Favorites For Friday

It's been a while, that is what happens when you get a job...lol. Actually, it has been weird working after being unemployed for 2 years and of course, in my job I have a different schedule every week. Some days working early and others working later. Fortunately I don't have to do any graveyard shifts otherwise I really would be up a creek! I was wracking my brain trying to think of something good for this weeks favorites seeing as it had been a while and I went to my favorites over on Etsy and decided to spotlight some beautiful niobium pieces. If you don't know this already (which I'm sure you do) niobium is a great metal for those with metal allergies. Now, to the best part.

WYSIWYG Niobium Spin 'em In Earrings - Element 41

Parallel Helm Chainmaille Bracelet - Greenstar Jewellery

Coiled Niobium Toggle Clasp - C & T Designs

Rainbow Peacock Earrings - Late Night Muse

Cerulean Blue Fantasy Earrings - On The Bead

As you can see by my picks, I prefer niobium when it has been anodized. It changes to some amazing colors.

Favorites For Friday

No green beer here but I do have some very interesting items to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. All of these items are from Etsy (as always) and boy was there quite a few to choose from. I love how something is just green and someone has used the tag of St. Patrick's Day but I guess if you are going to celebrate it then you need something green ... no matter what it may be! These were a few of my favorites.

McTavish The Irishman - Mary's Monkeys

May The Road Rise Blessing Trinity Knot - My Serenity Way

Glass Lampwork Four Leaf Clover Pendant - Boomwire

Guinness Sugar Cookies & Shamrock Cookie Nibbles - Crafted Cookies

Lucky Charm & Silver Shamrock Earrings - Ali C's Creations

The one nice thing (in my opinion) about St. Patricks Day is the fact that no matter whether you are Irish or not....no matter what religion, you can celebrate the day. The Irish are very welcoming like that, more than happy to have everyone join in with the celebrations. Hope yours is a good one.

Here's One I Made Earlier

Obviously I have had a severe lack of funds to buy more jump rings for a little while so I have been playing around with what I have. I really don't know how I ended up with SOOO many purple jump rings but as I was sick of looking at them sitting there and didn't want to make more purple items for my shop I decided to make something for myself. It's just a simple double spiral chainmaille weave necklace (choker).


I also noticed that despite the fact that I love copper, I really didn't have that many pairs of copper earrings in my own collection. With the new job we are only allowed to wear small earrings though I have noticed quite a few people don't follow that rule (lol). I had been wanting to make another pair of these earrings for myself and I finally sat down the other day and did it. They are woven in a variation of byzantine weave called romanov. Basically it is just two sections of the byzantine weave, connect at each end with a slightly bigger jump ring and add a lovely Swarovski crystal in between. I used 6mm crystals and they were some freebies I got but I think the color is Siam though it is hard to tell in the photo as well as in person. It's such a dark red but really pretty with the copper.


Needless to say, I have plenty of ideas running around my head for projects it's just getting the rings to play around. One thing I really want to do is play with some really thick gauge rings, like 14, to make some chunky jewelry. Hopefully I will be able to get those and of course, I'll post any and all new projects here.

Favorites For Friday

I recently had someone on Etsy ask me if I would consider oxidizing one of my copper bracelets for them if they decided to purchase it. I have to admit that over the years of making jewelry my tastes have basically stayed the same but some things I have opened my mind to. Oxidizing is one thing and I answered that, of course I would. Then I started thinking about all the possibilities there are when you do oxidize metals and it actually got me thinking that maybe I ought to get my act together and make a few things. Till then, I thought I would share some of the pretty mixed metal items I found over on Etsy. I was surprised there was only 6 pages when I typed in "oxidized mixed metals" as my search.

Mixed Metals Copper Squares with Sterling Silver - Dream Belle Designs
(these are dainty but I LOVE them!)

