Love around the world

Love is universal. It transcends all boundaries and barriers.
I wanted to celebrate this unconfined nature of love with a design.

This hand stamped pendant is sure to show undying love to your paramour. The circular shape of the pendant reinforces the fact that love has neither beginning nor end and no language barrier either.

If you've always wanted to go on a romantic journey to Europe, here it is on a satin string !
Start with "Love" in merry old England, get to Spain with "Amor" and reach Sweden with "Kärlek".

Language of Love

This is one journey you can keep going on, over and over again.





If the beaches of Cabo are more your style, then this necklace is for you.
Hand stamped on antique silver and then cast in resin, this will be perfect for "Mi Amor".

Mi Amor

Wherever you are, whatever language you speak, love is there.
Happy Valentines Day!





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Valentine Specials--Earrings Galore

I found some really lovely findings this year and decided to use them to make earrings for valentines day.



I've recently been working with anodized aluminum. I love the fact that they are lightweight, come in different colors and shapes and can even been stamped or etched.





Red and Green Chandelier earrings

There is something very elegant about the shape of this chandelier drop, the red color only adds to the overall beauty.




With dark green Czech glass bead dangles, this will make one pretty lady very happy.















This red crystal studded finding has been sitting in my box for a while now, just waiting to be used in a design and I had some crystal beads left over from another project.



Put the two together and voila..... a stunning pair of earrings perfect for painting the town red!



"Paint The Town Red" earrings



Sweet Heart earrings

And last but not least, Valentines Day jewelry is not completed without at least one heart shaped piece.


The two tone color scheme adds interest to the simple gold heart shaped drops embellished with red Czech glass beads.














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Valentine Specials--You are my sunshine !

Valentines Day is almost upon us....a time for love, romance and letting the special people in our lives know how much they mean to us.



The weather outside is glorious...sunny, warm with bright blue skies.......and thus struck inspiration!



These cute little gold sun charms made me smile when I saw them. They are cute and shiny. They reminded me of the classic song "You are my sunshine".


You are my Sunshine

They are simply strung on gold chain and wire to make a pair of earrings and a necklace.



 No embelishments, nothing extra, just pure golden sunshine to let the special someone know how much they brighten your life.



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Happy 2013 !

Happy New Year everyone! Hope the year has started off right for all of you.

The christmas season was busy as usual and I'm very happy that whole gifts made it under the Christmas tree for many this year. Thank you so much to all our loyal gift-ians.
Grandmas are very special and this holiday season there were a lot of requests for meaningful designs for this special lady. Now that all surprise gifts have been opened and oooed and ahhhed over, it's safe to post some of the custom creations.




This is a sparkly bracelet created with vintage Czech glass beads and luxurious 22kt gold components
.Its hard to find beads that match the luster of old Czech fire polish beads but the Swarovski encrusted heart in the center can hold its own.

It's for a very sweet and wonderful grandma from her two grand kids Z and D.












Here we have personalized, hand stamped silver pendants for both their grandmas from three grand kids.









Hope the grandmas are enjoying wearing their Christmas gifts.....I sure had a lot of fun making them!







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Peacock Dancing

The morning sky is grey, the breeze is cold. My garden is in its winter phase, all color is muted. Into this dullsville mood comes a request for a necklace to match a sari....a 40 year old, vintage, peacock motif sari.

Through the fog I can see the bright green and pale yellow flowers of my dahlia.
Green and gold with shades of blue tinted by the mist.....just like the facets of colors on a peacock's throat and tail feathers.

In my bead box are these vintage glass beads.I just love the way this bead seems to change color with the quality of the light...a little green, a little gold and just a touch of blue.


And thus is born this necklace, an ode to the dancing peacocks.






Turquoise beads are linked on gold wire with vintage glass beads providing spots of brilliant, glossy color.

Almost wants to make one feel like dancing....without singing the blues!

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Diwali Sparkler

Fall is officially here, the days are getting shorter and colder, the nights longer and the festive season is right around the corner.

Diwali is for me the official start to the fall festivities. It means family, fun, food and the sparks of color that rain down in the night from all the fireworks. Not to mention the rustle and crinkle of brand new "pattu saris" draped so elegantly.

