Margot's Congratulatory Bracelet

     My sister, photographer Margot Roudebush (blog: whimsicalsbymargot.blogspot.com), recently challenged herself and worked extremely hard to get certification to teach yoga classes.  She had to memorize a bunch of routines and be tested in them over the last two weeks or so, and passed last weekend with flying colors.
     I wanted to give her something to congratulate her, and picked out materials for a necklace which is still in the works because one of the things that arrived didn't match (a downside to online shopping).  Shortly after I ordered the materials, I found these really neat hand-blown glass beads on another site and knew they would suit her just as much, so now she's getting two gifts instead of one.
     Oh, if you look at the top of the photo, you can see Merlin's paw descending to step right on the bracelet when I was trying to take the picture; it's why it's mostly shadowed, too.

Name:  N/A


Price:  $30 (reason: hand-blown glass, Swarovski crystals; given to Margot R.)


Length:  about 8 to 8.5 inches

Donna's necklace and earrings.

    My boyfriend's Mom loves jewelry, especially big, unique pieces.  She's awesome at coordinating her outfits to go with her jewelry (or the other way around, depending), so I've made her a couple of pieces.  One--a dark teal pearl necklace--I haven't taken pictures of, but yesterday I was remembered to take my camera when I visited and got pictures of the other one, in which I used aventurine, silver, and dark teal pearls.  I remember I took Dan with me to look for materials, since it was near Donna's birthday and I had offered to make her a necklace he could give her.  You may recognize the pendant; I used another just like it (a little lighter in color, though) for the aventurine cross-weave necklace I donated to the Bollock charity fundraiser silent auction.  I also made a very simple pair of aventurine dangly earrings to match.
     Donna was delighted with the gift and found two great shirts that set it off in two different ways...each makes the light or dark components pop and she says she gets no end to complements on it.

Name:  N/A


Price:  $25 to $30 (given to Donna V.)


Length:  about 22 inches; she added an extender as well

Fancy Glass bracelet

  So since the earrings went together pretty quick, I sat down and used more of the same glass to make a bracelet with seed beads and silver rounds.  I used two different shapes of the fancy glass, the ovals and some diamonds.  I bought both at the same time, so it's natural to wind up using them together.
   Since it's so cloudy it's hard to get good pictures, so I'll try again this weekend, weather permitting.

Name:  Fancy Glass bracelet


Price:  $15 (reason: fancy glass and silver used)


Length:  about 9 inches

Fancy glass earrings

     Figured since I was on a roll this week as far as projects, I might as well do one today, too, since the weather's dreary and too cold to spend much time outside.  I kept it simple--a pair of earrings using base metal components, seed beads, and pink fancy glass.  They look like flat rounds, but in actuality they're ridged down the center, which is why they don't lie flat in the photo.

Name:  Pink Fancy Glass earrings


Price:  $5


Length:  almost 1 inch (not including ear wire)

Merlin

     On top of my usual feline "assistant" Cassie, I have a new one.  His name is Merlin--so named because he's a stray tom who comes and goes as he pleases.  He appears to have adopted us, and, though Mom was in the habit of driving him off when he first showed up, she's taken to him now and he appears here to stay.  I think part of that's because I was sneaking around feeding him at first because he was quite thin and needy.  I never turn away strays; I feel bad they seem to have no one else to go to, so I give them what I can.
     Merlin is a big cat.  He appears to be a mix of Siamese and stray orange cat.  He has bright powder-blue eyes and the yowling, attention-needy personality of the Siamese, and the build and average behavior of a barn cat.  Cassie and our outdoor former-tom, brown-and-black tabby Levi, tolerate his presence, and he chases off the neighborhood bully black-and-white who otherwise would beat the stuffing out of our two kitties.
     Now I've discovered he loves to help me take pictures of my jewelry about as much as Cassie does.  And it's just about as hard to take pictures of him because he has to be as close to me as possible, rubbing and purring.
     But, anyway, here's our Merlin.

