Another ambitious bracelet project....

"Cambria" multi-strand bracelet.



Flower rings

I just finished these cute little rings. Really just for fun. Not entirely sure how they will hold up. I would imagine the petals would be pretty fragile for everyday ring wear. I opted not to mount these flat, glue-on cabochon type flowers onto sterling silver ring blanks because I wanted to try one myself and see just how wearable they are before going for the higher priced ring mounting. They sure are cute though... even if a little flashy. These are not to be mistaken for the changeable ring tops you are seeing on Etsy lately with the lampwork glass tops that have a screw threading within the glass. These DO NOT screw on and they are permanently glued to the ring base. I may offer these first few inexpensively, ($24.88 if interested), just to see how it goes. By the way, the ring mounting I'm using here is adjustable from size 6 to about size 8-1/2. They are silver colored metal and as I said NOT sterling or fine silver. 



Something a little different...

"Natural High" bracelet.

 



"Natural High" earrings.

 

 I've always admired handmade jewelry. I'm not talking about stringing beads, that IS  handmade jewelry also, and that's the kind of jewelry I usually make, and then add my own handmade lampwork beads, but I'm talking about jewelry made from scratch. Such as hand forged or hand fabricated metal jewelry. Metalsmithing and or wire work.
I took a silversmithing class a few years ago and I really liked it but decided at the time not to get too involved because of the extra expense of tools and equipment that I would need to purchase. I already have so much money tied up in lampworking tools and equipment that I just couldn't justify spending hundreds or even thousands more for metal fabricating. But, I have aquired a few things over the years and I feel like getting just a little more involved in this type of jewelry.
I recently made a set of beads in a neutral color palette, I know, unusual for me, but I really liked how they turned out and thought that they were just screaming to be added to a piece of jewelry with oxidized, hand-forged metal. So... I spent the day, the whole day, working on this fabulous bracelet. It was a very labor intensive project but a labor of love. I totally enjoyed the process and my brain is full of plans for more pieces using this process.



Pendants

Yet another "Too Sweet" pendant.

"Blackbird" pendant just in time for Halloween.



Busy as a BEE!!!

 "Happy Hour" bracelet.

 



 "Twist and Shout" bracelet.

 

 

I just learned that Seagrass Gallery, the art gallery near my home that closed a few months ago will reopen in another facility just down the road. The gallery will reopen at the end of October at Terry's Corner. The owner of Seagrass, Doris Platis, has told me the gallery will be open intermittently for 2 months at a time/ 4 times a year. The reopening will be at the end of October through Christmas 2012 and close until February 2013 when it will reopen for a couple months. Interesting concept. And actually, the "new" location is really Doris's "original" location when she first opened her gallery several years ago and it was then called "Gallery In The Loft". I'm really excited to again have local representation for my work and I am busy working on a brand new inventory for Seagrass gallery's reopening. Yikes, not much time!



Never black and white....

Rings and hollow necklace.

Another "Too Sweet To Eat" pendant.

And yet another "Too Sweet" pendant.

 

 

 

Even when I make black and white beads it seems I have to have color in the photo.....

 

 



It's My Party!!!

 

 "It's My Party" bracelet

 

It's been a busy week! I finally replenished my jewelry inventory at Schack Art Center, (formerly the Arts Council of Snohomish County). Lots of new jewelry to see if you happen to be in the area.... Everett, Washington to be exact. What a fabulous facility! If you've never been you owe it to yourself to stop by. Here is their website for all the particulars and you should check IT out, (the website I mean), if you aren't in the area and able to stop by in person....

I will also be heading up to La Connor, Wa. next week to search out gallery representation there. Just north of where I live, La Connor is a quaint, artsy little town situated on a delta at the mouth of the Skagit river and it's full of restaurants, boutiques and galleries. A super fun place to spend a day or a weekend.

I also just joined Crafthaus.ning.comhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/ "PARTICIPATORY SPORT FOR CRAFT ARTISTS". (Sort of a Facebook for artists.) Looking forward to checking out the other artists there when I have time.