year I new I wanted to design a ribbon pendant, however, I didn't want to do the ribbon design which is standard.  There's enough of those out there.  I wanted to do something different with a ribbon...a different  take on "ribbon-ease", if you will.

This is my signature ribbon pendant, which can be created in all metal colors, with different colors of pearls and gemstones, too. This particular pendant has been created in fine brass wire and has creamy white freshwater pearls and apatite gemstones, which are a lovely blue/green color.

I do plan on creating one for the upcoming Breast Cancer Awareness month, and yes, it will have pink stones. :)  Be watching for it to appear on my pendant page here.

I was in a discussion about my hair a few days ago on Facebook.  A friend of mine mentioned using olive oil as a way to control the frizzies.  I never would have thought that conversation would inspire a jewel.  But it did.

I remembered a book I have here on the Olive tree, and the uses of olive oil...the symbolism and the health benefits.  It only made sense that what my friend was saying was true...about how the oil would be good for the hair.  (I used it, and it's WONDERFUL, btw)

And then I started thinking about the olive green tourmaline in my studio, and I began putting together an idea for an olive tree pendant - my version.

This is what I came up with.  I used golden brass wire for this pendant and antiqued it for depth.  The bottom of the pendant represents the gnarled trunk of the tree...and the top, the abundant display of leaves and fruit. 

The Olive tree is one of the longest living and most recorded trees in history.  It's a symbol of peace.  Maybe wearing the olive tree pendant will bring a long, peaceful life to its owner.  Wouldn't that be wonderful? :)

The Olive Tree pendant is available here.

I finally had a chance to work with this cherry quartz.  I LOVE THESE!  Rondelle shaped, they are huge and faceted and an absolutely gorgeous shade of deep pink.  I paired tourmaline in deep, rich olive colors (with a tinge of pink) with the stunning bead, and accented with freshwater pearls.  I wove silver wire with great precision to frame the focal bead, and added a tornado bead at the top.

The precision wire work paired with the freeform of the tornado bead wire work is representative of my life.  That perfect, woven frame is how I'd like my life to be.  Yet it often ends up in a tornado as represented by the top bead.  I'm sure some of you can relate.  It's tough when things are going along fine, and then they spiral out of control.  It's wonderful, though, to take that situation, and turn it into something of beauty...a keepsake...and heirloom to remind us that even though we have tornado moments, beauty can still come from within them. :)

It was supposed to be smaller....

...than the last. But I got a bit carried away. Adding more wire...playing with gemstones and pearls. Okay, so it is a bit smaller. But not what I intended. :)

I've named this pendant "Risen". The sunshine colored genuine Citrine gemstones reminded me of the dawn of a new day. The beautiful golden and coffee brown colored freshwater pearls remind me of the upcoming fall season. Fall is in the air here in TN.

Because my bail turned out way too small (except for a delicate chain), I made a new bail. The tornado bead/bail is accented with those glowing freshwater pearls. Antiqued, hand woven silver wire pulls it all together into a unique, one of a kind cross pendant. I'm sure whoever the new owner is will enjoy it - it will become a family heirloom.

RISEN is available in my pendants section...unless it's already sold, of course. :)

What's next on the workbench? I scored some awesomely-huge cherry quartz gems this weekend...so I believe something soon will emerge featuring one of those beauties. :)