It's "Maker Monday!'... where I blog about something I've made recently.
Frankly, today was a hard post (obviously, as I am posting a bit late in the day... even for me).
This week, the things I have been working the most on... have been Christmas themed envelope sets made from recycled book pages... and guitar picks, made from recycled store gift cards. BUT. I've posted recently on both of those things, and I hate to be repetitive... so I was having a bit of a dilemma.
Frankly, that is the life of being self employed though... in that, sometimes... it's all making one type of thing... or one aspect of a thing... for several days... then doing a slightly different aspect... and so on... until you fulfill an order, or use up a supply. I've been working on these particular things because they are on a Christmas theme... and I want to get them in the shop. But, that doesn't make for a necessarily interesting post... or much of a variety.
I've also decorated the house a little for Thanksgiving... changed out the stuff on the fireplace mantle... and on the kitchen table centerpiece. But... while this is certainly an aspect of being a creative soul... and living the creative life.... it doesn't make for a fabulous post either.
... what did I do?
I have a lot of turquoise stone beads. Probably because I lived in New Mexico for so long, and had access to a variety of Native sellers and local shops that had it. AND... because it's gorgeous... and I can't help myself. Turquoise is found all over the world. I have some from Africa... from Tibet... from China... from Mexico... and of course, from Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. I am fortunate to have some pieces from all of those places... and decided to look through my "stash" and make something.
I worked on a bracelet design... that actually was not co-operating (probably because of the headache)... so it's now going to be the main element in a necklace (top photo). And then, I made a pair of earrings. I love the earrings. I have used a "petal" shaped, sterling silver, hammered hoop for the main body of the earring; and then made dangles of gorgeous Nevada turquoise rounds, faceted coral (hard to find) beads, and solid sterling beads from Santa Fe, NM... on sterling ball-end headpins (bottom photo). I think they're pretty cool.
See you all tomorrow.