Carnelian and agate cross-weave choker

     Today I did a project for myself.  I've had a unique oval red-and-black-and-white banded agate pendant for about three years, but had been unable to come up with a suitable design for it.  It reminds me of a clownfish, which was part of the difficulty.  I'd bought carnelian rounds to go with it (I read somewhere that banded agate is usually carnelian and/or onyx, both members of the chalcedony family, as is agate).
     I decided today to try just doing a simple round necklace using the carnelian rounds in the cross-weave pattern, but figured it probably wouldn't lay right unless it had a pendant.  Then I remembered I had the banded agate pendant sitting in my bowl of collected polished stones and dug it out to use at last.  I love the way it turned out, although where the necklace comes together over the pendant doesn't quite lay flat.  I didn't have enough carnelian to make a longer necklace, and because of the pendant's size I didn't want it too low anyway.  As things are, the V where the cross-weave comes together sits at the hollow of my throat.  I used size 15 black-lined red seed beads between the rounds, and a single blackstone round as embellishment below the pendant.

Name:  Clownfish choker


Price:  $40 (reason: tons of carnelian, time, and effort; personal collection)


Length:  15 inches; pendant is 1.5 x 1 inch oval

More 6-loop Memory Wire bracelets

     My goal today was to make five new 6-loop memory wire bracelets.  I also wanted to show a variety of patterns and colors.  These are what I wound up with.  It's amazing the different sizes that occur, depending on what type of beads you use!  Another note:  it's very hard to take pictures when you have a big, needy tom cat insisting on attention!

Name:  6-loop memory wire bracelets


Price:  $8 each


Length:  6 loops; size varies depending on beads used

Cherry Quartz Bracelet

     I somehow wound up with a bunch of cherry quartz over the last couple of years, even though I'm not much of a pink person.  I remember buying the flat ovals and the cubes because I liked the patterns in them, but I know the tiny 2mm rounds came later and I don't remember why.  Given I had the different shapes, I decided to make a bracelet using just cherry quartz.  This was the result.
     Cherry quartz is a different sort of pink.  The striations are usually bright, though with enough of the clear they look pastel or milky.  I'd almost qualify it between coral and salmon pink.

Name:  Cheery Cherry bracelet

Price: $10

Length:  8.75 inches

Kambaba Jasper bracelet

     Going into Von's with the idea for this bracelet didn't prepare me for how surprisingly expensive Kambaba jasper is!  Well, let me clarify: how expensive uniquely-shaped Kambaba beads are.  Rounds, coins, ovals, and "pillows" (puffed squares or rectangles) are about average for stone beads, but the beautiful rectangles I found were a bit more pricey.  I'd never seen this particular shape before, and that, coupled with the fact that I use a lot of rounds, made me decide to buy them anyway and see what happened.  I limited myself to five (they were nearly $2 apiece!), and matched them to simple blackstone rounds, dark green-teal freshwater potato-shaped pearls, and tiny silver rounds I already owned.  Given the Kambaba jasper beads are quite heavy, I strung them on wire for support instead of my usual heavy-duty, durable, flexible fishing line and used a heavier clasp.  I love how the look turned out!
     Black was an obvious choice to match with the Kambaba...this particular jasper is mottled gray-greens and black.  As with most agates, no two are exactly alike.  I picked the most striking patterned beads from the display and couldn't wait to make this bracelet.
     New pictures!

Name:  Kambaba bracelet


Price:  $20 (reason: Kambaba jasper unique beads, freshwater pearls)


Length:  9 inches

Botswana Agate and Pearl Bracelet

     One of my favorite stones is Botswana agate.  I love the bands of color, and the unique gray, brown, and pink shades this particular agate displays.  Up until now, I've not attempted to make a piece using it, but I love it so much and this weekend had the opportunity to see a similar piece up close at the benefit fundraiser I just had to jump in and try it myself.  I need to give credit where it's due: the silent auction piece was done by Lisa Walsh of Abednego Creations using puff coin Botswana agate, mauve Swarovski crystal pearls, and antique silver or brass spacer beads and findings, strung on wire, with a market value of $25.
     I went to Von's in West Lafayette to see if I could find some small Botswana agate beads to use in my own bracelet--hoped to find tube-shaped, actually--but the only small beads they had other than standard rounds (which I didn't want given I seem to always use rounds in projects) were puffed coins like the ones in the auction bracelet.  I think my coins are smaller, though.  I used little silver rounds to separate the beads and some freshwater semi-round pearls (color is called "wild orchid" on the site I bought them).  I feel bad my bracelet seems rather close to the auction piece, but given I used pearls I already had, and round silver beads I already had...it was as different as I could do given the circumstances.  I wish I could have bought the bracelet at the auction, and mine has enough of my taste to it to be different from that piece.
     This is one of at least six projects I hope to get done in the next couple of weeks.  Stay tuned!

