Randomly Raining

Ok, so I need to first apologize for not posting regularly this week. It's been a little batty in the Bead Up house -- for starters, I got a new job (prayers are answered!) and transfer departments this week. Secondly, it's been raining cats and dogs and frogs here in Los Angeles, leaving our roof leaking and our garage flooded (which is what happens when you spoil your house with rainless weather for so long!). Lastly, my brother moved in with us this week, too, and the hubs and I are enjoying catching up with him in the downtime. Needless to say, it's gotten in the way of a bunch of bottled up creativity, both in blogging and jewelry making! I have, however, found a few moments in the space between to post a few new items on Etsy. Most of these are technically "left over" from my Christmas craft shows, but they definitely fit in with the rest of my dainty necklace collection on Etsy!

Butterfly, Turquoise, and Pearl necklace: $14

Buzz Buzz Buzz Brass Bee Necklace, $13 Thrive Brass Necklace with Leaf Charm and Freshwater Pearl, $14 Silver Black Bird Tag Gemstone Necklace, $14

I also re-made a few pieces of jewelry for a friend of mine this week. Carla, who works in my soon-to-be old office, asked if I could help her out with an old piece of jewelry. Carla was born and raised in Peru, and before leaving the country she collected shells and trinkets from the country and had them made into a beautiful long necklace. Eventually some of the shells fell off of the hemp wiring and Carla has kept them in a box for decades. She simply asked if I could restring them into a medium-length necklace and bracelet with gold wire and fixtures. No problem! At first glance, the shells didn't look like a challenge. They had lots of holes already in them, which meant I didn't have to dig out my bead reamer. I hadn't anticipated that, since each shell is so uniquely shaped, the thin wire I was using would take on the shape of the shells and twist and turn permanently. At the end of the day, re-wiring the shells felt more like a needle-and-thread project than a beading game, but I think they turned out well, their own unique way!Carla was all smiles when I gave her the "resurrected" jewelry. She wrote on Facebook: "I have had these shells with me since I was 7. I found them on the beach in Barranco, Lima - Peru; a week before we left the mother land for the good ole' USA." Hooray! So bear with me, Bead Up buddies, as I may come and go within the next week here in Bloggin' land as the rain continues to pour and I continue in my transitions! I'll send you a postcard from my final destination! And if you haven't done so, please consider contributing to the relief efforts in Haiti. Click here for ideas how you (yes you!) can help!