Forgotten

I've made so much jewelry over the past four--almost five--years that sometimes I forget what I've made.  Usually when I make pieces I really like I'll wear them over and over--until I make something new that I like even better.  The other day I was looking through my jewelry for a piece to wear and came across this necklace:

I made this double sided pendant a few months ago and wore it often for a while.  The pendant is two sided--one side has a picture of a castle, the other side has a picture of a tree.  It's actually scrapbook paper topped with a glaze.  I've gotten many compliments on it and now that I remember I have it, I'll have to start wearing it more often!

First Fair

I just got some exciting news.  I've been asked to participate in my first fair as a vendor!  I'm beyond excited!  I've been wanting to do some sort of craft fair for a long time now, and this is the perfect opportunity.  The best part is it benefits juvenile diabetes.  This is a cause near to my heart as one of my daughter's best friends has this disease and I have seen first hand some of the things she and her family go through.  The fair is in April, and I have a lot of work to do to get ready--making more jewelry, designing a display...  Here are a couple of pieces that will probably show up at the fair:

Spring is in the air

It was a beautiful day here in my part of the country--spring is definitely in the air!  It's nearly time for the first spring holiday--St. Patrick's Day.  Even though it's still a couple of weeks away, I was inspired to make these simple green crystal earrings this evening in honor of the occasion:

While I was feeling spring-y, I also created these:

With all this focus on Spring tonight, I may have to ditch my mocha nail polish for something a little brighter!

Starry Night

I don't know a whole lot about art.  I took an art history class in college, and can recognize some of the most famous paintings, but that's about it.  I have, however, always loved Van Gogh's Starry Night:

When I saw that Nancy Schindler from Round Rabbit had made pendants based on this painting, I knew I had to have one. 

The first time they were offered I was too late and they all sold out.  So, the next time she offered them I sat hunched over my computer like a crazy woman until they were listed on her shop.  It paid off and I managed to snag two--one for me and one for my best friend, Misty.  As much as I'd like to keep both for myself, I suppose since Misty has already paid me for hers I should send it to her.  I hope she loves hers as much as I love mine!

Owls

My grandmother loved owls.  Her house had owls everywhere--on the walls, perched on shelves... I never really liked them until a couple of years ago, and now I'm in love with them.  There are owls on my etsy shop banner, on my business cards, on my business card holder, on a couple of purses...Lately they've been showing up in my jewelry a lot, too!

I think if Granny were still alive, she'd like these pieces!

What's Old is New Again

Recently I was asked by a friend to redesign a pair of earrings.  The earrings were a pair of clips given to my friend by her aunt.  While the earrings had sentamental value, they weren't really my friend's style, and the clips hurt her ears.  I have to admit I was intimidated.  What if I cut the earrings apart and my friend didn't like the design I came up with?  Luckily, she did like the design, and I think the earrings turned out very well.  Below is the before and after.  The new design is on the left, and the original clip earring on the right:

Do you have old pieces lying around that have been passed down, or pieces you bought but no longer fit your style?  Why not try giving them a fresh new look?

Beach Fever

Today we had a rare February thunderstorm.  I love a good storm as much as the next person (maybe more!), but all this snow, rain and mud have made me anxious to go here:

I spent the week after Christmas at Nags Head, NC with my family and while I was there I decided to visit a local bead shop, Cloud Nine.  They were offering classes on wire wrapping beach glass, so I decided to give it a shot.  I had a blast, and this was the result:

I have to admit I was never much of a beach person until I started making jewelry.  After that I started noticing the uniqueness of the seashells and all the subtle colors in each of them.  It was as if the beach was a giant bead shop!  I made this necklace after a trip to Carolina Beach, NC a couple of years ago:

It may be a while before I make it back to the beach, but at least I have these goodies to use in the meantime:



Hope you're having beautiful weather where you live!



Choices

Finally, a minute to sit down and type!  It's been a pretty long day with work, taking child #1 to the orthodontist, child #2 to fiddle lessons, and then child #1 to softball practice.  There should be 3 of me!

I put this pendant together the other night.  The beaded bead is from Auntie's Beads, and I added a few similar beads from my own stash.

Now I have to decide what to do with it!  I've thought about a plain silver chain, a black silk cord, a beaded chain...having a hard time deciding!  I have two more of the beaded beads, so I'm thinking a matching pair of earrings are in order!

I got an email today saying the Starry Night pendant I ordered from Round Rabbit has been shipped.  I can't wait to see it!  Starry Night is my favorite painting ever and I'm anxious to use the pendant.  Hope the USPS moves quickly!

Hard to believe that less than 48 hours ago we had 6 inches of snow on the ground!  With temps in the 50s today we now have a lot of mud!  It's easy to get inspired by the snow on the trees--not so much by the mud on the ground!

Hi everyone!  My name is Stephanie Perry, and this is my first blog.  I decided to start blogging about my jewelry making adventures so that I could have an outlet to talk about one of my favorite things--beading! 

A little about me.  I am 37 years old and live in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia with my husband of 15 years, our 13-year-old daugher, our 10-year-old daughter, and our very spoiled dog.  By day, I am the Director of Human Resources at a local college.  Obviously I love making jewelry, but I also love reading and all things crafty. 

Technology isn't necessarily my strong point, but I'm learning!  I hope to blog often--especially when I get excited about something new, like these pieces I created last night.

I found the silver discs at Michael's this weekend and fell in love with them.  They have a bit of a southwest feel to me, and I think the pieces would look great with jeans or a jean jacket.

I hope you'll keep reading more about my jewelry adventures!