Cherries Bracelet & Earrings

Make Jewellery Magazine July 2010

Firstly, I hope the photo of my new jewellery isn't too blurry. My husband was laughing and making me laugh at my attempts to get both the bracelet and the earrings (or one of them anyway) into the same shot. Apparently I look as if I've just remembered I've left the iron on...

So, this is my project from July's (aka late May's) Make Jewellery Magazine. The designer is Brenda Harvey and the theme is of course cherries.

The magazine included a necklace, bracelet, earrings and bag charm in the same theme, which I whittled down to just the earrings and bracelet. The "cherries" themselves are 20mm iridescent red plastic beads from Creative Beadcraft, who happily had the 10 I needed in stock.

Everything else came from stash, so as usual the finished product deviates a little from the magazine instructions. The bracelet is an ordinary ready-made silver-plated job with a lobster clasp. I put on an extender but I might take that off as there's enough dangle without.

The cherries are capped either side with 4mm black Swarovski bicones. I made the accompanying dangles from the same bicones with a green frosted round glass bead in the centre. I had to do those twice as the shade of green I used originally turned out not to match my leaves...

The magazine used silver plated leaf charms. I substituted green lucite leaves from The Bead Shop Manchester. I thought these were more colourful (and I already had some). You have to watch the brittleness of the lucite though - I snapped one leaf fiddling with its jump ring.

The earrings are very simply a cherry, a dangler and a leaf on an earring hook. In Brenda's design, they were hanging from long chains. However, I recently wore some fabulous Tarina Tarantino earrings in a similar design and they were massively annoying with the clanging into the side of your head. Hence, the chains got the chop.

I wore this set for the first time today and they were much admired. My piano teacher has even borrowed the mag so she can make the necklace for her sister.I think they're fab and fruity too.

Melx