Thank You Rose for the Roses!

In this UUtS post I grumbled about having to go search for a clasp. But Rose commented with an entire list of links, one of which led me to a little treasure of clasps - including the porcelain one with a yellow rose I added to the necklace:

While I was shopping there, I grabbed 4 clasps, some stamped brass medallions and bead caps, too.

Later today I'll collect all the entries to my Rings & Things giveaway and post the winner! I'm sorry I'm a day late - yesterday wasn't a very good day and I turned in early.

Monday Miscellany - Re-work Finished, Maybe...

If you read my Saturday post, you might remember I mentioned I was going to do some re-work on this necklace:

Before

Unlike the gunmetal and garnet, I didn't take intermediate pictures, although now I wish I had. The design went through several trial and error phases before I settled on something. Here's what it looks like now.

After

I took over half of the lilac cathedral beads off of the necklace, replaced them with round faceted Czech glass beads, added extra vermeil spacers and glass roundell spacers between them to go around the side and back of the neck. Then I positioned and re-positioned those lilac cathedral beads into various configurations using gold filled eye-pin links and a few clear glass beaded links as well.

This was very tedious work, but I think worth the effort. I've put it out of sight for now and will give it a fresh eye in a day or two before I declare it 'done'. Now I have to go de-list from Artfire since the original no longer exists!

Speaking of ArtFire - I posted on Saturday that I'd listed my lava stone and red ceramic necklace and put the word out on Twitter as well. Then I got busy doing stuff (mostly the necklace above) and didn't visit Twitter or check my email for several hours. I took a peek at Twitter and saw that PandorasBones had left me a tweet saying she'd bought the necklace and forgot to ask for the extender chain option. Call me gobsmacked! I'd never sold something so quickly and that I could attribute directly to mentioning a post on Twitter about! Needless to say, I'm pretty glad I use Twitter.

Bay Con Day 1 Wrap-up

It got a bit busy around 5pm and I had the opportunity to visit with two wonderful ladies I originally met through mutual friends at the WorldCon in Denver last summer. One of whom was also at Potlatch and, as I finally and rather embarrassingly realized, I've been chatting with about coming to BayCon on Twitter. I didn't put the name I knew her by at the cons together with her Twitter user name right away and did one of those smack yourself on the forehead things when I realized. I don't mind laughter at my expense!

Not many sales, but I wasn't expecting much today. The weekend, hopefully will be better. That said, I did make back the cost of the table. Tomorrow I hope to make back the cost of the internet connection ($13.00 a day!) and valet parking ($9.00 a day). I have my display figured out at least! got everything tagged but earrings. I really have to figure out earring display and tagging one of these days. Right now they just hang on a wire stand. Yeah, kinda ugly but it's what I had handy.

Also got to know my other table-mate, the fun and lovely Sally Norton. She makes the most beautiful vintage-style jewelry.

My badge ribbons (just the top two, the other one is the one I wear) are moving quite well at this con - had to re-stock the pile a couple times. I got some good ones too - will snap a pic and show you tomorrow. Yes, there *will* be pictures tomorrow, I put my memory card in my purse!

Hope to find the lovely gentleman in the fabulous clothes tomorrow (and hope he's still in fabulous clothes) for a picture. He had some arctic goggles from the 19th century he showed me, too - fur around the dark green lenses, a cool carrying case. Saw many other great Victorian style costumes too.

Will post tomorrow from con, with pictures!

And Off I Go to Bay Con 2009!

Here are two pieces I'm taking to BayCon today. Yes, I'll be there all weekend and I hope to live blog a bit from my table as I did last year, but I'm also taking some time to write up the weekend posts and schedule them.

This is a necklace I started ages ago (it seems) and bit by bit over time finally got to finishing up. Garnets, garnet Czech glass and a gunmetal chain with visually interesting links.

This next one is on the 18" gold plated serpentine chain and also uses the Dark Indigo Swarovski crystals from my last goodie package from Rings & Things (also got a silver plated one that I haven't used yet).

The gold plating is a bit bright for the design and I was worried that the kinks I found in it when I took it from the bag wouldn't smooth out, although with a little work they did did. Since the link to the component at the end that the clasp connects to (have no idea what it's called - it's a flat scale shaped thing with two holes, one for the jumpring to the chain and one for the clasp to go through) was attached with an open jumpring, I was able to take it off to attach the pendant. It's vintage looking without being entirely steampunk-ish, and I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

Well, I have a lot to do to get ready, so this one is short and sweet. I'm going to try to update again today from Bay Con, hope you'll check back!

Extra! Monday Miscellany - Special Evening Edition

I've started writing my posts a day ahead and then scheduling them for an early morning post time. But this is something I didn't get into this morning's post as I only finished it today and I wanted to share my first attempt at a steampunk style ring with you.

The ring base is from Accessories Susan, ornate oxidized silver plated brass, adjustable band, to which I've added Swarovski flat backed crystals and miscellaneous watch pieces. E6000 glue used to secure the parts. Still needs cleanup and shining up, but I think I'm done adding bits and pieces to it.

(to enlarge, click on picture)

Monday Miscellany

Saturday wasn't a very productive jewelry making day, it was very hot, but I did manage to tidy things up and decide on some things I wanted to make - even started the necklace pictured below. Sunday I managed to make new earrings, finish the necklace and another one I'd had hanging unfinished for months, and put the findings on bracelets that had sat around for awhile.

New earrings

Couldn't get all of them in a square pic, so I cropped out a few

Victorian inspired choker with tiny glass pearls with a brass stamping and
Swarovski crystal dangles

Three new bracelets - the one on the right has freshwater cultured seed pearls, the one in the middle has really interesting ornate bead caps.

Temperatures here were in the 90s - makes it hard to focus when it's hot. I ended up watching a lot of last week's TiVo'd shows until it finally got cooler, but since tomorrow is a work day, I had to stop and finish up, get this written up for early Monday a.m. posting and get to bed. Back tomorrow with some Tuesday Tidbits!