For this Diwali, I wanted to capture that shimmer and shine in a piece of jewelry, so that even when the skies are grey, I can have my own spot of cheery color.
This necklace has been fashioned keeping in mind the glints and glimmer of color in a sari when light catches it from different angles.




Nothing can quite capture sparkles like Swarovski crystals. Simply strung on a gold chain with star shaped bead caps, this necklace is sure to make your Diwali a little bit more colorful and cheerful.

Vacation Specials !

After 4 years, I'm back in Madras on vacation. Super excited to be here but still jetlagged and tired.
I'm looking forward to adding many exotic, Indian inspired designs to the Whole Gifts collection !!
 Photos will be updated regularly.
If any of you see anything you love or want anyting specific, do please drop a line and I'll be more than happy to accomodate your requests.

Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesha Handpainted on Glass.

Of all the Gods in the Hindu pantheon, my all time favorite is Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Like my mother and aunt, I collect Ganeshas in various shapes, sizes and materials.

During enforced bed rest while pregnant with our daughter and boredom driving me out of my mind, I started tinkering with clay. To my wonderful surprise, I was able to sculpt Ganeshas!! My joy was boundless.








Here are some of the different styles of Ganeshas hand sculpted, oven fired and painted by yours truly.

Neel Ganesh

This blue Ganesha is one of the first ones to be fired and painted.

Orange Ganesha

This Orange Ganesha is my humble homage to the famous Ganesha of Mumbai.

Baby Ganesha

And one of my favorites, Baby Ganesha !

Mandapam Ganesha

Here are two Ganeshas complete with pedestals.

This year, Ganesh Charturthi falls on Sep 1. May Ganesha fill our lives with prosperity, peace and happiness.
Ganapathy Bappa Moriya !!

Whole Gifts Back in Action !

Hello to all my wonderful blog readers. You must be wondering if I'd disappeared from the face of the earth. Ah..no, I'm still here. A lot of things have been happenning on the home front. We moved into our new home. We had some remodelling to do before that and running around with contractors, choosing tiles and paint colors and coordinating the move took up most of my time.

While Whole Gifts continued to create new and exciting jewelry designs, there simply was not enough time to adequately photograph and the pieces and post them in the blog. However, things are a little bit settled now and you can all look forward to new posts.

Thanks to all of you who continued to check the blog and write to me, I appreciate each and every one of you.
To paraphrase the Governator "We're bach" !

Sparkles

Its been a while since my last posting. When you are responsible for designing, creating, photographing, posting and selling, things get a little hectic at times. But never fear, more posts are here !

Goldstone and Silver Necklace

This is a necklace I created a while back but haven't found the time to showcase online.

I have always loved goldstone...something about the tiny flecks of sparkles embedded inside makes it special.

Goldstone usually calls for gold or brown tone accents, but for a different look I went with silver for this necklace.

It does not detract from the shine of the beads, but adds a certain something,  je ne sais quoi !

Mothers' Day Rings

Multicolor Wire Ring

I love rings...always have... and at any given time, I can be found wearing atleast two in each hand.

One of my really sad moments in recent past was when I had to take my rings off because my fingers were swollen in pregnancy. Thankfully that episode is behind me and I'm back to flaunting my rings !

My mother loves rings too, wears many of them and loves to coordinate them to her outfits. I got my love of rings from her, so its only fair that I make some special Mothers' Day rings.
Last week while at the craft store, I saw these vintage style buttons and knew they'd make very catchy cocktail rings. These large, chunky rings are all the rage right now.

Bluebutton Wire Ring

They make the perfect little shiny, sparkly catchy gifts !

Mothers' Day Earring Bonanza

We are just a few days away from Mothers' Day and I am on my way to a Mothers' Day party.
Want to know what I'm carrying with me.....earrings, earrings and more earrings, a veritable treasure trove of them !
Here is a sampling from my box.

Rosy Cheek Earrings

These earrings are pretty in pink, perfect for the new mom...to match the rosy glow in her baby's chubby cheeks !

They are made with sparkly Swarovsky crystals and iridescent Toho spacers.

