Behind the Design: Three Pairs, Three Stories

Every piece I make starts with a feeling. A memory, a color, a mood. Today, I want to take you behind the scenes of three new earring designs that came to life through intuition, craftsmanship, and story.

Today I’m making earrings that remind me of Coastal Blue.

1. Coastal Blue: A Breath of Sea Air

I started with 4mm Swarovski crystals from my personal stash—I’ve had them for over eight years and never opened them because they’re just so cute. For the base, I’m using sterling silver eye pins and ball pins with a 1.5mm ball tip—these are 2 inches long and hypoallergenic.

That’s something I care deeply about: making sure all my jewelry is hypoallergenic. These are made with 916 silver, and both the eye pins and hooks are nickel-free. When you’re making anything that touches the skin—especially earrings—it’s so important to use safe, high-quality materials.

A lot of cheaper findings are mass-produced overseas, and many people don’t read the fine print. You could spend hours making something beautiful, only for it to cause irritation. That’s why I’m super transparent about what I use. It might cost a little more, but I think it’s worth it—for the integrity of the piece and the comfort of the person wearing it.

Back to the design: I wrapped two crystals per pin—two is a good number; it adds balance and just the right amount of sparkle. I added two Czech glass snowflakes to bring contrast. Since the palette is blue-on-blue, the soft white and silver snowflakes soften the look and create a delicate, coastal balance.

Then comes the detail work. I carefully open the earring hook—these have a small ball at the top—and once closed, they stay securely in place. But the real artistry? That’s in the loops and the finishing.

After 11 years of making jewelry, things like clean wraps, tight closures, and strong, neat loops are second nature. But I still treat every loop like it matters—because it does. I wire-wrap my loops multiple times for durability, especially for earrings where movement is constant. I make sure the ends are flush so they don’t catch on hair, and I avoid overworking the wire so it doesn’t go brittle.

I use Wubbers pliers—they’re lightweight, precise, and help me get the consistency I want. And before I call it done, I always do a final check to make sure everything is secure and finished to my standard.

And there you have it—soft, sparkly, coastal-inspired earrings made with care, craftsmanship, and quality materials.

2. 🔥 From Lava to Phoenix: The Story Behind This Fiery Pair 🔥

This piece I’m working on—it’s more than just red and orange beads. It reminds me of so many things. Lava, summer heat, even the mythical phoenix from Harry Potter. When I read the Phoenix chapters as a child, I imagined this bird as a swirl of breathing red-orange flames—radiant, powerful, eternal.

That ombré blend of red and orange has always evoked something deeper for me. It’s not just warmth—it’s fire, strength, and purpose. It feels like standing up for something you believe in. There’s a quiet rage and a bright resilience in these colors. It’s bold, but not loud. Beautiful, but fierce.

Creating jewelry like this is never just about stringing beads together. It’s emotional, intuitive, and deeply personal. Some days, I sit down to make something and nothing clicks. Other times, I’m overflowing with ideas—but none feel quite right. I’ve made so many half-pieces that never made it out of the prototype box because I couldn’t feel the story in them yet.

Today though, something finally clicked.

I found these orange-red beads I’ve had for a long time, and paired them with others I picked up at a bead show over a year ago. Back then, I wasn’t ready to use them. But today? The inspiration finally hit. It all came together.

As always, I’m offering both base metal and silver versions. I’m using nickel-free stainless steel for one, and 916 silver-plated hypoallergenic hooks for the other. Because details matter—and where your materials come from matters, too.

These aren’t fast pieces. I design slowly and intentionally. Because I don’t just want to make “listings.” I want to make meaningful pieces that speak. Pieces that feel like something.

Thanks for being here and walking this journey with me. ❤️

3. Plum Glow: Quiet Elegance in Purple

Of all three, this one surprised me most. What started as a simple pair turned into something that felt like a quiet kind of luxury.

It all started with these Czech glass coin beads—deep, plum-colored, with etched details that catch the light like lace. I bought them from a small shop that sources directly from Czech artisans. These beads aren’t mass-produced. They’re made with intention, and you can feel that in the finish.

To add depth, I paired them with vintage Austrian crystal bicones from my personal stash—ones I bought around 2015, back when Swarovski still allowed loose crystal sales. After 2021, those supplies became completely restricted, making these crystals a limited, treasured resource. I’m so glad I bought them when I did. I remember loving them so much, I purchased a wide variety—3mm, 4mm, hearts, large crystals—all kept sealed for years.

These crystals are unmatched in quality—they glow from within, catching the light with a brilliance that’s hard to find today. Out of respect for the brand's current policies, I simply call them vintage Austrian crystals.

I used two bicones per earring—enough to bring a little light to the piece, but not enough to steal focus. The balance had to be just right.

There’s a quiet elegance in restraint. I don’t want sparkle for the sake of sparkle. I want it to feel like sunlight on fruit skin, or a memory catching the light just right.