Silver Parrot Designs

I like to call this grouping "Bohemian Beauty." Ya gotta be a serious earring lover (like me) or at least have been scarred by the big hair/ big earrings fads of the 80's (also like me) to love this stuff. If you like small, dainty and delicate earrings, you're on the wrong page! Go check out my regular earring page.

I learned the overall technique for the larger, embroidered designs from an article by Sherry Serafini in "Bead & Button" magazine and then I just fell in love with it. I was already familiar with simple bead embroidery and peyote stitch, but it's fine to combine them with cabochons (flat-backed stones or glass) to create these new and interesting designs.

These are time consuming to make (that's one reason they're so pricey) so you may not see additions for a while, but hang in there, they are definitely coming.

NEW as of 06-08-05! I've added some "flower child" bead embroidered pendants to this page in addition to the earrings.

NEW as of 12-03-07! I've added a series of cabochons surrounded with bead embroidery and beaded edging and then made into earrings and necklaces.

Halloween Hearts Earrings

The secret to this pair of brick stitch earrings is the rainbow finish on the red seed beads - it brings in shades of red, orange and yellow which help blend the red Czech heart beads and the orange seed beads. The addition of black seed beads makes a nice contrast. This pair is 2.75" long and was inspired by a friend's child who wanted to be a "Valentine Witch" for Halloween.

This color combination of beautiful blues, aquas, pinks and deep berry colors is a lengthy 3.25". The center stones are blue chalcedony and the earring tops are sterling silver French hooks. The bezel and fringe are various Japanese seed beads and the accent beads on the fringe are peacock pearls and gray rainbow Czech glass drop beads.

They just get wilder and more wonderful from here. This is another pair of embroidered earrings that features green aventurine as the center stone surrounded by rows of copper iris and emerald green Japanese seed beads. 24 rows of fringe are finished off with copper iris Czech dagger beads. These are 3.5" in length and hang from gold-filled French hooks.

These babies are BIG at 4" in length and 1.5" wide. The center stones are blue lace agate. I chose accent beads of pale periwinkle glass, topaz Czech firepolish beads and some creamy white freshwater pearls. Although they are not pictured here (I got a little over-anxious to get these scanned and uploaded), the tops are gold-filled french hooks.

This lovely pair of bead embroidered earrings features a matched set of fused dichroic glass cabochons that sparkle in shades of orange, gold and green. The bezels are Japanese seed beads and the lush fringe sparkles with Czech glass cubes and leaves. The centerpieces are approx. 1" in diameter and total length is 3.25" These are finished with suede backing and 14k gold filled posts.

I really like the depth and sparkle that dichroic glass adds to my bead embroidered earrings. This pair is done in cool shades of lavender, blue and violet and features Japanese seed beads and Czech glass flowers. Just the sort of thing you'd find planted in an octopus's garden under the sea. Total length is 3.75" and the tops are sterling silver French hooks.

This 4" pair of embroidered earrings is another in the dichroic-glass centerpiece series. Some people have said this pair looks like peacock feathers, but they reminded me of looking up through the water during a scuba dive. The tops are 14k gold filled French hooks.

The scanner does not do justice to the wonderful colors in these 4.25" earrings which hang from sterling silver French hooks. The cabochons are fused dichroic glass in royal purple with hints of teal on a black background. The bead embroidery and fringe are Japanese seed beads, Czech crystal and glass. It appears that the teals are different shades, but actually they match exactly.

Black sequins and bead embroidery make up the fun pendant on this retro necklace. The pendant is backed with black suede which matches the black suede lacing on which the pendant is strung. This 17" piece is finished with a sterling silver lobster clasp.

A black and pink suede flower and bead embroidery make up the fun pendant on this retro necklace. The pendant is backed with black suede which matches the black suede lacing on which the pendant is strung. This 17" piece is finished with a sterling silver lobster clasp.

