CASNI
One-of-a-kind beaded wearable art
Found, salvaged, remembered, rebirthed.
One-of-a-kind beaded wearable art
Found, salvaged, remembered, rebirthed.
Artist Statement
I have been threading beads for more than thirty years, and for a long time it was simply my hobby. In 2001 that hobby became Casni — named for my gorgeous daughters, Cassie and Sydni. Casni ran until 2009, and brought me two ABIA awards for handmade bridal jewellery. When I closed it, life asked something else of me, and for nearly two decades I gave it.
The boxes came with me. Beads, findings, wire, half-finished pieces, old stock I never got to sell. When I recently, finally, opened them again, I saw them with new delighted eyes. I found I wasn't interested in making what I used to make. No more perfectly symmetrical bridal sets, no more colour by numbers or repeated bridesmaid sets.
My creations today are built from what already exists: found objects, jewellery that has been worn and loved by someone else, and the contents of those boxes. Some of the gemstones I use were bought decades ago, on the streets of Hong Kong, where I lived from 1997 to 1999 and spent my spare hours combing the bead markets there. Quality and sourcing have shifted since, so those particular stones can't simply be replaced — each one used is genuinely the last of its kind. Nothing is bought new if something old will do. A vintage collection of sparkling delights reimagined, as I have reimagined and rebuilt my life to one of joy and wonder.
I am interested in what happens when materials with a past are put together — the way a broken clasp or a single odd blown bead can decide the whole direction of a piece. An odd 50s brooch, the 70s pendant, the brutal 80s chains and assortments of unpaired earrings. The way a vintage key can bring thoughts of being locked into a sad existence and the power of breaking free and finding the light once again. The deepest blue hue of a vintage brooch stirring thought of feeling trapped in the deepest ocean, trying to just keep swimming. Age brings wisdom celebrated in each component and in each creation.
Sustainable parts woven together with meaning. Each piece is one of a kind, meant to be worn yet created with a message.
— Dr Jennifer Hoysted
Recognition
Casni first ran from 2001 until 2009, after years of creating jewellery as a hobby, making handmade beaded bridal and statement jewellery. Its pieces were recognised three years running by the Australian Bridal Industry Academy.
Bridal pieces from the first Casni
Featured piece
Shards of light poking and then pouring through sculptured rock, glistening against dirt tones. Richly diverse shades of ochre, a depth of colour only paralleled by the depth of character in the resilient locals. Home to cobalt blue skies & mines, dust storms that turn day to night, & my own brilliant MacGyver with the sweetest heart. Endless sunsets throwing amethyst sprays, with sparkles landing across empty, but not barren, plains.
Necklace and earrings set featuring vintage brooch and earring, amethyst, picture jasper gemstones, lashings of repurposed crystals and a redesigned tiara piece. The chain also provides extension options for different necklines and neck shapes.
The Collection
Each piece is one of a kind · $150 to $400
How Each Piece Is Made
Old jewellery, vintage brooches and tiara frames are pulled apart to reuse the small treasures inside.
Pieces are laid out on the tray and rearranged by hand until the design feels complete.
Hand beading and wire wrapping on collier or memory-wire structures, with no moulds, kits or digital tools.
Each finished piece is named, with its materials, sourcing and meaning written on its story card.
Commissions
I also work by commission, turning jewellery that already holds meaning into something new to wear.
Every commission begins with a chat about the items, the occasion, and what you'd like the finished piece to mean. Email me with a photo of your pieces to start the conversation.
Email Your IdeaFrom the Archive
Each of these was one of a kind, so they are no longer available. They show the range of my work over the years, and I'd love to make something in the same spirit for you.
