This is the coolest EVER!

Well, maybe not to you guys, but to me! I finished that bracelet today! I am over the moon excited! I can't believe it started like this:

From blog shots

And ended like this:

From blog shots

From blog shots

I added some opal and purple jade briolettes to give it a little subtle sparkle. I didn't want too much bling because I liked the simple, rustic feel it had. I know it's not perfect but for a first try, I'm cool with it! Now, to sell it on Etsy or not??? I don't really want to part with it! LOL! My sales haven't been off the charts (another story, for another day...LOL) so maybe I'll give it a try! Now that I know I can do it, I can't wait to make more anyway!
I am in such a jewel mood lately! I just got out of a painting mood. I swear I think I have craft ADD! LOL! I found the coolest local bead store recently and I just fell in love with so many of the jems there! I picked out a few yesterday:

From blog shots

Now I have to make more...LOL! I'm loving the pineapple quartz I found. Who doesn't want to wear that all summer??? It's the prettiest, palest, perfect yellow. Loved the carnelian, amazonite and chalcedony too!
Off to create...

Etsy YART sale

From blog shots

Almost forgot! Check out my YART sale section in my shop for 25% off selected items and check out all of the great deals going on at Etsy June 10-14th!

AAAACKKK! The solder!

Well, I said I was going to do it (to myself anyway) but that counts still. Teach myself to solder. What did you think? LOL! I had been capped out on my jewelry making for quite some time now. Years really. SO? It takes me a while to do things sometimes??? I get to it eventually! Anyway, today was the day and it was a loooooong one! LOL! I had never soldered so that was a huge learning curve. You know that crazy solder just does the weirdest stuff? It like curls up into these little circles and then just melts and then it won't melt and I kept checking to see if the damn thing was still on and then it just melts all over - stuff you don't want it to... it's a *medium* I'd not seen in person - like something in a sci-fi movie. It's like a blob! LOL! It was for sure a trial and error. I got the hang of it eventually - kind of! Working the metal - that was the easy part. I had visions of the curves I would eventually create when I got here in my head forever ago! I just worked with some plated silver with a copper core to start (didn't want to waste sterling on a first try, just in case...) but I love the look actually. I'm not into super *shiny*, so I love the rustic feel it ended up having. I soaked it in some LOS (liver of sulphur - this oxidizes metal) then polished to a semi-shine. I still want to add a hint of sparkle with some beads - too tired and OVA it all at the moment but I'll post more pics tomorrow! In the end I came up with my very own fabricated bracelet! YAY! I'm like the OCC! Love those choppers....

From blog shots

From blog shots

From blog shots

Also figured you might be curious where I do all of this so I'm putting up some pics of my art room too. It's just a half-finished little spot in my basement that I carved out for myself and it's been so fun to have my very own space! I painted the brick walls, the cement floor and I have big old doors propped up that I use for desks and working areas. It's no big shakes but it is to me!

From blog shots

From blog shots

Happy night to you all! Hope you all learned something new today - or even better - taught yourself something you've been wanting to do.
Smiles!