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Shelby Koester Handmade Jewelry

@whimsybeadworks

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I design & create colorful Small Batch, OOAK & Custom Handmade Jewelry #whimsybeadworks
As Seen on TV📺
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🎉🎉🎉✨Spotted on the hit Hulu series Only Murders in the Building ✨

My Mystic Rainbow Quartz necklace design made its TV debut in Season 4, Episode 10 of #OMITB and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Seeing a piece I lovingly handcrafted make its way onto such an iconic show is truly a pinch-me moment. 🕵️‍♀️💎

From my studio to the small screen—thank you danacostumes & @theartisangroup for helping make this jewelry artist’s dreams come true. 💛

Worn by actress Jackie Hoffman as Uma Heller. taken in Chicago by @whimsybeadworks

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a year ago

✨ Exciting News! ✨

My Soleil necklace has been worn on two seasons of the hit Netflix show Virgin River (Season 5, Episode 7 & Season 6, Episode 8)! It’s been the highlight of my jewelry making career to have something I made on TV!

Grateful to @theartisangroup & to @candacecruikshankcostumedesign for their hard work & to actress Jennifer Cooper for making it look so good onscreen! taken in Itasca Country Club by @whimsybeadworks

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2 years ago

These three beauties are off to their new home on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive!

A little beadwork, a whole lot of color, and a pretty fabulous new address!

One of my favorite things about what I do is imagining all the places my creations will go and the adventures they’ll have along the way.

So grateful to the lovely customer who chose these three to come along for hers!

#beadedbeauty, #whimsybeadworks #colorfuljewelry #jewelrythattellsastory #chicagostyle taken in Chicago by @whimsybeadworks

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3 days ago

This color palette (boho rainbow) & these hoops got so much love at last weekend’s market that I ended up selling several pairs of earrings right off my workspace!

There’s just something about seeing you fall in love with a color combination or design that makes my maker heart ridiculously happy

And I have to admit… you all have excellent taste!

Thank you for making last weekend so much fun! 🫶

#whimsybeadworks #falljewelry #beadedhoops #colorpalettes #beadedbeauty by @whimsybeadworks

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4 days ago

It’s been a flurry of fall-inspired creativity in my studio lately! 🍂🍁✨

I’ve been busy making lots of new styles, and I’m packing up all those little pretties to bring with me to Brave Days in Carlinville this weekend! 🧡

My beads have been flying, my worktable is a disaster, and somehow I keep coming up with just ONE more idea.

I’m especially excited about this market because it’s so close to where I grew up! There’s just something special about heading back to familiar territory with a whole lot of handmade sparkle in tow. 💕

🍁 BRAVE DAYS | CARLINVILLE, IL
📅 Friday, October 9 | 2–8 PM
📅 Saturday, October 10 | 9 AM–4 PM
📍 Find me near the gazebo on the northwest side of the square!

Come say hello, check out all the new fall styles, and maybe find a little something that insists on coming home with you. 😉

Can’t wait to see you! 🧡

#BraveDays #CarlinvilleIL #ShopSmallIllinois #HandmadeJewelry #FallJewelry taken in Carlinville, Illinois by @whimsybeadworks

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7 days ago

I’m back at my workbench making more gemstone pendants for the Soleil Necklace—one of my longtime best sellers and the necklace that appeared on Netflix’s hit show Virgin River in both Seasons 5 & 6.

Each pendant is still assembled by hand, with me choosing the gemstone combinations and putting every little piece together right here in my studio.

It still feels a little surreal that something that started at this very workbench ended up on TV.

And yes…forever referring to it as “the one from Virgin River.”

So grateful to
@candacecruikshankcostumedesign & @theartisangroup for the opportunity, and to
@jencoop1111 for making it look so good onscreen.

