Week 24"Complementary Colors:"
I finally was able to create something "new" for me! This brangle is made for my Bangle Exchange partner, Kathi, and is now posted on the Connie Fox website!

Inspired by Ms. Fox, as well as an artist from the WAJ magazine, this sterling silver piece combines some chasing, coiling, chain maille and color and weight balancing of the beads. I was very pleased with the final result and had a very hard time letting it go!

Week 23 "Red Carpet Jewelry:"
I learned a lot of things this week. One of the things is surely going to improve my jewelry as much as anything else I have learned.

This was a very exciting theme for me: Red Carpet Jewelry. I love glitz and glamour jewelry, and I almost let this one go by because, when I design an important piece of jewelry, nothing is ever "good enough." I considered and discarded a lot of sparklies this week. I visualized a spectacular piece with faceted stones and lots of crystal, but the time factor was a major problem. But finally, I was able to overcome my perfectionist/procrastinator tendencies. I simply picked up some wire and some stones and made jewelry and improvised. Lesson #1: nothing is every going to be perfect, so I need to just do what has to be done, in the best way I know how.

Also, the second lesson came as I proposed a challenge for CWJ about going through the things we all have and letting the beads and wire decide what it wants to be. Lesson #2: go through what's here and listen to the jewelry muse with an open mind and no preconceived notions.

The third lesson came when I attempted to photograph the completed necklace, which happens to match a bracelet I did earlier in the YOJ. Transparent and/or milky crystal does not photograph well. I had to take 20 - 25 pictures to even get the grey shot, which is not the best quality.. I was going to use it, but then I took the red one. Which do you like? Lesson #3: photographing jewelry never stops being a challenge. Take lots of shots with lots of color backgrounds and lots of props ~ luck may eventually come

Week 22 :
One of the things I like best about making jewelry is that when I get "bored" with my ring, which I wear constantly, I can just make another! It was definitely time for some new sparkles, so here is my newest ring for my right hand. There are four bicone Swarovski crystals in lovely jewel tones, set in swirls of 14KGF.