Yet More Stacker Bracelets...

New Year's came and went, and I am soooo confused. Today is definitely the 3rd of January -- it says so in the lower right of my computer. Remember the old days when you had to manually reset the date on January 1st and February 29th and when daylight saving began or ended? That was a long time ago in a land far away. I have to keep reminding myself that it's Sunday today, though perhaps Stunday is the better word.

I spent two days making bracelets with all the loot I got from Toronto, and of course I'm sitting here wishing I'd bought more of one type of beads, bought others rather than the ones I did buy... etc. As for the trip, Lacy Tools on Queen East closed -- months ago -- which I did not know. I never made it to the St. Lawrence Market, so no chocolate-covered ginger for me. And Lavish & Squalor has replaced skulls on everything with foxes!?!?!? Not cool. No Christmas presents for me. I'm so sad. Instead, I bought a big bag of howlite and copper-coated hematite skull beads from Hi Beads and I definitely should have bought more of the copper-coated ones.

Here is my New Year's weekend production. All are for sale, the prices are running $25 and under for this selection. Email me for availability as most are OOAK.

Made these New Year's Eve, was told they'd look better with the skulls alternating rather than in a band:

A comparison between the new alternating riverstone (whatever that is, possibly limestone?) and white howlite skull bracelet and the first iteration above:

I think you're right, Winter. Thanks!

Teensy howlite skull bracelets, white and parti-coloured B&W:

Shoulda bought more of these teensy skulls -- and more colours.

With this bracelet, I was trying to pick up the white & sand colours of the "terra" part of the acqua terra beads, and highlight the riverstone with pewter birds, but Ruth thought it didn't work, that it was too big of a jump.

This was kinda sorta her suggestion, to use a pinky-orange bead to represent sunrise/sunset, and to place it asymmetrically. I swapped out the lumpy birds with a turtle:

Trying here to stretch out my rapidly diminishing aqua terra beads with inexpensive dyed mystery stones, variations on a theme...

...and all which ended up kinda meh. If anyone has suggestions, please leave a comment,

Switched over to more skulls (copper-coated hematite & matte black obsidian)...

Lovelovelove the matte black obsidian and the blue titantium coated beads:

This isn't really doing it for me...

...but I like this one:

Really pleased with these!

All these bracelets will be available at the Woodstock Farmers Market on January 9th so come and check them out. I think out of all of these -- I see them with new eyes when they're photographed and put online -- I'll be continuing primarily with the last style of bracelets, at least until I run out of the black, which is going to be quite soon. Guess that means another pesky trip to Toronto goofing off with Ruth.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jasper Fans...

I finished an aqua terra jasper fan necklace this morning for a customer. I tore my place apart looking for 6mm round beads that matched this particular blue. Everything I thought I had was either the pale greenish aqua terra, or the navy blue, or purple or fuschia/red. Arrrrggghhh...

Then I remembered that I'd made a necklace a year and a half ago that I think I remembered I hadn't yet sold, but to get to it I had to completely tear apart my market bins. Then -- ta da! -- I found a crocheted bracelet from, oh, at least three years ago, with the perfect 6mm rounds. Turns out I'd used 8mm beads on the necklace, anyway.

I had originally planned to put the rounds between the fan segments but that spread them out too much. This  necklace is very short -- only 16" in length, with a 1" extender. It might have worked with 4mm beads, but lacking those, I decided to only use the 3.5mm antiqued Bali daisy spacers to just give a titch of pop. The customer had already picked out the pewter clasp, so I couldn't really go for copper. I also didn't want to use something that would change colour radically.

And seed beads. I have bins and bins of seed beads. Do you think I could find the right blue? Phhht. Then I found a single string of handmade beads, can't remember when I bought them or even why, but their colour variation perfectly matched the variations in the fan segments when you held the necklace next to your skin.

Thanks for looking!

Open House "Classes" & Acquaterra Necklace & Bracelet...

I can't really have people in and out like a store nor have a truly open studio on any regular basis because of my real job as I never know from hour to hour whether or when I will have work in or when I will have to start typing.

My current thought is to have an open studio by appointment only, which so far has been on Sundays, although occasionally during the week, with the caveat that I could end up typing while people are absorbed in choosing beads. The idea is that I give someone an overview of where all my beads and findings are and, as in a "real" bead store, they pick and choose the beads they want to make their own necklace. Once they're happy, they string the necklace and choose a clasp, and I do the final crimping and finishing off. What's interesting is how amazed newbies are at how long the whole process takes and how difficult it is to choose the beads that, A, they like (and/or can afford) and, B, that are truly "right" in order to express what they have in their mind's eye.

