Resist Bangle in Red

I think this bangle speaks for itself. My artwork, or me for that matter, haven't had a tendency to be political. I work with words that I need to release, that I'm pondering, journaling, struggling with. Lately my words, emotions, fears and sadness have very much revolved around the current political landscape. (I just moved a lot of ranting to my journal rather than posting it here...).

Sticking to speaking technically, I'm thrilled at how well this font translated into my bangle form. I am even more thrilled at how much the shadow added to the design. I was searching for color ideas relating to "resist" and the drop shadow showed up in a few fists-up resist images so I added it in to my design. 

Red seemed like the obvious starting point for this first Resist bangle, I believe there will be more and other colors to come. 

I toyed with how much of the red I should fill in the top over the "R" and up to the dot on the "i." Ultimately I just kept beading until I got really bored of stitching red beads and checked with Bryan to see if he thought the little bit of the dot in the i looked OK sticking up. I like it, it's just a little blip up, short enough that it won't catch on things making it much easier to wear. 

Checker Circlet Earrings and Bangle Inspired by Ally's Hair

I've been escaping into color lately, anything that draws me in and sticks with me. Ally's mohawk is half bright dark pink and half bright orange right now and whenever I see her selfie posts I can't stop thinking about the color combo and how much joy it gives me. So I decided to mix it in with checkers since I know her from the Michigan Ska Scene, and well, checkers are part of that. 

Shop these earrings HERE

I got to see Ally yesterday at the Splish Splash Bash and her hair was still these colors, it was nice to see her and her hair in person. Despite the heat it was a really fun show with lots of awesome bands, some we know and have seen before, some totally new to us. 

While I recuperate from yesterday's long day outside I'm actually getting everything properly photographed and posted. You can shop the bangle on my website HERE and the earrings on my website HERE. 

Shop for this bangle HERE

For those of you who follow along on my personal social media...Bryan's car became no longer repairable and, somehow, his dream car was within our price range in AWD. It's a 2023 Dodge Challenger in a custom pearlescent blue. We're both very color oriented and didn't think the blue was great until we saw it in person. So now whenever we peruse online shopping we compare it to see if it matches the car. I've missed having a fun car to drive, but I personally need something I can fit doors and looms in, so I'm glad we have a fun one now too! I suspect my next color influence will be towards this blue: 

(And yes, he was pulled over less than 24 hours after we purchased it for no real reason)

Bright Fuchsia and Green Stripe Mix Bangle and Earrings

When I don't have an outfit or a specific inspiration it's sometimes difficult for me to come up with what colors I want to play with. Green and purple tend to be my go-tos, but, apparently I keep gravitating towards bright pink/fuchsia combined with green also. I did this a few years ago, which I forgot about until I started beading this combo. 

Shop for this bangle HERE

Life has been...a lot lately. So not thinking too hard about my beading, just letting the colors play is both satisfying and relaxing. When I pulled these 4 bead colors I thought I was going to do checkers but I hadn't done stripes in a while and they seemed to suit these colors better.

Shop for these earrings HERE

The brightest pink bead in these is a stunning galvanized pink color that feels very summery. I had a difficult time getting the color with my cell phone but the light box and better camera does it justice. 

I actually finished this set just in time to wear out to the show we're going to tonight, we managed to get tickets to another sold out show at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids which will be fun and hopefully not too hot in there. We're looking forward to seeing IDKHOW (But They Found Me) live. I'll pop it up on my website shop soon too. 

Rainbow Fade Bangles with Purple Request

Shop this bangle HERE

Lets face it, in my circles, rainbows are IN. I've always loved using rainbows for things so it's an easy way to play with tons of different bead colors. Putting something in rainbow color order may be one of the most satisfying things in the world to me. Rainbows mean so many things and above all, joy. I think we could use more joy lately. 

I created a "vintage rainbow" earring and bangle set that went up north to the Crooked Tree Art Center in Traverse City, MI and I think the set sold in the first month. It was one of those sales that felt bittersweet, I know it will be loved but I already missed having it in my stash. So I started beading another one since the beads were still pulled out. I posted it on my social media and someone asked how much and then if I could make one with purple. We're purple people, purple is no problem for me. The "vintage rainbow" color grouping came from my obsession with the colors in the movie Joker: Folie à Deux. I needed to pull some slightly different colors to incorporate purple and then I couldn't decide between a plum-purple or a royal-purple, so I used both. 