#VirginRiver #tvfashion #GemstoneNecklace #JewelryDesigner #WhimsyBeadworks taken in Chicago by @whimsybeadworks

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9 days ago

October is officially looking BUSY — in the best possible way. 🍂

I’ve got four fun fall events coming up, which means the studio is currently operating somewhere between “organized creativity” and “why is there jewelry on every available surface?”

I’m especially excited for Brave Days in Carlinville Oct. 9–10. I grew up not too far from there, so getting to head back toward my old stomping grounds with a booth full of Whimsy pieces feels extra special. 🧡

Then I’ll be bouncing around Chicagoland for Harvest Hoot at Oakton College, Sweater Weather Fall Sip N Shop in St. Charles, and Shop the Block Harvest Market in Naperville.

If you’re nearby, come say hi, shop some new pieces, and help me justify all the “I should probably make just one more pair…” decisions happening over here. 🍁 by @whimsybeadworks

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9 days ago

Please tell me I’m not the only one who does this. 😂

Sometimes I’ll put on a pair of earrings I really want to wear, look at the rest of my outfit and think… nope. We can do better.

At that point, the earrings are clearly in charge and everything else just has to cooperate.

Anyone else choose the jewelry first and build the outfit around it? taken in Chicago by @whimsybeadworks

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10 days ago

Please tell me I’m not the only person who changes an outfit at the last possible second and then decides, “Well obviously I need different earrings too.”

That was exactly how these happened.

No carefully planned design session. No sketch. Just me standing in the studio thinking, I can totally make something really quick…

Which, as any maker knows, is always a dangerous sentence.

But apparently a little creative panic can be a good thing, because I LOVE how these turned out.

Sometimes the best designs really do come from just playing with color, trusting your instincts and seeing where the beads take you.

Please tell me: are you a plan-the-outfit-ahead person or a change-everything-at-the-last-minute person?

Also stay tuned to my story to see where I wore them tonight! taken in Nashville, Tennessee by @whimsybeadworks

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14 days ago

I came to make a couple of donations… and Calypso came to steal the show. 🐾💕

I stopped by NAWS with some donations that meant a lot to me.

The first was made possible through sales from my Hearts & Paws Collection. I’m so grateful to every client who has purchased a piece from that collection and, in doing so, helped me support the wonderful work NAWS does for animals in need. It truly means so much to be able to give back with your help. ❤️

The second donation was made in honor of Rizzo, the beloved canine companion of dear friends of ours. So grateful they wanted to remember their gorgeous boy while helping other animals waiting for their own families. 🐾

And then I met Calypso… who was VERY busy playing, showing off, and generally making a strong case for why someone should adopt her. 😂💕 She has such a fun feisty personality.

If you’ve been thinking about adding a furry friend to your family, maybe Calypso is your sign.

So grateful for my clients, for organizations like NAWS, and for all the animals who leave such big paw prints on our hearts. ❤️ taken in NAWS Humane Society of Illinois by @whimsybeadworks

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15 days ago

🖤A basic black top is basically the Switzerland of your closet. It gets along with everything.

Three easy ways to make the same black top feel completely different:

✨ Statement earrings — instant personality, zero outfit planning required.
✨ A layered necklace stack — adds texture, shine, and that “yes, I meant to look this put together” feeling.
✨ Colorful earrings — because black is the perfect excuse to let your jewelry & accessories have all the fun.

You don’t always need a new outfit… sometimes you just need different jewelry. 😉

Which look are you choosing: statement earrings, necklace stack, or ALL THE COLOR?

#StatementEarrings #JewelryStylingTips #HandmadeJewelry #ColorfulJewelry #outfitstyling taken in Chicago by @whimsybeadworks

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17 days ago

What’s actually happening: me treating my workbench like it came with backstage passes. I’ll spare you my singing voice!

#whimsybeadworks #behindthescenes🎬 #airdrums #makeitfun #lovewhatyoudodowhatyoulove taken in New Lenox, Illinois by @whimsybeadworks

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18 days ago