Booty Call!!

Jewelry booty, that is! Yes, we did a bit of saling today. And just when I thought my morning was going to be a total loss, jewelry bargain-wise, we zipped off the main street for one last Huge Garage Sale sign. And I hit the jackpot! The woman running the sale even brought out a great big box of jewelry she hadn’t put out yet. Needless to say, I was in hog heaven!

Here’s what I got:

Chains, chains and more chains. And chains with sparklies.

Faux pearls, bows, butterflies, beautiful beads. The copper looking circles is a stretch bracelet of bars of those circular designs and I'll probably use the bars for something new. The Husband wanted that elephant, probably because it has a chip and he felt sorry for it...

I scored some really sweet little chains of crystals. Some of them are even signed, so I need to do a little research before I start upcycling. They may be more valuable as vintage finds.

I had to sit with this bunch of chain and untangle it but it was worth it! That pile of green, however, fell apart and scattered beads and gold spacers all over the place! It's okay, though, since I would have taken it apart anyway. Half my job is done:-)

I actually found a couple of things I'll keep for myself. The bracelet at the top is bead weaving, which I don't do. It's sparkly purple crystal and I just couldn't pass it up. The bracelet in the center is big plastic "gems" in all different colors. Ahem... Couldn't pass that up either... And I collect small old bottles but they have to have some sort of particular value to me. I have some with city names and one with my maiden name I got from someone in England on Ebay.

This one says "Sanford's Inks Half Pint And Library Paste". Since it referenced libraries, I (altogether now) couldn't pass it up...

Raina is amazed at my treasures!!

Do What You Love!

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5 Things Friday

Five Things I Need to Do to Prepare for the Celebration of the Arts Show on Sunday:

1 Card a bunch of earrings (no, I’m not asking them to prove they’re 21... I’m putting them on cards to affix to canvas frames)

2 Price new necklaces and a new bracelet

3 Gather copper jump rings and my tools, to work on a project during the day

4 Buy some Light lemonade in cans and cool it in the fridge

5 Decide what to wear--it has to be something to show off my jewelry but also be cool, since I hear it’s going to be warm

If you’re near Yorba Linda CA on Sunday, come on by! It’s a great art show, with plenty of entertainment and eats. It’s at the community center on Imperial Hwy and Casa Loma.

Here’s one of the new necklaces:

Copper Double Star

And the new bracelet:



Cherries Jubilee


Do What You Love!

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Bear Chick Friday

This week I started the necklace for the Orange County Fair, which is being a total pill. The Day Job has been crazy this week so I don't know if my concentration is just off but it hasn't been easy, either design wise or doing the actual chain weave. I have a feeling what I'll end up doing is making several designs and picking the one I like best for the contest.

Sneak peak!

Tomorrow is the Foothill Ranch Library Fundraiser. If you're in the South County of the OC tomorrow, I hope you can drop in. I'll have all of my earrings out plus anklets, bracelets and necklaces. I don't think I'll have as much table space as last weekend but I'll have as much out as I can. After all, it's for a good cause! Jewelry and books~*~ it doesn't get much better than that!

May 1 10AM-3PM

Library Fundraiser

Foothill Ranch Library

27002 Cabriole Way

Foothill Ranch

Do What You Love!

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Stocking Stuffer Sale on Etsy!

In the spirit of the holidays, or maybe it was the drugs I was on after a root canal, I've lowered the price of some of my earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Isn't it nice to get a bargain, especially this time of year! I've created special sections, so you can go right to the bargains on Etsy but don't forget to look at all the other goodies in my shop that would make great gifts. Or treats for yourself!

Here’s a preview of what’s on sale:



Movie Star earrings for your favorite film buff





Flowers Got the Blues Memory Wire Bracelet for the gardener in the family



Oh Christmas Tree Charm N Bead Necklace for you to wear to all the Holiday Parties

Happy Shopping!

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This Week on Etsy…

I spent most of today photographing, editing, writing and posting jewelry on Etsy. I think I need new lights to use with my little light box. I need to do some research on bulb colors. Anyway, here’s what I’ve been working on the last few weeks.

Tri Color Byzantine Necklace with Netted Beads
I LOVE playing with color. I started this as just red and silver. Then I thought, Oooooo, wouldn’t this be cool with some black thrown in?! Then I was trying find some red lampwork beads but I stumbled on the netted ones I ended up using. They had been in my drawer for probably a year, just waiting for the right project. Yea! I really like the drama of this piece.

