I am deeply sorry that I have neglected you for so many months. I think part of the reason is that I didn’t really know what I was setting out to do when I registered the domain name, and a blog was pretty much all I knew.

But I want you to know that I have plans for you. Big plans. I just have to warn you that it may be awhile before these plans come to fruition. (I think I have to learn some kind of programming language first…)

In the meantime, I want to show you something I’ve been working on! Check it out!

Love,
Tabitha

***

So, my bloggy friend Cari is getting married in a few weeks, and she asked me to make some jewelry for her and her bridesmaids. I had so much fun making necklaces for my own bridesmaids that I jumped at this chance.

I have to admit, though, that Cari’s request was a bit of a challenge. She wanted different pieces for each girl (six girls in all)…which turned out to be NINE unique designs (since some girls had multiple pieces), and boy was that tough. I hadn’t really considered the fact that my bridesmaids’ necklaces were all identical, so the design process was pretty quick in that instance, whereas this one took a LOT of creative thinking (and a few failed designs).

Anyway, it took me several months to finish the Cari project, but it was worth every minute, because THIS is what turned out:

Cari's necklace

Cari's earrings

Kelsey's necklace

Christina's necklace

Christina's earrings

The flower girl's bracelet

Allison's earrings

Allison's bracelet

Heather's earrings

So, how do you like it? I hate to boast, but I think I’ve created a really great set of jewelry, and I can’t wait to see pictures from Cari’s wedding with everyone wearing their special, one-of-a-kind stuff.

I’m wondering now, though…would it be inappropriate to put these photos up in my Etsy shop, to see if any other people might want to purchase similar items? I have tons of orange and yellow beads left, and could easily make (almost) all of these designs again. Or…should I resolve to let these designs stand on their own, so that Cari and her bridesmaids will know that no one else in the world owns a necklace or a pair of earrings quite like theirs?

I would love all the input I can get!

(Disclaimer: the last two photos didn’t get edited with the same program as the rest, so they’re kinda darker and lamer…but you get the idea!)

Here we go…three great questions my mom asked in a comment to an earlier post:

1. Do you need to get an idea of what a necklace will look like before you buy beads so that you buy pretty close to the right amount? (I just wonder if you ever find yourself just a bead or a few beads short of being able to accomplish what you picture?)

   For me personally, I don’t tend to go into a bead show or store knowing exactly (or even roughly) what kind of designs I’m looking to make; I just go in and get inspired by the colors and shapes. Then, once I’ve bought the beads I like, I go home and play with them, try out different patterns, and take it from there. And in general, beads come in strands of anywhere from ten to 50 or 100, so I haven’t had much issue with running out — except when I was doing my bridesmaids’ necklaces and realized I was getting really close to running out of a certain bead that I hadn’t realized was in short supply. So, since that incident, I guess I do look at the approximate amount of beads on a strand I’m about to buy, and make a haphazard assessment of whether this bead is one that will be used sparingly on a necklace, or as a repeated accent throughout it. But I can’t even IMAGINE going in and trying to buy just the right amount of beads for ONE or TWO necklaces…no…I like to get beads that I can visualize in multiple different designs and color schemes and styles.

2. I would love to know about how long it takes to make a necklace, but I suppose that varies with the complexity of each necklace…

   Yeah, it really does vary based on the complexity of the necklace, my supply of beads/inspiration/lighting/patience, and my skill level as it (very, very slowly) increases over time. The first necklace I made took me HOURS (to my poor recollection, anyway), but if I made the same one now, it would take me about 30 minutes, I’d guess. Some days my wrists are a bit sorer than others, which can slow me down (darn you, carpal tunnel!). Sometimes I’ll stare at all of my beads for 20 minutes before anything really jumps out at me.

   Then there’s the clarification: does inspiration/initial design time count toward the total time it takes, or is it just from the time I actually start putting things together? If it starts when I first sit down to come up with designs, I’d say that one necklace usually takes at least an hour…but that includes about 20-25 minutes of sitting there and positioning the beads in a way that “clicks” before I ever bust out my tools. Once I’ve got the design laid out (and again, this will make more sense once I get my act together and do a “How I Do It” post), I can put a necklace together in 15 minutes if it’s fairly basic, 20-25 for more complicated ones.
   

3. Are there beading “rules” that help you in your designing? For instance, I imagine things should be symmetrical, but I could be wrong.
   I’ll address your “For instance” first, then the rules question. Symmetry is all up to the preference of the designer (or the person they’re designing FOR, in the case of more considerate beaders…hehe). I’ve only made one asymmetrical necklace, and it was inspired by one I saw on my cousin’s MIL, Janet. Otherwise, I don’t tend to be inclined toward asymmetrical designs when it comes to making them myself. But I’ve seen people make necklaces that were completely NOT symmetrical, and I love it. It’s just not something that comes instinctively to me as a jewelry designer. All that said, the word should really has no place in the realm of jewelry design, in my opinion, except that beading should

   be something that makes you feel warm fuzzies inside. *smile*

   As for rules…well, there are the basic How-To’s that Pauli taught me as far as how to close an eye pin, attach a clasp, etc., but even those “rules” are subject to the designer’s preference, style, and edu-bead-tional upbringing. I have a couple of friends who use wire rather than chain and pins, so their methods are, for one, totally foreign to me, and two: they’re their own. No two people bead alike. That’s what makes it so wonderful!

Thanks for reading, dear hundreds of imaginary friends! I’ve got another round of Q & A coming soon, with more questions from Pauli, plus that mysterious step-by-step on how I do it.

Again, feel free to leave me some suggestions for topics, design ideas or requests, connections I should make, or whatever your heart desires! And check out my still-in-bubble-wrap Etsy shop. Buy my one necklace! (And I don’t mean you, Mom or Pauli…) 

Thanks bunches.