a little night goth music

mesh cuff in black wire crochet pattern

... and perhaps sir would like some Cult to go with it?

beachcomber - ocean inspired

my own copper beachcomber

a great wardrobe staple which fits equally well with open necklines and turtle neck tops

Behold! I have listed new beachcomber necklaces on Etsy thus breaking my summer silence.

There are two versions available, one in copper with lots of amber and the other in silvery tinned copper presenting an altogether cooler slant on Fall/winter fashions accessorising.

Beachcombers are inspired by the ocean, they are nets full of beautiful sunken treasure brought to the surface. They fit right in with this season's trend to bold statement bib necklaces and satisfy the OOAK craving for uniqueness. No two beachcombers will look alike and no placement of beads will mirror another.

currently out on display ...

slideshow: items on display at City Hall

So this afternoon's activity was setting up the display case at City Hall in Port Moody where Sandra and I, from the Blackberry Artists Cooperative, are exhibiting our wares for the month of June.

Sandra has the most deliciously gorgeous beaded pieces of jewelry ever and it's quite an honour to be 'on show' beside her. I've set up six cases comprising wire crochet, wire and fibre, cufflinks and metalwork so hopefully there will be something of interest for anyone passing by.

The slideshow above shows most of the pieces currently out on display, and the ByHand spotlight below shows where you can get your hands on similar pieces or custom makes for yourself! Just click on the image to be taken to the item's selling page.

inventory

There aren't many wire crochet artists in my neighbourhood, and thos that I have seen all tend to be different ..... which impresses me. I teach wire crochet classes at my local bead shop, Beadworks in Newport Village, and none of the students have produced identical pieces. Everyone has their own style for mixing colours, stones, and glass together.
It's all so unusual that taking part in craft fairs is very interesting since my work doesn't compete with many of the other jewelers. It also means that most of the buyers attending may not be interested in a new form of adornment!
But it's my niche! and my work has been accepted for inclusion in the craft boutique at my local art centre. So this week I have to sort through my inventory to select items for the shop. Very exciting!

ebbandflo

Buy Handmade

not really that impressed

Humph! I'm not awfully impressed with the abrupt end of summer this year. Although it's sunning heavily outside this afternoon, delivering The Wee Guy to his morning activity required both a jacket and a scarf before venturing out of the house.

Fall is, I know, inevitable but I wish that this year we could have had the same gradual entry system which accompanied my son's immersion into academia.

For example, one day I am pratting about in capris and strappy vest tops, and the next I'm reaching for the umbrella and starting to look like michelin man.

Not fair!

I would like a gradual introduction to dressing in layers for inclement weather. I would like to transition between seasonal wardrobes seamlessly, with a minimum of "cripes! what shall i wear?" panic moments in the morning. Ideally, continuing with summer dressing with a hint of Fall layering would be ideal and not having to immediately dig out a winter jacket from squished storage.

... but all is not lost! I finished a neck wrap for myself yesterday so I suppose I'm itching for a chance to wear it!

above: soft green neck wrap

in bamboo and cotton

with crocheted wire and glass button

what i'm doing with my balls currently part 2

what i'm doing with my balls currently part 2, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

This is my reward for being a good girl and getting the tax program loaded onto my hard drive!

My little wire balls (!) have been winking at me from the shelf while I worked on othr projects and dealt with the mundane.

At last with some free time (I am soooo delusional) I got to grips with them, adding some huge facetted acrylic beads and beautiful lavender glass pearls. The silver beads are crimp covers and the whole thing is strung on two strands of Beadalon. I'm not very good at stringing but I am liking the effect so far.

Right now it's at choker length - do I finish it now or add a couple more units to make a more dramatic piece?

I'll be working on my copper balls once I locate some copper stringing wire ....... stay tuned!