The Christmas Connection

Come visit me at The Christmas Connection arts and craft show! It is scheduled for November 7th, 8th, and 9th at the Kingsport Civic Auditorium. My friend Tracy, who makes childrens jewlery (That's her on my sidebar), and I will be sharing a booth. It's the first show either of us has ever done, so we are excited. Hope to see you there!

Mother's Bracelets

Mother's Bracelets are so popular, and I love making them! There are so many possibilities in these little works of art. I've noticed most people request a toggle clasp on bracelets, so all of my bracelets feature them. I also always use crimp bead covers to hide the not-so-pretty crimp beads that hold my pieces together.

Who says you have to be a mother to have a Mother's Bracelet? I can envision teenagers wearing their own names on bracelets. Or grandmothers with their grandchildrens' names, or even just "Grandma" spelled out in alphabet beads. Or pet owners who want to honor their pets. I've even seen sterling cat and dog charms that could be added.

And who says these have to be bracelets? I can envision a Mother's Necklace, with the names of her children on a single strand or as a multi-strand necklace incorporating birthstones into the design. These creations can also be made using gemstones, pearls, or crystals. The possibilities really are endless.

Here are photos of some of the Mother's Bracelets I have made:

Cadence's mother's bracelet is made of 5.6mm sterling alphabet beads and various sterling round beads.


For Aliceson's bracelet, I used the 5.6mm alphabet beads and sterling silver rounds.


This bracelet for Nick and Sydnie's mother was made as a gift. Since both names were to be on the same strand, I used smaller 4.5mm sterling alphabet beads and sterling beads with a few gold beads as accents.


I am often asked if I can add a name to an existing Mother's Bracelet. This is a bracelet that I updated for Ellen when she had her third child. I took her original bracelet apart so that I could redistribute some of the beads and added the strand with Mackinley's name on it. This is a great example of how pretty the sterling and gold beads look together. It now goes with everything.


This next piece is a completely different perspective on Mother's Bracelets. I made this for my friend Nikki when her second son was born. I used the boys' birthstones, Amethyst and Citrine, and created a beautiful bracelet.


As I come up with a pricing plan for the Mother's Bracelets, I will post it. They are difficult to price because of the countless design options.

Some of My Work

Here are some photos of pieces I've made in the past.

First is one of my favorite pieces. This is a Crazy Lace Agate and Moukaite set I made for my good friend Vicky for her birthday. It features Black Onyx and sterling accents, as well as a sterling clasp.

Next is a Green Turquoise and sterling silver earring and necklace set designed for my sister Sandy for her birthday. This is another of my favorites.


This glass bead set was created for my cousin Jenny. The pendant is handcrafted by Linda Niles, a Vermont native who took up glass pendant making as rehabilitation after a stroke. Jenny picked out the pendant while we were at the farmer's market during our Vermont vacation, and I made the set for her as a Christmas gift. During my most recent trip to Vermont, I picked up several of Ms. Niles's pendants, so you'll be seeing more of her work.


I love the simplicity of this next set! It was made for my aunt Nancy for Christmas. It features Lapiz Lazuli and Green Aventurine beads along with sterling silver. It's a great casual design that would look perfect with blue jeans. Here's another design that is perfect for jeans.


This one was a Christmas gift for my cousin Heather. It features a Thai Hill Tribe sterling pendant, Turquoise, Green Jade, Onyx, Amber, and various other gemstone and glass beads. I tend to naturally create symmetrical designs, so this one was actually a challenge for me. I absolutely love the way it turned out. And I think the earrings are fabulous.


This next set was a birthday present for my mother. It features Rainbow Fluorite, Freshwater Pearls, gold beads and a gold clasp. In my mother's job she is on the phone a lot, so she is particular about her earrings. I made matching beaded drops that she can use with her own gold earring posts. I love this set because it is so dainty.


This piece was one of my most challenging because it was the first double-strand necklace I had made. I gave it to my sister-in-law Jenni for her birthday. It is made of dark and light red aventurine and sterling silver saucer beads. I just love the way it turned out, and I was so tempted to keep it for myself!


I absolutely love these Hessonite beads in this next necklace. They have such a wonderful, warm glow to them. I made this necklace for my aunt Jane for Christmas. It has alternating Hessonite beads and amber colored glass spacers and a gold clasp.


Here's another one I wanted to keep for myself! I made this set for my cousin Robin for Christmas. It features Striped Red Agate, Red Aventurine, glass seed beeds, and sterling silver.


The following are two examples of eyeglass chains I have made. The first one features Turquoise and bone beads along with glass seed beads and sterling silver.


This second eyeglass chain features amber-colored pressed glass beads with glass seed beads and sterling silver.

A Little About Me (Okay, A Lot About Me)

Hi, I'm Chrissy. I am happily married stay-at-home mom and slightly obsessed jewelry designer.


Chrissy, the Stay-at-Home Wife and Mother:

I have been married to my husband Shawn for eleven years, and we have two precious children Alex and Emerson. Shawn has always been very supportive of my love of beading and doesn't complain when I buy more and more beads! He even use to finish my earrings for me until I got better at the bead wrapping.


Our son Alex is six years old and is in first grade. He is such a happy and smart little guy, and he loves to do crafts. He actually has a tackle box filled with his own beads, and he loves to bead with me!


Emerson, or Emmy as we call her, is our little princess. She just turned nine months old and is celebrating her first tooth. After her birth, I left my job to stay home, and it has been such a blessing. I always said I wasn't stay-at-home material, but was I ever wrong! I've become a surprisingly good cook and my house is actually clean. I love helping Alex with his homework and watching Emmy reach her milestones.


When I'm not beading or taking care of children, I ring in the church handbell choir and I co-direct the preschool choir at church.


Chrissy, the Slightly Obsessed Jewelry Designer:

"Slightly obsessed" may be an understatement. I notice people's jewelry before I notice their faces, and I actually dream about jewelry. My bead catalogs are held together with packing tape because they've been read so much. And I actually have a section of our den set aside as my beading zone. Yes, I think I'm more than "slightly" obsessed.

I've been designing jewelry for about six years. It started out as a creative outlet for me, as well as a way to make my own Christmas gifts for my relatives. Now that I am staying home with the kids, I'd like to build my passion into a small business that will allow me to continue staying at home once they both are in school. I am self-taught, learning from books and magazines.

I try to use exciting blends of color and stones with unique shapes and textures. I strive to make each piece eclectic and unique. Each piece I create is a wearable work of art, and I love creating exciting and extraordinary pieces.