Life's Stray Parts

I've been working on a jewelry project, hoping to finish in time to enter a handcrafting contest. The criteria were very specific: recycled/upcycled materials, lead-free metal, no animal-derived products (feathers, leather, pearls, shells) and it should tell a story. Well, I decided at the last minute I didn't want to enter, but I felt pretty good about making the deadline.

I think it needs to be a little messier, more like Life

What happened was, I was pretty sure I wouldn't win (how many customers like the rustic bohemian style?), but if I HAD won, I would have had to make a large quantity of these and how could I really do that with something that's going to be unique every time, let alone find enough of the components to make, say, 300 of them? Or a thousand of them? In the end, I just couldn't see myself doing that - maybe if I was making potholders, or flyswatters - but not this... And the entry form seemed skewed toward people who had a staff working for them, not just one person making everything

At least it's not symmetrical and orderly and boring!

But I was able to learn more about what I would be willing to make, or how many items I could create with deadlines. I did some research on Etsy and found 42 pages of guitar string jewelry; 27 pages of rolled paper bead jewelry; and 148 pages of wire-wrapped sea glass jewelry - there are more than 19 million entries in the jewelry category alone! I even posted a few photos on my Facebook page and asked for opinions. Several people kindly replied, and their feedback was most helpful, which will help me as I come closer to (sharp intake of breath) opening an Etsy shop...

I don't know how I got the sterling Florida charm... but it's home sweet home!

I also posted photos of three different kinds of earrings, one of which was this pair of papier roule (rolled paper) earrings...

I have been trying to find matched pairs of paper beads to make earrings

I've already blogged (and downloaded images) about the guitar string earrings and the wire-wrapped sea glass... but I made this piece a while back...fun and lightweight, pretty colors!

Another free-form necklace incorporating ceramics, chain, wood and wire

There's more, but it's late and I'm tired of thinking about this! There's a gentle rain falling tonight, and the temperature is much cooler - of course, it will probably be hot and humid tomorrow morning! 

My pillow is calling to me... time to rest now - good night