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.

Early July

I have a Round Rabbit problem. I cannot stop buying Nancy's pieces! I've got two batches on their way to me currently, at least 10 pieces as yet unused, and at least as many more already turned into necklaces and even one bracelet. I just love what she does, and every time she has a shop update, I cannot stop myself from buying something. I've been hoarding this one for months, but I finally decided to give it a try last night. I paired it with Peruvian opal and pyrite.

And also, I need to invest in some fancier clasps.

This is a funny story. Some of you might recognize this style - I've done it a few times previously, for instance this one. When I showed up at the salon with that one, Jeanne ran off to retrieve something she'd found buried in the dirt in her yard when she was doing some gardening. It was the Eisenhower charm below - she wanted me to turn it into this style of necklace, with orangey-red sari fabric. So here it is Jeanne, if you see this before I get over there with it! I hope the natural patina is okay - I put some Renaissance Wax on it, so hopefully that will keep it looking good.

I dare not experiment with sterling, but I couldn't pass up this aluminum wire at the craft store recently. I'm definitely going to have to keep playing with it. These red rectangles aren't my personal style, but I think they're pretty cool looking. Just by using something that wasn't to my own taste, I could assure I wouldn't keep them for myself like I've done with the last 3 pairs of copper wire earrings I've made, ha.

So I bought a little grouping of items from Kylie Parry the other day. The other pieces are pendants, but I've really been slacking in the earring department so I figured I'd make some sweet little earrings with these first.

And Malin, I totally admit that I borrowed this earring idea from you. I believe I told you in advance that I was going to. I've long drooled over these faceted polymer clay nuggets from Second Surf. I finally broke down and got some recently having no idea what to do with them other than stare at them and love them. I have two more, but I think I'll hang onto those for a while longer...

Here's a shot of Crazers who just loves to interrupt my photo sessions.

Recently

Just a quick entry, as it's Father's Day and I should be getting ready to go over to my sister's house for the big Father's Day lunch!

Round Rabbit heart pendant, agate, carved bone, Czech glass, wood beads. And while the clasp on this piece is fun enough, it just reinforces my need to get more pretty clasps from you talented makers out there. I finally did buy two pretty ones recently, but they didn't go with this necklace, so. 

Oh my god I made a bracelet! It's so rare, and I usually am never pleased when I do, but this one's pretty cute, I think. Another Round Rabbit bead (the star), and assorted new and old lampwork, lucite, sea glass, tagua nut, crystal, ceramic - I forget the name of the clasp nut.

Dimestore Emporium patina shells, freshwater pearls. When I brought these to the salon, 

Jeanne snatched them up right away as her commission!

Daisychain Extra bangle blank I was lucky enough to win for her blog challenge! See the link on the right side of my page to read about it. The styles were randomly selected from two textures of daisy or the poppy. And the whole time I was opening the package, I kept saying "please be the poppy!" And it was! Not that the daisies aren't totally adorable - they are, but I just LOVE her poppies. Yay! I can't wait to play around with it and see what I come up with. Be sure to check back on June 30th to see what everyone's created.

And because winning is apparently in my stars lately, I was very lucky to win these beauties from Libelulla Jewelry. Be sure to check out her blog and her etsy. She makes the most beautiful jewelry and components! She just reinforces my desire to work with metal. Some day I will.

Mondays aren't good for clever titles

I wasn't super productive this weekend - 2 pairs of earrings that I didn't photograph, one finished necklace, and one necklace in process. Here's the finished necklace. It's a really beautiful Round Rabbit Extra pendant with garnets, vintage AB crystals, green glass rondelles and vintage teeny glass beads that seem like glass pearls that lost their pearl coating. I love finding those - they have such a lovely opaly inner glow to them. The green beads have a very strange luster - sort of like manmade cateye, but matte? They're a strange color too, but just the EXACT shade to match the pendant. What a bizarre chance that I'd just so happened to buy those beads a couple of months ago. And the X-hatched garnets were also PERFECT for the pendant. This is one of those necklaces that just made itself, you know?

