*FAIL*

 At some point, it is o.k. to give up.  My point was about an hour ago.  I had plans to add some vintage rhinestones and a small skeleton key.  When I picked up the piece, my finger landed in the still-squishy-after-ten-hours resin.  That's just not right.  So, my intel on pouring Ice Resin over the top of incorrectly mixed resin was not accurate.  Unless... it is possible that this whole fiasco has a chemical explanation.

The texture I was going for was "rusty."  I was turned on to these cool products by Modern Masters here: http://katalinajewelry.blogspot.com/2012/07/an-experiment-in-rust.html?showComment=1348075963991#c8839654030760877309  I have painted up a variety of items with this two-step process.  Works like a charm!  This was the first time I have ever tried to add resin to the mix.  Later, I might test this hypothesis, but I've spent too much time on this project for now.  Grrrrr.

And my iPhone pictures are blurry.  (I can't find my real camera.)
And I didn't notice my graphics issue (Black text on top of my red text) until I had already uploaded the picture.

Finally, I said I would talk about my hospitality theme.  Since the necklace is a forfeit, I'll tell you that God has put the practice of hospitality on my heart.  It is not my strong suit.  I get to be a nervous wreck preparing for guests.  The cleaning overwhelms me.  So much can go wrong with the food.  My house is so little.  And so on.  Before we moved, though, we were shown such rich hospitality by a number of people and I heard God's voice.  Kris, it may not be your gifting, but you can still be a blessing.  When the mother-of-pearl pineapple turned up in a lot of vintage jewelry I purchased, I thought it would make a lovely statement!  This locket was to flesh out the idea...music, good food, comfort, a favorite Mexican saying (my house is your house.)  At the end of it all, I am satisfied that the idea was wonderful and the execution was pitiful.  But, there's another saying in Spanish for that...que sera, sera.

Bridal Challenge Week Five: Bead Chips (Alternate Post Title: Better Late than Never)

Pretty, isn't it?  Anyone who has seen my beadwork has probably seen a version of this bracelet.  It has a peyote stitched base and a beaded toggle clasp.  Normally, I make the base about 12 beads wide, but I thought a bride would merit something a bit daintier.  This one is woven on an 8 bead wide base.  I used the left-over seed beads from the netted necklace in week two and some crystal-lined clear 11/o beads to raise the chips up.

I am what you would call a reflective beader.  When I finish a project, I decide if I like how it looks.  Was the process satisfying or tedious?  Was it "worth" the time it took?  In the case of these challenges, I also wonder, "Would a bride actually wear this?  What kind of bride would wear it?  What type of wedding and or dress would make this jewelry appropriate?"

This piece strikes me as a bit clunky for anything other than a very casual wedding, perhaps a beach wedding.  WeddingMountain.Com carries a whole "destination wedding" line, including these two dresses:

As I consider the dresses, I like the bracelet best with the short number (which is actually a bridesmaid dress.)  So, my reflection is this: use this bracelet as your bridesmaid thank-you gift!

Bridal Challenge Week Four

Here's what I'm working with this week...chips.  Not Barrel O'Fun, but Mother of Pearl and glass (imitation Moonstone.)  I've had these for months and thought they would be a nice accent or fill color for one of my nugget garden bracelets.  I'm not really going out on a limb...no big surprises, you will be seeing a bracelet in the near future.