Green & Gold Earrings

For the mom who wants versatility, these two pairs of earrings fit the bill. They are simple enough to wear to work and dressy enough to go out for a special evening.


The first pair is made of emerald green Czech glass beads with gold Toho spacers....

Jasper & Gold Earrings

 ...and this pair is made of  a dark red poppy Jasper with gold Toho spacers.

Both are attractive, tasteful and eminently wearble.

Humming Bird Earrings

And finally, the pièce de résistance and my personal favorite....the beautiful, elegant and exquisitely detailed humming bird earrings. Any mom is going to be over the moon when she receives this !

Pretty pewter humming bird beads pair up with vintage glass flowers and leaves to create a pair that is full of natural splendor.


Get your mom a great pair of earrings this mothers' day...or get her all of them....after all she has given all her love to you !

Mothers' Day Anklets

Mothers' Day is almost here. I am sure all of us can agree that we owe a lot to our moms. From kissing away our boo-boos to forming a one woman encouragement squad to keep us going,  for driving us all over town   and for putting dinner on the table no matter what.....the list is endless and the thanks we owe our moms infinite.

This Mothers' Day treat her to a luxurious spa day, with a wonderfully relaxing manicure/pedicure and then present her with any one of these beautiful anklets.

Also, just in time for Mothers' Day, Whole Gifts now offers the added convenience of buying online. Just use the options posted under the "Custom Order/Buy Now" link on the right of the page. We accept Paypal, the safer way to shop online.

Summer Sea Anklet

If your mom is a beach goddess, she is sure to love this anklet in shades of the summer sea.


This anklet is made with faceted glass bicone beads interspersed with white Toho spacers and finished with an antique style toggle clasp.

Flower Charm Anklet

If she is more of the nature gal, she is sure to like this classic black and white anklet with a lovely plumeria charm.

Whimsical Whale Anklet

And finally for the mom who spent endless hours playing patty-cake and drinking numerous cups of tea with your dolls, here is a simple silver chain anklet with a playful whale charm.


Stay tuned for more wonderful gifts for Mothers' Day !

Easter

Easter is right around the corner. It represents a time of  resurrection, of renewal, a new beginning. It is also a time for deep metaphysical contemplation and an awakening of faith.
For the spiritually minded, a beautiful, handcrafted Rosary makes a very novel gift.

Green Aventurine Rosary




This Rosary is made with green Aventurine beads interspersed with silver Toho spacers.

The silver mesh wrapped peridot Pater beads add the right amount of sparkle.

The center link is antique pewter, in the image of Our Lady and the Cross is glittery with Swarovski crystals.

Crystal Rosary

This Rosary is made with white quartz crystal.
The Spacer beads are gold Toho.

Brilliant white Swarovski crystals form the Pater beads.

 Both the center link, in the form of Our Lady and the Fleur Cross are antique gold plated pewter.

This Easter, gladden somone's  heart with a thoughful, unique gift. Give a handcrafted Rosary.

Spring Suite--Cameo Flowers

I love cameos...they have a timeless, old world elegance. They are versatile and can be used in a variety of designs.
Traditionally, cameos were carved out of gemstones like onyx or agate. These days we get cameos in a wide range of materials like glass, shell or even resin.



Cameo Flower Pendant




Look at this lovely, red rose cameo.
It it made of resin. The detailing is meticulous and life like.


I did not want anything to detract from the beauty of the cameo, so this is set very simply on a gold base.

Swarovski Earrings

Pair it up with these lovely swarovski dangle earrings and you have a set that is an instant classic.

Spring Suite--Flowers !

The sun is shining, birds are chirping and flowers are blooming....spring is here ! What better way to celebrate spring than with some flower themed jewelry.

Flower Earrings

Take a look at this pretty flower earrings made of light weight resin.The detailing is exquisite.


The translucence of the resin lets light shine through, giving it a glow.

Flower Pendant

Pair it with the matching pendant strung on a simple silver chain, and you have a set that is casual enough for everyday wear and elegant enough for an evening out.

Flower Jewelry Set

Spring Suite-- Colors !

Spring Colors Bracelet

Last week was a wash out in the bay area, it rained pretty much all the time.

