Braided Steel Wire Bracelet

I love to show you things I make.

I love to show you the things my daughter makes as well.

She has a great creative mind.

A few years ago, the whole family was playing around with my husband's oxygen and acetylene torches.

We were cutting cans and balling steel wire.

My daughter took some of the wire and made these incredibly cool braided bracelets.

She actually did these photographs as well.

I love jewelry photographed in natural settings.

I think it makes them look magical...

That's all for today.

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Beachy Blues Wrap Bracelet

Hello!

I think you can tell I have been using a lot of waxed linen cord lately.

Today I am sharing another versatile blue polymer piece.

It can be a necklace or a wrap bracelet.

I love these beads I did with the shimmery beachy blues.

This piece has a few heart beads thrown in as well.

The whole "key to my heart" theme...

right down to the steel heart links.

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Pink Set

I showed some pink pieces before here.

They were outside my comfort zone/normal style.

Today I will show you some pink pieces that are more like me.

A bit more bohemian and rustic.

The components such as waxed linen cord, steel findings and recycled silk strips give very feminine pink beads a bohemian edge.

These are pieces for the girly gypsy.

I made them for the same magazine challenge.

They were not chosen.

That is ok.

That means I get to either wear them or sell them.

Here is the fun triple strand bracelet.

I like the braided silk strand.

It adds a softness to the piece.

One of my polymer beads in the focal.

I love the bracelet most of all.

I wear a lot of scarves, but not a lot of necklaces.  

I do wear bracelets though.

I think this one is headed right for my wrist.

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Shimmery Blue Finish on Polymer Beads

It was a long cold winter where I lived and for much of the United States.

For a long time, it seemed that spring would never come.

It is here now and I can almost taste summer....

Summer always makes me think of shimmery waters and sandy beaches.

These beads are my tribute to those shimmery waters....

On waxed linen cord of course....

My favorite beading cord right now.

Each bead whispers of silver, green, blue and aqua.

I love that.

In a few weeks it will be officially summer.

I plan to do a lot of creating, junking and cleaning.

But for now, these little beads will have to remind me of warmer days to come.

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Oh My Stars! Rustic Polymer Clay Set

Do you ever think about why some things are interesting to you?

My style is ever-changing and my interests are broad and varied.

I am eclectic.

I love cottage chic, country, primitive, tribal, steam punk, modern, classic and more.

I have a friend that says she can tell my pieces...that they have a voice.

I don't always see a connection between the different series.

These grungy, primitive disks and stars are so much fun to make but once they are done, they sit in my printer's tray and wait to become a part of a whole.

When I made these pieces, they were for a magazine challenge.

The colors and stars are not normally something I would do.

But I liked the challenge.

And I like the way they turned out.

I find lately I love fibers/silk and I love steel findings.

Sort of the strong and soft together....

And I like the colors though they are not ones I would have created without the challenge.

I have been thinking a lot lately about artists.

How some create a body of work that is a slow progression through their medium.

And about others who try multiple styles and mediums...exploring as much as they can.

I am definitely in the second group.

I love a new challenge.

To me, there is no such thing as failure....

Just learning a way NOT to do something.

For me, there is great joy in re-purposing things and creating things.

I cannot imagine a life without those two activities.

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Add A Little Silk...

If you have been visiting my blog consistently, you may have noticed that I am a fan of primitive finish polymer clay beads.

You may also have noticed that I love recycled silk strips.

Sometimes once I string a bracelet of polymer beads, it needs a little something else.

That was the case for this little beauty.

So I wove a piece of recycled silk around the beads as well.

It gives the piece a very bohemian look.

Which I love.

The older I get, the funkier I like my jewelry.

That is a good thing.

What is your favorite kind of jewelry to wear?

Thanks for stopping by....

Steel Wire Findings

One of my favorite parts of a piece of jewelry can be the clasp.  

I am not sure why this is, but it has always been true for me. 

 It is especially true if the clasp is handmade or unusual.

So I love to make my own.

My very favorites to make and use lately with my handmade polymer clay beads are heavy black steel wire findings.

My wire of choice: black rebar wire from the hardware store.

Sometimes you can find it in the fencing section.

That is where I originally found mine about 15 years ago or so.

I buy several rolls at a time and use it for all sorts of things.

I like the body and heft of the wire and the way it holds the shape I create with my pliers, mandrel or a dowel.

Once the pieces are formed, I have seat on the floor and give them each a few whacks with a hammer.

I like to play with shapes and even what I use for connectors.

I little hardware piece offers a different look than a wire loop.

How much fun is that for a little touch of Steampunk or Industrial?

I make a whole pile of them and then hammer them in batches. 

 Sitting on concrete is not as much fun for my back as it used to be.

I keep them in a little compartment of my bead tray for when inspiration hits.

 Maybe today will be the day they become something special.

Thanks for stopping by....