"I heard a bird sing in the dark of December..."

December Dusk, Bracelet of Ceramic, Leather, Turquoise, Coral, and Copper

 I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.

"We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,"
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.

-Oliver Herford

Just like this time last year, I have had a strange burst of creativity recently that seems out of place in the cold, dark weather typical of late December. This year it seems to be jewelry, specifically bracelets, which, unlike necklaces, offer a fairly constrained format that keeps me from getting overwhelmed as I experiment with new techniques.

Another constraint I'm imposing on myself is to use what I have: years ago I remember Christopher Lowell (oh how I loved Interior Motives! It always left me with a smiling heart full of happy) talking about how limited resources can actually spur our creativity, and over the years I have repeatedly found this to be true. In fact, in addition to the creative possibilities I find while poking around in my stash for treasures like the beads and charms in the above bracelet, perhaps the constraints of cold and dark have awakened or highlighted something that I might not notice when the weather is sunny and warm and I'm outside taking pictures of flowers and bugs. Kind of like how a candle is barely noticeable until the lights are dimmed....

Okay, so I won't get too corny on you, but yes, work with what you have -- it always turns out to be much more than you thought. Creativity comes from within; materials help, but nothing happens to them until a spark within you illuminates the possibilities.

I bid you all a happy new year full of creativity and joy.

Free Bird (Well, Almost)

A jewelry post, finally! As I mentioned a few days ago my Jewelry Mojo has wandered back home, and I've finally finished a bunch of projects that have been hanging around my workbench since last winter. I got these wonderful handmade ceramic pendants from Etsy seller Beadfreaky and handwrapped them in antiqued brass wire (from PatinaQueen, another favorite; she does the gorgeous patina birds I've often posted here). To keep them simple I just put them on hand-knotted leather cords that are entirely adjustable. I've made a bunch of these (I love the frog, of course!) along with some Kumihimo necklaces that I'll show off tomorrow.

Not much is going on this week; I really miss the kids and won't see them till Tuesday because of the holiday weekend, but I'll try to use the time to catch up in school, file paperwork, and do some photo trips. One destination will be the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, which is about 45 minutes away and is always a great place to hang out. Other possibilities include Water Canyon, the Kelly cemetery, and some old Pueblo ruins about an hour northeast. I will keep busy so I don't think too much about what absolutely MUST be the final hearing in my divorce case on Tuesday, where I will sign the final settlement decree with my ex (who had better not have anything up his sleeve but I wouldn't be surprised if he did). We've been officially divorced since April 2008, but that has been just about the only thing actually done in this 2.7-year quagmire, which is why I am letting go. Open hands, open heart.

Turquoise and copper, again {all sold!}

This Mexican turquoise bead from Two Cranes has a lovely green-tinged hue and rich brown matrix that work very well with copper. I kept the necklace simple, using more Mexican turquoise along with some rough copper spacers and a copper clasp that I scratched up a bit on purpose so it will darken up more quickly during wear.

I love turquoise with copper (obviously) and have sold several pieces that I've been tempted to keep but, well, when I sell one, I can buy stuff to make more. The piece at left is another Two Cranes Mexican turquoise pendant that I put on an adjustable leather cord finished with copper wire and some handmade copper headpins. This pendant has a more striking green hue which, to be honest, I couldn't figure out how to match, hence the leather rather than beaded necklace. Turquoise with leather and copper seems a quintessentially Southwestern combination, though, and I'm surprised that I don't see it more often. I have one piece made in this style that I've kept for myself (despite the frequent temptation this is actually a rare occurence), and the leather has worn very well for well over a year, darkening along with the copper as I wear it. I use a high-grade Greek leather, which surely makes a difference.

The necklace at right uses a Chinese turquoise pendant (not Two Cranes) with a beautiful "cascading" matrix. Turquoise matrix features so often look like water features, which is apropos given how the stone is created. I set this one on 16-gauge copper with wirewrapped leather and a front clasp that I shaped and hammered myself. I've used this clasp style in several pieces (including the aforementioned piece in my personal collection), but I later found (after conferring with the buyer) that it doesn't work well with a smaller, lighter stone: it pulls it off balance. I re-balanced this necklace for the buyer by adding some small copper-wrapped turquoise "charms" to the other side; she was pleased, especially when I threw in some matching earrings for free.

A Modern Odyssey {sold!}

Perhaps in response to this long bleak winter, I've been drawn to bright colors lately... this bracelet (see more views in my Etsy shop) started out as a sober study in black and white and then, as I started rooting through some African trade beads I got last year, just exploded into living color! I will definitely make more of these, though they're sure to be one of a kind and I am already imagining many different color and texture combinations. My main challenge with this style is finding beads that fit onto leather cord... I'm trying to keep an organic feel to the pieces and leather is a natural starting point.

Rethinking the Clasp

Putting things on leather has challenged my ideas on how to finish a necklace because my usual crimping methods won't work on the leather ends. I've bought a few different kinds of end caps and crimp ends, but I haven't been happy with them, and some have turned out to be entirely unreliable. So, in yet another wire-wrapping experiment, I came up with the above solution... and since it's so interesting and works well with the organic nature of this piece, I decided to put the clasp in front instead of hiding it in back. The best part is that I make the whole end-cap-and-clasp configuration myself -- no purchased ready-made parts -- which makes my pieces just that much more personal.