A very big post on something very girly

As some of you might've known, I'm an avid jewelry maker. I like creating my own pieces that I know that no one else will have. And that makes me special. I like feeling special. Woohoo!

This all probably started when I was very young. My mom used to make me these beaded bracelets (which you will be able to see below) and I loved them very much. I didn't fully embrace making my own jewelry until I was in University, although I had started when I was in high school. Access to bead and wire supply stores while I was in University made it so much easier for me to get the things I wanted to get and make the things I had planned out in my head.

Admittedly, I wasn't that great at wire work when I first started and I'd often wreck the wire by putting dents in them with my tools and making them all wobbly because of how much I've fiddled with them. But I'd like to think that I got better the more I practiced/the more things I made. And I'm proud to say that I've made some pieces that I'd wear forever or maybe even sell.

*

My earrings. I was very adamant in making earrings because I don't have my ears pierced. Stores typically don't cater to girls like me and it was very hard for me to find clip-ons. Lol, I remember wanting a pair of earrings like the ones at the bottom left. When I finally was able to put it together, they were much too heavy for my clip-on earring findings to handle, so they kept falling off my ears. *sigh*

My bracelets, part I. I didn't start making jute/hemp bracelets until the last year or so. The paracord bracelet project is what prompted me to using its design in making other bracelets.

My bracelets (and some necklaces), part II. This is probably my "lesser" collection. They're good, but they're only okay-good... meaning I don't wear them very often, lol. I remember that while I was making that turquoise beaded bracelet, the wire almost poked my eye out. And you can also probably tell that I went on a cuff bracelet streak, lol. I like 'em. I feel like they can be edgy and they can give the illusion as if one is wearing many bracelets.

My necklaces. Yes, I have a guitar pick as a necklace pendant. And yes, I drew a snowflake on it so it'd look like Gary Lightbody's picks. lol You know, if I were to ever get a tattoo, it'd be a Snow Patrol snowflake. :D

My rings.

*

While on the subject of jewelry, I feel it fitting to show what ones are my most favourite. And I'll go into detail of how I came to acquire/make them. Yes. This is going to be a very long post. The title should've already warned you. :P 

This. This picture shows my most treasured jewelry items. Yes, since I did photograph these on my desk, that is my ruler at the top right corner...

I forgot to add these to the pile below. I loveeee my cuff bracelets and I really wanted a leather cuff, so I got one. :D It came from a water buffalo that "died of natural causes," the lady at the store said... Anyway, it's a little too big, so I had to punch a hole in the strap to make it smaller. I used to wear that stretchy, clear bracelet a lot in high school. It's... cute.

1. The red-and-white beaded bracelet is actually made by my mom and given to me when I was... *thinks* 5 or 6. It's supposed to be a necklace, but I like to wrap it four times around my wrist as a bracelet.
2. This is one of the many beaded flower bracelets that my mom made for me. This is probably my favourite because at one point in time, my favourite colour was orange, lol.
3. I've had this seashell bracelet for forever. I accidentally broke the string this one day in class when I was in Gr.3. It was super embarrassing. But yeah. One of the things from my childhood, lol.
4. My most favourite beaded cuff that I made. I could add more strands if I wanted to, to make it bigger. But I'm more than content with its state now. :D
5. My blue strings! Lol, these actually came in this games kit that I got when I was in Gr.5... for cat's cradle. Which I was good at. I liked wrapping them around my wrist for the wrist band effect. I love them very much. I store them in my Dior Pure Poison perfume box and they smell lovely. 
6. This is a rather random bracelet. The jean fabric came off of a pair of old skirt, to which I sewed on a cute, star-patterned button. I used to wear this a ton too.
7. This is a fairly new addition to my collection, the braided wrap bracelet from American Eagle. I adore it!
8. This bracelet is very special to me. The pearls came from this strand of pearl necklace given to me by my paternal Grandfather. Knowing that I probably won't find an occasion to wear a strand of pearls on my neck and with me wanting to wear it more often, I took apart the necklace and made it into a wrap bracelet. I love it so much. It's definitely one of my top 5 pieces, arguably, because it goes with everything and is super meaningful to me. 
9. My friend Christine gave me this Pandora wrap bracelet with a snake charm on it (because I was born in the Snake year). I've always wanted a Pandora bracelet. This was an awesome gift. And if I really wanted to, I can wear it as a choker too. 
10. This bracelet is also from American Eagle. I like it a lot because it doesn't have too much bling on it. I'm not a fan of jewelry with lot of sparkle on it, because I think it can look cheap and too... *hand gestures*... ugly. But this bracelet is the perfect find, even though it is slightly too big for my wrist.
11. I'm proud of this bracelet. Because it turned out perfectly and I've mastered a way to put it on without needing help (because it is a nicely fitted bracelet). I love how good turquoise and red go together. 
12. After the paracord bracelet project, I endeavored to find more "weaving" patterns to try out and this was the result. It's a pretty cool bracelet. I'm proud of myself for finding a way to attach pretty clasps onto it.
13. I used to wear this bracelet a lot and I loved it. I haven't worn it in years though because one of the end strands lost its bead and I didn't want to worsen its condition. 
14. This is perhaps the most expensive jewelry ever given to me, haha. My second boyfriend gave it to me for Valentine's Day and it totally took me by surprise. I don't wear this Swarovski bracelet very often... To be honest, I don't really like the pink charms..... As I've mentioned before, I'm not a fan of things like that, let alone pink. But I do love the clasps that it has! 
15. I love this bracelet! It was given to me by my third boyfriend. He got it for me at the arts & trades show (because I really wanted one, but it was kind of expensive *shifty eyes* lol). It's a wrap bracelet and the main piece contains a piece of Chinese fabric. It's very beautiful. I loves it. If the leather part ever wears out, I'll probably turn that piece into a necklace pendant. 
16. I got this butterfly bracelet when I went to the Butterfly conservatory at Niagara Falls for the first time ever. I love butterflies. I love this bracelet... if you haven't gotten the gist yet.
17. I made this bracelet on a whim. I just took a chunky chain, attached pearl-like beads to them and added a ball clasp, and attached a fish charm onto it. I like fishies. 

