Monika Wiklund

This theme is linked to trees and flowers and other growing things. I used small round semi-precious stones with slightly varying colors but mostly in different shades of green, combined with metal charms in the shape of leaves or flowers to create this necklace.

The rectangular beads are green jasper, the larger round beads are green opals, and the smaller round beads consist of a mix of green jaspis, chalcedony, and tiger-eye.

The center-piece is a large metal leaf charm, surrounded by slightly smaller flower charms and more leaf charms evenly spaced out along the length of the necklace, and even the toggle clasp is following the theme.

Photography by Kristian.

The the white fresh-water pearls and the rectangular lapiz lazuli beads create a nice contrast to each other, and the heart-shaped bead cage with a round sodalite bead gives the necklace a very nice focus.

It is not a very long necklace, but it is still too large for this model

Closeup of the charm, alarge, round sodalite bead in a silver-plated heart shaped bead cage.

Pictures by Kristian.

This necklace is part of a set of four necklaces and bracelets that I made for a colleague and friend of mine. Each necklace consists of semi-round fresh-water pearls, small metal letters charms hanging between the pearls, spelling the name of the owner,  and each necklace have a nice decorated toggle clasp or hook. For each necklace there is also a matching bracelet with a small heart-shaped magnetic clasp.

Each necklace and bracelet contains beads of three different colors, ranging from dark red to white, and where the lightest color in one necklace is the same as the darkest color in the next necklace. The necklace in the picture is the darkest necklace, unfortunately I do not have any pictures of the rest of the necklaces.

Picture by Kristian.

I made this necklace not too long ago for my 5 year old son.  It consists of small round and cylindrical wooden beads in three colors, small lava cube beads, and hanging metal letters that spell out his name.

The beads are strung on a waxed cotton string and the clasp is a simple copper toggle clasp.

Picture by Kristian.

I have made a few of this type of necklaces where you tie the ends together rather than use a clasp of some kind. This one is based on wire and seed beads in different shades of blue, with small white “nugget” fresh water pearls, some blue rice fresh water pearls, smalll blue glass beads, and a spiky metal snowflake charm at each end of the necklace.

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The ends of the necklace can be a bit difficult to tie since it is based on wire, but I still think that it turned out fairly well. Maybe some day, I will get around to rethreading it with some other material, but then again I might not.

This is a necklace and bracelet made of black and silver-lined crystal twisted bugle beads and seed beads, small black glass cubes, black cloisonne beads, small round metal beads, and metal snowflake charms.

Several people have been interested in this design and I have made at least three copies of this necklace and bracelet, two with the snowflake charms and one with small flower charms instead. I do not think I have any of them left, but I might make another one some day.

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.

Almost two years ago, I found a kit for making my own bead necklace in a local store and decided to try it out. I got hooked immediately and started buying more and more beads and have tried new materials and designs as I went along.

This necklace and bracelet was what got me all started. Unfortunately the details are not very good in this picture, and I do no longer have the necklace/bracelet, so I cannot take a better picture, but the seed beads are dark with slightly different nuances in color, the glass beads are blue, purple and crystal colored, and there are some metal beads of different shapes as well. The bracelet is made from the same beads and memory wire.