Name:  Botswana Pearl Bracelet


Price:  $15 (reason: freshwater pearls, silver, Botswana agate)


Length:  8 inches

Dan Bollock charity fundraiser

     Dan Bollock is a gentleman who does spectacular artistic woodworking for a local art shop called Artists' Own in downtown Lafayette.  He is self-employed, and he and his family attend the same church I do.  Dan recently replaced one of his woodworking machines, and the new one didn't have a protective guard in a certain place like his old one.  He reached up to unclog it, and got his hand caught.  The result, as I understand, was that every bone in his hand and wrist, and both bones in his forearm were broken.
     He underwent surgery to install a mess of pins, and has been dealing with a large amount of pain and huge amount of swelling.  The doctors said they won't even know for six months how much movement he'll regain.  He's been doing physical therapy and has limited mobility in it, but now he also has an infection.
     I found out through my boyfriend's Mom that a charity sale featuring donations from local artists will be taking place next weekend (March 2nd).  My Mom--quilting blog fiberobsessive.blogspot.com--donated one of her quilts, and I am donating three necklaces.
     Dan Bollock has a wife and two young children to support.  This fundraiser will hopefully provide them a little breathing room.  I pray that everything donated will sell as close to its market value as possible to help the family.  I also pray for a speedy, full recovery, as woodworking is his livelihood; some good news is some of his woodworking friends have pitched in and are finishing his standing orders since he cannot.  Keep him and his young family in your thoughts and prayers.

New Contact and About Me Pages!

As you may have noticed, I discovered how to make more pages for my blog.  Along the top of the page is a bar with my blog, about me, and contact info links.  This should make things a lot simpler!

Woven Flower Bracelet.

I learned a new design over the weekend...or, rather, roughly three that combine into one project.  My Mom got me two new beading books for Christmas, and this is the second piece I've tried out of one of them; the other is a beaded chain lariat necklace I still need supplies to finish.  I wanted a little more of a challenge, so I went ahead and got the elements to do this bracelet rather than finish the lariat for the time being.  Everything went smoothly, up until the last decorative tendril.  Then I broke two needles and a bead and had to refasten a leaf and the two tendrils on that side to another bead in the pattern since the bead that broke was the one all of them were connected to (figures!).  I put a lot of work into this!

Name: Winter Rose Bracelet

Price: $20 (time and materials involved; personal collection)


Length: about 5 3/4 "

Flower Ring

I made this ring for my sister for Christmas this year.  I didn't have a lot of money as I've been on seasonal lay-off from the greenhouse where I work, but I wanted to make her at least something jewelry since that's all she ever really wants from me.  She also loves bright colors and funky rings, so this was a no-brainer.  I used bright orange 6mm flowers, 4mm Swarovski rounds in blue zircon, and 6mm Swarovski rounds in capri blue.  As with the last ring I made her, I wire-wrapped the beads onto a three-loop ring, this one a size 6 since I couldn't find a size 5.  When the ring was done, I taped it as the "bow" on a little owl notepad I'd found (she likes goofy owls, too).  Both were a big hit.  Photograph copyright (c) Margot Roudebush and Whimsicals by Margot (www.whimsicalsbymargot.blogspot.com).

Name: Bright Flower Ring


Price: $10 to $15 (was a custom project for my sister)


Length: size 6 ring

Green Ice Bracelet.

So I tried a new technique today: wrapped cord.  I had some pretty icy green-teal potato pearls and have been wanting to do something neat with them for a while, and have wanted to try this technique but hadn't had the time.  I was fortunate I had all the materials for it; lately I've wanted to try new things and am missing just enough I can't finish.
One of the things the project required was a button.  My Mom has tons of buttons, but out of probably millions there was only one that matched.  And it's perfect!
I named the bracelet Green Ice because of the freezing, blowy weather that kept me trapped inside today.