My buddy Lynn of Fashion Your Space (who is forever helping get me organised) was here a few weeks ago to finally put together her turquoise necklace using the string of Kingman chips I'd given her for her birthday back in January. I'd made those hammered copper hearts a couple of years ago.

This is what Lynn had to say about the experience:

August 2013

Dear Barbara,

I am thrilled with my necklace and earrings!  I just love them!

What an enjoyable experience at your home choosing from an extensive collection of genuine stones, ornate beads and wire work creations. To my delight, I found your unique handmade ‘copper wire hearts’ to add to my jewellery pieces. I never thought I'd be wearing real turquoise. I love the color and I am so proud to wear them. Thank you so much for helping create my jewellery.

Many thanks,

Lynn

This past Sunday, Lynn and Claudia came for a potluck lunch on the deck (when it was still lovely weather; it's going to be really chilly this weekend!) and Claudia was finally able to start working with the teardrop lapis lazuli that she bought last year from the Grand River Bead Society Bead Show in Guelph (which is coming up again in a few short weeks: Claudia told me she will be going again to buy more beads and findings).

These are the designs that Claudia is now mulling over.

Hi Barbara and Lynn,

Thanks for inviting me on Sunday! I enjoyed playing with my beads at your studio and having lunch. Those cheesecakes were delicious!  I found out in a jewelry store a pearls necklace with the same design that I did for my lapis lazuli and the sparkling rounds. So, I'm going to keep it for me and look for a another one, more modern for my niece. I got an email with the invitation for the show on October, so I'm going to wait to see what can I get there.
Thanks again and see you soon,
Claudia

That raw lapis lazuli you see in the last example is new and gorgeous with lots of pyrite. Every single piece is full of character and possibilities. I will have lots at both the Grand River Bead Society Bead Show in Guelph the weekend of October 5th and 6th, as well as The Gem Expo Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 22nd-24th in Toronto at the Hyatt on King Street -- or email me and I'll be happy to send you more pictures with prices.

And... I was busy this afternoon. It only took about 3 hours, but I managed to put together a necklace and bracelet with some beautiful blue acqua terra (aka imperial and/or impression) jasper that I got a while back from Nelson Gemstones. I really should have gotten more strings of this particular colour. It is so very, very pretty and goes with so many things. The fill in the necklace is a lovely warm putty pearlescent colour of 6/0 Japanese seed beads that I got from Beads of Colour in Dundas.

The necklace has aqua terra jasper rounds, pewter and silver-plated beads with a silver-plated rose & wing pendant and finished with Japanese seed beads, about 22" in length; $49 plus shipping.

The bracelet is made with aqua terra jasper rounds and silver-plated and pewter beads; 7.5" long; $15 plus shipping.

As always, please email me for availability or to discuss a commission, and I do take PayPal.

Thanks for looking!

Green Vintage Button Necklace & Kingman Turquoise Bracelets & More Market Necklaces...

Well, my green vintage button necklace was a hit. My customer was extremely pleased. She certainly looks happy!

My two new -- finally! -- Kingman turquoise nugget bracelets. The beauty of the large clasps is they hold the bracelet in place, i.e. if there is a focal bead, it will remain on top of your wrist where it can be seen.

My favourite of the two -- the bird is free to move, a bonus for fidgety people who like to play with things.

And a pile of necklaces, the front bits designed by Nancy, tweaked and finished by me and ready for sale.

Thanks for looking!

2 Aqua Terra/Impression Jasper Necklaces...

This is the fun part of making jewellery for me, how the same stones can look so very, very different, depending on a slight colour variation, cut and/or the addition of just one other colour.


(L) Deep blue aqua terra/impression jasper with brass & silver-coloured zinc/pewter beads
& a pewter fish clasp, 22", $59
(R) Bermuda blue aqua terra/impression jasper & crab fire agate beads with silver-coloured zinc/pewter beads
& a pewter fish clasp, 21", $49

 

Thanks for looking!

Impression Jasper Necklace

A slow start today, but a start nonetheless... sunny today, too, after days of cold rain. The deck hidden below the ferns beckons... cappuccino and new library book are singing their siren song.

Does anyone get as confused by the names of stones as I do? I'm currently working on a necklace and it seems like the same bead, depending on who you buy from, has a different name -- aqua terra jasper, impression jasper, imperial jasper. Besides being a gorgeous blue colour conjuring visions of tiny islets lost in impossibly blue seas, they look the same to me.


Impression/aqua terra/imperial jasper slabs & beads, crab fire agate beads, Tibetan-style zinc beads,
awaiting a pewter clasp... photographed on top of one of my many bins of zinc/pewter/silver beads. Love these!



Making necklaces this morning with a view

Rounds from the large and varied selection available at Nelson Gemstones. Can't remember where I got the slabs from.

Thanks for looking!