FREE REIGN

After making the bracelets that I needed to make for Joce's salon. I allowed myself some free reign. Nobody else will probably want to wear what I've made but who cares, I'll wear them.

For sale at Joce's salon: Three of the bracelets came about due to the white cloisonne beads. The other colours in the beads have been picked up in each bracelet. The one bracelet has an additional white chain with glass bead and pearl charms. The fourth bracelet was made around the beige lamp work bead with the daisy. The rest of the beads are glass and glass pearls.

Free reign: That done I could get down to by own likes. The first necklace was made using the pendant I made. Well I made the mould from clay and Bevan cast it in aluminium. The main part is supposed to be a bird on a branch. I'm not sure what the odd bit on the end is. Maybe I extended the branch beyond the disc shape, I was supposed to be keeping too. No matter, it's mine, so it has to go into a piece of jewellery. While I'm scratching through my beads, I put ones that I'm not looking for, but catch my eye, on a small bead sorting tray, in case I forget about them. I went to the tray for this necklace. Not all the beads, but certainly the pinky crimson ones and the two big green amoeba shaped discs. Some buttons and drop flowers complete the work for me. Exotica I think is apt. The colours are exotic and the bird is, well, just strange.


Exotica

Next came all the tiny wired buttons pictured in a previous blog of mine. I wasn't sure what to do with the buttons. I didn't want to do exactly the same necklace as Eighty Eight. I didn't count the buttons this time, but be rest assured I got a cramp in my shoulders. I used one of the bezels that I filled and I'm very pleased with the outcome. I managed to use all the little buttons and add some more in blues, green and a yellow. The gingham covered buttons are linked together with jump rings. I used one of the doughnuts for a link and the other as a clasp, which is on the side of the necklace and fits just below the collar bone. 

Rogerio

The next two necklaces are not quite finished. I'm a bit undecided about how to finish them off at the back of the neck. Chain or beads or maybe even silk and linen. Not sure, so I'll just look at them for a day or two.

    The bezel with the girl, bunny and buttons seems to have been hand made. The links on the back aren't even. Other than wiring, I had to use large jump rings. I had to wire the bead above which I've used as a link. I couldn't think how to wire it all in one and wasn't in the mood for struggling.

On Thursday, I had some shopping to do and also took myself off to Bead Some More, at Waterglen Centre, in Waterfloof Glen. Some of the red ceramic beads in the blue and red necklace were from Bead Some More. I also managed to get some more bezels, but they are very shallow and three of them are really quite small. Going to have to put my mind to those.

My niece Rochelle, is getting married on the ninth of April and we are all flying down for the wedding. Claire managed to get a really pretty dress, although I'm not sure I should call it pretty. But it's great, I often look at similar dresses and wish I was twenty five years younger. I made some earrings for Claire to choose from that I thought would suit the dress. Claire will let me know if I was completely off the mark with the colours. 

Earrings for Claire to choose from.

My mantra is that there aren't enough hours in a day. I sometimes wonder if I'm wasting my time trying to market the jewellery I make. I could never turn it into a full time business, as it will always only be me doing the work. Anyway, why worry. I'm just going to carry on doing my own thing. I really want to sew tomorrow. I must pack away all the beading paraphernalia, so I can't be tempted. I love sewing, I just need to get going again. The girls jerseys are going great guns. I'm beyond the underarm with the back of Joce's jersey and Claire's is not far behind. I was on a blog the other day and the woman was showing how to knit socks. She said she loved knitted socks and always worked from a pattern. Then she went for a class and was shown how to knit a pair of socks using one's foot measurements as one went along. I must find that blog again, I'm keen to try. I love these, not sensible but so unusual.



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