When it Rains it Poors

You've all heard the saying, but I have recently experienced it... in a good way! The economy is in such a rut that it has been hard to sell anything for over a month now. No jewelry, no scrapbooking items, no cards... my check book was running WAY LOW, just like my gas tank! Then, a turn around.

Within 2 weeks all of the following things happened:

- I was accepted to a local gallery to be an artist in the upcoming show (Craftland 2008)
- I made a huge scrapbooking sale that helped pay two of my bills
- I got a cutom order from a NEW client
- I was approached about possibly doing an interview for the NC Triangle Street Team

Phew! Can you believe it??? I still can't.

I went to drop off my inventory for the gallery today and a lady practically bought a pair of earrings right out of my case. And the gallery doesn't open until FRIDAY! It is simply amazing to me that I could go from one level of my business to another in a matter of weeks. Now, staying there is the challenge... but I'm up to it.

I will be adding some of my gallery photos soon. I heard there was a way to add an album to your blog, but I am completely at a loss for how to do that, so give me a day or so to try and figure that out! :)

Earrings

I also made two different earring sets using my beloved wire!

"Triple Play"

"Bali World"

Solder practice

I am SO impressed with the way this turned out. I wound the wire, cut the jump rings with my jewelry saw, soldered each one individually into a chain, hammered each ring in two places, fashioned the clasp, pickled and polished. I love the way it came out and I am so excited to start my next chain project!!

This is the bracelet named "Circles"

Metal and Wire work

I am completely and utterly fascinated by metal and wire. I love to work with it and I love the things you can make with it. I have been working a lot on my wire wrapping techniques and soldering techniques.

I recently made a bracelet called "Gypsy Dreams" and it is completely wire wrapped. I love the greens in the bracelet from the New Jade briolettes to the swarovski crystals. I also tried my hand at oxidizing with liver of sulfur. I think that I may have polished a bit too much off of this piece, but I love the aged look that it still carries.

Waited A While

Do you think I could have possibly taken any longer to write? Well, I have been busy with jewelry and I have been reading alot on photography. I recently found a great book and I am practicing with my Nikon 5700 to improve my jewelry photos.

Currently, I have realized that I need a new piece of glass! The plexi I am using is HORRIBLY scratched and it looks really bad in my close-ups. But for now, that's what I've got.

I made a new recycled piece and I am very excited about it. I love the way it came together and I am hoping to start a whole new line incorporating the recycled elements. This "charm" bracelet is awesome and I wear it all the time.

Recycling EVERYTHING!

My husband was going through a pile of old childrens hangers that come with the clothes from the store. We were getting ready to recycle them and realized that we would have to take the metal clips off of them because only the plastic is recyclable.

Well, as I picked up the pile of metal clips to throw them away I decided that there had to be good for SOMETHING! Well, they sat in my studio for about a week and then I thought that I would play with them to see what I came up with.

I heated them to anneal the metal and then pounded them out to make them flat. While looking at them I realized that there was a loop already on one end of them so stringing automatically came to mind.

To take a little bit from the "industrial" look of the metal, I paired them with white cat's eye and rose quartz. The result is a funky little fan choker necklace!

Beaded Cabochon

I found this cabochon in the midst of searching my grandmothers jewelry. It was in a silver commemorative bezel celebrating 200 years of America. I kept the bezel, but I wanted something a bit more "glamorous" for the cab.

I combined topaz and burgandy seed beads with Rhondite 4mm rounds to make this bezel. My only problem now is I have no idea what type of stone it is! I would love to find out what it is so that I can purchase beads of the same type to make the actual necklace. Other than that, I think it turned out pretty cool!

Citrine Drop

I ran across some Citrine Quartz that I had stashed and I was loving the yellow color so I decided to pair it with sterling silver, amethyst, and blue lace agate. I used an assortment of tiny gemstones; each individually wire-wrapped and attached to a jump rimg. The briolette was wire wrapped and attached to a 19 inch sterling silver chain. The look is elegant, yet simple. I could see this piece being dressed up or down which is why I like it so much.

Free Time

I took some free time the other day and I decided that I would make a simple necklace for a friend utilizing her birthstone (pearl). I use swarovski pearls (vegan) and amethyst swarovski crystals to make a graduated choker necklace.


I don't know if it is her style, but I figured that it is a fairly classic design. It is 18 inches long and features sterling silver bead caps and an S-clasp.

Go Hedgehogs!

My eldest son just graduated Kindergarten and is moving on to First Grade. On the night prior to the last day of school I sat awake realizing that I had not gotten anything for the teachers in his class. Well, as always, I resorted to what I know... jewelry. I made these bracelets out of Amethyst and Carnelian. The colors happen to be the school colors as well as symbols for knowledge and power so I thought it was quite appropriate.