Pink Flower Handmade Chain Bracelet
Again, love playing with color! And this is such a fun and pretty chain pattern. Looking through my stash of toggles, I had to laugh when I found the dragonfly. What could be better for a flower bracelet?

Black Onyx Drops Handmade Chain Earrings
The magazine I found this chain pattern in called it Celeste. I LOVE it. (I’ve got a lot of enthusiasm tonight) I experimented with these earrings by hanging not only the central Black Onyx bead but also the two tiny ones on each side. I think they look pretty elegant.


Flowers and Pearls Upcycled Choker
I found the focal piece for this necklace at a yard sale who knows how long ago. If you could see the boxes I have of all my saling finds, just waiting for their day in the sun! Well, it’s finally time for this beauty to have it’s debut! I found just the chain I wanted and put that in place. Then I searched around and deemed the faux pearls perfect for this piece. Attached the toggle and whoo! Or whoops… I noticed that one pearl was missing from the focal. Argh! But, without even getting up, I caught sight of a funky little earring with one sparkly little gee gaw. And it fit perfectly in the empty space. I glued it in, waited a few days and did my best to yank it out again. I think it’s in there till the next millennia! So I was very happy. Everything is better with a little sparkle!

Friday we’re going to the Orange County Fair and with any luck, I’ll have pix next weekend of me with my entry. I’m inordinately excited by the prospect of seeing my necklace on display. I suppose there are worse things to be!


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Earring Obsession

I had a plan for today~photograph the work I’d done this week, then post it on Etsy. But a quick trip to a bead sale last night put an end to that! I was too inspired to just take pictures. I had to create some more earrings. Here’s a couple of pix taken on top of the latest Bowers Museum members newsletter.

Here’s what I’ve done this week~so far.

I love Happy Bunny and just had to upcycle these pieces I got at various sales. “It’s all about me”. Gotta love that!

I love doing the Byzantine pattern and I hope guys will like this black and silver version.

And here’s a sampling of all the earrings I’ve made this week. I’m really having fun branching out a little. I used to just take a headpin and stack things on it. Now I’m having a blast using chain, wrapped loops and jump rings.

The weather is warming up, dang it. I’ve reveled in the May Gray and June Gloom, enjoying the coolness as long as it lasted. Oh well, this too shall pass!

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Busy Business Weekend

I did an inventory of jewelry a few weeks ago and discovered I had a LOT of jewelry that isn’t online. So yesterday I spent a good part of the day photographing necklaces, bracelets, anklets and earrings.

I was eager to list my first aluminum jump ring project. I love the mix of silver and lavender:

It’s called Byzantine ala Mare, since it’s not truly the Byzantine pattern as it should be done. I broke it up a bit, partly because I didn’t quite understand it in the beginning and made up a bunch of the patterns only to realize each pattern builds on the next… Live and learn. But then I really liked the way I had connected them separately. I think it gives a bit of breathing space to a very dense pattern. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!

I also got a new bracelet and anklet listed on Etsy.


You R A Star bracelet was done with pieces that are meant to be dividers for multi-strand necklaces. I love working with things in ways they weren’t intended. Makes me feel really creative! And stars are right up there in my list of fave shapes, just under hearts.

The Diamond Girl anklet started out as sale items from my wholesaler. I connected them with oval shaped jump rings and finished with a lobster claw clasp. All my anklets are self-adjusting, so you can attach the clasp where it feels most comfortable and the remainder of the chain dangles stylishly.

Click on any photo to take you to Etsy or ArtFire, where it's posted for sale :-)

Anyone on Facebook? I’m working on a Fan Page. I’ll probably make an official announcement in a week or so but if anyone wants to be a Bear Chick Fan ahead of the crowd, here’s the link (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bear-Chick/40472594959) or just search Bear Chick. I’m planning to have discounts and contests and other fun stuff. I’ll keep you posted.

Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day. I did some gardening this morning in the below 70 degrees weather (nice) but now I’m all congested from the dust and pollen (not nice). It was good exercise and my yard looks better, so it’s all good!

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My Favorite Clasps

Here's a quick rundown of the types of clasps I use and why I use certain ones on certain pieces.

