Stuff I've Been Doin'

Here you can see what I've been up to. I've always liked spiral knotting (as in the necklaces at the top). It's very soothing, and I am very pleased with the visual effect of the spiral. Plus I have like a gazillion focals to use up. So I'm making a lot of spiral necklaces, and getting better with practice. They work well as chokers but can also be adapted for longer lengths. They are easy to close with a knot and loop; you just have to learn to construct it correctly. I have also been doing lots and lots of bead and wire link bracelets like the white one. They work well for giveaways and for charity, because it is easy to make a wide variety with a few medium-sized beads and some wire. You really don't have to do anything to fancy to get a nice effect, they are durable, and the silver or copper sparkles beautifully. I like Czech glass best for these, but there are about a zillion options. The best sizes are 6-10 mm. I went through my bead stash today and pulled everything I have in those sizes so I can make a bunch more. The one with the leather and all the round beads is one I'm keeping. The beads are borosilicate, and the leather was tied to just fit if I roll it on over my hand. That's the type of thing that has to be custom-fitted and is therefore not much good for giveaways unless you happen to find the person with just the right size hand and wrist. The last one I'm not sure what to do with. I created it with the idea of packing a bracelet with a lot of dichro and sterling. Not sure I like the result. It looks kind of boring to me. Not sure if I will leave it alone, deconstruct it, keep it, give it away, or dance wildly twirling it over my head. Well, probably not the latter. =-)