Each teacher received a double strand bracelet and a thank you card (handmade of course)! The swarovski crystals used were Lt. Peach and Lt. Amethyst.

Christmas In July

I was a part of a project called Christmas in July and the rules were simple. I was to create an ornament using mainly seed beads to trade with a partner in July. Well, July has come and I have sent my ornament. She really enjoyed it and I wanted to share the photo. It is a Russian Leaf technique that drapes over a normal ball ornament.

Revamp. Still wrong.

I decided to revamp the rainbow bracelet since it was really tiny and didn't fit anyone's wrist. I realized that I did the bracelet by length and did not take into account the "chunkiness" of the piece.

So, revamp I did and now... TOO LONG! Agghhh. One more time and then I give up! :) It is so frustrating to get it wrong more than once. Here is another picture of the longer version... again, it's a HORRID picture, but you'll get the idea.

Busy Busy as a Bee

I had a bunch of time (meaning more than 1 hour) to myself the other night (WOOHOO!) and I was able to get some serious studio time in. I decided that I would create a bracelet to fit into a contest theme for an Ebay group that I am a member of (Tranquil Beading Oasis) AND I made a ring for my best friend.

The bracelet (this picture really sucks) is a "rainbow" bracelet featuring handmade beads made from swarovski crystals. I put it all together and added black onyx andsterling silver to balance the vibrant colors.

The ring is based off of a sterling ring I made with the same design. She wanted it made in copper so I used black seed beads, green aventurine, lapis lazuli, and tiger eye beads.

Basta La Pearls

FINALLY! Wow, it took several hours, but I love the way this necklace turned out. I see it as a bridal (or bridesmaid) piece, but I can also see it as a casual dinner piece as well. Each individual pearl has a wrapped loop on each end and I linked them to each other and some jump rings to create the chandelier parts.

A break from pearls

I had to take a break from that friggin' necklace! It is SO time consuming, but it is almost done AND it is GORGEOUS! I can't wait to share pictures of the completed piece.

But yesterday, I had to take a break so I decided to work on another project. I received a request from a client for 40 thank you cards. She wanted simple designs, not too expensive, colorful, and she also wanted 4 different designs.

Well, after some time in the studio I produced the following four designs...

This first one (above) is a simple stamp embellished with mulberry flowers and rhinestones. The scallopped and punched edge was added and the card was complete!

The next card and I have a love / hate relationship right now. I love the simplicity and the embossed "Thank You" but I am thinking that the embossed letters need a highlight in a different color. I don't know what it is, but I adore this one. It was so simple to make, but it looks so unique and complicated. The bouquet of flowers was fashioned out of Jolee's flowers, raffia, and mulberry paper. I simple background enhances the bouquet and a stamped thank you was then added.

This one is very simple, not too complicated and cute! I think the only thing that I would change is the stamp. I am not liking this particular Thank You design.

Today a necklace, tomorrow the WORLD!

No really, not the world, just part of it! For the last couple of days I have been working on a pearl necklace that I imagine would look beautiful on a bride, or bridesmaid. I am using sterling silver 26 guage wire, 3mm fresh water pearls and 6mm fresh water pearls. Every single pearl is individually wire-wrapped and put together in what I do hope is a pleasing arrangement.

The inspiration (yet again) comes from an article in a beading magazine that I ran across one day. Most of my inspiration occurs this way, which I guess is more of a "AH HA" moment than real inspiration, but none-the-less, I saw a similiar idea in a magazine and I took it and made it mine.

Jewelry is definately my "thing" right now. I have a sketch book full of ideas (real ones! that are mine!) and I have a ton of projects lined up in front of me.

Oh yeah, and I got these done the other day. I was fooling around with an idea so I did them in copper, but I like them! The beads are 2mm amethyst rounds.

Meet the Nut

Yep, I'm talking about me. I'm Truly (yes, that is my name... no, my last name is NOT Scrumptious) and I am the crafty nut. Some would call me a mixed media artist, others a scrapbooker, and still others a jewelry designer. All of it is true, yet none of it is.

I love to craft. I am interested in and learn tons of different crafts in tons of different mediums because I have not really found my "niche" yet. I own my own company (http://www.truniquedesigns.com/) and I am a mother, wife, sister, daughter, and friend. I have a LOT on my plate... (are you understanding the encumbered part yet?).

I decide (through my vast library of crafting knowledge) what I like to look at and then I decide (because I think I am a crafting goddess) that I can do that! Yep, it's pricey, it's time consuming, and it's chaotic, but I like to think that I dabble in just about any craft out there.

Anyway, my point is, WELCOME to the mind of a semi-psychotic, extremely creative, overly encumbered artist. Come with me as I take my creative journey.