Wrap Bracelet Done!

It is only a single bracelet technically NOT a wrap, but I wanted to learn the stitch and I ran short of the thread I was using. My Kiddo wants one for her ankle.. Go Figure. Now that I know how to do it I want to make a real wrap.

ANOTHER Pinterest Success!

Addicted To Pinterest

I left FB and got Addicted to Pinterest...HAHA! So much for getting off the web! I have found some yummy recipes on there. I have a "I came I pinned I tried" Board. I spend so much time there and I am trying all the new things I see. I Learned the Bullion Stitch in crochet, and that blue braided necklace I recently posted I got from Pinterest as well.

I recently added this to my board of tries-- Oatmeal can TP Holder...Did you know one can of rolled oats holds 2 rolls of tp? Me either until I tried it. I wrapped it in scrapbook paper and put ribbon around the top and bottom....And it matches my ugly green bathroom ( happy accident, I didn't consider the color)


Here is another pair of earrings I made for Chris. Tomorrow I bring them all to skool to see which ones she likes. Tonight I do my final pricing...*SIGH* I have gone back and forth on the prices so many times My poly bags are full of blue scribbles...LOL



I also made a pair of blue drop earrings from the same color beads. 2 chains hung from a fishhook wire with the beads on the ends. Very simple but very pretty. I gave them to a friend for her birthday, I hope she likes them.

If you want to see what I am Pinning go to the Button @ Left <<<< and Follow Me.

How Do You Determine the price on your work?

So I have not done the wrap bracelets yet. Maybe tomorrow. I have , However been making earrings. I was asked to make some for one of the teachers at skool. Chris wanted earth tones, greens, browns, corals, and Blue. I am struggling with how much to charge. I was told I under appreciate myself and sell things to cheaply.

I browse all over the net. I check other peoples works, see whats trending, get inspired, etc and one thing I notice is alot of ppl seem to charge so much for handmade things. The idea of handmade is you can get better then mass produced, and you can usually, but some things are so over priced that I wonder if it is worth it to purchase things. I look at what I made from a consumers point of view. I ask myself what I would be willing to pay for this item.

The problem with that is, I undercut myself. I know how I made it , how difficult it was, etc I take the cost of supplies into account and try to find a compromise. Right now the cost of silver is high so I am not making pure silver, I basically make everyday ( what we used to call costume ) jewelry. I try to find highly polished anti tarnish findings & wires. I do love Swarovski Crystals. I try to buy nice quality beads. Glass over plastic

Here are some earrings and a necklace I made. What would YOU pay?

Polymer clay Beads.
Coral Gem chips
Swarovski Crystals Wire wrapped.

Dichroic Crosses

I LOVE these. Green Wire wrapped dangles. ( I didnt wrap them I bought them that way.) I just attached them to the chains.

Austrian Crystals





I love this necklace. It is beaded and braided. Attached to a heavy silver overlapping link chain ( I don't know what the proper name for it is but each link is made of 2 links that overlap)
I WILL be getting a Bead spinner ( a real one) next time I try this. I did the scoop method out of a bowl . It is made of 3 strands doubled for a total of 6. Talk about work. I restarted several times because I either Had the wrong size needle or thread etc...

I LOVE THESE! Each bead was wire wrapped by me. They are green fractured glass. Very Pretty.

These are MY Faves! If she doesn't want them I will wear them. And if she does I might make another pair for MEEEEE. :-)

Christmas is Coming.....

....Time to get busy. I have been actually. I made some earrings for a friend and myself and now my girls want some of the same. See this post
My youngest also wanted something for her earrings. We seen a lucite earring holder for 10.00 in a magazine, add shipping and it will mostly likely run me 15.00 - 20.00 dollars.

Well frugal is my middle name lately, so I made my own. I have seen these sold online for big bucks, and thought I could make one so I did. I had some 16 gauge copper electrical wire I bought a while ago. I stripped the plastic overcoat off and was left with the copper wire. 5 strands twisted and curled and...... VIOLA!


Mind you it may NOT be the prettiest of things but it is functional. I looped the "branches" so she can hang her earring and they won't slip off.

Not bad for 30 minutes of work, start to finish! And the copper wire? Pennies. I believe it was less the 50 cents a yard ( I could be wrong) I know a whole role is about 30.00 and that would last me forever.

It's That Time of Year Again

My girlz can count on me to make jewelry and HBA boxes for Christmas, If nothing else.
I started the HBA boxes when my oldest was a teen and taking ALL my hair products for herself. One year i decided to make a big box with nothing but scrunchies, hair ties, clips, hair mousse, styling gel, deodorant, perfume, etc.....She grew to appreciate that box as she got older....Like a mystery goodie box. As she became an adult and was supporting herself these boxes were a Godsend. Then they stopped. She was married with kids and I figured she didnt need them anymore. A few yrs without them and she begged me to make them for her again. Well her taste in hair products have changed with DEFINITE preferences which means not so many dollar store things.
And now her sister is nearly 15 and at the age of her own boxes....woowoo. Did I mention these boxes have gotten awfully expensive to make? Well between them and the jewelry orders it will be all they get, well maybe a cell phone for the young'un who does NOT have one yet. I absolutely refused. Now I relent!

