Vacation time...

Well, it's that time of year again when our family spends a couple of weeks' vacation together to prepare for the new year ahead.  This year has been challenging with many detours at work and home, and it's also been a time of learning, growing and appreciating those who mean a lot to us.

I've a few more orders to fulfill and then plan for next year.  I'm working on a few new designs.   Do check back in January for another collection of jewelry. 

In the meantime, have a great holiday season with your family and friends not forgetting what CHRISTmas is all about.  See you next year! 

Preparing for Christmas...

I've been busy with filling custom orders, baking and taking care of the family but rest assured, I've been working. So far I've completed about 20 necklaces and maybe 6 bracelets with many more ear-rings but just haven't had the time to photograph everything to show you. I'll try to do so in the next few weeks before Christmas.

Meanwhile, here are two pieces I completed a few weeks ago.

This is a 17-inch necklace using the St Petersburg technique for the necklace part and beadwork for the pendant part. The pendant is made up of Swarovski crystals and pearls. Really nice for a bride or for an elegant night out.

This bracelet fits up to 8-inch wrist. The techniques employed are peyote stitch and netting. Notice the centre part of the bracelet has a pleated design. It's deliberate and adds depth to the piece.

The same bracelet flattened out. The clasp is magnetic slip on.

Do let me know if you are interested in these pieces. The necklace is S$100 and the bracelet is S$80.

Feature on Rebecca Yam!

There's a short feature on me and my business at  http://nanzinc.com/gem-of-a-home-business-jewellery-maker-rebecca-yam!  Do read about how I started Rebecca Yam.

Bracelet Galore!

Here are some the bracelets and cuffs I've completed so far.  As you can see, I've a long way to go to produce 30 for next year's collection!  I'll post their names and full descriptions in October or November, so in the meantime, just have a look and enjoy!

A cuff with a flower theme.  Whimsical bumblebees and ladybird beads...

A lovely, elegant cuff especially suitable for a bride.

A lovely pink centrepiece and lots of pearls!

Freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals.

A unique bracelet cuff using triangle beads and 2-drop peyote technique.  Rustic and definitely one-of-a-kind.

2-drop peyote going the other way using triangle beads. 

A dressy bracelet cuff with lots of Swarovski pearls and crystals.

A lovely green jasper bracelet cuff.

My first project after I received the aluminium cuffs from the US.

The beads used here are the best quality Japanese glass seed beads.  The sizes are uniform and colours consistent.

Adeline "noble"

I've been FIB (flat in bed) a lot this week due to a bad cough and cold.  But in between I tried to do some work here and there.  Today I'm feeling SO much better and managed to complete a bracelet cuff I started late last night.  Hurray!

Adeline was made using silver lined bugle glass beads and gold Japanese glass seed beads to form a base.  I covered a 1-inch aluminium bracelet cuff with ultrasuede and sewed the bugle bead base on after which I sewed a picot edge on the sides of bracelet.  I then sewed on Swarovski pearls in various sizes and colours (creamrose and peach), Swarovski crystals and rounds using 11.0 and 15.0 Japanese glass seed beads through the middle of the base.

The result is a really elegant, refined looking bracelet cuff fit for a princess!  I decided to make it with silver and gold so anyone can wear this.  And since it's a 6-inch cuff, it fits all sizes.  I love this so much I'm making another one in bronze!

Jocelyn "playful"

Something about me that many of you may not be aware is that I work very well when there are plenty of  dark clouds, rain and a cool breeze blowing.  Yes, I know I'm a bit strange (my psychologist friends tell me that too!).  In fact, my most productive days are when the sun doesn't shine so much and everything gray and dreary.  Since it's been raining a little the last couple of days Jocelyn was completed within one and a half days.

I wanted something simple, colourful and playful.

I glued on a white piece of silky damask onto the stiffening fabric.  Here's Jocelyn half completed.  Each Japanese glass seed bead is painstakingly sewn onto the cloth (I usually use about 3-4 needles for one bracelet because the stiffening can be really stiff and the thin needles keep bending!).

The completed bracelet but not finished yet.

Here's the finished piece.  I love the ladybugs and bumble bee, don't you?

This is what the sunrise looked like this morning!  At 6.45am it was simply beautiful.  I think today will be a good day for another bracelet... I wonder what colour I will pick...?

OOAK (One-of-a-kind) Bracelets

This will be my last post for this week since I'll be leaving for Malaysia tomorrow morning and back on Sunday night.  I'm completing these bracelets at a much faster pace than I had anticipated.  Lady Inspiration has been a good visitor!

ZIARA "sunrise"

This was the centrepiece I made a few months back while waiting for my aluminium bracelet cuffs from the US to be delivered.  I used lots and lots of Swarovki crystals to make this sunflower.

Next I sewed a base strip of size 11.0 Japanese glass seed beads to the length of the aluminium cuff.  I used the Ndebele technique.

I covered the aluminium cuff with ultrasuede like so.

Viola!  Here's the completed cuff.  Isn't Zaira lovely?

This is the inside and back view of Zaira.

