Daphne Leaf Necklace Variation Necklace in Dark Blue

My friend Liz asked me to create a necklace for her based on an older version of a Daphne Necklace I posted for a #TBT (Throwback Thursday) on social media.  It made me realize that I did not have any of this style in my personal stock. To be honest, I cannot remember the last time that I made one! 

So while I was waiting for Liz's clasp to come in from Fire Mountain Gems I decided to make an extra necklace for my personal stock. I can use some new items for Art Feast 2021 in Old Town Lansing this Saturday. Since Liz was torn between bead color options I actually made a necklace similar to one of the color combinations she was leaning towards. Navy/Blue and Tan are a nice classic combo and it came out really lovely.

Bryan and I also went to a friend's wedding on Friday. There was a day when I had my outfit planned out way ahead of time and would be busy making jewelry to match. I have SO many clothes and I usually have plenty of my go-to colors at this point in my life. So with an Ignatius Hat (my favorite milliners ) a pair of leaf cluster earrings and my deco cat bangle we had a lovely time catching up and eating all the sugar.  

The Classic Cuff (Bangle)

The Classic Cuff

My day-job is being an ops manager at Talbots.  I've found my way back to retail which I really love, because I enjoy being around clothes and fabric.  We get asked a lot "What goes with this [skirt, pants, sweater...etc]?" and something that nearly always works is a white button-up shirt.  So this idea of beading a bangle in the style of the cuff of a shirt popped into my head.  

This idea has been simmering for months, maybe even a year.  One of my hang-ups for this piece was getting beads tiny enough to look like shirt-fabric.  Lo and behold, Fire Mountain Gems now carries size 15 delicas!  I was going to settle on size 15 rocailles but they weren't going to have the look I desired.  The delicas lay smooth and flat as with my other bangles, I just needed smaller.  

It was nice working with a new product.  These take much longer to finish something with how small and delicate they are.  The glass breaks easily and cannot take much stress so I have to be a bit more gentle when beading. This particular piece was also hard to keep going back to because beading one color gets boring.  I also wanted the buttons to be able to move through the button holes, which it is created with full button hole slits, but the beads are too delicate and stiff for the buttons to move through.  It still has the look that I wanted, so that's a win. 

I'm not sure what will come next of these tiny seed beads, but it will be an intricate pattern to be sure.

Bright Coral and Orange Double Hive Bangle and Earrings

I've been having fun with this Hive patten lately and I had the perfect color arrangement for a set similar to the teal and grey version.   I originally was going to use my arrow design, but this one was panning out better. 

Between my day-job and jewelry making I'm also preparing for my college professor's retirement show next month.  "Woven Together: The Fiber Work of Sherri Smith" opens August 25th, 2018, reception 2pm-4pm (I'll be there), and goes through November 17, 2018 at the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey, MI. 

Pinball Bangle

We are headed to the Pinball Expo in Kalamazoo tomorrow and I finally came up with a design this year (I thought about it last year, but it never got on to the graph paper).  I'm still up in the air as to how I feel about it, I think the design still needs more tweaking, but this will have to do for tomorrow.

What would I tweak?  I would have the flippers come to a better point, and I think the gunmetal color of the ball is too dark against the brown background. I should have done the ball in silver to pop it out, or a different background color, but I like the brown and lime green with the bone color of the flippers for a vintage feel.

This bangle can be purchased online at

 https://jenny-schu.myshopify.com/products/pinball-bangle

Shannon's Wedding Bracelet

Every once in a while I get to do a wedding piece.  I have done veils, hair combs and the occasional bracelet.  This past weekend my brother in law got married and I was fortunate enough to get to make a bracelet for his bride, Shannon.  

(in the process of working on it)

Shannon's mom had handed over her own wedding dress for Shannon to use however she wanted to for her wedding.  I was pretty nervous to start cutting into someone else's wedding dress, but it got easier after we chopped an arm off.  

We decided that the best piece of lace for the bracelet was the point that came around the wrist and pointed down the hand.  In order to make it continue to lay flat, I brought a string of beads from the point and into a ring around her middle finger.  Shannon helped pick out seed bead accents that went along with her wedding dress.  This bracelet had a snap closure and we used one of the little fabric buttons from the back of her mom's dress as a detail over the closure.  All of the crystal and pearl accents came off of her mom's tiara veil.

I also had a chance to snap a picture of her shoes after she switched into flip flops at the wedding.  They're a little dirty from running around the yard taking photos and the ceremony, it reminds me of how trashed my shoes at my own wedding got!  I had mentioned that we were working on shoes together in this previous post.  The lace on her shoes is also from her mother's wedding dress.

