Some new listings

I've been making more button-clay tile bracelets lately, as well as a few of the ones with the upcycled watch parts. I ordered a bunch of buttons yesterday. Also, Michael's had a sale on clay, so I bought something like 35 blocks of clay. When it's on sale at 4/$5, I try to stock up. And at that price, buying it by the pound and paying shipping is still more expensive. The only trouble was, they were out of a couple of colors that I wanted. I'll stop back, though, as the sale is all week.

Green Button-Clay Tile Bracelet

I'm here to tell you that there seems to be a disproportionate number of green buttons out there in the mixes people sell. Hmm. Maybe it's in the mixes I tend to buy! Nevertheless, I find myself with many green buttons and it's been fun to match them with the many shades of green tiles I have. 

I confess I am a bit of a fiddler with my jewelry. If I'm waiting for the elevator at work, or waiting in line, I will often touch my bracelet absently while I wait. This bracelet has a faceted teal-green button (at about 8 o'clock on the bracelet photo) with a half-dome button on top. This has proven to be irresistible to my free hand while I wait. It's funny. But short-lived because the elevator always comes.

Back to the start

This is the kind of bracelet that got me into making bracelets in the first place. I made a few more of these over the weekend and this is one of the first to get photographed and listed on Etsy. I like it that each one is a one of kind creation. I love the process of picking out the elements for these. 

The round things with the cabochons are mainspring barrels from vintage watches. I love how they provide a great background for the cabochons. And the cabochons are sparkly and eye-catching. I use my stamped clay tiles, too. I pick those colors first, and then pick cabos and buttons to match. 

Fun! 

Aqua Hues

What is is about aqua? I made several bracelets in this last batch in shades of aqua/turquoise/blue-green. It's restful and pleasing. I like how my eye just kind of goes around, looking at different elements of this one. 

I've laid out some smaller button-clay bracelets - minis - that I'm hoping to get glued today. It's a good feeling to have a bunch done so I can post one or two a day. I think Etsy's algorithm for searches favors listings from people who are active in that manner.  

Easy Teals

Sometimes, the pieces sort of come together seemingly on their own. This was such a piece. I seemed to have a lot of teal (aqua, aquamarine - what would you call these colors?) colored buttons and clay tiles, so it went together easily. I really like this one, but I'm like a mother with multiple kids - I love them all. :-)

Vintage button and clay tile bracelet - yellow khaki neutrals

These are pretty substantial bracelets, but I love the visual interest of them. Lots of subtle changes in color and texture. $16.00 in the Etsy shop. 

Mixed media bracelet

So this is the sort of design that got me into making jewelry in the first place. I saw something similar (more metal hardware on it and no clay tiles) at a consignment store when I was waiting in line to purchase some clothes. It's got upcycled watch parts on it, face, mainspring barrel and gears. It also has new things, like a funky charm, and the clay tiles, which I make myself. The clay tiles are kind of meditative for me and I love to make new colors. I'm starting to get the color thing down such that I'll make several shades of a particular color when I work, so I'm guaranteed to have 3-4 shades that go together (even if I don't put them together on every piece). 

For some reason, I haven't sold a lot of these. It's funny, when you think you've got a unique something that people would want to buy, yet I've got about 30 of these on my Etsy site. The people who do see them think they are swell, and I fully get it that it's not a style for everyone. I suppose it's a matter of setting the right price and getting the word out, and that's an evolving thing.

New necklace style

I like the look of having the bracelet links I use made into a necklace. I especially like being able to have a little spot to put an element of the necklace, and then switch them around until I like what it looks like. For some reason, that's really appealing to me. 

                                    

The above picture is the first design. Well, actually the first design was just the four links across, but it suffered from floppiness and would turn over while I was wearing it, so this is the first design offered for sale. A friend fiddled with things and found that hanging something from the middle helped. Brilliant! 

Not sure why Blogger isn't letting me center the picture, but you get the idea...

So my latest necklaces then have three tiers of elements. I'm still using the vintage watch faces and mainspring barrels, and added a couple of vintage buttons. It's interesting and shimmery. 

Checking in

Has it been since November?! I've got lots of stuff to say, and jewelry designs to share. I'll start to post more regularly soon. In the meantime, here are a few links to my pieces on Etsy:

Texture Tile Bracelet
https://www.etsy.com/listing/104128535/stamped-polymer-clay-bracelet-orange-and

Mixed Media Bracelet
https://www.etsy.com/listing/103665909/mixed-media-stamped-polymer-clay

Polymer Clay Buttons
https://www.etsy.com/listing/103792317/polymer-clay-buttons-shimmery-blue-green?ref=v1_other_1

Mixed Media Necklace
https://www.etsy.com/listing/100966773/stamped-polymer-clay-mixed-media