Long Overdue

It's been a very long time, but I have a pretty good pile of excuses. At the end of February, my sweet little dog, Crazers, who's been featured on this blog many times, got very sick. I spent a few weeks trying to get her better. Many trips to the vet, working half-days from home, cooking her meals, numerous meds several times a day, but alas, there wasn't really anything that could help. She was just old and had too many health problems. So I had to say goodbye to her on March 9.

In a crazy desperate attempt to mitigate my sadness, I adopted another dog right away. But after a few days, it was clear that she was way too aggressive toward our cat. Perhaps with time and patience and a month off work, I might have been able to teach them to get along, but I was in no state to do that. Not to mention, the shelter neglected to test her for heartworms until AFTER I'd filled out the paperwork and went back to pick her up after being spayed, and it turns out she had them. They said they'd pay for the treatment, but she'd be on a waiting list for a couple of weeks. It really was more than I could handle, so I decided to return her. At least it didn't take long for someone to foster her, because she really was super cute and sweet to people. Anyway, after that, I was very depressed and totally unmotivated to do anything at all. So I took some time off from jewelry for awhile. We've since decided to get another kitten instead, and worry about another dog (in trainable puppy form) once we don't live on the 3rd floor of a condo. Kitten searching commences next weekend. I can't wait!

So in the last couple of weeks, I've managed to make a few things that I like pretty well. I've become a little obsessed with making this particular style of earrings:

A few days ago, I ordered some more lampwork pairs, and plan to make plenty more in this style. 

Next month, I'm going to be a vendor at the New Orleans stop of the national touring Sugar Art Fashion Show, which I'm excited to do! There's only going to be a handful of vendors, so hopefully I'll do pretty well and maybe make some good contacts with buyers, shop owners, etc.

Here are a couple of bracelets I've done this week:

I will do my best to update my blog more regularly at this point!

(Sorry about the Captcha for comments, but I was seriously getting 5-10 spam comments a day for awhile, so I had to.) 

Daisychain Flower Bangle Challenge Hop

Today's the day! I was lucky enough to be one of five winners for the super talented Jo Tinley's Flower Bangle Challenge. I was so happy to get the poppy, because even though they're all wonderful - I like the poppy the best. Be sure to check out Jo's blog and etsy to see her gorgeous components and get your own bangle blank!

It took me awhile to figure out what I was going to do with my bracelet. I'm generally not much of a bracelet maker, so it was really a challenge for me. I experimented with sari fabric, and held up my other leathers and fibers, but I ultimately decided I was just going to break out my 24g oxidized copper wire and just start doing something. I started with a coil, threw on a pearl stick, coiled the other side and decided I liked that. Then I remembered some vintage pearl drops I'd received in a past Bead Soup that was sitting on my desk somewhere. I slid that on and made another coil. I was onto something! So then it was just a (multi-day) search of just the right beads to use and more & more coiling. There's an adorable vintage silver bell that I'd been saving for just the right thing, so I had to add that. It's just a mix of old and new, various metals, stones, pearls, and crystals. The coils slide around a bit, but that just adds to the fun and movement of the bracelet.

Make sure to see what everyone else has done!

Jo Tinley -  Daisychain Designs

Sherri Stokey - Knot Just Macrame

Shannon Chomanczuk - For My Sweet Daughter

Jenny - Shyme Design

Keri Lee Sereika - Pink Lemonade

Heidi Post - Ex Post Facto Jewelry

April Flower

New stuff! I made this bracelet last night. It's a bracelet! It's asymmetrical! Two things I usually fail at, but I think this one's a winner. I've had this vintage red flower button for a couple of years. I loved it, but never knew what to do with it until last night. Actually, I could say the same about the green & red dot lampwork bead and the green bead - it's made like a cotton pearl, but differently coated. I guess asymmetrical bracelets are the way to use up those cool singular beads I've got lying around. Now, if the salon customers would just embrace bracelets. Not once have I ever sold one there, and there have been a few really cute ones, albeit symmetrical...

I posted a quick iPhone snap of this necklace on Facebook the other day, but here it is in all its glory. Round Rabbit focal, Czech beads, opalite beads, vintage lavender seed beads, silver spacers and waxed Irish linen. Of course I missed Easter, but rabbits are cute all year. Not just on Easter!

No Time to be Chatty

My productive streak has indeed continued. Hooray!

I made a Shannon Levart inspired bracelet.

And several pairs of earrings (including one for myself, not pictured). 

