creativity - leilani handmade

100 Days of Creativity: Day 46

Posted on February 20, 2009August 6, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Moving right along…I decided to try & double up on my item per day idea. I really would like to have 100 items featured in my Etsy Shop before I depart to new baby land. It’s going to be cutting it close…but I am going to try & do two pieces a day if possible. Here are today’s offerings; item 68 & 69 in my Etsy Shop:

I absolutely love the cute turquoise hoop earrings. Turquoise is a stone I am partial to; I think it’s all the spiritual energy connected to it. However, I bought these chip beads ages ago & cannot guarantee 100% these are not howlite, so I have priced them accordingly. I know I would never buy howlite personally, but the colour of these chip is really blue rather than green-blue; I would hate to misrepresent something. Either way. they are a pretty pair of earrings.

The necklace actually started out as a ring, but I wasn’t feeling it. I started wire wrapping the focal bead, which is a 18×24 oval coffe brown cat’s eye bead. When it wasn’t working out I removed some of the wire & it became this pendant…and I fashioned a necklace out of coffee brown & olive cat’s eye beads.

Happy Friday everyone!

100 Days of Creativity: Day 45

Posted on February 19, 2009August 6, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I’ve been noticing this trend the past few days where I am just exhausted in the evening…so I am trying to stay ahead of the game & post to Etsy & here on my blog earlier in the day.

So today my focus is on these pretty black carnelian beads. I obtained them oh, ages ago and am just getting around to using them in designs. I don’t have very many, so I treat them like a rare gem. 🙂 They are 10mm and faceted…

I decided to pair them up with these crystal quartz rondelle beads, which I think I have almost used up. I bought them some years back for a custom project & over estimated how many I would need. I am delighted to breathe new life into them as new pieces; for many years I have not been sure what to do with them. 8mm Bali (AKA daisy) sterling silver spacers finish this bracelet, making a nice piece of bling if I don’t say so myself. Check it out closer in my Etsy shop…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 44

Posted on February 18, 2009August 6, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

…tiny bubbles…in the wine…make me happy…make me feel fine…

Today was a “no-brainer” (I hate that term) as far as my creation of the day goes. Inspired by yesterday’s “pearly shells” necklace:

I thought the freshwater pearls looked like bubbles, and I had the song “Tiny Bubbles” stuck in my head from designing the “Pearly Shells” necklace yesterday. This bracelet looks good on my wrist if I don’t say so myself. It almost made its way to my jewelry box instead of stored in the inventory binder! Check it out…

Sometime ago I also designed “Pearly Shells” earrings…but I haven’t been inspired to make any other pieces around that theme until now.

…so here’s to the ginger lei…I give to you today…and here’s a kiss…that will not fade away…

More Work In Bloodstone…

Posted on February 17, 2009August 6, 2017 by Leilani — 1 Comment

As I wrote earlier, a customer on Etsy gobbled up my bloodstone dangle earrings shortly after I posted them. They then requested a bracelet to go along with it. At this stage in my pregnancy I am only taking custom orders that I can fill immediately, & rather than making the client obligated to purchase, it is easier for me to make a few pieces & list them on Etsy for the customer’s approval. If they like what they see, they purchase. If not, then no harm as I can always use more pieces in my Etsy Shop.

So the bloodstone beads I have are quite small, so this is what I came up with:

The piece directly above, is what sold. It contains 4mm & 6mm bloodstone, sterling silver & pewter accents. The other two, are now off reserve & available for purchase in my Etsy Shop…

You can also read the post on the original bloodstone pieces that inspired these by checking out 100 Days of Creativity: Day 41.

