A Glimpse.........

I broke down and bought the ribbon ends and extender for the ribbon choker. I've decided to list it with the option of the clasp at no extra charge. I really want to stay true to my design but something about it just didn't feel finished. So now it's become a semi custom piece and that works so much better for me.

On the desk this week..... I completed a custom order for a Rose Quartz and sterling butterfly, another order for a WickWire style skeleton key, and am in the process of searching out components for another custom order.

A tiny yet wordy glimpse into how my brain works.... Surfing through various vendors searching for a 3-4 inch sterling feather suitable for embellishing with 4mm czech glass beads not really finding what I want but finding  a smaller feather here and there. Not writing any product numbers down or where they were because they weren't quite right. Decide to write a note to my customer to let her know where I'm at and double check her request............ NOT 3-4 inches,  but 2-3 inches! head/desk Ummm where was that feather at? It was 2.75 inches, and perfect for wrapping, where was it....where, not here..... where??? GONE  ugh!

ok she's not in a hurry, it's not the only feather in the world.  Start the search again and take notes of where I'm finding what.

Not much selection......one more search, jackpot! Love these feathers, except they're all stampings.......hmmm the designs are awesome though. I could drill holes where I need them for embellishing......I could put those beads wherever I wanted them......cool.

Hubs comes home for lunch and I tell him how the one I really thought was perfect just disappeared *poof* and tell him how I thought I could drill the stampings.

He asks, "Did you buy them?"

"uh, no"

"But you said the one you wanted sold out just that fast."

"They're trending right now. I don't think I've ever seen one sell out like that before"

"And you didn't buy these?"

I just bought $30 worth of feather stampings and some bead caps.  Part of my brain says really?? The other part says heck yeah! See that sheet over there these little bead caps will be perfect practice and then you'll have some sweeet solid caps! Look at the lines on those feathers, are they not the perfect design for practicing a little repousse??

LOL Good thing I like them and am finding inspiration in them cause there were three or four others not from this vendor that I have for her to choose from and she could still pick one of them!

Currently On the Desk has had it's first completion :) Yup I picked up needle and thread and rolled a hem for the ends. It's been a busy and emotional few days around here with my oldest daughter moving to New Mexico and I needed an easy and quick project to do and this was it! The ribbon measures in at 21 inches and ties at the neck for an on the neck choker for an adult or a sweet necklace for a younger girl. This is newly finished and not yet listed- you're getting the sneak peak at it! Now that I've finally got it hemmed up I wonder if I shouldn't use a fold over end with an extender chain, hmmm, Always something isn't it?

One down.....maybe.....I think ....and a bunch to go........

til next time!

I'm All Caught Up!

ArtFire actually closed all their basic studios and I've been in a flurry, taking new pictures, revamping descriptions, and getting it all moved on over to my Etsy shop. All while trying to get all those new pieces I had finished and just waiting to be listed put in the shop too.  I decided on a one a day approach,  giving me time to take plenty of pictures, edit and get descriptions and pricing done. That worked really well, so well in fact that everything is listed - I have nothing waiting for prices, photos, or descriptions. It is really a nice feeling knowing all I have on the jewelry plate is creating and a very neglected blog. oooooooh The blog!

Quick! What to write about? I could pick one of the new listings and tell you a story about it or better yet.......... I have (as always) several pieces in progress. Why not let you take a peek in my studio as I plan, sketch, work out the details and create.  That has pretty much been my intention for this blog all along so it feels pretty good being able to finally share that with you. And it might just ensure a more active posting

I actually have an in progress photo of the beadweaving piece I'm working on now. It was for this last weeks color challenge, LOVED the color palette, have been saving this heart for just such a piece,  was so excited, and bam LIFE at the door! It reminded me of the peacock I made for week 2 of the challenge and the updates I had here about it and I thought how cool would it have been to have pics to go with the story.

sooooo.....Here's the plan, over the course of the next couple of weeks, I'll post pictures of the beads, sketches, and/or progress shots of the list *Currently on the Desk* I'll  update the list when I finish one or add another and provide the corresponding photo. I'll post what I think of it, does it need tweaking, a this one or that one decision made, and whether or not it's causing me any grief. I still belong to the Color Combo Group on FaceBook so there's almost always something in progress on my desk and I have a stack of sketches and a whole folder full of inspirational pieces from other artists, if by chance I should ever get all my in progress pieces finished - it's happened once or twice!

Currently on the Desk:
*Forged hoops - oops! I misdrilled the hole on one earring for the latch so I need to recut the ends, forge, file, and drill again.
*Ribbon choker and simple pendant awaiting a rolled hem to finish. Probably won't take five minutes if I just pick up the needle lol
*A beadwoven  necklace with a gorgeous lampworked focal first couple of inches have been started and it is going to be a pretty one!  Day to day life has slowed me down on this one, these tiny beads need a clear head and I have had a head ache for several days now,  hoping the cause goes away and soon!
*A bead embroidered set - gorgeous gorgeous colors in these stones! Beads are laid out and waiting for that first stitch! Seems like I've been planning this one for ages, but it's more about me trying to live up to the beauty of these stones and do them justice. I want all the details to be just right - I'm starting to think I may just have to dive in........
*A ring and pendant eyeball set for my son. Still in the sketch and detail stages. He's been after me to make these for ages and we finally found the eyes he liked.
*A Labrodorite heart waiting for weaving and scrollwork........ the design has been sketched out, the first wires have been cut and kissed with flame and then....... we found the eyes lol
*Woven ring - it was an I need to fiddle with something so let's weave on a scrap piece of wire when I realized it was the right length for a ring, but I want the ends flame kissed so I stopped weaving to torch it and I keep forgetting to grab it when I light the torch up lol