Monika Wiklund

These blue and gold dice beads have been lying around waiting to be used for some time now. I bought them because I thought they were kind of cute, but then I didn’t get around to actually using them until recently when I was trying to figure out what to do with some other left-over beads.

This is the result, a combination of round and dice-shaped blue and gold glass beads, small tube-shaped gold colored spacer beads, round dark blue glass beads and gold-sand beads, round blue cloisonne beads, and some rectangular lapiz lazuli beads. The beads I had were just enough to make this necklace and a matching bracelet, but I only have pictures of the necklace.

The round and dice-shaped beads are not quite as transparent when you look at them in normal light, but I like the way the flash lights them up in these pictures.

Photography by Kristian.

 I made this collar necklace as a variation of this stone necklace that I posted about a little while back. The earlier necklace was made almost entirely of round stone beads, and I figured it would be a good idea to try out the same technique with beads of different shapes as well.

For this necklace, I used hematite cube beads, matte round onyx beads, faceted hematite-colored glass beads, and some round black and silver desert sand beads. I think that the combination of round, faceted and cubic beads works perfectly together, and I especially like the contrast between the matte onyx beads and the shiny hematite. 

As with the previous necklace, I used the RAW stitch for this neckalce and the different sizes of the beads also helped create the rounded shape that fits perfectly around the neck.

Photography by Kristian.

As I have mentioned earlier, chain necklaces are ever popular and I have made several variations of these kind of necklaces. This is my latest version, for which I have created the chain by using links from three different chains, one with large round links, one with large oval links, and one with smaller slightly twisted links.

For this necklace I used champagne-colored round silver-foil beads, faceted rock crystal nuggets, and a champagne-colored silver-foil heart pendant. It is a bit different from other chain necklaces that I have made because of the lighter color scheme, but I think that it should look pretty good together with dark clothes. I haven’t tried it yet, but I hope that I will get the chance soon.

Photography by Kristian.

As you might have noticed, I have made a lot of chain necklaces, partly because they are relatively easy to make and partly because chain necklaces are pretty popular so that I don’t have that many left anyway. This one is made from a thin chain with ovals and rings, some pretty nice metal cage links, mint-green silver-foil beads, and with a mint-green silver-foil heart as a pendant. Even though most of the necklaces are following the same pattern there is some variation in the colors, size and shape of the chains, and in the materials for most of the necklaces.

This is a close-up of the pendant and part of the chain of the necklace, it is a bit light, but I think that the color is pretty close to the real thing.

Photography by Kristian.

I am not sure if “desert sun” is the correct name for this kind of beads, but that is what they were called when I bought them. I think the name comes from the effect of the glittering pattern of the beads, but I am also pretty sure I have seen the same kind of beads under other names even though I can’t remember any other names at the moment.

It is a bit difficult to describe the colors of this necklace, the desert sun beads have a weird beige-pink hue that is almost skin-colored, and the larger cut beads vary a bit in color even though most of them are purple, white, turquoise, and in some cases copper or clouded glass as well.

The small metal beads are used as spacers between the two sizes of desert sun beads and the larger multi-colored glass beads to give it a lighter feeling and to add some contrast to the more discrete colors of the beads.

Photography by Kristian.

For this necklace, I used some round beige-pink desert sun beads, large light purple silver-lined seed beads, and some light purple silver-foil beads of different sizes and shapes. I think that the colors are complementing each other nicely, and that the combination of different types of beads highlights the pattern and shapes.

The seed beads are used as spacers between the desert sun and silver-foil beads, and the smaller silver-foiled hearts in the necklace gives a tighter connection between the pendant and the beads in the necklace as well as increases the variation in the pattern.

Photography by Kristian.

chain necklace with purple silver-foiled beads with matching bracelet and earrings

A matching set of necklace, bracelet and earrings made from a light silver-colored, oval, angle-cut chain, some silver-colored metal beads, purple silver-foiled beads of different sizes and shapes, and with a large purple silver-foiled heart as a pendant.

I really like the combination of and the contrast between the dark purple beads and the light silver-colored chain and I wanted to create a set with a common theme without using the exact same pattern in each part. The bracelet and the earrings use the same colors, but rather than using the square and oval silver-foil and metal beads of the necklace, I used the small silver-foil hearts to increase the focus of the pendant of the necklace.

Photography by Kristian.

Matching set of necklace, bracelet and earrings made of silver-lined blue and crystal seed beads, small faceted glass beads with dark blue core, small blue silver-foil hearts, dark heart-shaped toggle clasps, and small angel charms.

Blue angel necklace

The bracelet and the necklace both have the angel charms and follow the same pattern with the seed beads and glass beads, although on a smaller scale with the bracelet.

Blue angel bracelet

The earrings are made from hat pins, silver-lined blue hearts and seed beads.

Blue silver-foiled heart earrings

The angel charms are made from flower-shaped glass beads, silver-colored metal wings, and blue faceted glass beads, that have been put together with a hat pin.

Close-up of angel charm

Photography by Kristian.

A mix of purple and blue glass beads, red and blue fresh water pearls with and without bead cages, a couple of blue catseye hearts, and heart links from a chain made this necklace. There are also some garnet and sodalite chips mixed in among the rest of the beads.

The necklace is based on eye pins that are put together to a chain together with the heart links.

Bracelet made of memory wire with curved metal pipes, blue and red glass beads, pearl cages, small hematite hearts and stars, small metal flowers, and a small metal teddy bear and a fish charm at each end.