Then I had some beads break while I was working on this one. This is somewhat common, particularly with the matte seed beads. The thread from the broken bead didn't want to be stitched in (without possibly breaking more beads) so I decided if I was shipping something off without the customer seeing it in person first I'd feel bad if they noticed this flaw. So I made a second one for them. I, personally, don't mind a few flaws and threads showing on the interior of my work. It happens, and it shows that it's made by hand and not by a machine, but I also pride myself in high quality work so it's bug me if I was shipping off something with that little black thread showing! Consequently, it looks like I'll see them at a ska show coming up, so I have an extra now at least. I am still not bored of beading rainbows so it works out fine. 

Back to the beginning of this post...organizing things in rainbow color order...I was recently gifted an entire stash of impeccably organized Delica seed beads from someone who's family member had passed and left lots of supplies behind. They were all organized by number order though. Delicas seem to be assigned a number as they come out in new color batches (I'm not 100% sure on that, so don't quote me). The low numbers like 10 are your basic opaque black which has been around since the beginning of Delicas but the numbers go up into the thousands. The number organization was really cool to see because it showed a clear pattern of say, the 12 galvanized pale colors that came out together that are clearly a group number order. I took photos of each organized box but my art-brain doesn't work that way. I lean into colors when ideas are culminating and I need to see, say, all the blues together at one time to find the right options. So I spent days keeping the numbers in order but grouping them into drawers by color. Looking a the side of the drawer system that these came in is now so very satisfying. 

It feels good creating and spreading rainbows, like a low-key Lisa Frank. I'm putting the bangle with the thread showing on the interior up on my shop HERE.

Resilience Bangle

Shop HERE

I didn't expect to start beading and finish this bangle on our short trip to Chicago at the beginning of this month but it was done in like 2 days. That doesn't include the designing and picking out beads but that's still a really quick turnover for me on a bangle this size whos pattern doesn't repeat. A 4 hour train ride and quiet, comfortable hotel can do wonders for my production. 

After creating my "nope." (Golden Boundary) bangle last year I realized it's time to start putting my word themes into my beaded jewelry. Then it dawned on me...statement bangles....why it took me 20 years to put that one together...

I've been called resilient repeatedly in the past 7ish years. It finally started to sink in. The more things thrown my way, the better I bounce back stronger both mentally and physically. I'm in a good place these days (thanks to my golden boundary and sobriety). Resilience has become a clear theme for me. So I created a big bold Bauhaus version of this bangle. 

I think the font translated well. I find playing with fonts in all of my work to be really fun. When I was thinking of what colors to use I thought maybe greens was a good starting point and when I asked Bryan what color he thought of when he thinks of Resilience, he said green too which solidified the color direction for this first bangle. I already feel like making another one in different colors, probably a rainbow direction. 

Bryan and I in Chicago

I Voted for Kodos, Cobra Lounge, Chicago

This bangle was finished just before a test in our resilience. It's been a crazy 3ish weeks. It started with a short trip to Chicago for 3 days for an I Voted for Kodos show, a fun little getaway. We stayed in the West Loop and liked the Sonder hotel set up so much that we also booked it for Riot Fest in September. I managed to come home drained and super sick, so on Thursday after getting what I needed to get done in my department I left work early to sleep. Bryan woke me up around 10:30pm to see if I wanted to eat and while we were eating a yummy marinated grilled chicken that he had made a weather warning and tornado sirens started. Before we really got going to grab cats and get to the basement, a HUGE boom and crash happened. I was so sick and out of it that I didn't realize at first that a tree had come through our dining room window. Like 8 feet from where we were sitting on the couch. Lois shot down into the basement and we had to go find the boys (kitties). My impulse was to start dealing with the tree situation but I made myself go to the basement to wait out whatever damage was going to happen. 