An orange organza flower applique forms the base of this pendant. I've accented it with bead embroidery in shades of silver and orange. It's backed with suede and has a beaded bail at the top which allows it to be strung on matching orange silk ribbon. Total length is 18"

This bead embroidered pendant starts with a wonderfully psychedelic butterfly in shades of orange, blue and purple. I've added purple seed bead edging and strung it on 17.5" of purple silk cord. The necklace is finished off with sterling silver cord ends and a sterling silver lobster claw clasp.

This 16" necklace features a 1.5" pendant made from a fused dichroic glass cabochon which is set in a beaded bezel that I designed and created. The pendant is strung from a necklace of hematite beads, sterling silver and blue opal Swarovski crystal bicones. The clasp is a sterling silver heart toggle.

These 2.5" earrings hang from 14k gold-filled French hooks and feature hand-crafted bead embroidery around four matched red agate cabochons.

These 2.75" earrings remind me of my grandmother's rose garden - she had the most amazing flowers I'd ever seen. Cabochons of green aventurine are surrounded with hand-crafted bead embroidery in delicate shades of pink, yellow and moss green. Pretty dangle accents are freshwater pearls and Czech crystal. This pretty pair of garden beauties is finished with 14k gold-filled French hooks.

Continuing my tradition of making summer-inpsired jewelry in the dead of winter, here's a sunny pair of bead embroidered earrings featuring vintage enamel cabs as centerpieces and seed bead edging in shades of white, yellow and pink. The dangle embellishment showcases a little freshwater pearl. These earrings are 2" in length and hang from 14k gold filled French hooks.

This stunning necklace shows off an elegant pendant created by adding bead embroidery to an agate cabochon. Shades of moss green, ivory and gold combine in a nature-inspired palette while the seed bead embroidery adds an antique touch. Additional beads in this 16" necklace include mother-of-pearl shell disks, various Japanese seed beads and freshwater pearls. The clasp is a 14k gold-fill toggle with a flower detail on it. A detailed picture of the necklace as well as two pairs of available matching earrings can be found here.

A beautiful black onyx cabochon is enhanced with hand-crafted bead embroidery and acts as the stunning focal point of this 16" necklace. Secondary notes are provided by faceted black agate coin beads, sterling silver beads, Bali silver beads and spacers, and hematite disks. The finale is the clasp - sterling silver box clasp design set with black onyx. Matching earrings are included and hang from sterling silver French hooks.

This necklace features a focal pendant that is my own creation. Using a dichroic glass cabochon as the centerpiece, I've added bead embroidery, beaded edging and fringe using seed beads, glass and a tiny, blue freshwater pearl. The beads on the necklace are vintage lavender glass mixed with seed beads. The clasp is a Bali silver "S" style clasp set with a genuine amethyst. Finshed length is 16.5" and the pendant hangs just shy of 2" in length from where it connects to the necklace to the bottom of the longest fringe piece.

This necklace features a stunning focal piece of fused dichroic glass in shades of gold, orange, red and black. I've added my own hand embroidered beaded edging and fringe. I decided a single strand necklace didn't do justice to this gorgeous cab so in addition to the first strand of seed beads, Bali vermeil beads and spacers and Czech crystals, I've added 14k gold filled chain bedecked with hand-wired Czech crystals, pressed glass and more Bali vermeil spacers. The clasp is a Bali vermeil toggle. Finished length is 15.5" and the centerpiece is 3" from top to bottom of the longest strand of fringe.

The colors in this necklace are neutral and earthy: smokey quartz, hematite and gold. The pendant features a focal cabochon of agate surrounded by bead embroidery and it is strung on a necklace of vintage crystals and gold Swarovski pearls. The clasp is a sterling silver box clasp set with smokey quartz. Length is 16.75".

A truly stunning fused dichroic glass cabochon is the inspiration for this 16" necklace. I've added bead embroidery in shades of white, green and deep blue to pick up the colors in the depths of the cabochon. The necklace features vintage frosted glass beads, bali silver spacers, Czech crystals and seed beads. The whole piece is finished with a sterling silver box clasp set with a genuine peridot. The pendant hangs about 1.75" from the necklace.