100 Days of Creativity: Day 43

Posted on February 17, 2009August 6, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Pearly Shells, from the ocean…shining in the sun, covering up the shore…

Today’s creation, came together in no time, & I am really happy with the results. It is inspired by all the vacation photos I have been viewing on Facebook…lucky friends I have. The sun was shining today and despite the winter temperatures outside, inside it felt very tropical to me. 🙂

The great things about this piece, is that you get 4 pieces of jewelry in one! Wear it as a full-length necklace, a choker, a lariat, or wrap it around your wrist as a funky chunky bracelet…

It is fashioned completely out of shells: the circles and the pearly type beads, which are South Sea Shell beads. I came across these beads as a cheaper alternative to pearls many years ago. Mollusk Shells are pulverized to a powder, then an iridescent pigment added, and shaped into beads. I thought this was a great way to recycle discarded shells. I have since grown to prefer to use pearls in my work, butI have a few of these leftover from past projects. Voila, there you have it. A fun, versatile piece that will go with many outfits. You can check it out in my shop as usual, as well as other pieces inspired by the sea in my “still waters run deep” section on Etsy…

…When I see them my heart tells me that I love you…more than all the little pearly shells… (I grew up with this song. Used to know the actions that went along with it, as well as “Tiny Bubbles”. Happy times!)

100 Days of Creativity: Day 42

Posted on February 16, 2009August 6, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I feel myself running out of steam. Although people remark that I “don’t look very pregnant” I can assure you when I sit for long periods of time the pressure on my back reminds me that there is pretty much a full term baby in there ready to come out in the coming weeks. So I can only sit for a few minutes at a time. So the designs have to come to me tout de suite from here on in. Today, no problem…

I must have been in an elegant, indulgent mood. I always like to make my pieces versatile so that they will go with pretty much anything you wear. At first glance this looks very dressy/elegant, but I think that it could really add to casual wear as well.

It contains 10x10mm faceted hematite squares & 9x4mm quartz rondelles. The 8mm & 4mm daisy (bali) spacers are sterling silver. Find out more about this piece in my Etsy Shop…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 41

Posted on February 15, 2009August 6, 2017 by Leilani — 3 Comments

There are three offerings in today’s creative challenge. I had a request to make some March birthstone pieces. Aquamarine is a pricey stone so I don’t stock it. Actually, I consider bloodstone the birthstone for March as it is the traditional choice, & also recognized as such still in many other parts of the world. So I came up with these three bloodstone pieces:

The dangle earrings (above) sold out in record time. I am now about to embark on a custom bracelet request for the same customer. Because of my limited time these days, I am handling custom orders by seeing what I can come up with, preferable more than one piece, for the customer to choose from, with no obligation on them to buy. I find this is working well, as there is limited expectation & I do not have to be tied into a certain price point. Besides I can always use more pieces in my Etsy shop.

Bloodstone is a very hard stone to come by. It is used in India as a medicine so it is definitely a commodity. Therefore I only have 4mm and a few 6mm in stock at the moment, so the pieces are very delicate & dainty. Still, the earthy & mystical properties of this stone make a bold statement without having to be physically large itself.

Find out more about these pieces in my “birthstone & lore” section of my Etsy Shop. There you will also find some background information on bloodstone, also known as green chalcedony.

100 Days of Creativity: Day 40

Posted on February 15, 2009August 6, 2017 by Leilani — 1 Comment

I’m feeling very introspective today. I think my body is starting to mentally prepare myself for birth…so I used this energy to make a more complicated piece this morning. The sun was shining so I wanted it to be bright & happy. This is the outcome. I describe it as fun, flirty & funky!

That’s 20 gauge sterling silver wire accenting the fiber optic cat’s eye beads. The aqua sqaures measure 14mm; the white rounds are 8mm. This is the newest piece in my ‘eye candy” section of my Etsy Shop. It was a lot of fun to make & photograph!

100 Days of Creativity: Day 39

Posted on February 14, 2009August 6, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I still felt like playing in hematite & those peacock blue fossil beads, but this time a slight variation. This piece emerged, and felt very earthy to me. I added it to my “down to earth” section of the Etsy Shop.

Despite the earthy quality, the hematite is still very shiny, so this piece would really add to any outfit. The hematite is 10x10mm two-holed beads; the dyed fossil beads are 4mm. Find out more about this piece in its Etsy listing….

100 Days of Creativity: Day 38

Posted on February 13, 2009August 6, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Um yeah…so I was doing the math today as today is exactly 34 weeks …there is no way I will make 100 days consecutively. I hope that I can at least get 100 pieces in my Etsy Shop before this baby arrives! We shall see…I’m over half way there now!

