New Year, New Work

Okay, I've been working this last week on some more jewelry for my store and was finally able to take pictures.  Happily, I was able to use my new Canon Rebel camera for the pics and they look pretty good. Semi-happily I was able to set the items up in my table top studio. Sadly, only part of the studio was in working order (one of the lights refuses to work which means we're going to need to take it back and get a new one... which may need to be ordered... which means I won't get to use my studio for a while longer... sigh)

Oh, well.  It'll get here eventually.  Until then, here are some of the pics I took.  I'll work on some more this weekend and see what I can set up outside, around the house, etc.  You never know! :)

I kept these, but I'm going to make
another pair to go into my store.
Cute, eh?

~Earth Metal~
Now in my Etsy store

My first attempt to play with copper
tubing and some wire I had. Debating
whether to put this in the store or wait
until I've made a few more attempts at
any kind of wire/metal work.



~Forest Wisdom~
Again with the Autumn colors. This
is the necklace I restrung with the
cute little hooty-owl. Going into my
Etsy store soon, too.



I bought these from Lima Beads. I tho't
they made cuter earrings than they
did necklace or bracelet embellishments.

Set 2, this time with a
little blue dangle used from
Michelle Mach's snowflake
challenge box. Cute, eh?

Pearl Fans - simple pair
of earrings made with gray
and charcoal pearls.

THE CHALLENGE EVOLVES... SLOWLY

You all know I decided to participate in the Art Bead Scene's November Challenge and that this is the color pallet they gave us to work with:

I love these colors! I'm pretty sure I mentioned that in my last blog.  I love them because I love Autumn.
I hate these colors! I hate them because I can't use silver wire in my design.  Okay, I did say I was participating to stretch my mind and my creativity so I guess I can't really say I hate them.  It is making me think outside my little silver-encrusted box!



colors to match pallet

 Well, I've gotten a good start (finally!) on my necklace.  Yes, yes, I was going to do a lanyard.  I changed my mind.  I'm a woman.  I get to do that.  I still plan to make a lanyard and a chain for holding your glasses in these colors, but that will come later.  Right now, it's turned into a necklace.  Here's the start (no, it's not finished, yet):

1) Pull out every bead that even remotely looks like it might match the colors in the pallet.
2) Sort through the colors (drooling over the lush richness of them) and spend at least 3 days trying to decide which ones will work best (never an easy job!)
3) Narrow down the choices


narrowed down colors

 4) Then narrow down the choices again
5) Create your first incarnation of the necklace, bracelet, lanyard, earrings (whatever flips your wig)
6) Create a second incarnation with a very slight difference
7) Take pictures to email to a beady friend to critique and sit and mull it over for a day (or two... but not much more)


preliminary design



.... now what?  (eeeeevil grin) Guess you'll have to come back to see...