Name:  Green Ice


Price: $15 (reason: time and effort involved, plus pearls; personal collection)


Length:  about 9" including button

Twisted tubular herringbone bangle bracelet.

Five episodes of Planet Earth plus the "making of" diaries after each later...
I got the twisted tubular herringbone bangle done!  I couldn't finish it the way the book said because I couldn't seem to get the bottom two rows (the starter rows) unwoven from the piece, so I had to make do with a slightly uneven connection.  Good news is, if you don't know exactly where it is, you can't see it.  The piece as a whole took me longer than I thought...I watched the entire Planet Earth season and all the diaries; each episode is an hour or so long, plus a fifteen minute or so diary.  There are 11 episodes.  Now that I've got the hang of it, however, it shouldn't take that long again.
Frustration: I was sewing the ends together and was nearly done when I dropped the piece and it yanked the needle.  I instinctively locked my fingers, which bent the needle too far and broke it.  That was my last needle.  Now I absolutely have to order a new card of them, unless there's one in the bag of leftover floss and pattern for the cross stitch sampler I made Mom for Christmas...

Name:  Twisted herringbone bracelet


Price:  $15 to $20 (it would depend on number of colors used, size, bead type)


Length:  about 8" circumference

A current project.

I've learned a new technique over the last couple of days out of the book my boyfriend Dan bought me: the tubular twisted herringbone stitch.  The book was a little vague at step 4, which is where the tube starts working upwards, so I had to experiment a few times.  I finally got it to work, and intended to finish it for a dinner Dan and I had last night (this is going to be a bangle bracelet that ties into itself so no clasp), but then I broke my last needle.  I had been running low on needles before the show in November and had bought more from my usual source, but broke all but one in a matter of hours.  This needle was the last one of those--hadn't been used before yesterday.  It snapped within two hours.  I've never gotten a bad batch before.  Fortunately, I found the last of the previous card of needles this morning, so hopefully by the end of the day I'll have the bangle done.

Very simple cherry quartz illusion necklace.

As I said in the last post, I have very little by the way of pink in my supplies.  This is a very simple two-strand illusion necklace using tiny cherry quartz rounds on fishing line.  I had a hard time spacing the pieces evenly, but it turned out okay.  The pictures did too, despite the cloudy weather!

Name:  Simplicity illusion necklace


Price:  $10 (reason: time and effort involved) this necklace has been returned to my bead box


Length:  22"

Soft pink sparkle illusion necklace.

Project of the day: the first of several new illusion necklace ideas I've been toying with.  I had intended to get three different styles done today, but given I was doing a variety of other things as well that didn't happen...so we'll have to settle for one.  A friend of mine has been asking me to make a pink illusion necklace for a few months, but time and inspiration have been against me until recently.  Her only stipulation at the time was "no purple," and yesterday she mentioned she was looking for something "light pink."  Given I'm not a pink person per se, I rummaged through my bead boxes to see what "light pink" I might actually have.  Answer: not a lot.  Fortunately, there was just enough to make this necklace.  Yes, the pictures stink.  I was losing light given it took me longer than I thought to make it and my camera doesn't like focusing in good light, let alone fading.  I like the way it turned out!  Normally there's something I don't like about my illusion necklaces (they're hard to make even!).
I used pink Swarovski bicones and butterflies, rose fire polished glass, pink pearls, cherry quartz, pink faceted rondelles, and white pearl seed beads, fishing line for strength and durability, and a toggle clasp.  I used three strands (usual for me).  Usually, I space my beads more, but this design needed more since many of my beads were small--between 3mm and 6mm.
Note 1/11/12: NEW PHOTOS!

Name:  Soft Sparkle

Price:  $20 (Swarovski crystals, time and detail involved; was a custom project for Dawn H.)

Length:  20.5"

I apologize for the few updates I've done lately.  The verdict on my beloved Alienware computer was a death sentence: the mother board blew, so it'd be cheaper to save and buy a new computer altogether than replace it.  As such, I am very limited on access to a computer with internet access.
Hopefully I can get some more pieces done, photographed, and posted before long; I got two new beading books from my Mom for Christmas to try.
Some projects already on my list besides the new techniques are a couple of pink illusion necklaces and a dark teal one to play with styles and colors.  Hopefully I can get those done in the next week or so if my approaching cold doesn't drain my creativity; last time I got a head cold my creativity shot through the roof.
I will be using materials I already have as my funds are all going toward my car payments.
Again, if you see something you're interested in, e-mail me at okkirby@hotmail.com, and put the name of the piece(s) in the subject heading.
And, for an "awww" moment, here's my "assistant" Cassie, doing what she seems to do best.

