New Items on Etsy

I added a pair of earrings and a new necklace style up on Etsy today.

Check them out!

Name me please!

Sometimes by crazy random happenstance you end up with the strangest things that are actually the things you really needed. Today's case in point is my new torso:

She was rescued along with several others (male and female) from a dumpster by a co-worker.
The original intent was for some sort of prank but she never quite made it for that. Instead I brought her home to be my new jewelry model.

I've decided that she needs a name so I'm inviting all my readers (still few enough to count on my fingers I'm sure) to chime in with what you think is a good name for this new piece of plastic who is destined to become an important part of my jewelry photography.

Happy New Year!

I made this to go with a New Year's Eve dress. The dress is almost the exact shade of the blue beads. I'm very pleased with how it came out and how it sits. I've had trouble in the past with netting type of necklaces not falling correctly when worn, but this worked out well. Earrings to match are on their way.

From Silver Class

I made this about a year ago as the first chain project for a silver class I was taking.
I gave it to my mother as a present and only just now got around to taking a picture of it. I spent hours redoing the chain parts which kept getting accidentally soldered together. I had to replace quite a few pieces before it actually moved freely and was fully soldered. The next chain I did was much easier though!

Use the Muse III

The winners and galleries for Use the Muse III are up. I'm really impressed with everyone's pieces.

Here are a couple of photos of my finished hair piece.

Presents!

I made several presents for this year's Winter Gift Giving Holidays. Here's a small assortment - a couple of pairs of earrings and a simple vase. I'm really pleased with how the vase turned out and I'm working on some more ideas for other vase types.

Lists

The end of the year approaches and that inevitably brings a time to reflect on the past year. I will inevitably spend the next few weeks reading everyone else's end of year lists, but in keeping with Use the Muse's encouragement I'm offering my beading goals for the next year.

1. Experiment with headbands and more hair combs.
I had started some of these a few years ago and kept putting them down. Literally, in the case of the hair combs I made. I kept forgetting them places. While I may not be designed to wear them without losing them, I think they are pretty and fun and can be great accessories. I do however promise to not jump on the feathered headband bandwagon.

2. Home goods
I've started experimenting with some netted beadwork on vases as holiday presents and I'm liking the look.

3. Reorganize the bead collections
After putting everything away for a couple of months so the apartment could be exterminated it is in need of some reorganization. Plus I have a whole bunch of new things that need homes. There's also a bag of clasps that has gone missing that I would dearly love to find.


4. Beaded Cabochons
I've never tried to make these and I would like to maybe incorporate them into some designs.

5. Get the personal website up and fully functional.
It is so close. It's totally going to happen. Soon.