Recycled glass bracelet

These are bracelets I made with the recycled glass beads. I love how "artsy" and bold they turned out. If you want an original looking, chunky bracelet, this is it. :)

Recycled glass beads

I have been experimenting with shards of throw-away stained glass. Kind of a rough look, but I like them so far. :)

Trinkets

Just a few things for some of my girlfriends. :) Merry Christmas!

Winter boutique 2008

I finally got around to putting some photos on our computer. They are terrible pictures, but I do not have a photo program to mess around with yet. (new computer, it just has basics on it) I will redo these photos later. For now, this is what I have. :) My blog is undergoing a little makeover, slowly. If any of you have some suggestions for a good photo/image software program, please let me know!

Here are some of the soldered jewelry I have made. Mostly pendants. As you scroll through the photos, if you see anything orange/blue/white, those are for the local high school. Most of the necklaces I made, and a number of the bookmarks, are related to the local high school. (Go Bengals!)
I can made them with any kind of image, paper, lettering, etc. I mix the glass pendants with art glass pieces, wire, and beads. (some are my own lampwork beads)

I started making "mini" bookmarks this year. I sell them for $6 - $7.

The large bookmarks still run between $12 - $16. That depends on the cost of the beads.

The next few pictures are difficult to see. I am still learning how to use my new camera. (also, I really need a good photo editing program)

My little display. It is a bit crowded in this picture. Later, after I left, they found a larger table so my little creations had some room to breath. :)

Since this boutique, I have made more bookmarks, beads, and necklaces. I am doing an order for the highschool cheerleading team, and I will post that as soon as I'm done. That is going to be a fun project, I hope the girls like them. More to come!!!

more fun stuff

I am really having fun with these. I can't wait to get some clear glass and start putting paper, letter, or pictures in them. I think I will start doing "ladies night" making these things. I will get all the charms and beads made up, and then a group of friends can come over and assemble their own necklace. With the clear glass, I can even do kids drawings, and personalized images. It is really a fun craft. Here is just a sample of what I have come up with so far........

Herb Markers

I came up with these like I do with most projects, out of necessity. I found myself with over 20 herbs in my garden, (I didn't mean to do this, it just happened over time), and I needed a way to mark them all. I hate spending money, so I needed something that was cheap.

I found some old wood trim someone was throwing out, and bought some more copper wire at Home Depot. I cut the wood, carved the herb names on them, painted in shades of burnt orange, red, fuchsia, and plum, then "antiqued" them with a pale blue, sealed them with clear spray, and last, dusted them with some copper spray paint.
I took the pictures at night, I was just too excited after I finished, I had to take pictures right away. I am really happy with how they turned out. I can make them in any color, I just thought these colors would look good against the green when the plants get nice and big later this season.

Spring Boutique items

Sorry the pictures are not that good. If you click on them, you will be able to see more detail. I was in a rush to photograph them before placing them in plastic envelopes for the boutique. I still have a lot left, so I plan on selling them on Etsy.com. Prices range from $8 - $15. They make GREAT Mother's Day gifts! If you see one you like, let me know, I might still have it for sale.




I was so inspired by the background pictures as I made these, that some of the bookmarks match too well, and blend right in to the packaging. Sorry about that. I know it makes it even harder to see the beads, but they ALL turned out lovely, (I am pleased with this round).

practice, practice, practice!

This week's series......

I did these today, I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I need lots of practice, just like Pam said. :)

Jade's Funky Bag

I am new at this, it was a big step for me to branch off from my family blog, and it might be a while before I get some new work out. I thought I would post a few things I have made that have not left in gift bags. A little preface; my daughter is a unique soul, this was made at her request. She wears miss-matched socks every day to school. Her criteria is that they must be different in color, pattern, and sometimes length and material. You can see this bag suits her well. She has made two more requests for handbags, I will get to those after this season of bugs have passed over. :)

Ancient Mexican Floral Motif

I love to carve clay tiles or pottery. When clay is not available, I do my best with wood. This was my way of recycling some redwood scraps from our deck. It was a nice way to get out some tension. :)

November '07 bookmarks

I spent the day painting with black enamel paint, (as you will see on my hands), and making bookmarks for a local Boutique. These shots were quickly taken as my girlfriend gathered the bookmarks to load in her car and set up our table.

I will get better at taking pictures of my work, I'm sure.......or you will just have to use your imagination and try to think of how pretty they really look. :)

December 2007 bookmarks

Some special orders right before Christmas.