Tumbling Fool

So guys, I got a tumbler. I like to call it my starter tumbler. You use tumblers to harden metal and polish it to a mirror shine. Well, my goodness - it is ridiculous how shiny it gets! I personally don't need all that bling but I'm sure some will appreciate it. Here are a couple of kind of before and after shots:

The piece on the left is just normal. The piece on the right has been tumbled.
Before:

After: I mean, wow right??!?!?!
In other news my little shop got somewhat busy the last week. Yay! I don't know how those high volume folks do it! More power to 'em. This means, I've not had much time to play in new designs. boo. :(

Front page! Woot!

Well I was minding my own business yesterday and decided to check the treasuries. I found out I was in one or two. Woohoo! Well then half hour later, this one hits the front page! Woot! And I actually saw it on there! Double Woot! So exciting! The All My Eggs Basket was featured and it sold during the time it was up. So did one of my other pieces - my sweet little Cafe au Lait bird and I got a custom inquiry as well! It is beyond cool to see yourself up there! I don't think you can buy that type of publicity! Thanks so much for putting me in your treasury soleilgirl. Her shop is so cute!

I'm a Warrior - Day 17

So I've been eyeing these gorgeous onyx beads at the bead store for some time now. They were a little pricey but I have yet to see this fantastic design anywhere else so finally I just had to have them. They look like shields to me so they are definitely made for a warrior. To find out more information on them please visit my Etsy shop. If you follow the title of each one below, you'll be taken directly to them in my shop. Readers of my blog who would like this set can receive 10% off the full set. Just contact me and I'll refund you the discount. Sorry-discount will not apply to purchases of one or the other.


Warrior Lariat Necklace


Warrior earrings

Day 16 - My first soldered ring!

So here is my first soldered ring! I am so excited. I fused the silver to make the band as well as two out of the three swirl connections in the front! woot! This is my Design A Day - Day 16 piece.

I'm a closet fashionista

OK. For those of you who know me, you know I like to do my own thing and that I like fashion. Well there is a site that combines these passions. It's called Polyvore and I've been secretly feeding my fashion addiction for the past couple of months, here and there.

This site has reminded me that even though I am a stay at home mama, there is no need to be a schlumpadink (if you don't know, you didn't watch Oprah this week). I like to go on there and create outfits using my jewelry. This is my latest:



To check out the rest of my sets, go here. I'm sure I'll be adding more.

Featured Artist for Black History Month!

So Etsy decided they wanted to do a piece on Black History Month for their online newszine, The Storque. They solicited ideas and stories for this, and guess what? I got picked as one of the features!!! I am too through people. I never knew there were so many artists of color on Etsy.

I guess one super great thing about that place is that you are judged solely on your work and not your appearance. How wonderful is that?

And Ma, I mentioned the frilly socks! hee hee. See the article here

Ah! Minty Fresh - Day 14

So here is my latest tree. Isn't it minty fresh? This lovely one reminds me of Spring. We're waiting Spring! Sterling silver trunk, branches and frame hold amazonite leaves.

This tree stands 1 in tall x 1.5 in wide (2.5 cm x 3.8 cm) and hangs from a lightweight 18" sterling silver chain. It is available for purchase here in my lil' Etsy shop.


Just for fun I thought I'd throw in this photo. Looks great with brown!

Gorgeous Treasury

This treasury is just beautiful. I love the muted tones and was quite honored to be included! Whether it will make it to the front page remains to be seen but I thought it deserved to be on my front page. There are so many wonderful curators on Etsy it's a pity not all of the greats make it to the front! To view it before it expires, follow this link.

Hippity Hoppity...Easter's on its way!

So I love these golden pearls! I found that the only way to truly show off their luminosity was to oxidize the sterling silver until it was completely black. It can be purchased here

In other news, one of my All My Eggs Basket necklaces has made into the Etsy Easter Gift Guide! See the second picture. It's the bad boy on the orange background:

I was on hiatus

Hi all! Just a quick update for you. Sorry to have seemingly neglected my blog. My little brood was down one parent last week and so my creative endeavors were curtailed. I plan on being much more prolific this week now that we are all back in the same area!

Day 12 etc

Cafe au Lait Caged Bird

Lavender Caged Bird

A few Flower Vase in the Window pieces

These are some things I've been working on recently! I've been a soldering fool recently. Actually, the correct term is brazing. Can I tell you, I just love what I do?!?!?!

