Still Busy

 
Been so busy still. Finished another custom order this weekend to match the Eclipse Earrings.

Cleaned my work space and made some earrings with old components.

  There are more earrings too but I did not get the photo work  done yet.

My cleaned work space one week later looks like it did before I cleaned it:(

I have abandoned my original Bead Dreams idea, since it was a project that would take 7 full weeks and I just can't handle that right now. I started another smaller project, than sort of abandoned that.

Do you guys watch Top Chef? Last week Carla did not do well because she said she cooked from her 'pride' rather than from her 'heart'. I relate to that as I struggle with making something for the Bead Dreams contest. I'm thinking maybe I should drop all my ideas and just ask myself the simple question of what does my heart really want to make, and then just submit that, no matter if it is awesome or not.

Anyways, I'm kind messy right now:)

PS. Also I'm sorry I haven't been responding to comments. You guys have left me some very dear comments and I treasure them more than you know!

Too Many Projects

  I've gotten myself into too many projects and it feels like nothing is getting done. This month has been the busiest sales month I have ever had with Etsy sales and custom order requests. I did not expect, and thereby leave room in my life, for sales and orders:)

  I've spent quite a bit of time on my Bead Dreams project to the detriment of my housekeeping which makes me feel very disordered and yucky. As far as the project goes, I feel like a child who is trying to make a Mona Lisa out of elbow macaroni. I think I may have to drop my hopes of entering this year to protect my sanity and happiness. Not shutting the door quite yet though.

Here is my Mom's bangle for those who haven't seen my Flickr.






Here is my Year of Jewelry submission for the week. A very simple project that has been on my desk for several months and in my mind even longer.

  Hope to spend the coming weekend regrouping and prioritizing 'too many projects'.

Bead Dreams

  Years ago my Mom gave me a Bead and Button magazine full of gorgeous artistic designs. In this special edition magazine was wirework by Lisa Niven Kelly and Jude Carmona. The wire designs in the magazine are no where near like my current style, but the glorious coils of metals mixed with beads and gemstones captivated me over all else in this magazine. That is how I got on this wire path. I longed to do the things they did.

  I still have that magazine. I never really looked at the name of it until this week. It is Bead and Buttons "Bead Dreams 2003 Special Edition" magazine, showcasing all the contest winners and honorable mentions.

  Last week I read in my "Beading Daily" email ...errr, maybe it was the "Art Jewelry Magazine"email... that the deadline for this years contest is in early April. http://www.beadandbuttonshow.com/bnbshow/Default.aspx?c=a&id=28
This will be the second year where they actually have a category for Wirework. How cool would it be to enter in that? But there is only 7 weeks left and I am so busy with tutorial and sales and Year of Jewelry Project. But, I just can't let the opportunity pass without making an effort. I do have a design in mind that would be suitably extravagant for it. But can I pull it off? Hmmm

  So I decided to make an effort on a design for the contest for about two weeks. If it's going well than I will keep at it, but if not looking so good I can get back to my tutorial and all the designs I had already planned to make and are half made and scattered about the work area. I think it's worth putting a little effort into it in hopes I can submit something.

  But if I miss out this year, than next year for sure I will plan ahead and submit. It would be so cool to submit to the very contest that brought me where I am now. Even cooler if I was accepted:)

  So I have nothing much to show you right now. I did make another bangle for my Mom's birthday. I'll share that after she has seen it first.  OK..back to work....

Kyanite Flowers

  Last week I got a big surprise when one of my trinket box necklaces was selected as a 'daily deviation' over at deviantart.com.  It's sort of like an Etsy front page, only your work stays up all day, and there are no sales involved.
  My necklace received over 5000 views in 24 hours! It was very very exciting. I also picked up some unexpected work because of all the traffic.
  I sold my kyanite armband to a soon to be bride. Than she requested a custom necklace to go with it and I said yes. I have never made any wedding jewelry before, and I discovered that it truly is an honor to make jewelry for such a special day in a woman's life. This bride was a very amiable person and easy to work with though:)
  I like the style of the pendant quite a lot. I think I may do more in the future.

 

Snakes and Bangles

 Working on variations on the bangle design and working out the details of a tutorial for it.

Snake rings were for Year of Jewelry week 4 theme "Wild and Wicked". I experimented with ways to manipulate metal with the shaping of the head and filing the tail end down to a snakey point.

Coiled Bakelite Bangle

It has been a frustrating week in wire with many projects and ideas hitting frustrating road blocks due to my inability to problem solve my design ideas. When this bangle was finally completed I laughed and dance around the living room for a good 3 minutes. The design was actually a compromise with the wire from my original idea but I love it, and the foundation of the design is an excellent jumping off point for more development.

Eclipse Earrings

  This is the first time I ever used gold filled wire. It's kind of pricey, but it is nice to have another color option. There are a number of things I would do differently if I were to make them again, but I didn't want to drive myself crazy seeking perfection and components that I didn't have on hand.

  Tim Gunn was in my head saying 'make it work'  - so I did:)