Here are a million pictures of it :)

One Color Crayon Challenge

Welcome to my offering in the One Crayon Color Challenge! I chose black. I hope it was okay to include white, as it is the opposite end of the spectrum from black, right? There's various shades of black/grey/gunmetal/antiqued silver going on. It features a beautiful Round Rabbit Extra pendant, and was a gift for my hair stylist (her salon is where I sell most of my jewelry).

Hosted by:

Sally Russick  http://thestudiosublime.com

Red

Therese Frank  http://theresestreasures59.blogspot.com

Rochelle Brisson  http://acreativechelle.blogspot.com

Lisa Lodge   http://pineridgetreasures.blogspot.com

Malin de Koning  http://beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.com

Bobbie Rafferty   http://beadsong.blogspot.com

Orange

Linda Landig  http://LindasBeadBlog.com

Cherrie Fick  http://designsinthelight.com

Beth McLarnan http://threetrees-art.blogspot.com

Cece Cormier  http://thebeadingyogini.com

Renetha Stanziano   http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com

Tanya Goodwin  http://pixiloo.blogspot.com

Jean Welles  http://jeanawells.blogspot.com

Amy Severino   http://amybeads.blogspot.com

Rebekah Payne   http://treewingsstudio.com

Lola Surwillo  http://.beadlolabead.blogspot.com

Judy Turner   http://silver-rains.blogspot.com

 Yellow

Jennifer Justman  http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com

Rose Brisson    http://ahteesblog.blogspot.com

Kim Bender  http://www.kimmykats.com/

Heather Powers   http://humblebeads.blogspot.com

Shelly Joyce  http://www.aujourlejour-shelly.blogspot.com

Blue

Cherie Reed  http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com

Rebecca Anderson  http://songbeads.blogspot.com

Hope Smitherman  http://craftyhope.blogspot.com

Patti Vanderbloemen  http://myaddictionshandcrafted.blogspot.com

Michelle Buettner  http://MiShelDesigns.blogspot.com

Alicia Marinache  http://allprettythings.ca

Charissa Sloper   http://blog.obsidiansoda.com

Sonya Stille  http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com

Maria Grimes  http://mariagrimes.blogspot.com

Nancy Saccoccio  http://risingdesigns.blogspot.com

Sandi Volpe   http://sandivolpe.com

Joanne Tinley  http://daisychaindesignsjewellery.blogspot.com

Catherine Pruitt  http://boobeads.blogspot.com

 Green

Mary Harding  http://maryhardingjewelrybeadblog.blogspot.com

Karin Gilman http://www.qaygee.blogspot.com/

Jayne Capps   http://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com

Lorelei Eurto  http://lorelei1141.blogspot.com

Melissa Meman http://melissameman.blogspot.com

Alice Peterson  http://alice-dreaming.blogspot.com

Jenny Davies Reazor   http://www.jdaviesreazor.com

Cynthia Machata    http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com

Melissa Essenburg  http://chinookdesigns.blogspot.com

Regina Santerre  http://reginaswritings.blogspot.com

Lauren Streets  http://ornthoughts.wordpress.com

Elizabeth Auld  http://beadsforbusygals.com

Purple

Tracy Mok   http://bumblebeadsdesigns.blogspot.com

Jennifer Judd Velasquez http://jenjuddrocks.blogspot.com

Marti Conrad  http://marticsclay.blogspot.com

Lori Anderson  http://prettythingsblog.com

Donna Bradley  http://strandedbeads.blogspot.com

Courtney Breul  http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com

Linda Younkman   http://lindysdesigns.blogspot.com

Susan Kennedy  http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com

Lisa Liddy   http://Lisaliddy.wordpress.com

Tracy Stillman  http://www.tracystillmandesigns.com

Dawn Doucette  http://designsbydawnmarie.blogspot.com

Brown

Diana Ptaszynski   http://suburbangirlstudio.com

Shannon Chomanczuk  http://formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com/

