Carousel -- WIP

in this mix:-

• gold vermeil headpins
• 14K gold filled wires
• faceted orange garnet rondelles
• carved smooth smoky quartz lanterns

I really like how the colours came together in the picture on the carousel and I tried to translate the magic of the moment into this latest piece. I cannot draw and when Muse struck, I cajoled the small one for some time to work out a prototype.

A touch of elegance, a hint of mystery, a liberal dose of magic. I like how it is taking shape. I haven’t quite decided whether it be a bracelet or a necklace. Or what ’sort’ of necklace. Decisions, decisions. Still, the process is truly lovely.

looking for sunshine

I think we are seeing the sunshine after the rain. The blog is taking shape, new orders are packed and ready to go, new pieces are in the works (praying for time to see them through to fruition soon). All is well.

*happy beams*

tidying things up

Pardon the mess. I’m actually working on the blog design. Yes, a first after so many months (ok, more like at least a year). Hang in there. Pardon the out of sync photos and broken links. In general, the blog may come across as an eye-s0re for a couple of days but…I promise it won’t be long.

Tidying up the links list too. A number of sites have come and gone. Let me know if you’d like to be up here somewhere and I’d see if it’d fit in. Erhmm, somehow.

updates at long last

At long last, the shoppe has gotten a mighty big boost of new items. I can’t quite tell which is my favourite of this lot because they are all special and lovely in their own way. I guess you got to discover them yourself.

Oh wait. I’ve decided. The first piece is my fave. The classic combination of black (ok, smoky quartz) and white never fails. Classic, vintage and yet oh so chic. Something that will be a staple in your wardrobe for many years to come. Really. Come on now, you got to admit that you love it too?

quick updates

Guess I spoke too soon about being able to return to regular blogging. My son fell ill again with a nasty viral fever that got us all worried. We were all focused on getting him better so that we can go off for our family holiday this erhmmm, friday. Yeap, so we are off to Hong Kong for a family escapade and won’t be back till Wednesday.

I’d still be online but all orders will only ship from Thursday, 11th March. But… here’s a couple of new items to whet your appetite.

thankful

I spent a chunk of time between baby K’s (graveyard shift) feed updating the shop and the blog. (**hinthint… check the shop now. a large number of the newly listed items are either one-off or limited edition) A number of gorgeously luxe items have been listed. They are truly beautiful and worth every cent you spend on them. I know I am biased but I really feel that the classic looks that they exude cannot be erhmm, ‘outdated’. Carry them well, take good care of them and you are most likely able to pass them on to your children.

I’ve also updated the “Featured At” selection and am truly thankful that whilst our shop updates have been somewhat infrequent, you shoppers / bloggers have not forgotten us. Each feature means a lot, a certain sense of gratification that you love our jewelry. They continue to be lovingly made by hand. No machines, no production lines.

And… the littlest member of our family thanks you for helping keep her (extremely tired out) mother at home. If you are curious as to what keeps me away from the beading table… you can check out their antics over at When Dog Meets Kat.

Having A Whale Of A Time

Planning a new collection but will release items one at a time until I can sit down for a longer period of time! Here’s the first item of the collection. I adore it to bits and hope you’d love it too.

Perfectly whimsical, completely charming, this necklace is sure to win a place in the hearts of the young and young at heart alike. A 925 Silver whale charm is accented with a faceted aquamarine rondelle for an elegant finish. Now available in store.

a-round

We’re still here in case you were wondering. We have been working hard to clear the orders as they come in, including a myriad of custom requests.

We have actually delisted the Ribbon ring (pictured above) for this period and instead ask that you will kindly contact us should you desire one. The reason(s) is/are simple ::- We don’t want to have a huge backlog of customised orders to clear nor for there to be a delay in you receiving your orders… so we are taking them in as we assess our order load and … whether labour is going to be anytime soon. So far, the lil girl seems content to remain inside although I’d really much rather have her out. Carrying her and her sticky older brother is making me lug 1/2 my weight around. NO FUN. And as such, the Baby Shower is still on. Guess the birth day, the birth weight and bring some (virtual) presents!

Meantime, go shopping at Sparkle Thots! There’s been a small restock today.

** You might notice that the ring pictured looks different from the original one in store. It has been lightly hammered to provide added texture and shne. This can only be done on rings made with 925 silver or 14K gold filled as the material is either ’solid’ (silver) or has a much much thicker layer (gold filled). This, as contrasted with plated materials, will not wear off the outer plating and still retain the shine.

You’d realise that it gives the item a lovely handmade feel… and is truly, unique.

