Valentines Day

Well, I've been a little busy with work, doing a couple custom orders. They are actually for kids, the Mom has one of my bracelets and wanted some for her little girls. Doing a Byzantine with hot pink. Debating on the clasps. I want cute because they are little girls but they have to be durable enough to withstand play. So i'm thinking a lobster...

I also did this one for Valentines Day, real easy Euro 4-1 with smaller rings on the outer edges and an oversized clasp.

You can see more pics of this one here
Bridget Nolte of wyndsweptacres received her bracelet and ring in the mail, finally. I was pretty happy that she liked them.

The ring was actually one of the first ones I made. Copper and blue glass pearls. I wanted it to look like robins eggs in a nest.
The bracelet is made from square coppr jump rings, which were quite difficult to make. Staggered Byzantine between.
So thats what i've been up to. I'll try not to wait so long to post next time.

Blog Designs

I guess the trick is, when you find a layout you like, stick with it. I've sat here for the last hour playin with all kinds of different bckgrounds and layouts, and I ended up going back to the one I started with. I looked at the dark for the last couple of weeks and kept sayin I had to go in and fix it. I didn't like that at all.
So, im not changing it again.

Posting a link to FB Fan page so you can see pics of the finished bracelet. I posted the WIP the other day.
Byzantine Variation Finished project. This is for a friend. She lives in Minnesota, cowgirl, dollmaker. I was goin for a country look, it has a bit of vintage, but thats ok, I think it will go well with her cowgirl boots!!

I have tomorrow off and hoping the sun will shine so I can get on the picture taking project. I have to do pics outside because I just don't have enough of a light source inside. Sunshine is better anyway, so thats my project for tomorrow.

Chain Maille

I finished up the Dragonscale today. This weave gave me so many problems. I went through so many tutorials that I was about to give up. Then, one wonderful day, Sam and I were in Hobby Lobby, and I picked up a copy of Step by Step wire jewelry. Charlene Anderson wrote the best tutorial for this weave and guess what, I got it, finally. I don't know if I just needed a break from thinking about it but I like to think it was this article that helped me out. If you click on her name it will take you to the magazines website. It is the Dec-Jan issue. So here's the finished product. I used enamel coated copper, which were a total pain to cut and pre ordered GP 4mm.

Then, I got my step daughters watch band done, I just have to wait for the face to come in. So all-in-all it was a pretty good first day of the year.

New Year Comin!!!

What a year it's been. Some rough, some good but we made it through. I have high hopes for the coming year. This one has been such a roller coaster. I finished my tax season in April and though I would really concentrate on building my business. I think it's more of a hobby at this point, but again, high hopes!! I think I have too many ideas and not enough time. I have to pick one and stick with it, but when I try to do that I get sidetracked. I will be working on only jewelry and someone will want glass or windchimes. Then I get carried away with that. I want to do it all...

Well, we got the call in late June that my Mom was not well and I really needed to go home. So off I went. We lost her July 10th at 9pm. I was so sad for so long, I kinda still am. I used to call her for recipes that I knew she had in her head that I could never remember. I didn't have to cuz she was always there.

It took me a while to get back on track. Job hunting, jewelry making, bamboo harvesting....
Searching the web one day I came across the Hive. What a wonderful place, I have 'met' wonderful people with so much talent and humor and warmth. You have to love the artist. We have fun and get educated and just keep in touch every day.

So we come to the end of the year, with all it's trials and tribulations. I am working on my list. I have to have a list. I have to make myself sit down and decide what direction I want my 'business' to go. I have a great prospect on a job. Two interviews and I should get the call tomorrow.

So I am wishing everyone a happy and safe and prosperous new year.

New Find-Jump Ring Supplier

I can't believe I haven't run across this one before. Located in Astoria, OR. I hope he's done ok with the storms up there.
The Bead Man has pretty good prices on jump rings, some useful tutorials and a gallery of his work that is really impressive.
You have to create an account to view all of the content but it takes like 30 seconds and well worth the time.

Christmas Spirit

I'm trying very hard to get into the Christmas Spirit. I don't know why i'm having such a hard time with it this year. We put up the same tree with the same ornaments every year. We can't have a real tree anymore because of allergies. The pine stuffs us up so bad. The same old Christmas village.

I'm a little discouraged with my AF shop too. People look but don't buy. I understand the economy SUCKS. So i'm going to do something different there too after the holiday. Until then everything is marked down thirty percent, Actually, I think the scarves are going to http://homelessbridge.blogspot.com/ it's damn cold out.

Well, what i'm going to do is probably going to take till next year but i'm going to start working on it now. I am going to do an all Chain Maille Christmas tree. I will be doing Christmas ornaments all year long, some to sell and some for me.

So thats my plan....

Updates

I've added a couple things here, the first being a Join the Hive link. This is a great website where you can get together with other crafters. Discuss your craft, share tutorials, or just what your working on at the moment. Or, discuss the sexiest men alive...lol. You will have to go there yourself and look up the blog post for that one, it was a lot of fun.
The link is on your left.

Next, i've added four links for ring suppliers. The first is one in Canada, I thought that one most useful for our Canadian friends, with shipping and all. The other three are her in the US. But they all supply quality rings if you don't make your own.

Last, I have added a link for CGMAILLE. Ron Olin is the owner of this site. He does excellent tutorials for chain maille. I can say that I have learned all of the weaves I know from his site. Thank you, Ron.