Custom Order Ouroboros Necklace

Recently, I've been working on things that aren't very photogenic.

I mean, assembling furniture and organizing music and sorting through yarn are all happy things...  But, just like any creation process, they're messy and tend to create piles of things all over the floor.  And, well, I'm not going to take pictures of floor-piles.

But, not all is lost! There is something recently that I did get a chance to make... and that something is photogenic, to boot!

It is a custom necklace for a friend.

Ta-da!

She wanted it to be all copper, to match different pairs of copper earrings she owns.  She also wanted it to be a bit shorter, so that it could work well with her different shirt necklines.

So, I made an ouroboros necklace.  

What's an ouroboros necklace?  Well, it's what I call a simple necklace design that reminds me of the classic snake-eating-its-own-tail imagery.  (For my explanation of this, go here.) These necklaces are versatile, and can be worn several different ways.

For example, the one that I created for my friend can be worn three ways.

First, it can be worn with the toggle and dangle in the front:

It can be worn with the toggle and dangle in the back, leaving just a simple scoop of chain in the front:

And it can be worn over the head, with the larger chain on one side and the two smaller chains on the other:

When worn with the toggle clasp closed, it measures a little over 16 inches.  When worn over the head, it measures closer to 34 inches.

Am I happy with how this necklace turned out?  

Yes.  (I want one!)

Is she happy with how it turned out?

Definitely!

...and, honestly, hearing her excitement about it has made the entire process worth it. I love being able to make things that people love; I love being able to take an idea and create something beautiful.

And when I'm done organizing those floor-piles and have brought order to my apartment and craft room, I am excited that I will have room to do even more! 

Bottle Cap Update

Guess who's still been playing with bottle caps?

...Yeah, that would be me.

When I last blogged about them, I simply showed my designs--before pouring resin, before adding the magnet backings, before... well, before pretty much anything.  

Granted, I still haven't actually made anything with them yet, but the resin has cured, and the light was finally compelling enough for me to take pictures of them.

So... here are some pictures! :D

Eight gear bottle caps... four with copper bases, four with brass bases.

The resin did not cure like I thought it would...  instead of staying flat on top, it conformed to the contours of the gears:

Shows what I know about such things, I suppose. Maybe I didn't add enough? Next time I'll try filling it all the way to the top and see what happens then. But! In the meantime, I don't think that's a bad thing, really. 

I mean, I still think they look pretty fantastic.

And, I suppose it's only fair to show that they didn't all turn out fantabulous...  There was one bad apple.

...It's blue.  
Why is it blue?

I'm not entirely sure what happened, but the resin did indeed turn blue.  I guess the copper and the resin had a reaction? Maybe it was just a bad gear? Or something? 

Who knows.

But...  At least the other eight turned out nicely!

Hurray for bottle caps!

Hurray for bottle caps with gears in them, that will be turned into wonderful things!

I will be sure to keep you updated, as I start working on those things... Magnets, definitely, but possibly a few other things.  Mwahahaha!

Er, ahem. 

Apparently I break into evil laughter when I'm excited?

Anyway, I've been having fun.  Stay tuned to see what else I do with them!  And, in the meantime, I hope everyone is doing well!  :)

Yay!

The sun is out, the sun is out!

The last three weeks have been full of nothing but non-stop rain and storms and cloudy skies... which means that, for the last three weeks, I have been bumbling around with my poor inner ear going wonky from the changing air-pressure, causing near-constant vertigo. It was extremely hard to focus and be productive. Ugh.

In fact, I didn't realize how much of my lack-of-focus was caused by this until yesterday...

When the sun came out.

Blue sky! And trees! ...But mostly blue sky, lol.

I got more done yesterday than I have gotten done in three weeks.

...It was glorious! 

And! According to the forecasts, the next ten days should be storm-free...  I am so ridiculously excited! I might even be able to catch up on all of the blogging that I've been wanting to do--both because I can finally take nice pictures (yay natural light) and because I'll have the ability to write coherent thoughts! (I need to write about vacation crafts, and jewelry makeovers, and vacation loot, and current projects, and and and...)

Thank you all for being patient with me while I've been kind of scarce.

Golly, it's nice to have my brain back. :D

Tree Branch of Doom

It's been storming here a lot recently.

That means bad light for pictures... long bouts of vertigo (I get horribly dizzy when the air pressure changes, due to a sensitive inner ear)...

And, apparently, tree branches that have it out for me.

Don't even think about getting out of the car... Apparently.

Seriously, I ran errands with my friend yesterday... When we got home, it was raining so hard that I decided to wait in the car for the rain to ease up just a bit.

