Herringbone Technique I'm learning

N191 Amethyst Purple Herringbone Necklace

I am so excited about my new new Purple Herringbone Necklace! I took a class a couple weekends ago from the very talented Amanda Toliver in Decatur, IL at McM Designs & here is the finished product. I used 5 different shades and shapes of purple.


I have been very interested in the bead weaving techniques for quite some time but have been so busy that I haven't taken the time (when I had/have it) to take these classes but I am making the time now and I'm loving them. I took a class 3 years ago so I am back to all the basics again. I have had some very trying times but thanks to Amanda & the caring ladies in Decatur who listen & try to help, I'm on my way again. I just have to have a little push. I can learn a lot better in a class or one-on-one environment much better rather than trying to read the directions out of a book. I inevitably leave out a step or just get frustrated/bored and go off to another project so the classes are keeping my attention + they're lots of fun and I'm meeting new beaders.


One of a kind Designs
www.nikkidoodledesigns.com
Jewelry Designs can also be purchased in Decatur, IL at Giggles or The Fox's Den.

Let's Talk about Pearls

If you love Pearls, then take a look at these Necklaces! I personally love Pearls and think they are a wonderful addition to any wardrobe. If you can only afford to buy a few pieces, pearls should definitely be one of those pieces. You can always use Pearls for dress up or even with a great pair of jeans & heels and a cute little top for a more casual look. You really can't go wrong with Pearls.

I wear lots of strands when I wear Pearls so if you see me out, you may see me in 2-3 different Necklaces & a couple bracelets. I sometimes just can't choose which one & with a lot of my designs, they go together, and I have lots of fun seeing the different designs I can make each time I go out.

N160 Beige Pearl & Black Jade Necklace $45.00

A traditional Necklace that can be worn in multiple ways. You can't go wrong with this Necklace.

N184 Triple Pearl & Swarovski Crystal Cube Necklace $65.00

This is a fun yet elegant Necklace. I used different sizes of Ivory Pearls and a multitude of Swarovski colors all in Cubes.

N179 Ivory Pearl & Crystal Rondelle Necklace $51.00

Beautiful 8mm Pearls with Swarovski Crystal Rondelles separating the pearls.

N180 Multi-Strand Pearl Necklace $45.00

3 strands of 3 sizes of Pearls. I used 4mm, 6mm, & 8mm beads throughout the Necklace.

N115 Ivory Pearl Choker $28.00

Extra large Pearl Beads make a great choice for this choker.

One of a kind Designs
www.nikkidoodledesigns.com
Jewelry Designs can also be purchased in Decatur, IL at Giggles or The Fox's Den.

Nikki's new & Fabulous Necklaces!

I want to show some of my new & favorite Necklaces with you. I have been working on lots of different things lately & haven't had a lot of time to post here or on my website so I'm going to try to get back in the groove of things. I took tons & tons of pictures as well and I think I finally have some pretty good ones to put up.

All of these beauties are for sale so if you do not see them on the website, call or email me and we can work out the details. I think I just have a few more to add to the website as most of them are already on there, they just may need to have an updated picture.

N166 Double Rose Flower Pendant & Rose Quartz Necklace $75.00

This Necklace is really fun & I have a similar piece in Amethyst. I have gotten many compliments on both each time I've shown them or worn them so if you'd like one, just let me know. I also have the Flower pendant in a "green" Peridot, & a Topaz so you have 4 color options. They are double pendants so you will have a beautiful double Necklace. I used Rose & Light Rose Swarovski Crystals, many sizes and shapes of Rose Quartz beads, and a few pink pearls as well in this Necklace.

N186 Zebra Coin & Crystal Necklace $47.00

Shown below is the 30mm Zebra Coin Necklace with a Pendant and Round Black Beads. I also have a bracelet with the Zebra Coins. I really think you will love this set as much as I do because it can really be worn with anything from jeans to a cute LBD.

N178 Zebra Coin & Crystal Necklace with Pendant $58.00

30mm Zebra Coins are a fantastic size to show off the great design of this bead. I also have a matching bracelet and there is a Necklace without the pendant as well. I am a huge animal print lover so this is one of my favorite pieces. I had it on display this week at a Home Party & it was a big hit! I will have to make sure I have a good supply of this bead because it will go fast.

N169 Giraffe Oval & Wood Necklace $35.00

This is a fun Necklace & a great piece that looks adorable with a white t-shirt and jeans or dress it up a bit with a little brown dress.

