Santa Baby...

I've spent quite a lot of time this week adding new stock to my Etsy shop and whenever I do this, it's inevitable that I get distracted by lots of beautiful handmade creations that I come across en route. As we're all gearing up for the festive season I thought it might be nice to share a few of the things that have made it to my Etsy favourites and would definitely be on my Christmas wish list. As I have a huge variety of favourites I'm going to split them into categories and do a little series of these posts over the next few weeks.

And what better place to start than with jewellery. Some of these artists have influenced my own work and some I just dream  of emulating - I hope you love the pieces as much as I do.

Earrings and pendant by Celie Fago

Celie Fago is a Doyenne of the metal clay world and oh, how I would love to be able to achieve the originality and refinement of her designs. I think I need a lot more practice before my clay work becomes anything more than rustic!

Pendant by Suntribe Designs

Earrings by Mocahete

Mocahete features the work of Dante and Sabrina Acevedo and was one of the first shops I came across on Etsy and then I discovered its sister shop Suntribe Designs. I just love the beautiful ethnic and tribal  designs and the stunning quality of the metalwork and finishing.

Necklace by Stacy Perry of Hodgepodgerie

I actually discovered the work of Stacy Perry of Hodgepodgerie 2  long before I knew about Etsy. Her bold wire and metalwork is just beautiful and she has a really great eye for colour and detail. Her jewellery is also quite relaxed and lots of fun which is something I try to achieve with my own designs..

Bracelet and necklace by Cyndie Smith

If money were no object I could probably relieve Cyndie Smith of her entire stock. Beautifully made organic designs in metal that are stunning pieces of art but also immensely wearable. I have yet to attempt fold forming but Cyndie's work really makes me want to give it a go.

necklace by BlueSagePearl

There's a saying in the culinary world that 'what grows together, goes together' and I think a similar adage can be applied to grouping materials together when designing jewellery. This gorgeous necklace from BlueSagePearl combines similar but complementary stone beads to create a design with both understated elegance and high impact. I often find designs like this that at face value seem quite simple the hardest to get just right.

Enamel bangles by Lia Bowen of Bullfinch Barbury

You may be aware that I've recently added enamelling to my repertoire of techniques. At the moment it's limited to quite simple earrings but these lovely bangles from Lia Bowen of Bullfinch Barbury have me yearning to do so much more.

Lampwork beads by Amber Van Meter of NaOs Glass

I just adore the the work of Amber Van Meter of NaOs Glass and have coveted these beads sets for many, many months. OK, so strictly speaking they're not pieces of jewellery but if anyone wanted to see my face light up on Christmas morning, finding these in  my stocking would do the trick! Don't go running away with the idea that the end results would be for sale though - these are most certainly keepers

These next two pieces are definitely not jewellery but every girl needs somewhere to keep her beads and jewellery doesn't she...?

Apothecary Chest by Red Rooster B & B

Printers drawer jewellery display by Black Forest Cottage

Oh well, I can dream...do you think Santa reads my blog?

I could seriously go on with this for a long time but I think I'd best call a halt for today - I'm sure there will be time for a second round of jewellery favourites before the holidays.

So have you started your Christmas shopping yet, have you finished it already and if you could have anything, what would you love to find under the tree on Christmas Day?

Happy dreaming!

Lesley