Sixteen, going on Seventeen

Whew! Here it is, the cuff from my previous post. Officially number seventeen. I don't remember the last time I pushed myself to start and finish a beaded project in one afternoon (slash evening). Have I ever? Maybe, I must have blocked it out if so. But I was so determined to have this cuff in my possession, I just willed it to happen. That's an interesting thought: that if I really want something badly enough, I just need to sit down with enough back-to-back episodes of something on Netflix and lose myself until I have what I wanted. Is it worth pushing myself like that? Am I pushing other things out of my life by doing this? I'm not sure, but right now it makes me really happy. Not just happy, but fulfilled. It gives me balance with my job-life. I realize all this work is going towards a greater goal, and perhaps one day in the future I'll look back at this time in my life with misty eyes and think, 'Those were the days. My husband working on his artwork in the next room, the cats cuddled next to me, me beading away as the light changes outside.' So I guess right now I don't really want to think too hard about if this is good for my psyche, my social life, or hey, my eyes for that matter. Right now this is my peace.

Old                                New

You can see the new version of Equinox Cuff in red on Etsy or my online gallery.

Flying Out The Door

I just finished another cuff last night that I was so excited to recreate. It was the very first custom piece I ever did for anyone, about ten years ago. It's really simple, and I love it: a rectangular cuff, with a red glossy background and a vertical row of four different colored circles running down the middle, in the center of each sits a large matte bead. I literally put the finishing touches on the cuff this morning, and wore it to my meditation group. It would seem as though I was in reality making this very bracelet for Amy, friend and leader of said group. She has been considering purchasing one of my bracelets, and today, of all days, she was wearing a long scarf-- red with a vertical row of circles running down its center. There must be something in the air... She bought it from me then and there! To match her outfit, of course. Thanks, Amy! Needless to say, I didn't get to document this, sixteenth, cuff. But I will recreate it, once again, for my at-home inventory. And to replace this slightly embarrassing, older version with my current craftsmanship standards (really, the new one looks way better).

Crazy Carnival Colors

So I went a little crazy with these colors. After making two cool, toned-down pieces in a row, I guess my brain decided all by itself to create a color wheel explosion. Caution: This cuff may cause the wearer to assume a superhero identity.

You can view earlier, more sane versions of Flux Cuff on my website gallery. If you would like to continue to burn your retinas, see Flux Cuff in Carnival in my Etsy shop.

A Successful Trial

I've made this necklace a couple of times in the past, in different colorways. This time, I decided to try something new. Instead of suspending the pendant with multiple strands of wire strung with beads, as I've always done for my necklaces, I used a minimalist, delicate chain. I think it works! This cuts way down on my work time, because stringing the beads (while keeping count so both sides would be even!), crimping the ends, hiding these ends with metal cone findings, and putting on clasps took longer than making the actual pendant! This new method opens up so many possibilities. I love love love all the different kinds, weights, and patterns of chain out there, and it will allow me to spend more time creating new pendant ideas. And I can experiment with making much longer pendant necklaces than with the strung beads (which are so much more delicate). Yes!

(photo by my lovely husband Drew)
You can view Small Stacks Necklace on my Etsy site.

Age of Aquarius

Bracelet number fourteen is an ode to that thirst-quenching, life-giving, flowing, freezing, steamy, simple and mysterious molecular compound we call water. Moons in varying shades of blue and violet float in and out of the frame, linked by a river of deep indigo glass beads.

Visit my Etsy page and website gallery for a full description and more views of Aquarius Cuff in Indigo.

Number Thirteen

OK, so this cuff is definitely not perfect. Which tends to bug me. But I love love love the colors! When I tried this on, I decided the imperfections really aren't even noticeable. I have to face it, circles are hard to free-hand embroider. Really hard. But I keep making myself recreate former designs (and make new ones) containing circles so that I might overcome this aversion. And hopefully, maybe, possibly, even get better at them.

You can see Viska Cuff in Fire on my Etsy page, or in the gallery on my website.

And here's the right side of Light As A... Cuff. I finished this as another recent custom order, with a traditional spring-style clasp-- sturdier for those who lead a more rough-and-tumble kind of life. See the originals here and here.

The inverse is true, too.

 Light As A... Cuff, No. 3

Sometimes I feel it's a shame to put a backing on my embroidery. But if I don't, it will flop around and have a mind of its own, instead of bending to my will... We wouldn't want that.

Gray Day

It's been raining aaaaaaalllll day here (we need it badly) so I've treated myself to a full day of beading in the company of the kitties, with The Voice and blustering winds in the background. My kinda day indeed.

Athens

This is one reason I'm a little behind on my work: I spent Labor Day weekend visiting my sister Isadora in Athens, GA! So much fun!

We walked from her new apartment to a place that serves--get this--frozen organic Stonyfield yogurt. Um, I couldn't really ask for more than that in a chain dessert shop. Dee-voon.

Then she took me out dancing, something we've been saying we'll do every time I've visited her for the past five years. We danced for three hours and my right knee still hurts! Come On Eileen was my high point.

This was the grossest dance floor I've ever felt beneath my shoes, and this guy kept losing his flip-flops on it.

One day Isadora took me to one of her favorite restaurants-- this Cuban place that only takes cash and has a home-made fountain on the patio made out of an old wooden row boat. Loved it. Awesome fish tacos and fried plantains.

One of multiple thrift store trips. Isadora got a better photo of a woman pushing a cart with a three foot tall naked Barbie standing up in it, looking like she had seen better days.

And we made matching necklaces with teensy gold leaf and octopus charms. Ah, sisters.

Luna Moth

 

I'm a little behind on my churning-out-cuffs spurt, but not as behind as it seems. You see, this is the second time I've made this cuff since I last posted; the first one was a special order for a new customer (see bottom photo). So this is actually cuff number eleven. But I must admit, I'm finding it a little difficult to make time to bead. Not good. I get stressed when I feel I have so much to do that I can't take a day to bead. It's my meditation, my vehicle for creativity, it's really the only exercise the right side of my brain gets sometimes.

 Luna Cuff in green.

Take a gander at my Etsy page or my website for more views and a better description.

 Luna Moth (photo by MObugs.blogspot.com)

Luna Cuff in blue.