Actress Mycole Metcalf Wears Kuri Yasuno Designs In Head Shots

Wholesale Order -- A Request for Sturdy Young Girl Earrings with Style

Oh boy! Here's an order where I was trusted to use my design powers to come up with earrings for young girls. This was challenging because I don't know exactly what young girls wear but very fun and flattering that she trusted I could deliver. Off I went. Pinterest and imdb.com looking at all the young stars of today to see what "the young kids are doing these days."

To keep cost low, I ordered silver fill earrings. To keep with the sturdy theme,  I ordered lever backed earrings instead of hooks. Hooks could slip out when jumping on say, a trampoline.  Not sure why this activity popped into my head but we go with it. 

Next I set my sights on color. Who doesn't like pink and blue. After a lot of playing around, here are the pairs I came up with. 

I hope they sell out in the first week!

Here is the rest of the order. So much stuff I couldn't get it to all fit in the photo :)

One necklace recycled, upcycled, modernized into multiple pieces

I am still very close friends with my freshman year roommate from college. When we say this, many people raise an eye brow. I assume this means that many are not still in contact with that person they shared a dorm room with the nerve wracking first year of college.

Noelle and I are still besties and she is one of my biggest supporters. As is her mom.  Here is a photo of a necklace that her mom used to wear a lot but then became tired of.  She sent it along to me so that I could re-use the beads for other projects.

I smelled a challenge :)

I decided to re use all of these beads and create new pieces but trying to use only the beads available (and adding when necessary.)

So here is the before:

And here are the afters:

Here is the complete collection.

I still have two beads left that I wanted to make rings out of but ran out of steam.

I sent all of these to Noelle as a surprise and happily enough, they are all going to find new homes this Mother's Day.  

What a great feeling that not one bead was wasted!

Beauties at the Bead Store

Today, I went to get 14 gauge wire to make some rings. I like these stack rings to make and give as gifts and I thought I'd buy the materials and prep everything and save the soldering for when I go visit open studio time at Silver Works at Glen Echo Park. 

While I was there, I visited with the beads in the case. Amazing. 

Check out these chrome diopside I didn't buy. 

These were stunning. As were these bessonite (a type garnet) 

The case. It has such fancy things, makes me want to drool. 

But wait. They had some other cool things today. 

I didn't get these either....

Rough green garnets. Big and chunky. I thought about 24 gauge gold wire or oxidized black wire...but I put them back. 

These caught my eye too. 

More green garnet, smooth and tubular. Could be macrame, crochet? 

These carnelian were cute 

But not exactly what I was looking for. Though looking at the photo now, I kinda want. 

These pearls I photographed because they are dark and baroque. Always good to have but again, I refrained. 

And finally, they had these lovely round faceted iolites. Not something I had seen before. They look black here but they are a pretty blue. 

A lovely trip to the bead store. 

Accent beads in Rockville. Such a happy place.