Wavy Mixed Metal Ruffles & Ridges Earrings - Pobbletoes

Brushed Golden Teardrop Oxidized Sterling Silver Dangle Earrings - Glitz Glitter

Mixed Metals Sterling Skull Copper Earrings - KimVGlass

Chandelier Oxidized Sterling Silver Wire Heart Earrings - Mayahelena

I still love looking at shiny metals but after checking out these beautiful designs I definitely want to explore the world of oxidizing. As always, once I do I'll post some pretty pics here.

Favorites For Friday - New Year's Eve Edition

Can you believe that 2010 is just about over?! I believe that you need to get out your bling and really celebrate this year after all that has happened over the past few years with the economy all over and the many other sad/bad things. Here is a fun collection of blingtastic handmade items direct from Etsy which are perfect for any New Year's Eve party.

Beaded Stem Champagne Glass Set - Dizzy Diva

Black on Black Rhinestone Bustier (Custom Size) - Dark Pony Designs

New Years Eve Earrings - Creations by Jessica

Sparkle Rhinestone Ice Clutch - Jemma Morris

Camelot Swarovski Pearl and Crystal Necklace - Ruby Mines

Hope everyone enjoys their New Year's Eve celebrations. Be safe, and please don't drink and drive.

Been Busy

Ahhh boredom can do funny things to people. For me, it makes me just sit down and play! I'm sure there are others of you that do the same thing and you will know that sometimes things work....sometimes they don't. The first photo is a bracelet that I ended up making for myself. I've had my coiling gizmo for a while now and had attempted these coils before but just could NOT get them right. I finally sat down and set it up and was determined this time to get them to work. They turned out much better than previous tries but I still wasn't 100% happy with them. At least not enough to sell something like this but at least I'm getting there.

I love wire, all colors, shapes and sizes. In fact, I collect wire like Lisa over at Alterity Art collects buttons! Seriously, I have a box full of wire. So, again time to play and I came up with these babies. I also have a real fascination with swirls so I love to mix and match colors. By the way, these are listed over on Etsy here....only $6!


Of course, I couldn't make all these earrings and skip out on my first love - chain maille. These are Shaggy Loops earrings which I also added some big (size 6) seed beads. I have this tube of beads in all these lovely shades of purple and thought they would look very nice on some aluminum jump rings. I made them shorter as I know the majority of women prefer shorter earrings, especially for every day wear.


Lastly, this was originally a necklace which I had used these fake Swarovski crystals that I bought years ago when I first starting making jewelry. They really looked fake too. I decided to take it all apart other than the chain maille bits and then re-connect them. I decided to go with these orange anodized aluminum rings which I think look pretty nice. Now it is a bracelet which I shall be listing on Etsy soon.


I still have a few more pairs of earrings that I haven't had a chance to take photos of yet but there is time. Plus I have a few more ideas running around in my head of some more wire creations.

My Home Back!

The husband left on Saturday to escort his mother back to England and he is due back late tonight (Monday). Of course, I haven't had much time to myself as I've been trying to clean up after she left. Also, it was just nice to not have to worry about entertaining her which has been very tiring for us both. I will say this about the dementia/memory thing....she forgets she's been somewhere and we can take her over and over again!

During her time her, the mother in law got real tired, real easy. She is 83 so it was to be expected and of course the super hot weather (108 most days) can tire anyone out. She took quite a few naps which was time we had to just relax and maybe get a few household chores achieved. I did manage to work on a few new jewelry items including the above earrings. I have these really cool spikes which aren't real spikey and are made of aluminum so they weigh next to nothing. I did make an anklet with a few but I still have quite a few left and grabbed a few rings and whipped these earrings up.

Over the past week and half I actually have had 3 sales on Etsy which is great considering I re-opened my shop back in June. It was just like I had opened it from the beginning all over again...waiting for that "first" sale. By the way, I'm loving the new wider pages over on Etsy, looks so much better and cleaner.

Now that things are sort of back to normal I shall hopefully be able to post more regularly and will definitely have my Favorites For Friday back this week.