I spent a small fortune yesterday at Michaels getting swarovski crystals for earrings and a bracelet they want. However when I think about how much it would have cost me to buy them already made I think I saved myself a bundle.

Anyway here is what I have been doing as of late.

First I made a magazine tree with some of them holiday mags we are now being flooded with!

These are called Sweetheart Citrines, and i made them for my young'uns friend who turns 13 today.



I also made her these, which I call Sarah's Crystal Drop Earrings.


Then I made these for MOI! I have been wanting a nice long pair of dangles in my b'stone and I finally got around to making them. ( OK so it is not my exact b'stone but I lurvez these blues :-) ) It is this pair that my daughters want, although my oldest likes the crystal drops too in different colors tho. So I am making them a similar design for Christmas, ( I will Never make an EXACT duplicate, I like my work to be OOAK)

HO HO HO.... Its time for Christmas crafting

I have been soooo busy. Jewelry making and Upcycling.

I made this from Recycled grocery bags. I cut them into strips like I was making plarn and then cut them in 1/2 and tied each one to a wire hanger shapped into a circle. ( we used to do this with sandwich bage 30 yrs ago.) Then I sprayed it green. I am now embellishing and will post finished pic.

Turquoise Dangle earrings.

Ruby chandelier chain drop earrings ( my own design)

Spiral Bracelet

Multi strand with peyote cuff.














Wrapped Sea Glass Pendants

















Bookmark.
This is the coil.












I made dangles from shrink plastic. embellished with beads and findings on ribbon.
























Black Lace choker ( beaded of course) Original Pattern is here

Bows I made from recycled magazines...

Tutorial Here

Christmas is coming.

So... it is that time of year again. ( I promise this year, NO mandolin without the guard..:P)

I have to explain, I have been very much concentrating on Upcycling. This is a passion for me, always was. I was shunned however as a child and my parents called me a garbage Picker, and a few other names.

Today I thumb my nose at anyone who criticizes me.

I am NOT however an al gore environmentalist. I dont believe that our SUVs cause global warming, in fact what they call global warming is nothing more then sun activity, the electro-magnetism that comes with it and ( maybe even a lil GODLY Wrath).

I do however think we produce way to much garbage, and our plastic-industrialized living is killing us quickly.

That being said, I approach green living from a selfish and non selfish stand point.

Selfish being ( not self centered) but HATING Corporatism. The conglomerates that are bleeding us dry with electric bills and heating bills! HATE THEM!

Non selfish being I think we need to help ppl to help themselves and see that all the crap they are eating chock full of preservatives are killing them and others thru the use of manufacturing and the crap being belched into MY Air.

Did you know we don't break down as fast as we used to when we die? We ingest ( thru mouth and skin) so much formaldehyde and other preservatives it is taking us longer to decompose today!

Now that I have explained my approach, I prefer the term organic living over green since green has come to being identified with the chicken little al gore worshippers.

Organic is what us old hippies were called.

Now with that outta the way......Here is what I have been doing.....

For Christmas.....




I will be uploading my pics of my re(up)cycles soon. I switched PCs and have files everywhere now.

Christmas In The Making

We are getting it done. Well I AM! Here is a preview of some of my things so far........Please remember I am using a crappy webcam..... Do ya Hear me now SANTA? *HINT HINT*

These are my lite blue and silver swirly dangles.

I wish you could see how pretty this bracelet is. It is garnet, or Siam colored Swarovski bicones with silver flowers with a garnet center. I only hope it is long enough. Michaels took ALL their metal jewelry down when the Company who makes these did a recall of some pieces.
That is also a pink and blue seed bead ring.

One of my blue swirly lentils I did over the summer attached to a silver neck chain

Dark blue swirlies on the bottom of these blue and clear earrings.

I made these over the summer. They are bi-cones I made with polymer clay.

Another polymer clay bead with silver spacers on twisted silver colored copper wire.

Rose beads earrings. I bent some memory wire ( that was fun....)


Pink and Lite or lime green alternated on a memory wire bracelet.


I have plenty more in progress still, that I will post this weekend hopefully.

Update: Christmas

Well My youngest is 12 going on 22 or 2 depending , and she is getting into the jewelry, hair accessories, you name it, so beads, bangles, and baubles. I will be busy creating what I can before Christmas.
Meanwhile to keep myself in practice I have been practicing, my wire wrapping for making danglies , and also using up my yarns and making throws/lapghans.

Yesterday I whipped up a beaded ring, which took me half the freakin night....EASY? Not for me, I got 2 left thumbs.......While this looked easy....For me it was work. I am sure with the proper beads it will properly be easy. I used bicones, and they would not sit right, and the thread I was using, while it was beading thread, started to fray. Then I had problems with the needle sizes... Eventually I finished it.

My current work in progress, typical granny square throw.
Finished striped lapghan.
Blue Fiber Optic Swarovskis on a silver hoop with Silver fish hook.

My blue chandeliers. I wrapped the Dangles myself. I love these. Also Swarovski

Here is that ring.....