JULIA "youthful"

The second cuff doesn't use an aluminium base.  I used a pastel pink sunstone (it shimmers in the light so really pretty for day or evening wear) with agate flowers, freshwater pearls and hundreds of Japanese glass seed beads.  I'm really happy with the design.  Notice how the purple beads bring out the freshness or the pink beads.  I sewed the all the beads onto a stiff fabric and then glued the ultrasuede on.

Here's the completed cuff all nicely edged with tiny Japanese glass seed beads and a German-made antique gold clasp.

Lovely and youthful looking, eh?

Here's the back view of JULIA.

BIANCA "white"

This was my first bracelet cuff in the series of my new project.  You can read about it on my May 1st post.

Now I'm off to start on my next bracelet cuff... colour?  I don't know yet...  You'll have to check back next week! So until I see next week, have a great long weekend and a Happy National Day to all Singaporeans!

Sunrise...

I'm really privileged to be living in an apartment that overlooks a field, a stadium and a swimming pool.  Each morning after getting the children off to school by 6.45am, I sit at my work table and think about my faith, my life and my day's work.  This is what I see most mornings.

6.45am: Taken from my studio table.  Don't you think I've a wonderful view?

7.00am:  The photo doesn't show the splendid colours.  It's always better in real life unless taken by a National Geographic photographer!

7.15am:  Sad to say, having this marvellous view also means the sun comes through my window which sometimes makes it hard to work in such brightness so I've to draw the blinds...

Oh, I was able to work on my first bracelet cuff yesterday.  I decided on a pale pink sunstone with lots of freshwater pearls.  I've almost completed the main body and hopefully today I can finish it, glue it on the aluminium cuff and ultrasuede, and then complete the whole bracelet with a lovely edge.

My next piece will be a sunflower bracelet.  I've already made the sunflower so we'll see what happens next.  This weekend, I'll be going to Petaling Jaya in Malaysia to attend a workshop on Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) with my hubby.  We also have his secondary school reunion gala dinner on Saturday night.  So if you don't hear from me the rest of the week, see you next week!

Bracelet cuffs

My long-awaited package from the US arrived last week but I've been too busy to organize my supplies.  Today I managed to take out my aluminium bracelet cuffs and put some designs to paper.  I've been in a pearl mood lately so chances are my first few bracelets will be filled with pearls!

There are 60 bracelet cuffs and 2 arm cuffs to be made!  They range from 1 inch to 3 inches in height. 

This morning, while waiting for Lady Inspiration to visit to hand me ideas for my bracelets, I strung 4 strands of pearls (different shapes, sizes and colours) together and braided them to make this beautifully elegant necklace.  I added Swarovski crystals to catch the light.  Perfect for day or evening wear.  17 inches in length with a gold clasp.

Russian Leaf Ear-rings

Last week while waiting for my package of supplies to arrive from the US, I experimented with some small designs and made a nice pair of ear-rings for myself.  I wore them to the counselling conference I attended last Monday through Wednesday.  A friend who was there saw the ear-rings and liked them.  This week she ordered 3 pairs!  Here is what I wore:

This is a typical Russian design made with delica beads and Swarovski crystals.  Instead of the crystals I can also bead veins in the middle of the leaf.

Do check out the Ear-rings section of the blog to see the other colour combinations I made including the ones my friend ordered.  I hope she likes them!

Meanwhile, I'll be quiet for about a week because I'll be working feverishly on my single custom orders, a large project of 30 bead embroidery necklaces and 35 bracelets/cuffs (was due in July but now need another 5 months because the first package of supplies got lost in the mail!) as well as attending a counselling certification course in Petaling Jaya during the weekend.

Check back next week or so, and hopefully I'll have more jewelry to show you.

Pearls Galore!

About three months ago, I ordered a big box of supplies from the USA but till today I have yet to see it.  Two weeks ago I ordered another big box of supplies (this time registered and insured) and am praying it will arrive soon.  I was working on a large project that was due in July but it's been stalled since the disappearance of Box 1.  So while waiting for Box 2 to arrive I've got to keep moving...

This past week I've been working on pearls, pearls, pearls!  Multistrand freshwater pearl necklaces to be exact. 

Here's one of the necklaces I made.  I find that 5-strands of  freshwater pearls in differents sizes and shapes work pretty well, giving the full look without being too heavy (or expensive!).  This necklace has a cream and peach tone (other tones include green, pink, copper, lilac and peach).  I added Swarovski crystals which catches the light at certain angles making it suitable for day and evening wear.  I've made my necklaces from 16 inches to 23 inches to suit different people's needs.

One of my customers brought in her 3-strand freshwater pearl necklace to be re-strung because it was too long for her.  I shortened it to the length of her desire and added seashells and coral beads for her which resulted in some extra freshwater pearls so I made the necklace below for her with coral and garnet beads.

This custom order is a Swarovski pearl lariat necklace with apply green round crystals.  The length of the necklace can be adjusted with this 925 silver magnet clasp with Swarovski crystals. 

Right now I'm now working on Russian leaf ear-rings in assorted colours.  I'll post photos as soon as I'm done.  See you next week!