Janice Everett   http://JLynnJewels.blogspot.com

Karen Williams  http://Baublicious.blogspot.com

Black

Kashmira Patel  http://sadafulee.blogspot.com

Heidi Post  http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.com/

Birgitta Lejonklou  http://lejonklou.blogspot.com/

Holly Westfall  http://silverrosedesigns.blogspot.com/

Karin Slaton  http://backstorybeads.blogspot.com

 

Finally Used the Flower Focal

Remember how two entries ago, I was trying to work with a Round Rabbit flower focal and instead I wound up with this fairy necklace?

Over the weekend, I decided come hell or high water that I was going to use that focal. I don't know why I was so dead set on it, but I was. I'd gotten some fab cherry quartz at the AKS Gem show 2 weeks ago, and I couldn't stop picturing it with the flower. Probably because it reminded me of this necklace I made a couple of years ago. Since I eventually removed it from etsy because I couldn't stop wearing it (I'm wearing it right now!), I didn't want to make something so similar. But I couldn't help myself from using the cherry quartz. I paired it with some Czech glass and strung it on turquoise waxed Irish linen. It's fun and colorful and springy, though I'm still not sure it was the best use of that flower. I think it's just my matchy matchy neurons twitching because the matchiness of the blues/turquoises don't seem to be close enough to draw it together. Like the focal's just the wrong shade of blues. Or am I being ridiculous?

EDIT: I am not being ridiculous! Kashmira's comment below is convincing me it should be paired with all white. Next question. White beads, but what color cord? Turquoise like it's already on, white for the sake of matching, or red in case someone who digs red, white & blue wants it?

Don't forget to enter for your chance to win the next stop on the Art Bead Love Tour!!!

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!

Necklace Crazy

I'm usually more prolific with earrings. Maybe it's because I know I need to bring a new batch of springy stock to the salon, but I seem to be interested only in making necklaces. Here are 3 I've made in the last couple of days.


Focal from Nancy Schindler - Round Rabbit Extra, faceted jade, coral, carved bone, antiqued copper.

 

Hand painted shell pendant (retrieved from a Heather Box 'o Vintage Goodies), jade, kukui seeds, shell spacers, gold plated metal spacers, antique brass chain.

  

Raku Green Man pendant from Jessi,  glass, jade, agate, gunmetal strung on waxed Irish linen.

What a Weekend!

I finally joined the Cult of iPhone! I wanted to be an Android person, and maybe I would have stayed one if my Hero hadn't been so slow and incapable. My contract was up on the 1st, so I went out shortly thereafter and got myself a 4S. It's wonderful!

As if that wasn't exciting enough, we bought a Tempur-pedic Cloud Luxe California King bed! I can't wait until it arrives on Friday, but it's just as well, because it turns out stores around here tend not to stock California King size bedding. I ordered a comforter set online last night, but I still have to get some sheets. I thought sure I could find some at TJ Maxx or Marshall's today, but I was wrong about that! I know I can get some good deals online, but I'd prefer to get some in person so I can feel them and see if I like the fabric. The bed at the store was on some sort of base that could elevate the feet or the head or both, and massage as well. I was so ready to go for the whole shebang, but it turned out, it was a ridiculous amount of money that we didn't need to be spending right now. But there's nothing saying we can't add it on later if we so choose...

Anyway, here's what I did find at Marshall's! I call them The Twins. They're 16" I think, and will be a great addition to my prop family!

 

Because I was such a busy bee today, and to prepare for the new bed/bedding, I finally managed to get frames for some adorable Cori Dantini prints I'd bought last year. They look kind of sad hanging up on the big wall, and the frames and mats just blend right in with the wall, but that's just how it's going to be. For now anyway. We're not going to live here forever. And it's not like the curtains match anything!

I also made a necklace with my first Round Rabbit piece! I'll be listing it on Etsy shortly.