Saturday, September 12, 2009

Finally making jewelry again!

While on family vacation in California, when I was 14, my mom took me and my twin sister to a little shopping area. We were in Carlsbad and having lots of fun. While having fun we stumbled onto a bead store. They had little kits with everything you needed to make a necklace and a bracelet. The kit I picked out and bought was brown and yellow colors with a brown clay bead with a sunflower on it for the center piece. That was the day my love affair with making jewelry began. I loved it!!! I continued to buy more beads and new tools and new books on how to do certain things and my love continued to grow. Eventually it became a huge hobby. It was my out. When everything in life seemed to be too much all I had to do was pull out my tackle box full of beads and begin to put new things together. I could do it for hours at a time. Eventually I grew quite the collection. I learned the difference between sterling silver and silver plating. I learned what round nose plyers are and how to use them tomake the perfect circle on an eye pin or head pin. I learned about glass beads, fiber optic beads and Sworovski crystal. I even started making baby bracelets for an online baby product website. They still sale some of my designs on that website.

Unfortunately, when I was 22 on the only night I decided to leave my 30 pound bead tackle box in my car, someone broke 2 of my windows and stole it along with my haircutting shears and license. I probably had $5,000 worth of bead in that box. Now, $5,000 worth of beads acumulated in 8 years isn't bad. What sucked is that I couldn't go out and blow $5,000 to replace my supply. It was a super sad thing. I was devastated. It was my out, my release, my escape from everything in my chaotic world. I bought a new little tiny tackle box to restart the collecting. It has been 2 and a half years and I finally have enough to make a few things. So, here's a sample of my creativity so far.

I wear black to work so I keepp and make alot of black jewelry.








I saw this kind-of-cameo and had to have it. It's even prettier up close and personal.









My brown set that I totally love. I can't find the other earing though. I'll just have to make a new one.


Not bad huh?





5 comments:

Garth & Ashley Pedersen said...

Oh I love love love them! I wear my wedding stuff all the time! I would love to buy some from you soon! Let me know kind of price range.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I want to know too...they are so cute! I love, love, love all the black stuff!

Cassie said...

Those are beautiful!

sherry said...

They are awesome Callie I love the brooch! MAybe you can help me update my mom bracelet. I bought a 5 ring clasp for all 5 kids...

Kathryn said...

Beautiful! I think this is my next crafty thing I want to try! Not that mine will turn out nearly as good as yours, these are professional! I LOVE the top, black one!!!