The Last of the Crosses

Here’s the last of the Super Bling Crosses I got at a yard sale a while ago. I’ve made them all into necklaces with handmade chains. The other two were Byzantine and if I’m not mistaken, this one is a box or foxtail chain. Whatever it is, it was fun to make and it looks awesome.

You can’t believe how shiny these rhinestones are. I picked up on the pink and green and used a couple of those color jump rings interspersed with the silver to give it a subtle hint of color.

Ever have one of those times that you’re just brimming with ideas but can’t quite sit and make them appear? That’s where I am right now. But you know what? The weather has cooled and life is calming down a bit. So hopefully, I can make some new jewelry happen soon!

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Bowers’ Show Today

Even though it was blazin’ hot, under the veranda at the Bower’s Museum was lovely. And fun! It’s always a good time when we get together in a casual group to sell our wares and catch up with all the other jewelry artist and cravers.

I rolled out a new idea I’d had for earring displays. I need to work on this bigger one a bit since I can see that the earring cards got a little out of alignment (tee hee).

The cards are Velcro’d to artist canvas (as always, excuse the cell phone photo’s…). I covered both pieces of canvas with pillow cases and when I got to the Bowers, Voila! I whipped off the pillow cases, set the canvases on easels and my earring set-up was complete. So convenient!


Here’s a (terrible) shot to give you an idea of the venue we enjoyed~soaring ceilings and cool vines.

And in the courtyard, where brides and Quinceanera girls (sort of a sweet sixteen for 15 year old Latina’s) flock for photographs, is a Fernando Botero sculpture, he of the zaftig women (this is an extra large girl riding a horse). After today’s show, some of us went to the El Pollo Loco (yes, non-Cali dwellers, The Crazy Chicken) across the street for a late lunch. But next month, I’ll have time to see the exhibit currently on view at the museum of Botero‘s work. It’s always very colorful, so you know it appeals to this Fearlessly Colorful chick!

Autumn, where are you???!!! As I said, today was ridiculously hot. I guess I should be grateful that we’re not caught in the Midwestern floods or getting ready for hurricane season in Florida. But really, 95 degrees?! *sigh* Ok, I’ve vented. Cool weather, according to those often wrong meteorologists, is on it’s way. I sincerely hope so! And I hope the weather in your area, wherever you may be, is acting it’s season and making your day lovely and comfortable!

PS--I sold the bat earrings in the previous post to my red headed friend, Barbara, and they looked fabulous on her!

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Earrings and Previews

Well, so far this weekend (it’s 7:40 on Sunday night as I write this, tee hee) I’ve posted three pair of holiday and a pair of chandelier earrings on Etsy. I took pictures of a diverse bunch of things this morning and they’ll eventually get there. I’ll give you a preview to whet your appetite!

What’s Halloween without bats?? Had to mix in a few resin and black onyx beads.


And for girly girls who prefer pink to black cats and bats, the perfect earrings!

Snowmen and snowflakes and silver, oh my!


Peaceful Surfer earrings, with bright Lapis beads.

And here’s the preview of what’s coming:

The last of the bling crosses, with a box pattern aluminum chain.

Pink shell and spiral necklace. Matching earrings coming, as well!

My first foray into sterling silver. *sigh* It’s a challenge to take pictures of shiny, silver things… I’ll probably retake these before listing…

Well, I’d better get back to work. Just wanted to let you know I’m still creating and listing, slowly, slowly. Slow and steady wins the race, right!

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Graciousness

Life has intruded lately on creative endeavors and that’s ok. The Husband works all next weekend, so photography will happen then. And tonight I sifted through boxes of yard sale jewelry and am I ever inspired! It should be a inventive week!

But for now, a few words on being gracious.

It’s been years since I’ve heard Whoopie Goldberg’s first album so I don’t remember the exact circumstances of her take on graciousness but I know that it’s had a lasting effect on me. In her act, she was imploring people to be gracious to one another. She was raucous and profane and hysterically funny.

But I think of that one word and the way she said it ~ Graciousness ~ whenever someone compliments me, because my knee jerk reaction is to kick my instep and say, Aw shucks. But graciousness makes me thank them with my head high and my instep intact. I also think of that word when I’m dealing with someone who needs my help but is making it very, nay, extremely hard to do so. Graciousness makes me take a deep breath and keep trying, instead of strangling them or slamming down the phone (is anyone else disappointed that a cell phone can’t be slammed in someone’s ear?).

Graciousness also allows me to disregard little errors people make when they’re talking that don‘t really matter, let someone go ahead of me when the 12 items or less line is a mile long and they only have three things and hold the door for someone slower or disabled when they were so far behind me it wouldn’t have been rude to move on.

This line of thought came about when I found this quote recently attributed to Elsie de Wolfe:

Be pretty if you can,
Be witty if you must,
But be gracious if it kills you!

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Labor Day Necklace Preview

I was just lamenting on Facebook that my weekend wasn’t as productive as I would have liked. But I realized that I’ve finished 3 necklaces since Friday.

One, an upcycled, jeweled butterfly, I started last week and kept playing with and tweaking fire polished glass until I thought I‘d finally come up with the final design. I think… I’ve had the butterfly for quite a while and finally found some interesting chain to pair it with.

The blue and gold Byzantine necklace is something I’ve wanted to try for a while. It’s basically the Byzantine design with extra hanging Byz components and beads. I loved the colors together and the shape of the gold beads.

The final necklace is the last of the bling crosses I have. This one is silver tone with aurora borealis rhinestones. I tried a new box pattern for this necklace, called Inca Puno. I also added a couple of pink and green rings for a subtle design that would pick up the colors in the rhinestones.

These probably won’t get properly photographed until next weekend, so check out Etsy then!

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day! Here in Cali, it was so hot on Saturday and sorta hot yesterday, that I just laid low and read magazines. And watched some mindless tv. And made necklaces. I can’t wait for the cooler weather, which is actually on its way, thank goodness!

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