The Oval Planet - Day 11

I call this The Oval Planet Necklace. This would be my Design A Day - Day 11 piece.
Good gravy I love this bead. It has all these wonderful colors in it. I used my handy dandy new torch to create my own balled head pin to which I've wire wrapped this lovely red sardonyx wonder. It is available for purchase in my Etsy shop, Beads In The Belfry

She's Got Fire

Guess who made her own balled head pins!??!?!

Guess who soldered a bail today after not having done it for five years??!?!? And it looks good?!?!?!

I am so excited. You don't even understand!!!

I was scared to try it but I made myself just jump in there (after responsibly reading all directions 5 times, consulting several library source books and placing the fire extinguisher at arms length)!

Oh! I'm sooooooo soooo deliriously happy!!!

Alas, I've no pictures to show because everything is busy getting refined. :D

*does fire dance*

Oh, I decided I'd give myself a Design A Day break this weekend. I'm pretty proud of my progress so far. Although, I honestly think this HUGE leap of fire faith counts. ;D

Design A Day - Day 9

So as I said earlier, today fared far better than yesterday in terms of creativity. I call this piece Flower Vase in the Window. Um...I love it! It's available for purchase in my Etsy shop, Beads In The Belfry. Wow. That bad boy sold in one day. Woot! I've relisted it here

I've created a wire window and the vase and flowers sit on the sill!

Vibrant. Fresh. Simple.

Creativity - It's just that simple and it's just that hard

So. This is just an ode to the creative process. A little background information. Yesterday I was having like a complete an utter block as to what to do for Design A Day 8. At the last moment, I made a flower ring. I'm happy with it but it was not *inspired*. It looks really cute on though so I can only be so upset:

One thing that is maddening and fantastic about creativity is how it ebbs and flows. There are powder keg moments of inspiration and slow simmering moments as well. And then there is a drought. I have to remind myself in those moments that the drought don't last always. Today, I have no shortage of ideas or things that I'd like to say/make! So I really like what Gwen Stefani says in this HP commercial and I took the time to transcribe it. Maybe I'll put it up on a wall or something. I think it succinctly says what I am trying to get at here. Thanks Gwen!

"Sometimes it's so hard to find what it is I'm trying to say. People might think you can turn creativity on and off, but it's not like that. It just kinda comes out - a mash up of all these things you collect in your mind. You never know when it's going to happen. But when it does, it's like magic. It's just that simple and it's just that hard." - Gwen Stefani

Cuteable

Isn't that just about the most adorable name? I was minding my own business when I caught wind that I'd been featured on Cuteable.com! As the name makes clear, they are devoted to all things cute. My Marshmallow Tree was featured! Check out that birdie rock underneath it - also, well for lack of a better word - cute! To see the feature in its entirety, please follow this link.

Design A Day = Busy Beads!

So I joined a Design a Day group. As you can probably tell, I like to join things...For thirty days, I am making at least one new item every day. I have been a busy bee! That is part of the reason you've not seen me on here. I'm trying to be more disciplined. Here are some of the goodies I've been making. Click on the title of any piece to be taken to it in my shop:

Small Horn Earrings

Swirls A Go Go in Sterling Silver

Apple Picking Earrings

Pearly Blue Teardrop Earrings

Sketchy baby sketchy

So every so often I like to interject other things on my blog besides my jewelry pieces. This is the first installment of some sketches I'll be adding. I've just joined a Flickr group called 365 Sketch and I am super excited to see if I will really make 365 sketches. Nonetheless, I will randomly add some of them here. This is the day one sketch. I did it on white computer paper (I know it's not archival. Bad Beads!) and it's a little over 2 inches tall and 1.5 inches wide:

Swirls A Go Go Ring

I was challenged to create a custom ring by one of my wonderful customers. She has been so patient with me. After a three week creative struggle, it finally came together. This is the prototype. She will be receiving a sterling silver version. You'll probably notice it's too big for my finger. I made it in her size to start. :D

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this ring. I will definitely be adding this design to the shop in the near future and I'll definitely be adding several to *cough* my own collection. I'm thinking one for me in sterling silver AND copper (and maybe bright silver, antiqued silver, antiqued copper, copper with verdigris...hey - I want it all)