Saturday, March 9, 2019

Weeping Willow Designs

Beautiful earth riches worked into dynamic, energetically-helpful designs.

Semi-precious stone beads and freshwater pearls combined with handcrafted Bali sterling silver. Strung on nylon-coated steel with sterling silver clasps, findings, and crimp beads. 

I worked for two years as the in-house bead jewellery designer at Art of My Heart, TD Square Mall, downtown Calgary, Alberta. I made hundreds of pieces of unique jewellery during my time at the store with stunning and world-class beads the owner found on his buying trips.

My heart was broken when, in early 2010, we were booted from the mall, along with the remaining independent retailers, in favour of high-end chain stores. At the height of the oil boom in the city that oil built, the mall owners had decided to gentrify, and we were out.

The joke was on them, as within a couple years, oil prices had plummeted. I wonder who is shopping at all those high-end stores now? ;-)

Art of My Heart was a much-beloved store to many, and I cherish the memories I have from those times, along with the photographs of the jewellery I produced.

You can read about Art of My Heart on my astrology site: http://willowsweb.blogspot.com/search/label/art%20of%20my%20heart

I am no longer making jewellery, but I still have some items for sale at my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/WillowsWebAstrology

Contact: willowsweb [at] hushmail.com

Note: Sterling does tarnish over time, but a quick rub with a silver polishing cloth makes it shine again. Many of the beads I use are already oxidized and don't need much extra care. The smoother beads do require a little polishing at times, but a whole necklace can be cleaned in about five minutes. Storing them in Ziploc bags with the air removed helps to slow the tarnishing considerably.

New Work for 2019

Original designs available at the Willow's Web Astrology Etsy Shop while they last  - most are one-of-a-kind


Beautiful natural turquoise necklace with Bali sterling silver bead caps and accents








Raw natural turquoise centre bead necklace with onyx, agate, and copper-coloured metal accents

  




Amethyst round beads with chips and Bali sterling silver accents


 Matching amethyst and Bali silver earrings




Cosmic hematite necklace with Bali beads



Matching cosmic hematite earrings




Pale pink freshwater pearl bracelet with Bali sterling silver accents 



Matching freshwater pearl with Bali silver earrings 




Rose quartz necklace with five raw beads and Bali sterling silver accents




Close up of the beautiful Bali beads in this rose quartz necklace

Matching rose quartz and Bali silver earrings





Rose quartz and Bali silver necklace gathered with an ornate Bali bead 



 

Close up of the beautiful ornate Bali silver centre bead 


EARRINGS

Double onyx earrings with Bali silver bead caps and accents




Single onyx earrings with Bali silver bead caps and accents




Double onyx earrings with square bead caps

 

  Double natural turquoise earrings with Bali silver bead caps and accents




Oxidized ornate Bali bead earrings with white freshwater pearls and bead caps




Oxidized ornate Bali bead earrings with pale pink freshwater pearls and bead caps




Double pale pink freshwater pearl earrings with Bali silver bead caps and accents




Pale green "chicklet" natural turquoise earrings with Bali silver accents