1. I recorded the making of this pair of teardrop earrings and it was my most popular video on Youtube. I may or may not have sung a song at the end too, but that's besides the point... lol. This pair of earrings also has a bad memory attached to it... which I don't feel like talking about. I've also lost of one them this one time. At night. But I managed to recover it, so I guess that's pretty lucky. 
2. I've always wanted a pair of turquoise earrings and this was the result. I remember wearing this when I went to go tutor at the library and one of the girls really liked it and asked me to make her a pair too. Which I did. :)
3. This pair turned out really well. I was just randomly fiddling around with different wire designs and came up with this. 
4. I saw a girl wearing this pair of earrings this one time on the bus and I was inspired to make something similar.
5. The simplest design is often the most beautiful. I've probably worn this pair of earrings more than others. Red is my favourite colour. :)

1. You should probably know by now that I am a fan of turquoise jewelry. There is something so... tribal and earthy about them that I absolutely love. This is probably the newest ring I've acquired, even though I got it last year. 
2. I got this ring a very long time ago on sale for like 50 cents, lol. I remember that I used to wear it on  my ring finger because it was slightly too small for my middle finger (though it's also slightly too big for my wedding finger). And I used to call it my engagement ring, lol. Pretty cheap engagement ring though, hahaha. 
3. I got this around the time I got ring #1. I love these wrap-style rings. I think they're spiffy. Oh, and they're both from Aldo.
4. This is a strange creation from me. I was just doing random bends and stuff and added beads here and there and ended up with this. I actually quite like it. I wore it to the midnight showing of The Sorcerer's Apprentice and it is known to me as my "dragon" ring, lol. 
5. I got this ring in my first year of University. I couldn't resist. It's like a tiny bird is sitting on your finger! I call it my "mockingbird" ring, hehehe. 
6. I get a lot of rings from Aldo, lol... I didn't think I'd like this ring because it looks so plain and it looks like some sort of gem is supposed to be at the hollow centre, but has fallen out...  It looks very flattering on the finger though!
7. I got this ring from the market thing across the way from Eaton Centre. It's supposed to be a derivative of Ruby, my birth stone, but cheaper, lol, so I got it. It looks so magical!
8. These are from Aldo too. It came in 4's and I gave two to my friend Christine. :D See, this kind of bling, I can stand, because it looks classier. 
9. This was my mom's ring. She got it in... Arizona? When she went on a trip with my dad. I think it's super cool and pretty. I don't wear it very much for fear of losing it and whatnot, but yeah. I'll definitely pass it down to my daughter... if I ever have one, lol.
10. This ring. I love this ring to death. This used to be my everyday ring (predecessor to my Claddagh ring) until it fell off of my finger one day and cracked. :( Yes, it's always been too big on my finger and I've lost it in the wash before, but yeah. That day was just too cold and it was really loose on my finger. *sniff sniff* 
11. I'm proud of this ring. It's probably the last wire ring I've made and the one that turned out the most perfect. And it's turquoise!
12. This is the first wire ring I've ever made.
13. I love this ring because the crystal came from this bracelet that my mom gave me (which she got in Hawaii)... whose clasp I accidentally broke so I took it apart, lol. Super awesome.
14. This is one of my earliest creations. It's red. Need I say more?

