Making Something a bit Different - Bookmarks

A few years ago I made some ribbon bookmarks with beads and other embellishments to take to one of the Science Fiction conventions where I was a vendor. The conventions I did were not like ComicCon or media tie in conventions (Star Trek cons for example) but were about books, authors and reader fans of Science Fiction. Several of the other dealers were book sellers.

I figured there might be some interest in the book marks, made a dozen and I did sell out. They're easy to make and can be sold relatively inexpensively ($1.00 each was my price then, I may have to go to $2.50 for the new ones).

I'm going to be doing more cons next year, if all goes well, so I thought I'd make some more book marks. This time I bought bulk charms and tassels to put on the ends. While I was assembling these I thought that it might be fun, and also attractive to buyers, to add some decoration to the ribbons that were solid colors.  I bought some rubber stamps and some metallic archival ink stamp pads and gave it a try - you can see the stamped design on the green bookmark at the end.

I also remembered that at one point someone looked at the bookmarks (ignoring the sign that said "Bookmarks") and asked "Are these chokers?" and suggested if they were they'd be interested. I couldn't help them at the time, but thought that it wouldn't be hard to make some chokers, too. I'm going to add a little cluster of sea-themed charms to this one. I'll have to get some more colors of ribbon, too - the only solid colors I have now are black and green.

click picture to see details

Keep Going 'til it Seems Finished

Edit:

I posted the necklace to a Facebook group I belong to and got a really good suggestion. I've added a postscript to this posting below to cover the change.


Between the day job and getting ready for the holidays, it's been hard to do much jewelry work! My son is coming home on leave from the Army soon and will be here through New Year's, so I'm not sure how much more I'll be able to do until January. So, just in case I don't post again until after the New Year - happy holidays! May you be able to spend time with loved ones and have lots of fun. I've been fiddling around with this cameo, it's resin, and as shown below, was originally ivory colored flowers on black.

I decided to paint the flowers using Lumiere paints but it still seemed unfinished. So I added a feather and then a leaf sprig embellishment. Decided to put a bit of rhinestone cup chain and some glass 'gems'. Then the chain seemed to plain, so I added some glass, crystal and metal beads to it. I think it's where it needs to be now. I like the very simple and the very ornate equally so sometimes it's hard to find the right place between them for any one piece.

 

Close up of cameo:

Adding to this post on 12/13/16:

I posted the necklace to a Facebook group of fellow jewelry makers/designers (B'sue Boutiques Creative Group, a closed, by invitation group) and received a good critique about how the two green beads next to the cameo distracted from it. So I moved the beads up the neckline:

Definitely an improvement. This is why I joined the group, to have interactions with like minded folk.