Happy Easter

White Bunnies in Gunmetal Earrings from Strung Out & Wired

I'm sure there are a few people out there that don't celebrate it but despite that I'd like to wish everyone a very happy Easter. Even if you just spend the day crafting or perusing the pages of Etsy.

By the way, I'd like to comment back to Sharla's comment from Beaded Tail on my last post. She mentioned Bead Haven which I've been to a few times as my friend Jennifer lives not far from it so it is usually where we shop when we go out. Plus there is a great Thai Restaurant in the same complex. It's a little bit of a drive if you are visiting Las Vegas and staying on the Strip but it is worth the drive as they do have a pretty darn good selection of all types of beads, books and tools. As is Bead Jungle which is the other way down in Green Valley/Henderson. I'm sure I've mentioned bead shops in Vegas which are few and far between but if you are ever coming for a visit and would like to do a bit of bead shopping, don't hesitate to contact me and I'll give you my best opinion. Sadly, one of my favorite shops which was a few blocks from the Strip, Vegas Beads, closed a little while back. They had a great selection of Swarovski and the best prices.

Christmas Favorites

I would be lying if I said I purposely didn't do my Favorites for Friday last week so I could do a special Christmas Favorites. I have to admit that for many reasons I'm not really a fan of this time of year. None of which are worth spending time discussing here...I prefer to keep things light-hearted. Needless to say, I decided to stop by and share some fun items I found over on Etsy that are representative of Christmas to me.

Candy Charm Bracelet, oogieboogiebaubles

<Peppermint Sparkles, dkjewels

Pacific Blooms, happymaxdesigns

Twelve Days of Christmas Bracelet, mjulian (my personal favorite of all)


So, despite my not so happy mood at the time of year, I would still like to wish everyone a wonderful Holiday Season. I would also like to thank everyone for still stopping by my blog despite the fact that I find it so hard to keep it as updated as I had previously.

New Things and an Update

Yes, I'm still here, just on a SUPER sllloooooww dial-up connection. Ever noticed that not only is dial-up slow but you ALWAYS get kicked off. . . and it is usually right when you are doing something important! So, we are all moved out and in between I managed to snap a few shots of a few new things I have done lately. I have a few more pairs of these beautiful lucite flowers in other colors but this is the next pair that I made. Same as the red ones I posted previously but the ear wire I made a bit different. I really like just making these very simple since I want the flower to be the focal point. Much as I love the earrings that have a flower with beads, crystals and maybe a leaf or two, these just cry out to be on their own (IMHO).


This next piece is something I have actually been working on for a few months a little at a time. I believe the beads are Fancy Jasper but if you know they are not then please let me know. I was just going by pictures on Fire Mountain Gems site and so I could be totally off base. I did the copper wire spiral caps and then separated the beads with Byzantine chainmaille sections. Then added more Byzantine to the "back" part of the necklace. I'll have to get a shot of me modeling it so you can see how it lays. It's meant to sit at the base of the neck. The beads are actually really big, probably 10 or 12mm or for reference, the size of marbles. Chunky but not over the top.

I haven't been able to do many Entrecard drops or stop by any blogs but I noticed that there is a library that my husband passes during the day. I'm hoping to go there one day and use the wi-fi. Might actually be able to achieve a few things. I did get to the LV Gem & Mineral Society shop on Tuesday to finish up some cabochons I needed to shine up. I have some copper and brass wire and plan on wrapping them soon. Of course, I'll share photos when I'm done. Hope all is well for everyone out there in Blogland and I'll attempt to stop by soon.

Something New!

Lately I haven't really been in the mood to make much but I did manage to whip up these earrings a week or so ago. The only problem is that I didn't notice until after I'd made them that some of the anodized aluminum rings have white spots on them. This sometimes happens when you get a bad batch. Shame since you really can't see them that much but if I were to sell them then I'd have to mention it and then probably would only sell them for like $1 or something. I love this style since it's very simple but looks good no matter what type of jump rings you use. I have a pair I made when I first started weaving chainmaille that are Argentium silver and I added a Swarovski drop on the bottom.



