It's The Holidays at Zur Designs

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

It's the Holiday Season at Zur Designs and not only to I get to create beautiful jewelry and often customize that jewelry to suit your own personal tastes, I also get to wrap them up all pretty for the holidays!!!

So are you stumped on gift ideas for the ladies in your life? Well, Zur Designs has some great gift ideas!!

How about a lovely coil bracelet? They go with anything from business to casual and are a great accent for all those holiday parties!


This coil bracelet is called Leather and Lace and features black tiger eye, pearls, jonquil swarovski crystals, bali spacers and bead caps and a great little charm dangling from one end! It goes with a sweater and jeans, a business suit and really accents a little black dress. A perfect gift idea for the lady on your list or it makes a nice holiday gift for YOU!!

Purchase Leather and Lace!

Or what about this Basic Black, Red, and White Coil Bracelet? Lots of glass beads in all three colors with a great little charm at the end. Perfect for that black business suit or looks great with a sweater and jeans! She'll want to wear this every day! Or you will if you are buying yourself a treat!

Purchase Basic Black Red and White Coil Bracelet Here!

How about a lovely wire wrapped ring? Wire is either sterling silver or 14K gold filled and can be made to order if the sizes listed are not right.


This large pink rhodochrosite stone is wire wrapped in sterling silver wire. It's a big, beautiful ring and is a size eight so it could be worn on the first or middle finger for many women...I can also custom order the exact size just for her!

Buy Large Rhodochrosite Wire Wrapped Ring Here!

Or what about this luscious azurite malachite sterling silver wire wrapped ring? This brilliant azurite malachite gemstone bead has vivid green and blue colors in it and is nestled in sterling silver wire with sterling silver beads on each side. This is a sweet little ring that looks really good on your hand. This ring is a size 6 but I can custom make one just for you! Treat yourself! You deserve this pretty little ring!





Buy Azurite Malachite Wire Wrapped Ring Here!








Or is a necklace is more your idea of a perfect gift, why don't you check out the sterling silver chain necklaces made with high quality sterling silver and semi precious stones and beautiful swarovski crystals and pearls.

Take, for instance, Little Lavender Coquette. This 24" chain necklace features a beautiful 17mm swarovski briolette pendant as it's focal point and a sterling silver and purple fan charm that is so sweet!

Purchase Little Lavender Coquette Here!

Another pretty necklace is Pink Sparkle Motion. This 25" necklace really does sparkle! The three types of swarovski crystals and sterling silver chain makes this piece feel like there's a ray of sunshine around her neck!

Purchase Pink Sparkle Motion Here!

Also, how about this little anklet? It will be a real hit for her stocking!

Purchase Bejeweled Anklet Here!

There are many other items in Zur Designs' Shop...so take a look today!

Most importantly, everyone have a safe and wonderful holiday...and BUY HANDMADE!!!

Beaded Impressions Beading Contest is Open to Public Vote!

Vote for your favorite necklace and earring design in the 2009 Beaded Impressions Beading Contest! Public voting ends August 13th. It is a wonderful showcase of the talented jewelry artists out there! You will receive a coupon for 10% off any purchase just for voting!

They did have a bit of trouble with their voting page so there are instructions on how to access the survey and if you still have any trouble you can contact them directly.

In the necklace category, be sure to check out #26--Cosmo's Moon! No matter how it turns out, it was a lot of fun just creating the piece and entering the contest!

Have a great day!

Cosmo's Moon Necklace

So, I entered this necklace into Beaded Impressions Beading Contest!

I love the movie "Moonstruck"! I know some people think it's a little over-the-top but I grew up in an Italian family so for me it's like coming home!

In the movie, Cosmo's brother-in-law tells us about the enormous and magical moon that appeared one night during his sister's courtship. La Bella Luna--the moon brings the woman to the man. Drawn to the window the future brother-in-law found Cosmo in the yard gazing up at his sister's window. For years he believed that Cosmo's great love called up that amazing moon that woke him from his blissful sleep.

The idea that true love growing in the hearts of new lovers could draw down a moon of such splendor is a compelling metaphor and I always felt that this was more than a story of about two people falling in love. Perhaps it was really a tale exploring the intricate facets of love and the magic that love makes possible.

This necklace was inspired by such a moon, bright and shining in the midnight blue sky; an inspiration for love that will last a lifetime. I carried an image in my head of such a moon and with the help and inspiration of some beads from The Purple Door in Jamestown, R.I. and some beautiful crystals I received as a gift from my best friend, I set to work to create that vision.