It was also a little girl's birthday.
She wanted to have her birthday party outdoors, in the park with the flowers blooming and birds singing. But the weather here did not cooperate.

This set was created for her in color tones reminiscent of spring flowers....so she could have spring with her even when it rained.

The bracelet is made with amethyst, aquamarine, citrine and peridot beads interspersed with gold Toho spacers.

Spring Colors Earrings

The matching earrings are strung with gold wire
for a little bit of shine and sparkle.


What a lovely way to carry some of the charm of spring with you all the time !

Neelakshi's Pendant

Its ready...Neelakshi's unique peace pendant is finished ! It took a little bit of work, what with the weather being so rainy in the San francisco bay area. Resin I find, can be temperamental if there is a lot of humidity in the air. Thankfully this came out well.

First Cast of Pendant

This is after the resin was cast and set. While the pendant is pretty, I could see that it lacked something....maybe some beads or crystals around the edge of the pendant.

Nope, the beads or crystals seemed to make the pendant feminine and soft...not something Neelakshi might find appealing.

Peace Pendant

After racking my brains and raiding my supplies box, this is what caught my eye....hexagon shaped spacer beads that look like grommets.

They add the right amount of detailing to the pendant and make it more edgy and tough...surely Neelakshi will approve !

This peace symbol is distinctive....three swords have crossed to declare peace. It shows that there is hope for a conflict free resolution of all differences.

The grommets have been placed at the hilts and points of the swords to draw further attention to the uniqueness of this symbol.

And finally, the pendant is strung on to a leather cord necklace.....its tough, stylish and different, like Neelakshi herself.



You can read more about
Neelakshi: The Quest for Amrit here

Neelakshi

Whole Gifts Logo

Remember the collaboration I mentioned a couple of posts ago......here are the details.

I have a very talented graphic designer friend, we go back a long way......right up to our school days in Madras. He very generously created this beautiful logo for Whole Gifts.

His name is Asvin and when he is not creating lovely web pages, logos and designs, he is also a graphic novelist.

Neelakshi wearing her pendant

Neelakshi

His latest project in collaboration with Ashok Rajagopalan is "Neelakshi : The Quest for Amrit". Art work is by Judit Tondora and colors by Roland Pilcz.

It is a visual treat, a lot of very talented folks are working together on it and when it comes out, its definitely going to create a splash !



Now, Whole Gifts has been commissioned to create the unique, one of a kind pendant worn by the heroine of the novel, Neelakshi herself.
The pendant and many other cool prizes are being offered to all those who contribute to make this novel a possibility.

You can read all about it and view the prizes here

Whole Gifts sure is excited, the pendant process has started and should be ready in a a few days' time. Stay tuned for pictures of the finished pendant !

Jewelry Party !

Last week, Whole Gifts had a jewelry party for a baby shower. It was great fun.
All those who attended could choose one jewelry item that was custom created for them, on the spot, as door prizes. Talk about instant gratification !

Black & Silver Necklace

Obviously because of time constraints, elaborate designs could not be created on the spot, like this necklace for the mom to be.


This necklace is made with black onyx beads intersperced with sterling silver roundel beads.


The pendant is a beautiful resin cast set in a silver bezel (Whole Gifts is working on a whole new set of resin pendants for spring, more on that soon) !

Blue-Green wire ring

One lovely lady chose this wire wrapped ring as her take home prize.
This is made with a translucent blue-green glass bead wrapped in anti tarnish silver wire.










And of course, all the little kids who were in attendance received colorful, beautiful bracelets to wear home. All baby bracelets at Whole Gifts are always created with 100% sterling silver or 14KT gold components.....because nothing but the best will do for the precious gems in our lives !



White Cats' Eye beads with Gold TOHO Spacers



Multi-Color Agate



Black Bicone Crystal with White TOHO spacers

Blue-Green Coin Cut Glass with Clear TOHO Spacers

Pink Bamboo Coral with Gold Spacers

Needless to say the party was a huge success and everyone went home happy.
If you want to do something different for your next party, do plese contact Whole Gifts...we have a wide variety of packages to suit all your requirments. As always...."we strive for perfection" !