It's a good thing I did, too, because this branch came crashing down--on the car, and right where I would have been standing.

Branch seen through the windshield.

Thankfully, both I and the car escaped without a scratch... But, sheesh! Talk about adrenaline!

Branch from another angle.

Branch from yet another angle.

The branches today, now that it's not raining...
Waiting for the maintenance men to clean them up.

I cannot even begin to express how thankful I am that the rest of my day was uneventful--even pleasant. It was full of errands and yummy food and hanging out with friends.

There are so many times that I complain or schnark because of things that happen... a jewelry design doesn't work out the way that I intended, or another chapter unfolds in my ongoing adventures in the world of apartment complex laundry... 

And then things like this happen, and I realize just how blessed I really am just to be alive and breathing and surrounded by beautiful things.

...and, only occasionally getting attacked by tree limbs.

Playing with Bottle Caps!

The past few weeks have been dedicated to getting post-vacation life back in order. 

I have been working very diligently on some things that I need to do... Custom orders, Bead Ruckus planning, the upcoming Bead Hoarders blog hop, cleaning the kitchen, assembling furniture, deciding seven days in that I am indeed going to be part of Camp Nanowrimo this year, and so forth.

As a result, my time in my craft room has been governed by things that need to happen... That is, until this past Friday, when I rebelled and did something completely goofy.

Namely, I played with bottle caps.

Steampunky bottlecap goodness!
This is before the lacquer has been poured, when I was figuring out
what I wanted to do.

A few Christmases ago, my parents gave me this as a gift...  geared towards kids, it's essentially the gateway introduction to resin.  And, since it's the simple type of resin (water-based, and doesn't require measuring and mixing and actually being awake), it was a wonderful way to just goof off.

The above bottle caps are going to be turned into magnets, I think.

All in all, it was wonderful to experiment... and remember that while there are things that need to be done, there needs to be time to play around, too.  Because playing around leads to innovation and discoveries, and a dramatically decreased stress level.

...And I think I see more bottle caps--and resin--in my future.

Announcement: Bead Hoarders Blog Hop!

My Blog Hop addiction seems to be going strong... 

Yes, indeed, I have signed up for another one:

The Bead Hoarders Blog Hop!

This hop is run by the delightful Lori Anderson--yes, the Lori Anderson, of Bead Soup fame--and, as you can probably guess by the name, it is dedicated to using up some of those "special" beads.  

...Yes, those beads.  The ones that I have amassed, and then squirreled away in an organized little box to never, ever use.  Because I'm waiting for just the right idea.  Because it was expensive.  Because it was a special occasion when I bought it.  

Because it needs to be used in something perfect.  

Well, hmmph.  I've decided to use this blog hop as an impetuous to tackle my bead stash, and bring some of those beauties to light! After all, I bought those special beads because they were special... and it's time to use them!  :)

Stop by on July 20th to see what I've made!

Bead Ruckus Kit - Revealed!

Wooo!  The most recent Bead Ruckus Kit has been revealed!

Picture courtesy of the Bead Ruckus website

These components are lovely... and certainly not things that I would normally put together. (Heh. You know, I don't think I've actually ever worked with cup chain--seen in the top left...)

But, that's the point! I'm ridiculously excited. Not only have I ordered my kit, but have already started sketching out ideas of what I want to do.

Want to see what I make with them?

Come back on August 25th to see! 

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Not familiar with Bead Ruckus?  You can either look at this entry, or the Bead Ruckus website, for an explanation! 

Want to try your hand at making something with these components, too?  Go here to see the full list of components, and here to see how to submit a picture of what you've made!

Hello, July!

Apparently, my body thinks it's still on vacation... Honestly, every time I sit down to write a blog entry, my brain turns into mashed turnips and I have all the focus of a grapefruit. 

Ah well.  Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things soon.

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Things that Make Me Happy...

Being home, surrounded by coziness and familiarity and the sense of belonging.

The back of my couch:
Star Trek blanket and Angry Birds plushies.

Assembling new furniture! Last week, I put together a cute little bookshelf all by myself, and it is being turned into game central.

Not organized, per se, but getting there!

Watching pretty sunsets.

Sunset while visiting friends for game night.

Doing word-search puzzles and Sudoku.

I went through an entire book of word-searches while on vacation.

Eating blueberries.

A wonderful snack while out doing errands.  :)

Remembering cabins in the woods--and knowing that I get to go back next year.

Home away from home.

I hope that your day is also full of happy things...  Happy July!

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P.S. Something else that makes me happy--realizing that my toe isn't broken! Sore and bruised, yes, but not swollen anymore.  Woo!  :)