This photo has nothing to do with anything other than I thought I'd just add it for fun. That is the husband and I at the Coliseum in Rome when we went there in January of 2006. As you can tell it was a bit chilly but the flights were dirt cheap from England and we were living there at the time. EasyJet is similar to Southwest here in the States...cheap and no frills. If I remember right, the flight was like 1GBP and you just pay the taxes which are usually about 15GBP. Even by today's exchange rate that is only about $25 for a return flight. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed it.

EJDSS Team Giveaway

The Etsy Jewelry Design and Supply Shops (EJDSS) Street Team is having our monthly giveaway for August. The prize are these Argentium Silver Chainmaille earrings with a pretty little Swarovski drop in Sapphire AB at the bottom. Oh, and they were made by ME! The rules are very easy, all you have to do is go to the post on our team blog here. Once you get there you also need to stop by my shop on Etsy here and leave a comment with your favorite item. Just make sure you go to our Team blog first.

And The Winner Is.....

Stephanie, she was number 39, she has an email waiting for her requesting shipping info. I want to thank each and every one of you for participating in my first ever blog giveaway. Hopefully, you will all enjoy following me and keep stopping by to check out what new creations I have to share and my occasional rants.

Blog Giveaway!

STICKY POST - SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW CONTENT UNTIL JUNE 13TH
I decided it was high time I give something away on my blog so here you go! Plus, I'm just in the mood to give something away. At stake are these lovely little earrings I made. They are sterling silver rings woven in Byzantine chainmaille weave. I hooked the ends together and added a Swarovski crystal that is actually black with an Aurora Borealis coating. Yes, I realize there are some people who are NOT jewelry designers who read my blog and have no clue what all that means so all you need to do is look at the pretty photo and follow the rules below. By the way, these are actually a small earring, they dangle a whole 3/4"/2cms.

So how is this giveaway going to work you ask? Well, I decided to make it real simple and here are the "rules":

1. Become a Follower, leave a comment that you are a follower and a way to contact you.
2. If you are already a Follower, leave a comment that you are and a way to contact you.
3. An extra entry by stopping by my Etsy shop, find something you like or think is cool and come back and leave a comment and a way to contact you. Here is the link to my shop Theresa's Treasures.

This giveaway is going to end on June 13th at midnight West Coast USA time and is open to everyone no matter where you are. I will be doing the draw on June 14th which is Flag Day over here in the States and it's also my birthday. I'll use Random.org for the number. Please make sure you have left a way to contact you, I'd hate for someone to lose out because I can't contact you.

Good luck to all!

I'm Wired!!

Not just wired on coffee! I've been taking a break from my chainmaille obsession and have been working on some wire-wrapping creations. The first photos is the cabochon that I made. If you aren't sure what I'm talking about then you can read this post here for the explanation. I know that a lot of people use square wire for their wrapped cabs but I had some 22 gauge round wire lying around so I just ended up buying some half-round wire from a seller on Etsy. I'm very happy with how it turned out considering this is my first ever attempt at wrapping a cab. Now if only someone could tell me what the stone IS then I'd be really happy.



Green aventurine is such a pretty stone and I love the way it looks combined with copper. I already have one pair of copper earrings with aventurine in my Etsy shop but these are slightly different. I'd like to do a pair like this in silver but maybe with garnets or lapis. Hmmm, or maybe I'll just have to make one pair of each.



This last photo is a cuff I came up with after seeing a design in Step by Step Wire Magazine. The original design had smaller "waves" but was along the same lines. This was fun to make since it was all very random as I went along. Lately too, I have been trying to make my own findings so the clasp on this cuff is handmade as well. One of the next projects I'd like to work on with wire is some hammering, so need to find the right time so I don't disturb the neighbors. I bought some 12 gauge wire which I'm chomping at the bit to play with. Uggg so many ideas, not enough time OR money! I'll be listing these in my shop soon so keep an eye out.