Not Quite Back to Normal

I haven't blogged in ages - I'm sure you've all been crying yourselves to sleep at night about it, right? Okay, maybe not. But I have a good excuse. About a month ago I hurt my back. I wish I had a fun story about it like a battle with a Sasquatch or a unicycle-on-a-tightrope mishap, but no. It had been generally sore for awhile (bodies are not meant to sit at a desk for 8 hours a day), and one day - and you beading ladies will understand this - I was at Michael's. There was a big sale on Bead Gallery beads, plus I had a 20% off everything coupon, so I wanted to make sure I took advantage and bought all the little filler beads I wanted. You know how at Michael's, you look at the beads at eye level, then you have to stoop down and look at the bottom beads. Then stand up, take a step to the right and repeat 8-10 times 'til you've seen everything? Well that's when it happened. Every time I stooped down I thought, "OUCH! I probably shouldn't stoop down again." And then I kept doing it until it all went very very wrong. 

So I spent the following week on the couch watching The IT Crowd on Netflix and napping. I finally got an appointment with my orthopedist, and he made me wear this torture device of a brace for 2 weeks (even while sleeping). It was miserable. As you can imagine, I didn't particularly feel like making very much jewelry. Plus I was doped up on painkillers and muscle relaxers, so I wasn't very interested in doing much. During that time, I had to make my Bead Soup pieces, and managed to pull it off. I am very sad to report that this past Sunday, I was wearing the bracelet when it flew off my wrist and that gorgeous toggle shattered on the tile floor. It broke my heart -- I really loved it!

Anyway, my back's still kinda sore but at least I'm out of that dangbusted brace. Of course it hurts most when I'm sitting down at work, but I can't take a month off, so I must suffer and remember to get up every hour and walk around. I've got a kneeling chair now, but I can't sit in it all day. It's good to switch back and forth with my other chair. 

Point is, I haven't made a whole lot of jewelry in the past month! Other than my Bead Soup stuff, this is what I've done lately. 

 Focal by Lynn Davis, birdie by me, hematite nuggets, mookaite, agate, dalmatian jasper, & carnelian.

Copper poppy clasp by Daisychainextra, ceramic focal by Bo Hulley, faceted pearl, carnelian, mystery purple and tan stone, copper, waxed linen. 

 Ceramic bird focal by Kylie Parry, Czech glass, crystal, antique brass,  wood beads, waxed linen.

Ceramic focal by Round Rabbit, bone bead, and copper. 

Ceramic Shotgun House by Jessi, mookaite, new Czech glass (green), and vintage Czech glass (blue) from old Mardi Gras beads.

Sardonyx agate.

I custom ordered this mini-me bead from Soul Silver and I just LOVE it! I'm totally not vain at all, no. I'm going to make a necklace out of her eventually, but for now she just keeps me company in my computer/jewelry making area.

Back to Normal

Don't forget to enter for your chance to win the next stop on the Art Bead Love Tour!!! Drawing this Saturday May 5th!


Now that the insanity of the last two weeks of work has passed (late nights, going in on a Sunday) I finally have time to share some new stuff! One thing I made last Saturday, but it needed an adjustment, which I did last night. And the other one I did last night. Both feature items I claimed from the Art Bead Love box! I'm about ready to turn over that pesky flower focal from the last two blogs and claim one more thing. I just might do it. 

Surprise Fairy Necklace

Ever sit down fully intending to make one thing and then come away with something completely different? That's what happened last night. I've got a Round Rabbit flower focal I've been trying to use, but nothing ever seemed right. I figured surely I would be able to find the solution in last weekend's gem show haul, and I thought I did. I had the strung part of the necklace done, but it just seemed to overwhelm the focal.

So I soldiered on and added the sari, not sure what I would really do, because the way I designed the front - it needed a focal. I left a space for it between the beads. Once I was done with the sari bit, I poked through my growing, but still not massive, focal collection. Jessi's ceramic fairy pendant jumped right out at me and it was perfect!

I was slightly disappointed, in that it wasn't the necklace I set out to create, but by the time I woke up and looked at it again this morning I was quite happy with it.

My friend Jessi's fairy pendant, sari silk, Swarovski crystals, pyrite, apatite, waxed Irish linen cording, and upcycled pyrite rings (they were finger rings from Nine West!)