If you're like me, the gray of Winter gets old quick. I can't wait for Spring and all the fresh, new colors of nature. It seems even in our Winter celebrations we infuse our lives with color to compensate. Here is a little infusion of color from me to you. The colors reminded me of the Carnivale celebration in Brazil. Created with fantastic artisan crafted lampwork beads and freshwater coin pearls. This is sure to cheer up the grayest Winter day!
Carnivale
I'm published!! My work is included in the recent publication of "1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse" by Garth Johnson.
The book is being sold at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. I submitted many pieces for their consideration and four items were chosen. The mermaid bracelet, was five dominoes that I inked and made into a bracelet for a special friend of mine. A one-of-a-kind piece and a work of love for sure.
The author chose three other items, all typewriter key creations...
If you'd like your own piece of "Creative Reuse", I've been listing new pieces these last few weeks, including this fun bracelet for the travel enthusiast...
...A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1772 - 1834, poet
Excert from "Xanadu - Kubla Khan"
Here is a bracelet to stir the senses, inspire romance and femininity, and bring out your inner poet!
Created with the fabulous lampwork artistry of Kerri Fuhr and framed with carved black onyx and rose quartz. This is a one of a kind creation for a one of a kind lady! (And, aren't we all?)
As with all my posts, click on the photo to go directly to the listing. Thank you.
As much as I love beads, I have a fondness for creating jewelry with non-jewelry items. Most often that being typewriter keys. Occasionally I may make a bracelet of random keys but usually I try to get words or sayings on my bracelets and have a theme or sense of pairing to my earrings. I also LOVE adding dangles and charms feeling the jewelry is bare or unfinished without them. These pieces make excellent gifts for teachers, writers, or anyone who appreciates the way it used to be. 
The typewriter keys I use are ALL authentic! They come from very old typewriters nearing 100 years old. Some would say this is terrible, to tear apart such engineering marvels just to create a pair of earrings. For the antiquarians out there, please know that I have never taken apart a wonderful, working typewriter. The typewriters I use are usually rusted, inoperable, more costly than practical to repair and have been gathering dust and moisture for years. This hobby of mine is certainly preserving history in a decorative and useful manner. The left over typewriter parts are brought to a metal recycler.
“The artist is a receptacle for the emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web.” ~Pablo Picasso
I never know what is going to inspire me but I love to see a creation develop and be completed from inspiration. Sometimes, it's quite clear to see the inspiration behind a piece as in the case of this bracelet. I was obviously inspired by Autumn, the changing colors and falling leaves.
"Bittersweet October"
With other creations, the inspiration may not be as blatantly obvious, but the inspiration, just as strong. This bracelet was inspired by Salt Water Taffy. The kind you find handmade by the shore and eat while you stroll along the boardwalk.
"Sweet Treat"
Some of my past inspirations have been the death of a favorite author, Madeline L'Engle...
"Ode to Madeline"
and even the color of a lipstick...
"Airy Fairy"