And just because I'm always talking about my dog, I thought I'd include pictures of our cat. I had to buy her this fancy contraption to elevate her food so the dog couldn't reach it. It took a few days to adjust, but now she likes eating up there.

Hang on to Yourself

I've been somewhat productive this week. Hooray for me! And considering there was yet another incident with my dog that's pretty amazing. She's back to normal sick now, instead of omgshe'sabouttodie sick, which was Monday and Tuesday. And just from sneaking a little dog food on Sunday!?

So here are some earrings and a bracelet I've made this week. I started another bracelet last night, but I still have more to do before it's done.

Recycled gun charm & black beads, new coral red beads.

 

A Very Bracelety Day

I've been working on these the last couple of nights, and finished the last one this morning. I love bracelets, even though I don't wear them often. I hope these will find happy wrists :)

 Vintage taupe bicones & rhinestone rondelles, vintage (or at least upcycled) glass pearls, recycled sari silk ribbon. I'd been hoarding this particular piece, and now I know why. All beads from my friend's treasure box.

Recycled sari ribbon, recycled nut beads, shell connectors, vintage buttons.

 

This is for a smaller wrist. Czech glass recently purchased from Lima Beads, ceramic rondelles, hand antiqued copper wire wrapping & clasp.

Creations from the Treasure Box

Remember the treasure box my friend Heather sent me recently? Did I mention that was the second one she's sent? She said she's been trying to identify pieces parts from the first box she sent, but she won't have any problem here. MOST of what's included in the following pieces comes from her new box, and one teeny little thing came from the first box.

That little bowling pin was from the first box. It was precious, and I'd been dying to use it, but the right beads never presented themselves until the second box. The vintage red lucite beads and the little wooden spacers were just perfect. I added a little black "bowling ball," and even used a clasp that came from the second box.

The big gold tone feathers here came from the treasure box as well. I'd already had the turquoise drops from a recent Michael's spree.

Everything here came from the box. The big triangular piece was from a huge earring, I don't remember if the chain was all by itself, or if there was something on it which I removed. Finally, the stone (some sort of jasper, I believe), was from a key chain. There is a bit of yellowed glue attaching it to the bail. I tried to remove it, but realized it was stuck on there for all of eternity, so I might as well accept the glue. It's a funky casual jeans & a tank top kinda necklace.

Finally, the enameled bell. A good friend of mine in college had one of these bells in silver; it was the first like it I'd ever seen and I always thought it was was super cool. I don't know that I've ever seen an enameled one,  so I was particularly excited to discover this one in the box. It was tough to capture in the photos, but it's not really black, it's a dark, tealy-blue ink color. Conveniently, I had this piece of sari ribbon that was just the right colors. I knotted it every inch or so, attached the bell and ta da! Instant necklace. I love it! It's another one I think I could easily steal from myself if I don't sell it quickly.

There was another bracelet that came from finds in the box, but one of my sisters saw it last weekend and insisted she just had to buy it. I tried to give it to her, but she wouldn't hear of it. So buy it she did, but it got away without being photographed. Oh well, I know where it is if I ever need to see it again.

So there you go, Heather. The spoils of your box(es)! I have much much more to do; these were just the things that jumped right out at me. I hope everyone else has enjoyed seeing them as much as I enjoyed discovering and then using them.

EDIT EDIT EDIT!!!

I'm finally listing stuff on etsy! Yay!

And now, a bracelet.

I finally used my first missficklemedia piece! I don't have much in the way of art beads or art-components (is that what you'd call it?), so I'm hesitant to use them. But they aren't going to do any good packed away in my stash. It's a saffron toggle clasp - and I also included some of the beads I recently bought from Michael's new selection. I don't make bracelets often, mainly because I don't seem to sell many bracelets. I like them, but at the salon where I sell my jewelry, it's the necklaces and earrings people want. I really need to get an etsy or bigcartel shop started soon. Maybe I'll work on that this weekend...

Anyway, the bracelet.

And if anyone were to want coordinating earrings, it seems I've already made them! 

Another thing I'm particularly excited about is this lovely piece I've ordered from the talented Lynn Davis.

I still haven't used the last piece I got from her, but I just had to get this anyway. I did at least start the necklace for the other piece. I just need to get a couple more findings for it. I'm not entirely certain what I see for this one, but it might involve pearls & chain and maybe a hint of sari ribbon. Actually, some missficklemedia chain might look good with this. Etsy, here I come!