Oh, Hey.

I completely forgot to show off my most recent pendant. I finished this up almost a week ago, then between supplies inventory, new design work, catching a summer cold, and celebrating my birthday, it fell off my radar.

This one's a little different in design, but still the same general concept.

I used a small Red Creek jasper tile bead for the focus, broke away from monochromatic beadwork, and used a double bail for suspension. 

It was almost impossible to resist the urge to fly off in about twenty different directions as I was doing my supplies inventory - particularly when I was sorting out all of my glass bead shapes. I managed to fixate on two color combinations - the first one of which is all over my worktable at the moment. Composed primarily of the Miyuki Picasso, or travertine, matte finish yellow (#512) teamed with pale green, brass, and antique copper:

So obviously there will be much more, later, when I share what all of that makes as well as the second color story I've fallen in love with.

Flying Low and Keeping Cool

It's going to take a little time to acclimate to living on a water planet again. After 20+ years in Southwest desert, being in green and growing country does take some getting used to. Humidity, for one thing, affects me differently now that I'm a silver-hair. Pacing myself, doing things earlier in the day, frequently missing the window of opportunity for yard work, it's all part of the re-learning curve.

So you'd think spending time in front of an air conditioner would be more conducive to beadwork, but I found myself doing more reading and falling asleep in the rocking chair in the middle of the day.

Beadwork has kinda been on hold for a while.  But I am back in the groove and working out a new schedule for improving my productivity. Still in search of that fabled "new normal."  I did manage to finish a second cuff using the 1.8mm cubes. Check it out.

 I decided to go with an infinity loop for my closures. Comfortable and easy to manipulate.

Here's the two wide ones together. 

I have a whole rack of bangles I made with these little cubes, but I'm thinking I might need to give them all that little pop of interest by giving them vintage or vintage repro button closures. Seeing as how I do have all these buttons . . .

Now that I'm thinking about *that*, it must be time to get back to the pendants.

Obviously it never ends.

More later.

Button Button

A long time ago (40 years or so), in a galaxy far, far away (Northern California), I started collecting buttons. I didn't mean to. It just sort of happened. It took over my brain for a few years and then I just stopped. But since the box of buttons existed, it seemed to attract more buttons without my intervention - there exists a sort of gravitational factor where crafting supplies are involved. The box just kept getting more and more full.

I did a big button sort before I moved and donated a bunch of them, but I couldn't bear to part with a substantial selection. And I just love the ones I kept.  Like the ones I used on this cuff. Vintage art deco. Real vintage, not repro. I found them on an old blouse in a junk shop - the blouse reeked of moth balls and was at least 5 sizes too small for me, but I just wanted the buttons.

I'm still experimenting with different kinds of buttonholish loops for my closure, but this works well for me right now. I'm test-driving it today for wearability with an eye toward making a few more. I still have a few more pendants to pull together, but I felt like taking a short break from necklaces by returning to my first love - bracelets.

More later!

Number 14 Has History

Number 14 is actually Number 4 remade. And I forgot to photograph and post it before I went on my brief no-notice break. I like this so much more now that I've redone it.

I'm working on Something Else for a bit - something just for me. A nice, big, wide, statement kind of bracelet, inspired by a Hungarian beader named Lilith.  I like the basic concept, but I'm not wild about the closure she employed. I've set myself the job of designing something that works better for me. Wish Me Luck.

The new Sooper Seekrit online sales platform is coming along nicely - launch date's not for some time but as soon as I know when, you'll know too.

Cheers! More later.

No. 13 Which Began As No. 11

Here it is, with some wonderful little picture jasper hearts along with chips and a round, and Darcy Horn's beautiful polymer clay spikes.

No. 14 is actually a remake of No. 4. The longer I looked at it, the less I was satisfied with the flow of the piece. I didn't like the use of turquoise with the matte metallic beads - the blend was all wrong. I'm already happier with it, using faceted brass rondelles, abalone shell, and Swarovski glass pearls. We'll see if I made the right choices this time once it's completed.

That would mean there will be more later.