Friday Selections :: Baby Girly Pink

1. Rose Petal Martini, 2. Spring Bells, 3. Candylicious, 4. Valentine, 5. Candied Butterflies, 6. pinkfleurs, 7. Locket Full Of Memories, 8. A Dainty Corsage, 9. Pink Bouquets

In celebration of the new addition to the family, here's a selection of baby girly pink items. Well, we know you'd either love it or hate it! But bear with us all the same!

blue :: of returning to first loves

Amazonite was the first 'semi-precious' stone I came across as a beader. And it became my first love. Over time, the list of favourites has grown..., exceptionally long. It does not 'shrink', nor is replaced. But as some new gem comes into view, it gets its moment in time.

I still love Amazonite. With the varying shades of blue. From a strong robin blue to the baby boy blue variety. I don't quite judge which is more 'precious' in the gem trade but I go with the heart. I feel that each stone has its own intrinsic beauty.

A couple of days ago I laid eyes on a strand of lovely carved Amazonite roses. I had to grab them and they dutifully followed me home. I first made them into these earrings. Strung on handforged earwires, they dangle with a lil 'tail' at back for an added design flair.

And today, on the spur of the moment, here's a matching ring to go with it. I personally feel that these amazonite roses go best with 925 silver. Hence, in my idiosyncratic beader way, I am not making 14K gold filled versions.

Now available in store; Blushing Blue Loves (ring) and Blushing Blue Roses (earrings).

Phew. That was quite a picture laden entry. Love affairs are so hard to explain in words!

Sparkle Thots Baby Shower

Heart Button Birth Announcement from Tiny Prints

We have cleared out our schedule in anticipation of the arrival of the wee one but we are still waiting for the arrival of our princess! So we decided to have some fun whilst waiting!

We are hosting our first ever Baby Shower and there's a whole series of fun and games, with prizes to be won. Why wait? Win Sparkle Thots vouchers for participating. No purchase required. :)

GAME TIME!

Shinzi Katoh Apple Calendar from The Little Happyshop

1. Guess the Birth Day of our lil princess.

The good doc said anytime from the 18th. The EDD states 31st Jul at 40 weeks. Grandpa's birthday is 24th, making it exactly 60 years difference. What say you? We have been crossing our fingers hoping its sooner ... but since she's not yet made any indications, we'd have fun guessing!

Whatever it is... our bags are packed and ready for the trip to the hospital.

Cheeky Monster Baby Booties by Forestprints

2. Guess the Birth Weight!

So daddy and me aren't quite the largest babies you'd have found in the delivery ward. And neither was Jayden, her older brother. We averaged less than 3kg but this lil girl is said to be tipping the scales already at 3.2kg (at last scan). Hazard a guess as to how heavy she'd be at birth! We're exercising our arm muscles right now... (and no wonder I want her out eh?)

Silver Ropes -- Love by Sparkle Thots

3. Baby Shower Momentos

What's a party without any gifts? Pack a selection of 2 items along as you join us for the party. Pick a jewelry item from Sparkle Thots (she's a GIRL!) and something else you'd think we'd adore. If you can, include a lil note to tell us why and wrap it up with loads of love. That's it!

THE DETAILS

Leave a comment here with your 'answers' to all three games. The winner from each game will be announced 10th August on the Sparkle Thots blog. Be sure to use a valid email address when entering.

To increase your chances of winning, tweet, blog or highlight this post on facebook! Be sure to include the URL(s) in which you did so in your comment as well.

Winners will be selected as based on the closest correct entry for the first 2 'games' and by random selection for the 3rd. Each winner will receive a SGD 20 voucher from Sparkle Thots. If selected winner twittered, blogged and highlighted via facebook about the Baby Shower, the voucher doubles (SGD 40) in value! :D

So... what are you waiting for?!

Sneaks for Tomorrow

Half of yesterday's sneaks are in store already. Did you notice them? There's a blue wave coming over the Sparkle Thots storefront right now. Maybe because I'm feeling BLUE that the baby ain't here yet. The body's crying murder but I know that once she arrives, there'd be a different set of issues to juggle. Ah well. Can't win them all.

Tomorrow we'd watch for a solar eclipse... and pretty blushing blue amazonite roses strung on hand forged 925 silver earwires. Tata for now.

ps: all paid orders have shipped out today! :D Keep a lookout for the mailman.

baby blues

Was preparing to list a couple of new items today. Simple everyday sort of earrings for you to change according to your 'mood' of the day. But Jayden is all out of sorts. So he has been all clingy and whiney the whole of today. I just managed to sneak in a breather a short while ago and am tired out myself.

Here are some sneaks! Hopefully, they'd go to the shop tomorrow!