Toggle

Toggle clasps are my favorite favorite, because they're so easy to use and they're made in endless variations of design. A lot of my older personal jewelry had those boxes you needed to line up the thinner piece with and slide it in till it clicked and connected. I spent many frustrating mornings trying to get those to work. When I started making jewelry, I fell in love with toggles. It's generally not difficult to find the hole in the design of the larger piece, send the bar piece through and then settle it on the surface. Of course, I'm partial to heart shapes, but I also like flower themes, stars and anything with a pattern to it. Using the toggle as part of the overall design makes for an interesting piece. I use them for all my necklaces and a lot of my bracelets.

Magnetic

Lately, I've been using magnetic clasps more and more for bracelets since it's so hard to put on a bracelet by yourself. With the magnetic clasps, you just have to get them close enough together, usually by hanging both ends down from the wrist and, woosh, they attract each other easily. But remember when using them you need to slide them apart, not pull them apart. Pulling will dislodge the actual magnet. Learned that the hard way, although I was able to slide the magnet back in and all was well.

Lobster Claw

I use the lobster claw clasps primarily on anklets. Most of my anklets are self-adjusting, which means you can pick the length you want by attaching the clasp where it feels comfortable. You can't do that with the toggle or magnetic clasps because they're basically finite. They're relatively easy to use since you can see what you're doing with an anklet, which isn't always true when you're trying to work a lobster claw on a necklace. They also fit well into the design of most anklets since they're relatively flat and make a pretty statement wherever they're clipped.

If you see a piece of mine that you like but would rather have a different type of clasp, let me know. There's always a way to create what you want!

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How Did All This Work Get Done?

Even though I was fighting a cold this week and working my butt off at The Day Job, I managed to make a few things and list them on ArtFire and Etsy. I kinda took a miss on Valentines Day. I intended to do a bunch of new ATC’s but that never happened… Since I had a couple of strings of these cute green shamrock beads, I worked with them to get a jump on St. Patrick’s Day. So, here’s an Irish themed bracelet on ArtFire:

And a cute pair of earrings on Etsy:

And I also experimented with gold and silver and made this flower design chain with a gold heart toggle, also on ArtFire:

And I FINALLY finished the travel themed Charm N Bead necklace I’ve been working on for weeks. It was one of those times, I guess, when I’d come up with ideas and just work on them, "you know, really quick… I’ll get back to the CNB tomorrow… " So here’s a sneak peak at the Travel necklace. It’ll be going on ArtFire soon.

The weather here is ridiculous! It was over 80 degrees today. We were driving around in shirt sleeves with the windows rolled down. My Massachusetts friends curse me, since they’re having a really cold winter. The subject line of my BFF’s last email was, “My face is freezing off.”

Well, back to work tomorrow for a week of craziness. They’re merging two companies into the payroll system, so there’s going to be a lot of checking and double checking of all the info that we’re importing for all these new people. I’ll be cross eyed by the end of the week.

Have a good one. Stay warm or cool, whichever applies!

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Post Holiday World

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s Eve. We spent both in our jammies!

Last weekend, I posted some new Etsy jewelry. Here’s what’s there now:

Getting ready for Valentine’s Day? I spotted this bracelet at down and almost out Mervyn’s (a retail store in CA that’s closing it’s doors after many years--a sad story we’ll hear repeated, I’m sure, before things in this country start on the upswing again) and just knew it had potential. So I took it home and added lots more hearts and bling.


Lampwork beads from Wales provide most of the outrageous color in this necklace. I just love it and will be hard put to see it go!


I wish I was a better photographer. It’s one of my business goals for this year, to take better pictures. But I hope you can see how awesome this necklace is, if I do say so myself. It’s the latest Charm N Bead, in foggy, icy colors. As always, these necklaces make the coolest sounds when you move a lot (like running across a street or jumping up and down in glee), like a wind chime. I used wrapped loops on all of the beads, which takes a little more time but they’re so much more secure than plain loops.

This week I’ve been making anklets (inspired by my best friend, who requested one for her Christmas present) and intermittently working on a new Charm N Bead necklace with a travel theme (they take me between 6 and 8 hours to create). And today, while watching the Rose Parade, I made a couple of pieces with heishe beads made out of old red record albums! I’m planning to photograph all these pieces this weekend and get them on Etsy.

Have a great New Year’s Day!

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