N175 Large Round & Rectangle Amazonite Necklace $55.00

30mm large Amazonite round Beads surrounded in Swarovski Jet & Crystals as well as small rectangle Amazonite beads. I originally made the bracelet but a friend of mine wanted the necklace so I tweaked it a bit and made another so they're not the exact same. I also have the matching Bracelet.

N177 Amethyst Coin Necklace $55.00

30mm Amethyst Coin with Swarovski Crystals in Amethyst & Light Amethyst. I also have a matching bracelet. Purple is a HOT color this season & this would be a great set to own.

N162 Rose Quartz Necklace $45.00

Lovely Light Pink Large Beads in the center with just smaller round beads around the back of the Necklace for a more comfortable feel. If you love pink like I do, then this is a terrific Necklace for you. It fits close to your neck but can always have beads added if you would like it longer.

N167 Kiwi Jasper & Coco Black Necklace $55.00

This Necklace also has tiny silver corrugated balls & Clear Coins. The Kiwi Jasper has a tint of black in it as well. It really is a beautiful bead. I purchased the Kiwi Jasper and Coco Beads at a cute little bead shop in St. Louis that I love! I also have the matching bracelet for a matching set.

N187 Bronze Pearl & Crystal Rondelle Necklace $75.00

Swarovski Pearls and Crystal Rondelles, this necklace is very elegant & could be used for a Wedding or for any special occasion.


One of a kind Designs
www.nikkidoodledesigns.com
Jewelry Designs can also be purchased in Decatur, IL at Giggles or The Fox's Den.

Nikkidoodle Designs is now a member of the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce

I am now a proud member of the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce. I am very excited to be part of such a world-class community. I look forward to meeting new people, getting involved in the community, and promoting Nikkidoodle Designs.

One of a kind Designs
www.nikkidoodledesigns.com
Jewelry Designs can also be purchased in Decatur, IL at Giggles or The Fox's Den.

A "sample" of new Nikkidoodle Designs Necklaces

This is just a "taste" of some of the Necklace Designs yet to come. Some are displayed flat and some are on busts to show off the necklaces in different lights. The busts help show what the necklace looks like if you are actually wearing it while laying it flat gives you the full effect of the entire necklace. I will try to give you both of each as I go. I've also been waiting to make a few necklace designs with my new thicker & more flexible wire so I'll be keep making more designs in the later afternoons & evenings after the sun goes down, (winter time in Illinois doesn't give me a huge window so I have to take advantage of it when I can).

N170 Dark Brown Wood Round Necklace $37.00

(This necklace is amazingly lightweight for a wood necklace)

N159 Oval Dark Brown Wood Necklace with Pendant $38.00

N150 Asymmetrical Pendant Green & Bronze Pearl Necklace $38.00
(also see matching double bracelet)

N149 Cheetah Print & Cube Necklace $42.00

(also see matching bracelet)

N57 Amazonite Nugget Necklace $60.00

N181 Lime Green Chip Necklace with Pendant $29.00

N161 Red Agate Necklace with Pendant $77.00

N148 Teardrop Pendant Necklace with Black Jade & Gold Beads $38.00

One of a kind Designs
www.nikkidoodledesigns.com
Jewelry Designs can also be purchased in Decatur, IL at Giggles or The Fox's Den.

Exciting New Bracelet Designs

Here are just a few of the Bracelet Designs I have been working on lately. I am very excited about a new bracelet I am almost finished with so it will be up & on the sites shortly as well. It has Swarovski crystals (of course, my favorite) & some brand new giraffe type Safari beads. It has 4 strands that I am connecting back & forth with each other so I keep playing with it to make it work, not show any wire, & just look fabulous. I'm just about there. I have a tiny bit of tweaking & finishing and I will be all finished. I thought going off an idea I saw in a magazine was going to be easy until I really looked at the directions & the beads had double holes, well none of mine have those, so I was pretty much back to square one & it is a one-of-a-kind Nikkidoodle Design.

I am also very excited to work with some of the new wire I have ordered (I'm still waiting on the rest to come from another company this week). It is supposed to be just like "wonder bread" - it should be for what it cost. :) If it will hold heavy beads & be able to twist & turn & not break, then I will be happy & not complain about the price, so we'll keep our fingers crossed. I talked to a rep. from the headquarters for quite some time & he was very informative, like I said earlier, you learn something everyday!

