Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

 

1)  My new, favorite necklace arrived from Caroline Cornic Isola.  Caroline is an amazing polymer clay artist!  I love her City Scape beads!

Here's the link to her Etsy Store::

Klick-Art.  I love her work!   She's also on Facebook.  Here's the link to her page.  She posts her work there.  I love this artist!

Facebook

2) I need to make more Christmas Pickles!

3) Sad news.  My cousin, who was 8 years younger than me, went to sleep last night and did not wake up this morning.  Her husband tried to revive her, but he was not able to do so.  She will be missed. 

Remember the Polymer Clay Discs I Made Out of Scrap Clay?

Here's something I made with them.

Click 

HERE

to see the post. 

I haven't made anything else, yet, from the rest of the discs, but I do like the way this turned out!

It's fun to wear, too!

The Clay that Wanted to be what I didn't want it to be, but it became what it wanted to be

I needed to use up some clay.

I had accepted a challenge to create a textured object such as a bowl.

So I gathered up the clay.

I put them in a ball and mushed and twisted and turned and flattened.

I was determined to make a bowl.

Well, my first attempts just didn't work.

I decided I'd make a coiled bowl.

That's when the clay took over.

I had no choice.

This is what happened.

Sticks of clay that became earrings.

Braids became a bracelet.

Flattened clay became feathers for a pendant in my necklace.

I had no choice.

The clay rules!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! The Necklace is Finished and We Have our Winners!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!
Wear some green to feel good!

 Part 2!

The necklace is finished!!

Now, realizing that this is a heavy necklace and that I want to make a coordinating

bracelet and earrings,

I need suggestions!

Here's the necklace, and it looks great on!

I wore it all afternoon today!

So, what do you think?

It looks better on than in the photo.

Now, I need to make some earrings and a bracelet.

I'm drawing a blank on these.

Any suggestions?

NOW,

drum roll, please,

we have our Winners!

Cabs #1: Trina!  I'll be in Touch!

Cabs # 2:  Shirley  I'll be in touch!

Necklace:  Tammy!  I'll be in touch.

Congratulations!
I'll get these out in the mail to you next week!
Thank you for participating!
PS:  I tried to post the random number generator, but I couldn't figure out how to do it,
Again.
Sorry!

This, That, and The Other

Look what Nicki, from Nicki's Reef did with my headpins! What a great idea! She's got a blog, too. Be sure to visit her blog, too.
















I'm participating in a jewelry swap. Check out Lori Anderson's blog to learn more about this. This is the jewelry I received from Stacy M. Curry. I can hardly wait to get started on this exchange! The reveal will be November 17th. Stay tuned. This is going to be fun!














I've been gone a week, and look what came in the mail! I won this gorgeous necklace from Julsbeads giveaway to pay it forward! Thank you, Juls! Now, I have to find something to pay it forward, and once I get organized again, I will pay it forward!














This was also in the mail! Nikki of NLC Beads had a sale in her Etsy store. I bought this alien. Isn't it great? I love him!

















All right, I'm tired. See you later! More to follow later.

Once in a While, I do make jewelry!

Just thought I'd show you a few pieces I've made. I do make jewelry once in a while!

















I actually made this bracelet a little while ago. I love it! It's a very dressy piece!





















This necklace is a mixture of so many different beads. It's part of my random nature!





















I made this necklace using lampwork beads that I made from Chalcedony glass. The headpin is one I made, too. Fun!

That's all for now!

Sometimes, it's just meant to be.

I've had this necklace in my Etsy store for about a year and a half. This necklace started out as a set of mismatched hollows which no one bought. I decided that maybe they would look better in a necklace. I made up a necklace, but it was different from this one. It was a crocheted necklace. Again, the necklace sat in my Etsy store. Again, I thought, maybe if I redesign the necklace, it might sell. Guess what. It didn't. I was cleaning out my store the other day, and I thought that I should try on the necklace. No one had bought it, so I wanted to see if the design was poor. I tried it on, and, guess what. Some things are meant to be. The necklace is mine. I'm glad it didn't sell!

I need your Help, Please!

I need your help. When it comes to making jewelry, I really am not very creative. I made some beads today. I would like to put these together in a necklace to wear this weekend. I have 10 different combinations of beads. I plan to use spacers and other beads to make this necklace, but I want these gorgeous chalcedony beads to jump out. I had a hard time striking this glass today. However, the reds that came out of this glass, give the beads a rich, organic look.

So, let me know what you think. Which combination of beads do you like the best? Do you have any suggestions to make this necklace beautiful? I'd really appreciate the help. Thanks.
I want to work on this tomorrow. That's why I'm post it today.

Here goes:
#1





















That's #2 ----------------------------------------->

















This is #3-------------------------------------------------->
























#4 --------------------------------------------------------->





















#5 ------------------------------------------------------------------>





















#6 ------------------------------------------------------------->


















#7 -------------------------------------------------------------------->























#8 --------------------------------------------------->
















#9 -------------------------------------------------------->






















#10 ------------------------------------------------->




So, what do you think? Do you see any combinations that might work well?

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Making a Necklace

How do you make a necklace. Here's what I did. first I made the chain. It's a viking knit chain necklace. That was step one.














Step two: Lay out the beads the way you think they would look good on this necklace. I made all the beads, and I've very happy I made them.

















Sometimes, things happen and change, but the result is still wonderful!

















This is one I'm keeping! I love my new necklace!

The Fish That Didn't Get Away

This photo doesn't do this fish justice! It's really one of my favorite fish ever! It's a base of white encased in transparent green accented with teal, sky blue, and medium transparent purple.

I was getting ready to list this fish. I had wire wrapped it, added pearls, and a bit of sparkly glass crystal. A steel choker turned the pendant into a necklace.










Then I saw it! The reason why this fish is the one that didn't get away.
















See the crack that runs from his lips to his tail?

I know, he just didn't want to leave home! When you're pooping pearls, you have to be happy!

What I've Been Doing With the Economy Being So Bad

There's a lot of advice out there about what to do when sales are poor. With the economy being so bad, my sales are poor. Here's what I've been doing. I have been promoting and promoting my work. In the meantime, I've been learning new skills. (All of this has been good advice.) I love copper! I've been working with copper wire to learn new wire working techniques.

I started out by coiling wire in reverse coils to make this bracelet.







How about this ring? (Luckily, I don't turn green from wearing copper!) It's coiled, too!

















This lead up to a pattern I love!
Egyptian Coils!
Did you know that this pattern is over 4,000 years old. Jewlery made using this design has been found with mummies in ancient Egypt.


















Since I needed new jewelry for the Bead and Button Show, I decided to make a necklace to match the bracelet!

















I'm one happy camper!