Shoe Project with Shannon

I offered to help Shannon with anything that is jewelry or fiber-related for her wedding.  When she was visiting us this winter she said she was having trouble finding shoes that she liked and she wanted them to have lace on them.  Well, we were already cutting the lace off of her mother's wedding dress (I know, I keep holding my breath whenever I cut), so since we have plenty of extra lace I suggested that I had a link from Pinterest about applying lace to a pair of shoes.

I had pinned this a while back because my favorite pair of patent leather platforms had a nasty tear in them, not on a seam, so they aren't really repair-able to look good, so I wanted to fix them myself. (See below photos)

Shannon and I had gone shoe shopping during the last visit, we found a pair of white Nine West shoes that were cute and comfortable.  She brought them over last Tuesday and we worked on our shoes.

(Shannon in the background pinning her lace on)

As we were cutting the lace, I figured it was much easier to pin the lace on loosely, in position, and tack it down with glue. We used Aleene's Fabric Glue.  After the glue set, we layered on the Mod Podge.  

You can see above, I stitched my tear shut.  I used my sewing machine to punch the holes, but I hand-stitched button thread through the holes I created because it was too awkward to try to stitch it in my machine.

Another major edit I applied to my shoes was nail polish.  These shoes have been through the trenches of Lansing (and Chicago, maybe some other cities), so they're pretty messed up.  I used a grey metallic-ish nail polish on the heels and to make it look consistent, on the platform part of the toe box. 

They're still not perfect, but I think I'll get another year or two of wear out of them before they're done for good.  Yes, I did try to find a replacement, but Guess isn't making this style anymore. 

Jewelry for Angelwood Gallery

It seems this month is the Gallery swap month for me.  I know I keep saying that I'm not making new jewelry, but I am doing a few pieces here and there to fill in colorways for galleries. I like my work to look at least a little bit like a set.  This teal, white and neutral mix is what I'm sending off to Angelwood Gallery this weekend.

Red Jewelry for Valentine's at Lansing Art Gallery

So I had a big long blog post about this set, and then I lost it trying to edit out something in the code. Lesson learned, Jenny can't play with code.

I did get this little red and gold set finished for the Lansing Art Gallery so they have red for Valentine's Day.  I very rarely wear true-red myself, and to be honest, this was a push for me to get inspired by red.  Usually if you ask me to make something red, you'll get more of a cranberry or wine color. 

I decided to mix this with dark gold tones for a softer feel.  The only other color I can think to put with red at the moment is black.  Sometimes black and red are a bit too abrasive for me.

So back to my focus in finishing some pieces for photographing and exhibiting.  Which, I'm stitching a lot of red that was missing from my Halloween costume.

Grey and Black Leaf Jewelry Set

After the last bracelet and earrings set, I really wanted to play with more of the grey beads that I have in my stash.  I think I've been inundated with visuals that grey as the new neutral color.  So here is a "set" with a necklace, bracelet, cluster leaf earrings and regular leaf earrings with a black pearl detail.

Leaf Bracelet $85

I've found that I enjoy these neutral base sets because they go with about everything.  I know a lot of people that wear black as their base color so the greys in this set gives it a pop. 

Daphne Necklace Variation $140

Leaf Earrings $55

 

The leaf earrings are made from a really beautiful seed bead that I picked up at the Bead Boutique in Naples, FL. I may be calling them to order more at some point.  I have had a really hard time finding these faceted seed beads. Probably because they're expensive to carry.  Photos don't do this bead justice as they have a wonderful sparkle.  It's very pleasing to work with them.

Cluster Leaf Earrings $75

I will definitely have this set at my next show at the U-Club (unless someone contacts me sooner that wants them, I have been mailing a number of items out lately). 

The U-Club show is Thursday, December 5th in the afternoon.  11:00am-2:30pm

You can find my calender on the new improved www.jennyschu.com too.  I'm getting much better at updating it.  Please bear with me as we get my photo galleries up on it too.

Blue Grey Deco Earrings and Bangle, Free Time Goods Hat

I can be really sporadic with my color choices  I have moved on to playing with a blue, grey and black mix.  I think I'll blame the Lansing Art Gallery because their 2013 Holiday Exhibition invites have a painting in this colorway that really struck me.  I'll probably get to see the painting tonight at their holiday art exhibit opening reception. 

I first sampled this color combo in the above earrings.  The original earrings in this design I made to match the Art Deco Bangle which has gotten a lot of positive feedback.  I wanted to whip up a quicker bangle to match these earrings so I drafted a smaller, simpler design as seen above.