Water droplet necklace and earrings.

As Christmas approached, my boyfriend's mother came to me with a series of custom orders for people she knows.  Most were simple to fill--6-loop memory wire bracelets in a variety of colors, befitting the personalities of the women to whom they were to be given, the already-done aqua Dutch Spiral bracelet Dan had made, and the already-done set of aquamarine Swarovski earrings and necklace.  She decided she wanted to give a bigger gift to Dan's grandma, so asked me to make another Swarovski necklace and earrings set, but instead of the more expensive sterling asked me to find something suitable in base metal.  So, with Dan peering over my shoulder to offer his suggestions as far as chain style and pendant size and shape (the color had to be aquamarine, to match the Dutch Spiral bracelet), I roved my favorite online stores and we decided on the water-drop shaped Swarovski briolette.  Though the earrings look like they're done in gold, they aren't--they're silver-plated base metal.

Name: Water droplets


Price: necklace for $15, earrings for $5 (if use base metal); $25 and $10 (if sterling); (was a custom project for Donna V.)


Length: Necklace is 18"; earrings at most 1"

Swarovski heart earrings.

This Christmas saw some unexpected and hard family circumstances.  To help offer a little cheer to my Aunt, I gave her these earrings that match the custom necklace I did for her.  Again, the "light vitrail" hearts, and sterling silver.

Name: Sparkling Innocence earrings


Price: $10 (as sterling silver and Swarovski; was a custom project for my aunt)


Length: about an inch at most

Swarovski heart custom necklace.

At the show I did back in November with my sister, my Aunt really liked the small Swarovski pendants I had on sterling silver necklaces, but didn't really want ice-blue or black.  She also likes hearts, and teased me that I hadn't made my Innocence of the Heart necklace available for her to buy.  That necklace is a very short choker for me, and the pendant is huge, but my Aunt really liked the colors--pale pink, crystal, and blue--in it as well as the idea of having a heart pendant.  She also liked the sparkle of the Swarovski crystals, so I told her I thought I could get her the same colors if I could find a heart in the "light vitrail" color.  I got lucky: they had it in multiple sizes, so I ordered one that was roughly the same size as the rectangle ones at the show.  The problems began then: the jump rings weren't the right sizes, and when I ordered bigger ones they didn't fit since the hole drilled through the pendant was flat instead of curved.  After searching (and not finding) a wirework technique suited to the direction of the hole, or a technique I could adapt that I felt I could do decently since I'm still learning wirework, I ordered a smaller pendant to fit the jump rings I had to simplify things.  That worked out remarkably well: my Aunt likes smaller pendants, anyway.  It is very difficult to get a decent photo of a Swarovski!  My camera doesn't like to focus on them, so my shots with decent lighting were all fuzzy.  This darker one doesn't show the blue--it looks orange, and the pastel pink looks like raspberry.  Go figure.

Name:  Sparkling Innocence


Price:  $25 (was custom project for my aunt)


Length: 18"

Seed bead earrings

This pair of earrings was a custom order for someone to give as a Christmas gift, made to go with a memory wire bracelet and a twisted multi-strand necklace in the same colors.  I'm still learning seed bead earring techniques, so didn't want to do my usual fairly-tacky loops, and managed to find a pair of metal jump rings I'd had lying around waiting to be used and simply strung the seed beads on them and through the ear wires.  Turned out pretty well.

Name:  N/A

Price: $8 (were a custom project for Donna V.)

Length: dime to penny size in circumference...didn't measure before I delivered them.

Dan's Mom's Christmas present

Since it's now safe again to post (some I didn't want to risk due to them being gifts for people), and I currently have access to a computer...
First up: Dan made this necklace for his Mom for Christmas and chose all of the beads himself when we hit JoAnn's late Black Friday evening.  He did everything himself.  She absolutely loved it.