Man-Sized Knotty Paperclip

I had one of those creative surges just before falling asleep the other day when considering how to incorporate another giant paperclip into a design suitable for a man who didn't believe that they existed in real life. So, in my imaginary paperclip world, I reached into the past and pulled back some macrame and came up with this great key chain.

I love how the object is incorporated into the knots. He liked it too!!

Totally Falling for the New Look!

I want to make a quick post to thank my wonderful designer, Dionne, for her help with my new designs both here and over at my Etsy site. I love the community of creative people that I've found over there!! Her Studio Chic Design shop has lots of options for website help as well as other design pieces and parts that are a great resource for a little biz like my own!! Check her out!!

A Rose By Any Other Name...

is probably the rose that hasn't been delivered to my house!!! haaaaaaaaaaaa

I achieved a peaceful balance today because while I got rid of plenty of potpourri that no longer added any value to the aromatherapy mix in my house, I created some gorgeous delicate necklaces with rose petal pendants. The trade of the dried flowers was probably not very good feng shui, but I love what I ended up with!!

I explored the Occoquan Fall Craft show yesterday and found some lovely work by Forest Flower Jewelry that I immediately knew would mix well with my squigglies of late. Look at the rich color of that petal! It's protected by lacquer and edged with sterling silver. I absolutely love it!!

The pink petal looks just as pretty...a feminine touch with a big wire swirl...

I have lots of other autumnal pieces from my favorite Occoquan vendor, so will have more to show off soon!

And...Frankie says "hello" to all of you...this is seriously the first time he hasn't freaked out when I pointed the camera at him in the year and a half I've had him...what a loony cat!!!

A Stringing Cowgirl Ballerina!

If I had to describe my dreamworld, it's usually somewhere in my Grammy Snyder's house...I have a svelte dancer's body, the kickass attitude of a cowgirl, and I'm surrounded by pretty beads!!! How I was able to catch this dreamscape on film is just about amazing, but I did!! (Okay, so I don't have the dancer's body, but I do have the tutu and the kickass boots!! haaaaaaaa)

My big dreamy news for today is that my winning entry in the Channeling Cinderella challenge is pictured on the pages of the Fall 2008 issue of Stringing Magazine!! I wandered around the office yesterday holding the page in my hand like a security blanket with a big smile on my face. Thanks to all of you who voted and helped me meet this personal goal!

It's 8:30...where are your giant paperclips?

Yesterday I saw these giant clips on the sale rack and couldn't not pick them up. I immediately pictured them wrapped with colored copper wire and dangling from my neck. My fantasies continued throughout my workday today even to the point of doing sketches in my notebook during a discussion of how we manage human resources in the Department of Defense. Can you even imagine that my mind wandered? haaaaaaaa

Anyway, these monster clips are HILARIOUS!! And, they're even better adorned with the curled wire and some of Yvonne's MyElement bits of floral love! They may look like regular fancy paperclips, but they're at least four inches long...here's a pic so you can see the actual scale:
When it comes to office-products-turned-trellises, bigger is definitely better!!

Stooping Squigglies

This morning I was sitting out on my front stoop, in my froggie pajamas...I like to think I was specially outfitted to work my artisan magic. haaaaaaa I was outside because I'm trying something new with my little dremel tool and the polishing wheel and didn't want to make more of a mess in the house.

I made some sterling squigglies yesterday in random shapes and sizes to use as dangles or links or whathaveyou. I tried out some antique finishing with oxidizing (and forgot to take off the ring on my finger which is still black) and had to polish off the black to bring the finish out...what better place than the front steps!

I'm thrilled with the squiggles from the stoop! Check out these combinations with some gorgeous glass from Bronwen Heilman. I went simple with just some subdued grey wire and the beads speak for themselves.

The last one I have to post features a "Happy Bead" made by Ms. Dare Van Vree...she was quite a character when I met her at the Philly Bead Expo, so I happily wandered through her wonderful selection of handmade ceramic beads. You can see a pretty one here:

Voting Season - For A Black & White Design

Hello friends...it's another challenge with another opportunity for you to see more of the jewelry-making world and of my little bit of it!

The Stringing Magazine Winter Challenge is "Black & White." And there are 97 wonderful pieces on display in the on-line gallery. HOWEVER, #37 is by far the coolest as it came from the hands of yours truly.

This is a piece that I started on some wire techniques with. I used some of my Hawaiian bead stash along with a funky piece of quartz for this pretty imbalanced look.

I hope you enjoy checking out all the pieces in the gallery, but I also hope you'll take a second and put your vote in!! Thanks to all of you for help in my tie for first place during the Summer Challenge. My Cinderalla baubles were all the rage. :)