Preparing for the Made By Hand Show - Bracelet Edition

If you've ever visited my shop on Etsy you'd know that bracelets are not something I carry a lot of. Well, one thing I've foolishly ignored is how much people LOVE bracelets. I've always noticed at shows that customers love to touch, hold and play with bracelets more than any other piece of jewelry, yet I don't have much for customers to play with.

So this Spring I have decided to change all that. For the past month and a half I've been hard at work increasing the stock of all my jewelry categories. So far I've filled a special earring rack of discount earrings that will only be sold at the Made By Hand Show. I've also did a huge push of Lucite flower earrings and I've made several bookmarks. I have yet to do a big push in Feminine Steampunk necklaces and my Lucite flower necklaces - but those are next!

So back to the bracelets...here is a "photo journal" of the past two and a half days.

 So as you can see I've got several pieces laying across my work desk. This is how I begin a piece. I play with different beads and patterns until I come up with something I like. Some of these designs look boring at first - and sometimes when I start threading them on wire, the design will completely change.

A good example of that is the white bracelet at the bottom which received a drastic change from the vague idea I started with. I thought I'd use copper oval hoops to bring out the brown veins in the howlite, but I had changed my mind. The howlite beads my cousin had given me. Sometimes we'll trade or give each other beads that we've decided we no longer wish to use.

Here is another angle of my work desk showing more pieces that I have yet to make.

These three to-be-bracelets are gorgeous. As you can see in the corner I have a few that were made earlier. I may not always complete all the bracelets laid out before I start designing more. I often get new ideas while I'm working and start laying out new designs before I'm finished with what is already on the table.

I had forgotten how fun it can be to design bracelets. I would keep going right now if I had the supplies and time. If I don't stop sometime I'll have gazillions of bracelets and nothing else :)

Initially this looks somewhat boring. But this is what the turquoise bracelet turned into...

I started out with just a few finished bracelets as you can see in the picture below.

And in two and a half days I had this...

I've made 35 bracelets in total. I've taken a break to spend time with my grandfather. We ordered pizza to add some fun to this frigid day. Freezing rain has kept us in doors which has given me the chance to get a lot done.

Tonight I will get a head start on some Feminine Steampunk designs....


After I clear my desk of all the beads that didn't cut it :)