B169 Turquoise Nugget & Chips Bracelet $40.00

B138 Swarovski Crystal & Bali Silver Bracelet $75.00

B140 Double Rainbow Crystal Bracelet with Round Crystal $42.00

B116 Swarovski Crystal Multicolor Memory Bracelet $45.00

B107 Fall Gemstone Memory Wire Bracelet $38.00

B172 8mm Ivory Pearl Memory Bracelet $40.00

B162 Triple Blue & Gold Stretch Bracelet with Ribbon $33.00

Name Bracelet with 4 Letters (this is my sample "Ella") & is $55.00 customize it with gold, bali silver, or swarovski crystals. They are beautiful either way. I have made single, double, and triple bracelets as well as infant bracelets so any size can be made if I know the measurements. Prices will vary depending on beads & the size of bracelet.

E167 Blue & Orange "Illini" Bracelet $25.00 (see Earrings to match bracelet)

B168 Beige Nugget & Bali Silver Bracelet $50.00

B101 Double Lapis Jade & Chinese Blue Bead Bracelet $25.00

B87 Black Onyx Coin & Bali Silver Bracelet $40.00
B166 Large Round & Rectangle Amazonite Bracelet $30.00

One of a kind Designs
www.nikkidoodledesigns.com
Jewelry Designs can also be purchased in Decatur, IL at Giggles or The Fox's Den.

Fashionable & New Earring Designs

As I promised, here are a few of the new earring designs I have been working on lately. I will also be adding them to my Facebook page as well as my website: www.nikkidoodledesigns.com. I think you will really like the new designs. I have quite a few chandelier-type earrings & have more to make since I just got a shipment from a company out west & they look beautiful. I'm very excited to start working on them, hopefully in the next day or two.

Another new & very fashionable earring I purchased & will be making has "tassels" - but believe me they are adorable. It's kind of funny because the day after I placed my order I received an email from one of the beading magazines I subscribe to & there were the "tassels" right there - not in the way I plan on designing them but still. I'm ahead of the curve here, so that means you will be as well!

I am tweaking a couple of pairs I have already made, because if you read the previous blog, I'm a bit of a perfectionist so they weren't meeting my satisfaction. I keep learning as I go!

E127 Double Pearl & Swarovski Crystal Rondelle Earrings $24.00

E121 Triple Rose Quartz & Swarovski Crystal Earrings $18.00

E128 Topaz 4 Hoop Swarovski Crystal Earrings $35.00 (2 tones of Topaz)

E119 Turquoise, Bali, & Swarovski Crystal Earrings $18.00

E126 Blue & Orange "Illini" Earrings $14.00

E118 Lilac Pearl & Swarovski crystal Earrings $14.00

E117 Light Rose Crystal & Pearl Earrings $18.00

E89 Pearl & Topaz Crystal Earrings $20.00

One of a kind Designs
www.nikkidoodledesigns.com
Jewelry Designs can also be purchased in Decatur, IL at Giggles or The Fox's Den.

New Nikkidoodle Pictures

I have been very busy taking new pictures of all the designs I've made over the past month or so. As many of you know, I am extremely picky and only the best will do, so it's become a tedious task for me. I want to showcase each piece of jewelry for my website; http://www.nikkidoodledesigns.com/, as if you were actually seeing it in person. Do you know how difficult that is? It is, at least I'm finding issues with it. I've tried every function on my Powershot camera in every light & angle & now am working with a lightbox. I think I'm having some success so take a look and please feel free to give me any comments or suggestions. I think I'm ready for them. :)

I'm going to continue taking pictures because I have so many pieces and I'm finding that it's best to do it during the hours around noon so I don't have a huge time frame each day (if I'm home that is). Keep checking back for new pictures and possible upgrade pictures of previous designs.

I will also be taking new pieces of jewelry to Giggles this week so if you are in the Decatur, IL area, stop in and take a look. I'm sure Chrissy & the girls will love to see you. They have been very gracious at their store and have adorable things for everyone.

Please think about being a Hostess of a Nikkidoodle Designs Party. Just think of all the rewards you can earn with just a little bit of effort (and I mean little). Valentine's Day is coming up and it would be the perfect opportunity to get new jewelry for a special evening or for a gift for someone special.

One of a kind Designs
www.nikkidoodledesigns.com
Jewelry Designs can also be purchased in Decatur, IL at Giggles or The Fox's Den.