How I Came To Be A Handmade Jewellery Designer

Making home made jewellery was never my first ambitions, but now it's my dream and drive in life.

I first got into it when I was taken unwell at work, doing a job that had been my career for 31 years. It had become a technique of life and bought in the money to live comfortably. Having a medical problem that would not let me return to that career, I was racking my brains for a pursuit to keep me occupied after my early retirement. Around this time, a neighbour and best friend took me to a massive craft fair on the Sandringham Royal estate, here's where I found my inspiration. I was introduced to several stall holders all making their own designs of jewellery, I have lengthy conversations with a lot of them, they jointly gave me the confidence to try it myself.

After that I was introduced to a lady who taught me the simplest way to make jewelry with seed beads, using needles and thread. She was incredibly patient and taught me so much about techniques and also gave me details of the easiest way to source the beads. It was then that I realized that I too may be good at this craft and I could make something more of this glorious pastime.

These days I get great joy from buying semi-precious stones, and freshwater pearls, coral pieces and more. The greatest pleasure of all is in the designing process. I try to think what my customers would like, and how they'd like their jewellery to be finished professionally, so that it will give them great pleasure and a life time of service. Taking the basic elements and shaping them into a statement piece of jewellery that not only I, but others too would adore, gives me great pride and a real sense of achievement.

Lately I've been in a position to share this fantastic entertainment with some neighbors, by teaching. I was asked by a local economy woman to hold workshops in the art gallery attached to her working windmill. The women are also dependent and they all look forward to meeting me once a month to fill their minds with the abilities of this amazing hobby.

One of those ladies is blind, and arrives at the workshop together with her reliable guide dog “Olivia”. This blind lady has felt her way through each workshop, using beads larger than the other ladies. She was my latest inspiration to make jewellery for those that couldn't see, or were partially sighted in a way that they could manage somehow to put it on independently. All of this has been achieved with the usage of toggle clasps that can be simply felt.

Another adjustment to some designs that I have recently made for lesser-abled women is for the ones that suffer with metastatic inflammation and need to use magnetic clasps, the strength of these is determined by the weight of the beads threaded on the jewelry.

Innovating jewellery designs for the lesser-abled ladies in my life and seeing how happy it makes them has driven me to carry on with this enthusiasm, giving it a new lease. I hope to be making many utilitarian and creative designs for several years to come for girls of all ages, styles and backgrounds.

Lorraine Cannell is a handmade jewellery designer and entrepreneur. She is also the owner of thebeadqueen.co.uk

Gemstone Handmade Necklaces

Time will tell as each handcrafted necklace charms for moms and their babes are handed on from one generation to the next. What I would say about this kind of jewellery is that its normally silver plated and moderately priced but then its probably mass produced and cash rich chain stores have buying power to retain the affordable prices we pay.

{If you want to be innovative with your bridal jewellery, handmade ornaments are an amazing choice} This particular necklace does not need a polish cloth, but for her other sterling silver, fine silver, and 14 Karat gold jewelry they need that. Mother jewelry centers on Mom’s precious babies by personalizing the charms with the name of the baby usually hand engraved on the face with the date of birth on the reverse. Silver jewelry is gorgeous, but only if it’s real silver. Make sure that the online source you select uses either sterling silver.
For the ultimate in simplicity there is no mistaking the message of necklace charms for mothers that proclaim “love you”. Women have adorned themselves with talismans and mementos of her loved ones from the first day she figured out how to wear them around her neck. They become integral to the design in the All Gold Name Charm Necklace.

Otherwise no matter how expensive a factory made or handmade jewellery you wear, you will fail to create the look you deserve. Handmade jewellery still has the same magnetism and if ever you visit a craft fair, notice how all the stalls selling jewellery have clusters of females. For an aged patina, she uses an oxidization process that blackens the silver and then gives it a special polish which will darken over time. Ice Age the movie, in all its marvelous humor represented a truth about mothers and their children.

Mothers and children value the charms that celebrate life and birth. When choosing necklace charms for mothers, look for the handcrafted designs of high quality; you deserve the best. Being your bridal jewelry, whatever you wear ought to carry love and chic in it as well for which handmade pieces is perfect embodiment. You can find some amazing handmade stuff online as well in your local jewellery shops. Each of the necklace charms for mothers allows for 8-10 characters of personalization either side to be hand inscribed.