First Application to the Club

[Lulu]

Like Adeline, I'd been collecting gemstones in my 20's and in my 30's have moved on to pearls, although my collection is not nearly as extensive nor as fine. One of my obsessions in my teens was watermelon tourmaline which I saw for the first time in Hong Kong. (I still remember that shop window on Nathan Road!) Years later I snagged my own strand, but it turned out I was miserable at wire-wrapping. This strand has been through multiple incarnations in the decade that I've had it, but this is definitely my favorite so far. Not the highest quality stones, but there's a lovely range of colors and is nice and sparkly. I have a range of different gemstones at about this size and I'm thinking of making several variations on the theme so that I can layer them or wear them singly. (Pattye, this is the strand that I was hoping to use with the pink keshis I bought from you.) Knotted on moss green 10 lb. PowerPro (the 20 lb. was too heavy and ended up breaking some of the beads).





I also had these aquamarine rondelles sitting in my bead box... I can't wait to wear this one today! It's been cloudy and miserable here for an entire week and I think this echoes the color of the grey sky but makes it better, too Knotted on 50 lb. PowerPro.



I LOVE how this picture shows the peacock glow of the Tahitians despite being a bit out of focus... sigh.



... And on the subject of pink keshis from Pattye, this is what I ended up doing with them. I've been obsessed with two-tone jewelry and love its versatility, so I mixed sterling silver beads with 14k goldfill on this necklace for my mother-in-law. These pictures don't pick up nearly as much of the lustre and rainbow flashes that these pearls have, unfortunately. Knotted on 20 lb. PowerPro.

 

[GemGeek]

I love the pink to green tourmaline strands too! And I love your use of the two-tone metal beads. Everything is just super and great photographs.

 

[la_corsetiere]

Oooh, lovely lovely lovely!

 

[Caitlin]

Welcome to the Club! You do fantastic work. I'd wear any of those!!!

 

[Adeline Leigh]

I love it ALL, Lulu. You did a fine job on those. I like necklaces with heft just like the aquamarine and tahitians over there I could do dainty in my 20s, not so anymore (ha ha). And the tourmaline looks fab too. I like. Nathan Road, ahhh, it brings back memories, for the love of roast goose in one of the "can tings" on that street

 

[Lulu]

Thanks, everyone! Over the years, I've accumulated a few strands of colored gemstones but had gotten tired of previous designs and I'm really enjoying incorporating pearls in them now.

Adeline, I'm with you on the "not-too-dainty". I'm planning on layering the watermelon tourmaline with strands of green tourmaline and garnets when I want to pile on the bling.

 

[pattye]

Just beautiful, Lulu! The pink keshi look fab with the coin pearls, bet your MIL will get tons of compliments! Love the two tone look and how you've added the gold roundels.

Tahitians are aquamarines are gorgeous together, what great size roundels, too! The tourmaline are lovely, too. I've had problems with stones breaking in the past, guess they are more fragile than I thought. (A tourmaline and pearl bracelet dropped on carpet, and 1 bead broke, so it is up for restringing now.)

It will be great to see more of your creations in the future as you add them here on "your" thread!

 

[Amrita]

Love all your creations, Lulu! Just marvelous!

 

[Katbran]

Really lovely Lulu! Well done! Love the Tahitians and the Aquamarine is very pretty, those pearls just glow! Thanks for the great photos..keep em comin!

 

[Lulu]

Pattye - totally hear you on the heartbreak of having the beads break! The good thing about making my own jewelry is that I can make *exactly* what I want. The bad thing about making my own jewelry is that it seems that I am never *done*

Thank you all for the encouragement!

 

[Amanda]

What amazing stuff you've made, Lulu!

 

[Adeline Leigh]

Pattye - totally hear you on the heartbreak of having the beads break! The good thing about making my own jewelry is that I can make *exactly* what I want. The bad thing about making my own jewelry is that it seems that I am never *done*

Thank you all for the encouragement!

We will all never be done, Lulu. Never! The day we are, we probably will go quietly into the night, away from PG. (Sniff.)

 

[Lulu]

'Tis been a busy few weeks, but I have been having a blast with projects with pearls obtained with the help of Adeline ;-)

First up is one of my recent favorites. This one is going to be a present for a new member of the family. My DH's father's family has just adopted a teenage girl, and this is going to be my "welcome to the family!" gift to her. Hopefully it's something a teenager can appreciate, as it's not too formal or "old-fashioned." It's a 36"-ish rope of silver freshwater keshi, interspersed with silver Bali beads, gold-filled spacers, and (the best part, with thanks to Adeline) a beeeeyooutiful pondslime lavender freshwater pearl, among other freshwater pearls. I'm especially fond of this necklace and made sure to get pictures before I send it on its way. I hope she likes it!

Next, is a strand of shaded green tourmaline faceted rondelles with some smallish SSP. It's been useful to have these as a reference point for SSP, since my only other example are the golden SSP baroque drops from PP. Is it true that SSP feel less "gritty" than FWP when doing the rubbing tests? Because for me they feel very different (for reference, the SSP are from Ehret-Drusy Designs).

Finally, a pair of earrings made mostly from a kit assembled by Adeline. This is my response to your challenge! I added a handful of rich golden yellow citrine briolettes. I think I may actually add a few more to each earring after having worn them a few times, however. And maybe a few garnet rondelles as well. I'm going to have to play around with this one a little bit more once I get more headpins. The tailed FWP coins are stunning. Absolutely stunning. My pictures do not come close to doing them justice.

I have a few more projects in the works. Just waiting for additional supplies and more time.... always more time....

 

[Caitlin]

NIce! Nice! Nice!

Kit? Can you explain that?

 

[Lulu]

Hi Caitlin,

Adeline occasionally posts kits for her earring designs on Etsy, which contain fantastic combinations of gemstones, including pearls.

Here's one that's currently available:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/101180445/luxe-multi-gemstone-strand-saltwater

And others that she has sold already (but maybe she can help with specific requests?):
https://www.etsy.com/transaction/79919020?transaction_id=79919020
https://www.etsy.com/transaction/82271745?transaction_id=82271745

 

[lisa c]

Ohhhhh NO! How much more temptation are we expected to endure? Adeline has kits? This is too much gorgeousness to bear.

Lulu - words aren't going to do your work and photographs justice! I can't get over how much design talent is cropping up here!

 

[pattye]

Keep up the excellent work Lulu! that's a lucky little gal to receive such a gorgeous pearl necklace~

 

[Katbran]

Love all the pieces - I'll never know how you guys get your fingers around all those tiny little beads and hook 'em all up...I must have fat fingers lol They look great!

 

[Adeline Leigh]

OMG!!! Your creations are SOOO stupendously gorgeous, Lulu. I hope the new addition to the family will be cheered with such a thoughtful welcome.

Lulu, I am beaming all the way here from not-so-sunny Singapore; (rained all day so no new pics) - that welo opal, padparadscha corundum and white tailed coin pearl set is luxe. VERY luxe. You have done a splendid job with the pearls I sent you including the pondslimes. And kudos too on the SSP and tourmaline. Mighty pretty.

Yes, Lisa. I have 'kits', if you can call them that. It makes so much sense to sell things this way for gem and pearl lovers - the end results are mostly on my albums on PG. I have acquired quite a fair bit over the last decade so I just pull together workable things from across 15 to 23 strands of gemstones and pearls. Here's some (and other custom requests) of what Lulu got and look how she transformed them:

 

[Amanda]

that green tourmaline necklace is utterly, utterly gorgeous.