necklace - leilani handmade

Butterfly Teardrop Necklace with Choice of Bead Color

Posted on May 31, 2015July 11, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

silver teardrop necklace with manually engraved butterfly and clear glass bead

This is a revamped product that I used to offer. The original engraved butterfly teardrop necklace is now available with your choice of eight different bead colors: light blue, grey blue, smoke blue, light pink, citrine yellow, clear, ruby red & gold.

DPP_4804 — Gold butterfly teardrop necklace with light pink faceted bead

Available in these silver or gold plated brass teardrop pendants. They have a fabulous weight to them & wear very well.

I love these glass beads and use them often. They are weighted and thus have a sparkle similar to crystal. My photos don’t really capture just how pretty they truly are.

The butterfly is a symbol or transformation. These necklaces would be lovely for anyone who has made a major positive change in their life and need to signify it in a tangible way. Or maybe, you just like butterflies… 😉

You are the Apple of My Eye Necklace and Teacher’s Gift

Posted on May 3, 2015July 11, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I recently found these sweet epoxy apple charms. I love the pop of red color and they were just begging to be made into a necklace. I present you: The Apple of My Eye Keepsake Necklace – or Teacher’s Gift.

I couldn’t decide which way to go with this when I first set out to do the engraving. I ended up liking both ideas so much I just kept it that way. I love the script letter paired with the apple. I also thought an engraved “TEACH” along with a heart was a nice touch.

These would make wonderful, affordable teacher’s gifts as well as a sweet message to a loved one: “You are the apple of my eye”.

I currently have a limited number of charms as at the time my supplier only had a few available. I’ll see how popular this item is before ordering more (in order to get the best possible price I need to order several hundred dollars worth of goods from my supplier. So I don’t like to do that too many times in the run of a year).

100 Days of Creativity: Day 71

Posted on March 17, 2009July 26, 2017 by Leilani — 1 Comment

Today was a fairly easy design day as I simply finished up the last two pieces in the garnet & pearls series. I think I needed the break, anyway. I’m feeling a bit unmotivated as I deal with some emotions stemming from my mother’s death a few months ago. Strange how those things come up at different times. So today, I put the finishing touches on a pair of earrings to match the necklace & bracelet I made yesterday, as well as a pearl cuff bracelet accented in the 4mm faceted garnet:

Even after all that – I still have some of these garnet beads left! The smaller sized beads are definitely deceiving. 🙂

100 Days of Creativity: Day 70

Posted on March 16, 2009July 26, 2017 by Leilani — 1 Comment

When I started to think this morning about what would be my inspiration for today’s creations, I decided to take direction from my destash pile of beads. I have these 4mm faceted garnet beads to use up. One of those, I needed some for a creation awhile back & over bought…sooo…thinking about it, I didn’t want to make the same garnet pieces I made back in January for a birthstone theme, I really wanted to pair these up with something more light. Since we are heading into wedding & formal season, I decided to pair them up with some freshwater pearls. This is two of four pieces that I started. These two, a bracelet and necklace, are finished & I’ll complete the other two tomorrow:

Interesting info: garnet is the birthstone for the month of Janurary and also the planetary stone for those born under the sign of Scorpio. Pearls are the birthstone for the month of June & also the planetary stone for those born under the sign of Cancer.

Till tomorrow…

100 Days of Creativity: Day 64

Posted on March 10, 2009July 28, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I took the day to relax. My body was so tired & the hormones were making me feel kind of weepy. This is the first day I have felt any kind of altered state hormonally & I guess I am allowed at almost 38 weeks. So it was a nice day just hanging out with my 17 month old & sneaking in a couple pieces of jewelry. It’s hard to just lay around for me…esp. considering that’s all I will be doing for 6 weeks after this baby is born. Sit and nurse. Sleep when baby sleeps…I look forward to it and yet I don’t want to get bored with sitting around ahead of time…thank goodness for supportive husbands!

So this is what I came up with today. Again, simple pieces but I like how they turned out as they had my signature funky style:

This bracelet has 25mm shell beads & caramel mother-of-pearl. I added these sterling silver coil spacers to give it a bit of funkiness.

I took these wood beads & made a necklace that can be worn longer on the chain or as a choker. The wood beads are on a thick gauge wire so that they stay in this “U” shape regardless if worn long or choker style.

I continue to amaze myself because I can honestly say at this moment I am fresh outof ideas…then tomorrow comes & something just comes to me…let’s see if I can still keep that going tomorrow…

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 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!)