I'd handle the emails tomorrow too. Gotta catch a rest whilst the lil kiddo is out napping.

Friday Selections :: All About The Birds

1. Vintage Roses, 2. If We Hold On Together, 3. Finding Shelter, 4. Twittering In Blue, 5. Soar With You, 6. Patricia, 7. Blue Chirpy, 8. What A Chirpy Fella, 9. Bronze Dove of Peace

This week's selection is all about the birds. I guess I must be affected by the 'nesting' instinct in the weirdest of ways. :P Hope you'd like the selection!

I love you all… really, I do. I love having customers turned friends. And friends turned fans. It makes the whole online shopping experience so much more enjoyable! And personable. Not some old unfriendly transaction. I’ve packed most of the paid orders up and will be making a drop off at the post office later today. You should get them soon! I hope you like them as much as I do.

I’ve listed the ring from yesterday’s post too. Its now available in store. Funny how the mailbox was swarmed with requests for it. :P Its not really ‘new’. It was part of my experimentation with wired rings about 2 months ago and is now being slowly made available as I now have a new mandrel. **love it to bits**

Meantime, I’m packing my bags and orders with an urgency… I’m due really soon! I’d try and leave a message when I actually make the trip to the hospital. Do allow for slight delays in receipt of orders and replies to emails.

Ring A Ling Ling

Been very busy these couple of days. Partly answering emails with regards to questions about ring sizes and fulfilling orders. I’m pleased to say that most paid orders went out today with another batch going to the post office tomorrow. Do let me know if there are any problems! I doubt so. Singpost has been generally, quite good.

Now… to answer queries with regards to rings.

I had the impression that local jewelry chains used UK sizing until I put my own rings on the mandrel. Then, hmm, ok. They don’t seem to be after all. For all who are interested in knowing your ring size and have a suitable ring to measure with, please use this conversion guide.

I am using US sizing for all my rings because that’s what the mandrel I have uses.

If you do NOT have a ring on hand, there is some more work to be done. Using the same site, measure with a string or strip of paper and input the necessary information.

Having said all this, please note that whilst I really REALLY want your rings to fit, there is an offchance that the ring may err and not fit properly. This is due to changes in ring sizes due to temperature (weight loss / gain), knuckles being relatively bigger, thickness of the band and *gasp*, general slight differences in the measuring tools.

Fun eh? But generally, fingers and rings cooperate.

tie a little ribbon

Tie a little ribbon round your finger…! As a reminder of things to do, of a reminder of the ties that bind ~ in friendship and in love. Or just as an accessory to your day’s outfit. No matter your reason for choosing this ring, we are sure that it’d bring a smile to your face.

We now have them in store. Do allow for some lead time to make as each ring is custom made upon your order, in your size and your choice of material.

If you are unsure of your ring size, check out this site for some help.

** We know that the idea is not new and that a number of jewelry sellers have their own unique take on it. And we thank you all the same for the warm reception you have shown to our version.

Friday Selections :: Because You're Worth It

1. Blumarine, 2. Northern Lights, 3. Gaia’s Ocean, 4. Endless Loops — Carnival, 5. Sweet Romance, 6. Endless Loops — Garnet, 7. Family, 8. Labradorite Pompoms, 9. Silver Ropes — Love

This week’s friday selections takes a peek into the luxe range at Sparkle Thots. Made with semi-precious stones, 925 silver and sometimes gold plating… these are the items to go to when you want to indulge and dress up. Perfect for just about any occasion, carry them with your own unique flair.

ribbons and bows

Ribbons and Bows

Thanks everyone for your patience! Your overwhelming reception to the new Ribbons series literally blew us away. We are really happy that you like it!

The earrings are already listed in store. We have them available in a couple of options (gold plating, 925 silver and 14K gold filled). Please remember to select the correct material request from the dropdown menu. Prices will vary of course.

Rings are currently on custom order only. Please email us if you would like one. We currently make a limited selection of sizes as we sought around for a better tool to ensure accurate sizing. We want you to have rings that actually fit.

The admin aside …

This series has a lot of symbolism and meaning behind it for us! I had a couple of themes playing in my mind when I was making the prototype. One was the song, Butterfly Kisses. RIBBONS just kept appearing in my mind. Ribbons too carry with them an idea of awareness and of remembering. And for one who has way too much on her mind right now, they were a quirky way to perk up the work day.

Don't Forget!

Don’t forget about me! Today’s shaping up to be a busy day. I’d be back later (hopefully!) with more details on this new ribbon series. Tis a fun quirky way to accessorise! Will be available in 925 silver, 14K gold filled and gold / silver plated options.