I make jewelry?

So I've had my eye on beautiful nest necklaces like these for a long time. They immediately made me think of my mom, who has three daughters and taught me everything I know about having an earthy, rustic sensibility and style. I knew she'd love one, it was just a matter of when I'd pick one up.

As I investigated further I thought they seemed a little chunky I wanted something lighter and a little messier-- so I rounded together a few supplies and tried my hand at making a pendant of my own. It was actually really easy to put together with a trip to the store and some jeweler's pliers. I found these tiny turquoise/sea green beads and used less wire to put this one together:



(by the way: I thought it was hard to photograph prints, jewelry is much harder- even with a macro lens. I have a whole new appreciation for those amazing jewelry photos I see on etsy)

So its a tad wonky, but for the size I was aiming for (it measures just under 1/2" across and is remarkably light) its dainty and perfect. I now have supplies to make.. ohh... 50 more of these. I already had clasps and findings, so once I bought the wire and beads I immediately had a ton of materials.

I may do a shop giveaway or two with them around Valentine's Day-- at the very least, I have gift inspiration for awhile.

Other great jewelers to check out on Etsy: Ragtrader (I picked up a stunning twig necklace from her in November which I love and wear with almost everything) .... and more locally ChainChainChained (my table was next to hers at Etsy at the Market this past fall, and I loved the work there.

If you haven't purchased jewelry on Etsy, I would highly recommend either of these sellers-- the goods are really high quality, and they both have great prices.

I had a lovely three day weekend putting together a record number of orders following my Buy One Get One sale. Thanks to everyone who picked up a print or two or six (like my new Medici, Rachel) My closet is significantly less cluttered, my prints are reorganized, and I am looking forward to what's next. I even figured out what to do with those prints with a dinged corner or two, but I'm going to have to save that for next time because I have an action-packed day of sign making in exactly nine hours.

Goodnight!