1. I'm normally not a cross person, but I love this pendant. It really adds edge to an outfit.
2. Butterfly. Butterrrrflyyyyy!!! This used to be an earring piece. That I got from Aldo. I have the other one in my pendant box, hehe.
3. My ER necklace! There was a period in time where I loved long necklaces. This was one of them. ER of course, stands for Espere Reed.
4. My Tree of Life necklace! I love this very dearly. I'm well-known for taking apart other jewelries so I can reconstruct my own using those pieces. Kind of like a car shop, lol. The orangey-red bead came from this necklace that my paternal Grandparents gave me. I've always loved the Tree of Life design.
5. My lapis necklace. This, along with the next several, are what I call simple, yet effective necklaces, lol. I really enjoy my stone necklaces actually. I like learning about their meanings and whatnot. This one, looks like the sky! Partially symbolic of the third character of my Chinese name.
6. My onyx necklace. Not sure if it's real though, but I like wearing it lots. 
7. I enjoy pearl-y things too. That's another one of my jewelry tells, lol. They're so graceful and elegant!
8. My parents got this pendant for me when we took a road trip down to Arizona. It's very beautiful. 
9. If you looked at this stone (I no longer remember what it's called) closely, you can see that it actually sparkles. It resembles the night sky! It's really purdy and I made this special flower attachment to it. It is notorious for getting hooked onto my scarves though.
10. My sunburst necklace! This was a well-loved piece. There is something about me, where I must keep/make something I love a part of me. This necklace was inspired by the book series called A Matter of Magic, where the female protagonist received a "sunburst" necklace from the male protagonist. I tried to recreate that. And this is what it turned out to be... lol.
11. My JAY necklace! I got this soooo long ago. Much loved. 
12. I've had this shell necklace for a long time too. I don't wear it much though because it broke once and I'm afraid it'll happen again. :( I love how intricate the flower looks with the swirl of the shell. It's lovely.
13. My Sherlock necklace! As I mentioned before, I like to invest meaning in the things I make. I will forever and ever love the character Sherlock Holmes. He is so brilliant! Arguably the top fictional person I would most like to meet. 
14. I got this necklace from H&M. I remember walking by it the first time and not getting it. Then I kept thinking about it (which means you really want it, lol) and so the next time I went there, I picked it up. I like wearing it as a bracelet too and occasionally as a headband.
15. My one-eyed cat necklace. This used to be my mom's old earring. It lost one of its crystal eyes, but I think the one-eyedness really gives it a something-something. I love it. I used to wear it when I missed my Mom... because I was away at school.

I figured if I'm doing my all-time favourite, I might as well include some hair stuff, since *shrugs* why not? lol The photo orientation is all wrong, but oh well. I got the bow headband at F21, hehehe, for a very good bargain price. When I wear it, I look like a kid, lol. I got the braided headband from H&M because I wanted one like that. The peacock hair-thingy (I don't know what they're called, hair comb?) I've had for a long, long time. It's hard to wear though, so I barely do, but I love it. I think it's very, very pretty... I used to have this big thing with stars, so I got this gigantor star hairclip. The flower hairpin was something my mom made for me. I also have it in green. :D The hair clip with the three flowers is what I call my lucky hair clip. I almost never wear it, but I keep it in my pencil case, and I think it's lucky... My starfish hairpin! I'm wearing the other one right now, lol. Kitty cat hair clip!!! The dangling tails are super adorable. I loves it. And last, but not least, my yellow flower. I got it for my high school graduation and I think it's very purdy. I rarely wear stuff in my hair anymore though. Maybe I should do it more. 

 *

No, I'm not done yet, lol. Just a couple more to go. The next few just showcase the pieces that I wear every single day, aka ones that I never take off, unless I absolutely have to.

This is my crab pendant because I was born in July and thus a Cancer! I don't know why I wanted a crab pendant so badly (well maybe I do, but care not to share, for now, lol), but I had told my parents that I was on the lookout for one... So when my Dad went on a business trip to Hawaii, he got it for me! I love it. I rarely take it off (which makes for wearing other necklaces, sometimes difficult, lol) and it's my amulet! :) ...Not my fault that the picture turned out blurry. It's hawkward enough taking a picture of your necklace, let alone getting it super clear. And the necklace isn't actually that short. I just pulled it up for... better view-age.

The number 1 ring is just me wearing the ring, lol. Number 2 ring is now my everyday ring (replacing my black stone ring that cracked). I got my Claddagh ring a while ago, for myself. I should tell the story of why I got it (which is a little sad and a little funny) at a later time, but yeah, I loves it.

Damn blogger for wrecking my photo orientation again!  The seed bead bracelets marked with 1 are the most recent (and by recent, I meant months ago) bracelets I've made. See if you can decipher what the double-rowed bracelet means. *wink* I doodled about it too. Anddd the other seed bead bracelet, I don't care to elaborate on -- it's there because I want it to be. The piece marked with 2 is my awesome watch that I've had since I was in Gr....9. I got it as a gift from my parents' friends for doing so well in school. The original straps have since worn out and I've replaced them with simpler leather ones. The bracelet marked with 3 is something that I've always worn because my mom said it'll protect me. So I've always had it on. It's like this stone... thing. I don't know what it's called in English. It really likes to rub through the red string that I've strung it through though, so I have fixed that multiple times throughout the years I've had it on. And lastly, the bracelets marked with 4. I consider these my lucky bracelets, much like how I see the flower hair clip. The one with stripey beads, they used to represent Il Divo because they wore pinstripe suits. Hahaha! But in all honesty, even though I'm no longer an Il Divo fanatic, I just like them because they look cool, and almost definitive of "me" if that makes any sense.

Alright. I will end this very long post here. 'Till next time!