I also have to give a shout-out to my girl Emily out in Aspen.  I saw a hat I loved in the Free People Holiday catalog, wanted it, but when I looked at the description the pom-pom was faux fur.  I cannot stand faux fur.  So I ordered a blue and brown mutation fox fur pom and begged Em to crochet me one of her Free Time Goods slouch hats quickly.  It's getting cold here in Michigan!  Also, I already have a Free Time Goods hat that I wear all of the time, so I knew that the quality of wool that Emily uses isn't itchy.

 

I don't like posting tons of photos of myself, but this has been my go-to look recently.  I usually can't wear my hair down because it gets in my face, but wearing glasses more has helped that issue.  Plus I love my new winter hat.

 

I want to wear this set for a minute, so it will make it's debut at my next Holiday Show on December 5th at the University Club.  More information can be found on my Calendar Page on www.JennySchu.com.  Which reminds me, my website has gone though some major changes!  I love the new design, we are still working on getting more images up on it.  So go check it out when you have the chance.



Lavender-Grey-White Beaded Jewelry

 

I don't know about you, but I've become somewhat addicted to Pinterest.  Instead of scanning my twitter feed in my down time (watching tv, standing in line at the grocery store...) I've been perusing colorful designs and patterns relating to nearly anything you can think of.  Sometimes, a color combination really haunts me as this outfit layout below did.

 

 

 

Gone are the days of rues like you're not supposed to wear white shoes after Labor Day, and fall/winter has been very accepting of pastels.  I love this lavender/oatmeal/grey/off-white look for some reason. So I picked up my little lavender beads and started making something to go with an outfit like this.

 

Cluster Earrings $75.00

Leaf Bracelet $85

 

I finished the earrings and bracelet, but wanted something a little different.  So, an idea that's been rolling around in my head came to fruition. I sandwiched the St. Petersburg Chain stitch between two narrow bangles.  The tiny beads don't fit perfect in the middle, so it gives a pleasant little texture between the two smooth white pieces.

 

 

St. Petersburg Bangle $90

 

This new bangle style is a step off in a fun different direction.  If you've been following me on facebook, twitter or instagram, you've had a preview.  



 

Michigan League of Handweavers Conference 2013: My Awards

I can't thank the Michigan League of Handweavers enough for the awards that I won this year in the Conference Exhibits.  I received awards from not only 2 different jurors, but also the People's Choice Award for the Fiber Art Exhibit.  This has been such a great group to be part of, and to have my talent recognized within the group is such a great honor.

The awards I won are as follows:

"She Can't See the Forest Through the Trees"

 

Best of Show for Fiber Art

People's Choice Award for Fiber Art

"Bamboozled Bangle"

 

2nd Place Fashion Accessories Exhibit

 

 

"Chevron Bangle"

Judge's Choice Award

 

 

I am also especially grateful to the people who hung the Fiber Art Exhibit.  "She Can't See the Forest Through the Trees" is a pain in the butt to hang.  For my exhibit that was in March/April, we hung it from the ceiling at Grove Gallery, and I knew that it wouldn't be able to hang that way when I was entering it for the MLH Conference.  They managed to use the display boards to make a tunnel and set the dowels along the tops on either side.  Also placing it right in front of the door so you didn't miss it when you walked in.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  

Chevron Fringe Pendant

On Tuesday I was beading at Grove Gallery and mulling over a new pendant design.  I have been wearing a long sterling chain lately, and I wanted something that would have some length, but also a bit of width too.  I've noticed a trend in long necklaces with a chunky pendant on them coming out in storefronts and popping up on Pinterest.

Earrings $55.00, Bracelet $45.00

Since I'm on this chevron kick, I decided to try a pendant to match a pair of mint green and dark gold chevron earrings. The first photo up top and below is what I came up with:

"back side"

I usually hate to put on fringe, it never looks perfect and I bead so tightly I have to tug it out a bit to let it hang.  Using heavier beads toward the bottom would help, but I love the look of the freshwater pearls with the tiny 15/0 seed beads.

This pendant is 2 3/4 inches long by 1 inch wide.  Current price is $75.00

Happy Valentine's Day, a New Pendant Design

In between working on my larger projects I needed a little break from leaves and St. Petersburg Chain.  Liisa, my boss over at Speaker Law Firm had purchased a bracelet over the holidays and wanted a pendant to match. 

The pendant is a two-drop peyote stitch with tiny brown beaded edging.  It's the same width and pattern as the bracelet.

I did end up making a pair of earrings out of the faceted pink multi color delicas from this set.  Keeping with a brown accent I placed larger lavender seed beads as the middle accents.  These are still available for sale.

Pink and Lavender Pod Earring $55.00