Today’s creation: I was feeling like adding more to my “eye candy” section. I just love these hematite donuts & think they look awesome with these peacock blue dyed fossil beads:

I added quartz to the piece to amplify some good energy!

I find fossil beads really interesting. They are formed from limestone, a sedimentary rock which is formed by the skeletons of tiny marine organisms (calcium carbonate). Since limestone is so porous, it is ideal for making into beads since it will easily take on dye. A very affordable way to add colour to my pieces.

Check out more about this piece in my shop…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 37

Posted on February 12, 2009July 21, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I”m tired tonight. Between running after my toddler I decided it was time to clean up my email. I am about ready to go cross-eyed!

I did sneak this piece in however:

I was in a quartz mood today. Quartz is so amplifying…I think because the weather has been so mild & sunny for February in Québec I wanted to capture that good energy within the quartz. I am also partial to clear quartz (AKA rock crystal) since it is a birthstone alternative for April, my birth month. Let’s face it, we can’t always afford diamonds! 🙂

The blue quartz is formed by a process called reclaiming. That’s where they take pices of quartz and fuse it into glass to make beads. I’m all for waste not want not so I think that’s a great idea. The clear quartz is the real deal, through & through.

Check out more on this piece as well as other birthstone pieces in my Etsy Shop…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 36

Posted on February 11, 2009July 21, 2017 by Leilani — 1 Comment

I have all these fun, brightly coloured beads: dyed quartz, fossil beads, etc. When I look at the bead case, they really remind me of candy. With the sun shining coupled with unseasonably warm temperatures for this time of year, I have been motivated to make something with these yummy colours. I have started a new section in my Etsy Shop called “eye candy“. This is the first piece I have created today. Simple yet very fun!

The pink is a bit deeper than what you see in the photo; more like a hot pink. Find out more about today’s creation in my Etsy Shop.

The Jewelry Thief…

Posted on February 11, 2009July 21, 2017 by Leilani — 3 Comments

I happen to live with 4 jewelry “thieves”. One comes in the form of a pint-sized little girl with chubby little fingers; the other are the 4-legged furry variety. I don’t get what the temptation is for babies & cats to touch exactly what it is you are working on at the moment. It doesn’t matter what I give them as a distraction; as soon as the jewelry gets laid out for that perfect shot, a cat lays across it, bats it across the floor, walks into the shot or my 16-month old picks it up just as I am pushing down on the shutter. It is so nice to have so many admirers of my work under one roof. 😉

Mind you…sometimes cute little feet in the photo works!

100 Days of Creativity: Day 35

Posted on February 10, 2009July 21, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I had a rather hectic Monday as Mondays usually are. I ran out to mail my jewelry orders this morning…I wonder what the woman at the post office thinks, all these little packages from me lately…

This is what I put together today. I was very happy to be able to get something made earlier in the day to take advantage of the great sunlight for photos. What mild weather we are having! It certainly makes February more bareable.

These earrings remind me of the sea. In fact, I have a whole section in my Etsy Shop dedicated to pieces that remind me of the Ocean: still waters run deep. Growing up in Nova Scotia I have always been pulled to the Sea. Even now we live in a community outside Montréal that is right on the St. Lawrence so there are lots of boats & Yachts around.

I used 10x14mm faceted quartz rectangles (dyed), 4mm quartz beads (dyed), 4mm lead-free pewter bead caps, & 8mm sterling silver bali spacers. Sterling silver wire & earwires. The length is approx. 5cm (2in). Get a closer look including more photos in my Etsy Shop.

100 days of Creativity: Day 34

Posted on February 9, 2009July 21, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I started this blog a little late into my 100 Days of Creativity…which honestly I will never reach before this baby arrives! So I am aiming for 100pieces in my Etsy shop. I’m half way there. This is today’s piece that I made:

I used 5x5mm square glass beads that are an earthy red tone with gold accents. I decided on a magnetic clasp as the chain was rather lost in all the beads; a lobster or spring ring clasp would have been a challenge.

This piece is currently for sale in my Etsy shop. Please visit for more information on this bracelet and to see many other creations from my creative journey…