The Birth of a Necklace

When I got a coupon in the mail to use on more beads, I had absolutely no idea what I was going to use it for. I had nothing at all in my head, no ideas, no colors, nothing! It was simply an uncreative day.
Or so I thought.

It wasn't long before the idea first began to grow. I have a small bucket full of seashells, and while I keep them put away, today I happened to notice them more than usual, when I opened up the cabinet to get out my sewing things.

Shells, pearls. That was the beginning.
I took to the internet, sifting through the many suppliers I have bookmarked, viewing what they had on sale. I didn't see anything that caught my eye, so instead, my eye turned back to the coupon I'd gotten in the mail.

I packed myself up, gave my husband a kiss, and treated myself to a short shopping trip. I finished my Christmas shopping for him first, and then I took to the craft store to take a look.
That's when I found the first piece, and right then, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I purchased the shell beads, and then came back home, sat down at my computer, and sketched out a drawing of what was in my head.

It was simple, but in that moment I worked out everything I needed. I sifted through my suppliers again, finding the best price I could on freshwater pearls in the most beautiful peacock blue-gray. Then I found the silver beads, and ordered.
I had to wait a very long week, but when they finally arrived, I was ecstatic! I wasted no time in sitting down to create what is now, what I think, one of the prettiest necklaces I have ever made.


I absolutely love it! I would love to make more of these in the future to add to my shop, but for now, it's only this one... Which has already been claimed.

I since have made earrings to match, which are not spoken for, will be being photographed and added to the shop over the course of this week.

That's all, nothing new or really special. Just thought I'd share a quick insight and peek into the creative process. Sometimes the best ideas really come out of nowhere!

Coming Soon: Weekly Specials!

I'm going to be away traveling from the 12th until the 19th, but the 19th will mark the beginning of the first sale event held by Moonsea Creations!
How exciting.

It's simple enough - Each week, starting on Monday, two items will be selected for a sale event. The nature of the sale will be different depending on which items are selected. For example, this first upcoming event will feature my Midnight Garden necklace, and Victoria Lace earrings in brass:

Midnight Garden Necklace, $16.00
http://moonsea.etsy.com

Victoria Lace Earrings in brass, $8.00
http://moonsea.etsy.com

Starting October 12th, these items will be paired together and offered on sale. Buy the necklace, get the earrings half off. This means it'll be only $20 for both pieces, plus the minimal cost of shipping!
They go together absolutely beautifully, so it's a great opportunity to get a beautiful set.

More new earrings!

A lovely new little design. They just need a name, then they're destined for the shop!
They're tiny metal scrolls in an antique silver color, with a rhinestone accent and a delicate little czech glass drop in baby pink. The pink is so pastel, my camera washes it out horribly. They're so much prettier in person!
They're quite darling, but I'll only be offering 3 or 4 pairs, and then that will be all of this design I ever release!

I don't always like making limited-edition pieces, but sometimes, it can't be helped. My Midnight Garden necklace will have to be limited-edition as well, now, because the lovely brass piece has been discontinued, and I cannot find another supplier who has one of the same type. It's a shame, because it's one of my favorites! But I can now only offer 3 of them, as I'd like to keep one for myself. I tend to keep one of everything I make.
After all, that way, I can show it off!

New bracelet!

Finally! My long-awaited drill bits got here in the mail today. That's one problem of living in this city - The population is enormous, and the area can't actually support all of the people that are here. The grocery stores are always very picked over - Same with clothing stores, general stores, hardware stores, and even gas stations. I've seen local gas stations run out of fuel on the weekends several times... And don't even get me started on restaurant wait lines. Ha! Either way, though... While it means there's a great economy out here, it can make it really hard to find what you need!

Anyway, here it is!


I'm very pleased with how this bracelet came out, but it still needs to be named, before it can be put into the shop.

The bow is a brass piece that's been plated in silver. I never realized how much harder silver is than other metals used in jewelry. It's much harder than gold, and way harder than brass. It took me all of 20 seconds to break one of my 4 new drill bits on this bracelet. I ended up using a much larger bit, for fear I'd shatter all my brand new little ones!

The beads that accompany it are fancy jasper, something the local bead shop just started carrying. I absolutely love the diverse assortment of colors that jasper comes in. I tried to match them as closely as I could, but they ended up having a lot more variation than I expected, once I got it into real sunlight. Which, that's not necessarily a bad thing! It makes for a very interesting piece, to say the least.

The bow has been gently bent so that it fits nicely on top of a wrist. The bracelet is adjustable from just over 7 inches, all the way up to 9.
It will be priced at $13.00 when it is added to my shop on Etsy. Just need a name first... Suggestions are welcome, of course!

And, for anybody who might be wondering, because I know I wonder...
The book it's sitting on is my copy of the Races of Faerun D&D manual.
Don't judge me!! I've never played D&D in my life - I just like the pretty pictures. ;)