Variations on a theme

Variations on a theme
Originally uploaded by magscrafts

I sold the pendant pictured here in the lower right hand corner (or other left, as I like to call it!) some time ago. The customer contacted me later, asking for earrings to go along with it, but not the bird's nest pattern. So I sat down and using the agreed upon parameters of copper wire and the blue glass beads, I created an assortment for her to choose from.

I am happy with all my designs, especially the one in the upper left hand corner, which I will make in some other metal/bead combos in the next few days. Whichever designs my customer does not pick will be spread out across my online selling venues or take with me to Bowie Fall Festival, so it's not like I will have all these copper earrings with blue beads on my website or something.

This process also got me thinking about ways to ramp up production of my items. I like that most of my items are one of a kind, but making them one at a time is very time intensive. If I can make items in parallel- for example make a pile of earrings, even though they might not be alike in any way, or cut out a number of sewn items at a time to be constructed later- I will in the long run be able to greatly increase production. I think this will work out great for me as long as I find ways to continue to stretch my artistic muscles as I go.

Something purty to ooh and ahh over...

Yellow Sea Glass Pendant
Originally uploaded by mornindew2822

Once I found the piece of yellow glass that I blogged about the other day, I committed myself to making time to wrap it into a pendant. I thought it was going to be a pain because there is an odd curved lip on the backside and the piece is really thin, but it proved to be any easy task. I guess when something's meant to be, it works itself out! This is my new favorite piece and is going up for sale in my Etsy shop tonight!

My first genuine yellow sea glass piece!

genuine yellow sea glass piece 1
Originally uploaded by mornindew2822

I found this gorgeous butterscotch yellow piece in Jamestown the other day- my husband had the day off from work and we decided to take advantage of a private beach we have access to and go looking for sea glass. It's the first piece of yellow I've ever come across. Aparently they are extremely rare, occuring about once in every 3000 pieces. Yellow glass was mainly used for decorative household dishware so not generally discarded bt the waterside.

I've been selling off some pieces of sea glass and pottery on eBay, but this one is just too good to pass up! I get so "blah" about making jewelry sometimes, nothing inspires me. When I saw this one and realized it was actually yellow and not just dirty, I was ecstatic! Now I just need to carve some time into my busy schedule so that this can become a pendant very soon!

-Tara