Tree in our dining room window

Tree from the outside the next day

When the warnings stopped we kept the cats in the basement and started to figure out what to do next. We had a tree come through the window and a tree next to it come down on our cars. I got on the phone (on hold for forever) with our insurance company while we cleaned up the window, glass and cut back the tree. Our insurance company set us up with ServPro for disaster relief, they were over first thing in the morning looking everything over and getting approval to have the immediate issues taken care of. The tree company made it out in the afternoon and removed the tree from the window and off our cars. Miraculously our cars were mostly unscathed and working. The tree guy took a peek at our back yard and said he hadn't seen anything that bad since 2023. With the privacy fence (and yes, all my doors) crushed and fallen, we've met our next door neighbors (they've only been there 2 years) and are sorting out what to do next. 

So many trees and branches down...

I'm thankful everything was triaged quick enough to make sure our cars were good and we made it to the Devin Townsend and Tesseract show in Detroit that we've had tickets for since December. We were tired, but it was VERY worth making it to this concert. 

We have a long way to go to get the back yard cleaned up and figure out what insurance will be taking care of and getting our own quotes to put the house and back yard together. Just one more project, which is turning into a bit of a creative project. The problem with two creatives trying to clean up a fallen forest of a large yard is there's a lot of "look at how cool this log ended up with the bark peeled off" and "check out this cool stick!"...there is a cool stick pile and cool log pile started. I'm sure there will be more to come on that. 

Resilience, onward and upward.

Black Based Fade Bangle and Earrings

We went to a formal dinner that a friend is hosted on Sunday and it dawned on me that I haven't had a reason to wear a more formal dress in ages...and do I have any that fit? I looked through what I have in my closets and pulled out a few options, hoping that one I got from Grace would still work. It did and I decided to make a new bangle and earring set to go with it.

I wanted to stick to playing with color without trying to graph out any designs. I also imagined the bangle to be mostly black, like the dress. So I pulled a basic opaque black bead and a matte black to go along with colors in the dress. I made half the bangle black and the colored potions smaller sections on the other half. I was hoping that the black would help create a little more drama and I it turned out as I had hoped.

I thought I might make this bangle wider but I got a bit bored of beading the black so it's only 1/2 inch wide. Then, of course, earrings to match. I having been making my circlet earring with multiple "mini" bangle but these I wanted to keep simple. They are beaded to match the bangle, half blacks half colors. I liked them so much I decided to try a second pair with a pearl accent inside of the circlet.

These simple circlets are now available on my SHOP HERE.

The bangle and pearl earrings are headed to Crooked Tree's Gallery on Sixth this week if you're looking to shop for them. I'm keeping the "plain" circlet earring in my personal stock and might get it up on my online shop eventually. I've been avoiding the computer/smartphone a lot when I'm home so I'm slow to post...anything. I'm enjoying life a lot more worrying less about online stuff. 

Plaid Bangle and Earrings in Blues

Every time I think I'm not beading as much or I'm going to focus more on my weaving and larger projects I feel like beading. I had these blues pulled for another jewelry set and decided to find one of my older designs to use with this color combination that I am still enjoying working with. 

I like coming back to this plaid bangle, fall and winter always bring me back to plaids so it came easy. I have a few different stopping points on this design if I want to make it narrower or I get tired of the colors but I decided to go for the full width of about 2 inches wide.  

Of course, a pair of earrings to match and it's good to go. I don't quite feel like I'm done beading blues. Maybe it's a comfortable color for me, it was the color of hope for me with this election and with the turnout I am seeking comfort, cozy, safety from the things I cannot control.

The Bangle and exact match earrings will all be available at Midnight Madness in Ann Arbor, December 6th 5-11pm.  I'll be set up at Bløm Mead + Cider, 100 S 4th Ave, Ann Arbor, along with other artists and makers for shopping. (The circle earrings went to Angelwood Gallery in Grand Rapids, OH).

You can find my past plaid jewelry sets HERE.