Other materials used: 3.25mm sterling silver cable chain, a delicate 2.25mm diamond cut chain, mother-of-pearl 6mm beads, sterling silver star beads, czech glass beads in a midnight blue, bali spacers, bali toggle clasp, and a sterling silver heart pendant to symbolize love.

Cosmo's Moon Necklace can be purchased at my Etsy Shop and at USTrendy. Don't forget to check out all the entries in The Beaded Impression Beading Contest. They are all so amazing! I'd like to thank abeadstore.com for hosting this contest. Don't forget to check out their wonderful selection of beads and beading supplies!

P.S. I love the name Cosmo. It reminds me of a sweet man I grew up around who always saw me as a sweet little girl with curly blond hair long after I was no longer even close to being that anymore! Also, the Hermit Designer's middle name is Cosmo; proving I never met a Cosmo I didn't like!

Use The Muse II Contest

Well, I even though I didn't win the Use The Muse II Contest, I must say it was great fun and helped my design skills to stretch a bit; although for good or bad, my style still shone through! Here is my finished product!

I call it Dancing in the light because I picture pixies dancing. Perhaps because of the whimsical charms attached along the chain or the delicate nature of the Muse itself--a LillyPilly pendant made of soft shell and decorated in beautiful blues and yellows.

The swarovski crystals represent the light--I used the ones from the kit and also added some beautiful jonquil rounds, small blue bicones, and a gorgeous jonquil crystal pendant that I attached to the Muse with sterling silver wire.

The delicate pearls and silver balls that came with the kit and some bali spacers, bali bead caps, and a lovely silver toggle clasp seemed to tie the piece together nicely!

I would like to thank Scarlet Larson from The Beader's Muse as well as ArtBeads and Rainbows of Light who sponsored the contest. It was an opportunity for all jewelry artists to stretch their creativity, use gorgeous materials, and take a chance at winning a chest filled with beautiful beading treasures!

Dancing in the Light can be purchased at USTrendy and at my Etsy Shop!

The Celtic Knot Sister Necklace

I've been thinking a lot about my sisters lately...my two sisters Pat and Jude...and the sisters we have lost to cancer Liz and Cathy. Maybe because we spent Memorial Day together...all of us in one state; having the ability to run down the road a bit and be at another whole part of the family. Also my sisters Liz and Cath's children were there...some of them now have children of their own and it was great to celebrate the lives of these two great women simply by being all together.

Additionally, my sister Pat is working on a wonderful project about sister loss and I have been helping her launch her website which will be up and running very soon. The project is awesome and stems from the fact that when she lost our first sister, she began looking for resources to help her work through the feelings of that horrendous loss and found that there were barely any and what was out there for help and guidance was scattered and fragmented. Hence, the SisterLoss Project was born and she has done an incredible job using a integrated approach. I'll let you know when the website is launched...it's going to help a lot of people. I am so proud of Pat.
These were the things I was thinking about when I created this necklace. The Celtic Knot is a symbol of the lifetime bond between sisters; no matter how complex the relationship, it is one of the purest forms of love around. The delicate sterling silver chain holds groupings of beads featuring malachite and swarovski crystals and tiny sterling silver stars.

So this necklace is inspired by Pat and by all my sisters...and dedicated to all sisters everywhere!
The Celtic Knot Sister Necklace can be purchased at my shops on ShopHandmade and UsTrendy and at my Etsy Shop.

By the way, today would have been my sister Liz and her husband's 36th wedding anniversary!

Welcome to Zur Designs Blog!

Hi Everyone!

My name is Deb and I am the owner of Zur Designs! Zur is what my best friend and I say for "yes" or "yup"...don't ask...it all makes sense in our wacky little world. It seemed the perfect name for my shop that sells handcrafted jewelry using beads, wire wrapping designs, and chain. Check out my Etsy shop or visit the Zur Designs website. There is always something new at Zur Designs!

I have always wanted to learn the art of handcrafted jewelry. I love all the different beads, particularly gemstones, and I am absolutely in love with Swarovski crystals! All that sparkle just truly makes me happy!

Lately, I have been concentrating on wire wrapping and working with chain; trying to hone my skills with those mediums...because they are so much fun! Here's a necklace I have been working on...it's not finished yet. I have ordered a hammered silver pendant to attach to it and I found a really neat hammered silver clasp at Jewelry Supply.

I have a few chain pieces for sale on Etsy and I am hoping this one will be up there soon. My one wish is the next pieces I do with chain--I want them to be a little bit wilder! So stay tuned because this could get interesting!