Day 348

I adapted the technique I learned in a class last month to make this pair of earrings as a gift. I have found so many uses for these quick little flowers. I have them all packaged up and ready to mail today.

Day 347

Paul and I took a Christmas cookie making class this afternoon. He had a ton of fun rolling dough, pressing out cookies, rolling balls, frosting, and sprinkling sugar. He also did a fair bit of taste testing along the way. One of my favorite things about this class is that it was at one of the local wholesome food stores, so a lot of the ingredients were natural and added healthy elements to the delicious treats.

Day 326

This afternoon I had the opportunity to take a discounted metal working class with my beading partner. I'm not sure if this would have been my very first choice for a class, but it was what worked out with the timing. I liked the technique and there are a lot of possibilities. Unfortunately, there is yet another tool to purchase if I want to do more with this one.

I do love the wire we picked out.

Day 325

I spent the day doing some learning.

Day 299

As a rare treat, I was able to do two beading projects in two days. This evening I took a class at my favorite local shop creating a metal worked pendant. This creation was inspired by the designer's neighbor's Wisteria vine. It was a really fun piece made by crushing light-weight, 34 gauge copper into the blossoms.

I really, really enjoyed this metal working technique. It was very organic and worked up nicely. I'm thrilled that I was able to complete the pendant during the class. I can't think of another metal worked class where I've walked away with the finished piece. I have so many nearly completed projects. I'm not counting the fact that I still have to make it into a necklace.

I was also very happy to discover that I already own nearly all of the tools to make this piece again in the future. I am certain I will be incorporating this technique into other pieces.

Day 298

This afternoon I was able to celebrate the anniversary of the opening of my favorite local bead shop. As is the annual tradition, we made a bracelet. This year, we had to learn a new technique, which was a fun change from just stringing.

The final product was a lot like the Chaos bracelet I learned how to make a couple weeks ago, but you use your hands instead of an electric screwdriver.

The hardest part was probably trying to figure out the colors. It's totally fun to be figuring out your colors while shopping in the store instead of trying to dig through your stash at home. It almost makes me wish I had a bead shop at home. Almost. At least if someone else was paying. ;)

Day 270

It has been and will continue to be a very busy time for me right now. It seems like I am never home with my family. But when the opportunity arose to take a class from Scott David Plumlee at my favorite bead shop, then I had to find the room in my schedule.

The class I took was making a Double Chaos bracelet using a technique from his newest book. (It's actually featured on the cover.) The technique is pretty free-form, which is a bit out of my comfort zone. Even my "free-form" was coming out in a pattern, so I had to mess it up a bit.

It was a great class, and I wish I'd had the time to take all four of them this weekend. I hope he'll return when his third book come out next fall, and I'll be able to take more. He's really such a nice guy and explained several other techniques in addition to the chaos component.

Day 241

For six hours today I took a riveting class taught by Tracy Stanley (just in case you missed my last post). We started off with 3" x 3" sheets of brass and bronze. We marked off squares, textured them, antiqued them, cut them out, rounded the corners, pounded the edges, picked out charms and created decorative components. Then we started riveting the pieces together.

It wasn't until I looked at my first completed square of metal that I actually started getting into this class. The thing about metal working is you have to do 10-15 different steps before you finally start to see some results and anywhere along the line something can go wrong. I didn't like making all of these decisions - this metal or that metal? this texture? more texture? how do I lay it out?

What I loved about this class is that pretty much all of those decisions didn't have a wrong answer. It was a lot of playing around and experimenting, but for the most part everything turned out great. I was really pleased with what I accomplished. I think I was able to complete more of this project than I have with any other metal work class I've taken in the past.

I can't wait to complete this into a bracelet, and I'm already thinking of other things I want to try out. Unfortunately, there are quite a few tools that I would like to add to my beading supplies.


Had to share this picture from today also just because the colors were so fantastic!

Day 240

I am taking a metal working class taught by Tracy Stanley for most of the day tomorrow. I decided to lay out the tools I'll need for class. My sister-in-law and I are sharing some tools, so I don't have everything I'll need, but it's a good start. I used my gift certificate from my anniversary to purchase the hammers this afternoon.

It should be an awesome class, but I have to admit that I'm still a little bummed that it's not the resin class I really wanted to take. But there are only so many resources. Next time.

Day 236

It was a beading night for me tonight. Several months ago, I discovered one of the jump rings on my favorite bracelet needed to be fixed. Instead of taking the two minutes I needed to repair it at the time, I set it aside and forgot about it. I found it again when I was looking for a necklace this weekend, and decided I'd been without it long enough.

After I finished the fix, I was looking for something else and stumbled upon the ingredients for this simple necklace. My favorite local bead shop had a Mother's Day bracelet event, and after making the bracelet, I purchased the supplies for a necklace in the same pattern.

I decided to make the necklace at home, and after more than three months, it's finally done. I really like it, but it's a bit longer than I'd prefer, so I'm debating on taking an inch or more off of the chain.

Below is a picture of the bracelet from the Mother's Day event with Swarovski pearls and crystals in Montana. Then the chain bracelet that is my very favorite. I need to wear it again because it's starting to tarnish. And finally my new necklace. I can't remember the Swarovski colors I finally decided on. I'll look them up later.



Here's another shot of the necklace. Yet again breaking my one-picture-a-day rule.

Day 124

I do not often get a chance to work on making jewelry outside of classes. I really would like to, but the busyness of life gets in the way.

Tonight my husband could tell that I needed some time off. So he left with the kids and orders that I was not to do anything work related. I bought this kit when I took the jewelry class a few weeks ago, so I pulled it out.

I was hoping I could make it all tonight, but I am pleased with my progress. First I made all the little flowers, and then I started the assembly. I'm probably just over half way through with the entire project. We'll see how long it takes me to finish it.

Day 108

I was going to try to refrain from using this picture in my 365 today because I wanted to wait until I had completed it in a way I'm more excited about, but the reality of my life is that might not happen for several months. And, this is also by far the best thing I did today.

For the first time in I think probably about nine months, unless I'm forgetting something, I was able to take a jewelry class. My jewelry making partner in crime and I took a soldering class. I've been very interested in learning this technique for quite a while. It was really fun to learn, and while my finished product is not perfect, it is very organic. I'm looking forward to getting a chance to try this out again and incorporate it into some of my future jewelry pieces.

This particular pendant features my two boys - one on each side. The soldering process marred the photos I used a little, but I think it adds to the organic feel of the piece.