Sunday, June 7, 2009

Wild Azaleas and Honeysuckle Dreams

While camping this spring, we were fortunate to see the wild Azaleas blooming. The blossoms spotted the dense green forest with splashes of red and pink color. These azaleas are often called wild honeysuckle because their blossoms resemble the flowers of the honeysuckle vine and they also have the same pungently sweet sent. As a child who grew up in the Deep South, I can remember, on hot humid spring days, the intense sweet smell of the wild honeysuckle. The smell was intoxicating and we always stopped to pick a few blooms off the vine to suck the nectar hoping it would hold our hunger so we would not have to stop playing and have to take time out to eat lunch.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The Vine - Sterling Silver Earrings


A light weight pair of earrings created to capture the fluid grace of a vine as it travels up a tree and clings to its branches. Summer is here and I can see the woods filling up with green vines. They have such graceful beauty!

Measurements:
1 ½ inches or 40mm in length and 4mm at its widest point
These are light weight earrings made from sterling and 99% fine silver.
They have been given a dark patina to give the wrapping depth and character, and then polished to a high shine.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Pink Lemonade (bracelet)

…marshmallows and black licorice
This yummy confection has three beautiful pink turquoise stones that have the most amazing veining and variations of pinks I have ever seen. Each turquoise stone is caped with elegant sterling silver filigree caps of exceptional quality. As you move from the sweet turquoise towards the hook you find a 9mm Bali bead that was hand crafted in Bali from their own high quality Bali silver. As you continue on past the handmade sterling silver clasp you find the bracelet become incredibly yummy turning into a charm bracelet with delicious freshwater pearls and AAA mystic pink topaz. In addition, because I have some very dear Swedish friends who never let me forget their sweet tooth for salty black licorice, I added two beautiful black onyxes to the sugary mix.
Measurements: This bracelet is adjustable from 7 ¾ inches or smaller.
Gems:
Three 20 x 15mm Pink turquoise smooth stones
Five 6mm AAA multifaceted mystic pink topaz onion briolettes
Ten 4x6mm smoky grey freshwater rice pearls
Five 6mm creamy white round freshwater pearls
Twelve 3mm deep burgundy pink freshwater pearls
Two 4mm peachy pink freshwater pearls
Four 4mm olive green freshwater pearls
One 10mm faceted round black onyx
One 8mm smooth round black onyx
One 9mm hand crafted Bali bead
This bracelet was hand crafted with the above gems, pearls, and stones. All metals are sterling silver, fine silver, and Bali silver. Hand crafted and designed by Joanne Harrill.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Andromeda hoop earrings

...in spring green.Named after the spiral galaxy found in the constellation Andromeda. It is one of the farthest objects visible to the naked eye in the deep depths of the night sky. Each gem was delicately hand wrapped with hair thin wire and carefully placed in graduating size and color.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Trellis

Celebrating the subtle beauty of nature this necklace is a reflection of what I see whenever I take time to notice how things grow and emerge around me. The pendent is hand formed and wrapped with several gauges and feet of fine silver. The fine silver gracefully travels along the trellis and blooming from the bottom is 3 green garnets, 2 tundra sapphires, and 2 fresh water pearls. This combination of blooms continues onto the chain.
This is an 18 inch necklace with a 2 inch extender chain and a hand formed Sterling silver clasp.
The chain is made of a combination of sterling silver chains and handmade fine silver chain.
The pendant measures 2 ¼ inches or 5.5mm in length and is 1 inch or 2.1 mm at its widest point.
The entire necklace contains
10, 4mm green garnet rondelles
5, 3mm fresh water pearls
1, 6 mm fresh water pearl
1, 5mm green fresh water pearl
2, 2mm yellow sapphire rondelles
14 various sizes of sterling silver round beads
This necklace has been given a deep patina and then polished to a high shine to accentuate the intricate wire work and to add to the ageless beauty I find so irresistible.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Spring Is Here at Last!


On my front porch are two pots filled with Ivey. Over the winter the Ivey became dark and a little shriveled but never really died, even on our coldest days. Now that spring is here I have noticed how slowly the Ivey is being reborn. The color is slowly becoming more vibrant and the leaves more full life.
This charming charm bracelet is covered in leaves. It has three hand shaped and wire wrapped leaf links. In between these delicately crafted links are the subtle spring colors emerging from my Ivey pots. In these tiny bouquets you will find gem stones and pearls, which include hand carved Citrine leaves.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Moonlit Garden

Star Light Star bright,The first star I see tonight,I wish I may, I wish I might,Have the wish I wish tonight.While making this ring, I envisioned a moonlit garden. One that was half over grown with vines covered in tiny star flowers with the moonlight reflecting off of their delicate little petals.