Protest the Hero Concert Bangle Inspiration

We were at the Protest the Hero show at the beginning of August. Sometimes I knit to keep my hands busy at shows but I've noticed the knitting comes out less and less. I've just been totally mesmerized by the music, the crowd, the flashy lights.  At this show in the basement of St. Andrews Hall the headlining band had these light panels that were programmed to go along with the music. They were simple but totally fascinating to me. Sorry I couldn't find any good photos or video of the lights from that show, I didn't have my phone out much.

I hadn't felt like beading for a while, but these very simple patterns along the light strips made me want to get the peyote graph paper out and create some bangle designs. This is the first set. I have some other ideas but admittedly the inspiration from this has faded a bit. I need to grab it, or is floats along. I might tap the well later.

For this design I didn't choose the colors that matched the light panels, I took the design and moved it into the blues and tans I've been wanting to work with lately.  I think hanging out with Sydney at Convergence drew me to blues. She does blues really well in her weavings and she was wearing one of her own pieces in blues a few of the days. Since then I keep going back to blues. It's a bit of a change from my green and purple defaults.

This set will be available to check out and purchase at the Ann Arbor Fiber Arts Guild Holiday Sale this Saturday, November 9th from 10am-4pm at Zal Gaz Grotto.

Neon with Muted Greens and Tan Jewelry Multi Loop Checker Earrings and Bangle

Between perusing Pinterest for current color ideas and watching the movie Poor Things I had the urge to play more with the neon green-yellow beads I have stocked up. The colors of, everything, in Poor Things from the costuming to the entire set and spaces was a feast of color combinations I wouldn't normally think of. I'm attracted to the color but sometimes struggle to use specific colors in a meaningful way. I like the neons but they're just...SO bright and that's not normally "me". Then I started seeing it blended with muted tans, browns and the sorts of greens that I know I can work with. 

I was in and out of consciousness with a cold at the beginning of April and these colors called to me when I couldn't get back to sleep in the early mornings. While I was stuck in bed and on the couch for 2 days straight trying to get over being sick I decided to bead in my waking moments starting with the Multi Loop Checker Earrings. These earrings reminded me that I had made the Two-Toned Double Weave Bangle which sold much too quickly. So I pulled out that pattern draft as a base idea with this collection of colors.  

I started the bangle with the same colors as the earrings but I had also pulled a very dark matte green bead too.  As I was beading I wasn't sure I was going to add it on and then it just..happened. I need the dark I guess, even if it's just a little bit of pop. It looks black in these photos against all the other lighter colors but I promise, it's green.  

I've worn the earrings to work a few times and gotten compliments, I plan on wearing this set to Cathryn Amidei's gallery reception tonight night at WSG Gallery with the neon boatneck bat wing lace top that I knitted last summer. 

Golden Boundary Bangle [nope.]

It's interesting, a couple weeks ago at the Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild meeting I was asked if I was still making jewelry and the short answer is "not really." Then as I was driving home from the meeting I had an idea that spiraled into like 3 different pieces. A large weaving, small weavings and this bangle, which, I think may become a series of bangles. I've been reading, journaling and talking a lot about boundaries and staying away from people who are dramatic, chaotic, demanding and needy.

There was a point in my life where I didn't know what boundaries were and I felt like I had no control over who was at my house or in my business, it seemed like there were always people over, I was having to stop what I wanted to do with my time to entertain. I was miserable and I hated my life. I tried to be social and a good hostess but I couldn't wait until I had the place to myself to be creative and work on my artwork alone. 

I finally have that, I never thought I could have that calm unless I lived alone, but Bryan is so good at giving me the space I need and would never have anyone over without asking me if it's ok, and visa versa, we do not force socializing on each other and it is glorious. For the first time I feel safe at home and like my time and space is safe from being taken up and taken over by anyone else. It turns out I was just faking being social and now that I'm cozy I can be the introvert that I was always meant to be. Being pushed into an uncomfortable situation? nope. Someone trying to pop over to my house without advance plans? nope. Being guilted into doing something I've already declined? nope. 

I know I'm not alone, and I've already been asked if this bangle is for sale. This specific one is not since it had a 24K gold seed bead in it that I can't find anywhere anymore, and I have plans to exhibit it. I am happy to make it again, and in different colors. Give me some time and I think there will be more options with other fonts and styles, because boundaries are important.