Say Goodbye... I say Hello!

Alright everyone... I know it's been a long time since I've posted here. I have had a new (well, no longer as new) member added to my family, serious health issues right after, and then again almost a year later. I've been on my back and just not able to do as much jewelry as I would like... I do sketches, I have a whole book of those, so there will be more coming from me... Just not on this blog. Pixies Pretties is going to no longer ... be.

For the time that I was helpless hooked up to IVs and flat on my back from side effects and fatigue, I remembered how much I used to like to crochet and see what I could make. Granted back then... they didn't come out so well. But when I started playing around and pulling up old patterns and new patterns, what I was making was coming out pretty danged good. Maybe being a titch bit older made me slow down and really pay attention to what I was doing... that or the meds, lol.

So, I will be opening another coupla shops, and re-branding everything under one site. I will have my Yarn Works, my Bling, my photography (yes, that's new to some of you), and some stuff my DH and kiddos would like to contribute... and maybe a guest artist each month - that's still being decided, lol.

But basically, Pixies Pretties will no longer be a shop. I loved it, but now it's going to be under one umbrella - CMe Boutique. There will be a blog ( http://cmeboutique.blogspot.com/ ), and there will be a site. As of right now the site will be cmeboutique.wix.com and I will have all the stores in one site... I just have to finish designing and adding photos, prices, etc. Not much, lol.

You can follow our progress on the new blog. Hope to see you there.

~Chris

Green and Copper Bracelet

Recently I challenged myself to take a piece of jewelry I had designed and just didn't like the way it came out and redesign it. Recycling at it's best, lol. Since this bracelet also became a gift for a very very dear friend, I think it went well. :-D

This is the sad sad little bracelet I first made... a few years ago. And it sat in my box... mocking me! But I fixed it, I sure did! LOL


The completed, reworked bracelet for my friend's birthday.

Leafy Jewelry Set

Recently my lovely sister gave me some shoes for Christmas. Since I absolutely loved them and wanted to wear them a lot, I naturally had to make a jewelry set to go with them! (Please excuse the funny looking display... mine is black... I needed it to be lighter to show the colors better. :))


The shoes! See, gorgeous!

The set

Earrings. The crystal drop actually comes from behind the ear. It's attached to the earring back.

Closeup of the necklace.


The bracelet.

My Son's Bracelet

My second son loves to craft as much as I do. On any given day he can be found making paper "tanks" and drawing things to put up on his walls. Every time I pull out jewelry making supplies he gazes on it in envy. So, when he asked if he could make a bracelet this week, I relented and let him pick through my beads and findings to make his own bracelet. All I did was attach the clasp with crimp beads and crimp covers... the rest is ALL him!

"Hmmm... let's see... how much beading wire do I need?"

The design

The stringing

Such concentration!

The finished product.

He's so proud of how it turned out, and so am I. The downside, now he's asking every day, "Can I make another bracelet?" Looks like I might need to get him his own bead board and set of beads, lol. So, take the time and share your knowledge with someone else! You might pass on a love of crafting, whatever your craft may be.

Braided Pearl Bracelet

I made a bracelet for one of my best friends last year. Originally, I loved the clasp when I bought it, but found that it did not like to stay together. I thought maybe it was because my wrist was smaller than hers and it just needed to be a bit tighter... nope, that was not the case.

This is the original bracelet before I took it apart and re-did it:



And here is the finished product with a new, Mother of Pearl and Swarovski Crystal box clasp, that isn't going to let go as easily!






I think it turned out beautifully, and she's already told me she loves it. Not to mention several others who want it for their own... Yes, it's going in the shop, lol.

Sooo... It's National Craft Month!

I have been doing some jewelry... for myself... for friends... and getting back on my feet after having a baby and ending up back in the hospital again. So, I'll post some of the things I've done in the last few days, and some of the stuff I'll do the rest of the month... I have a lot planned to do, but who knows what will actually get done. Some of these will be going up on my Etsy site, once I get it back up again, lol.

Here's a bracelet I helped my friend with. It's her design, I just helped make it... stronger.




So, go out, or stay in, and do some crafts this month (although I think I'd rather it was all year, lol) and share it with the world!

A Special Day

I was recently given the great honor of sharing in a wonderful couple's special day: Their wedding!

I got to work with some great, sweet, wonderful... and completely laid back people to help bring the bride's vision for her wedding jewelry to life. Honestly, I've never worked with someone so... carefree... about what they're going to wear on their wedding day. When I went to her house with my boxes and boxes of supplies and a stack of pictures and ideas in tow, the bride basically told me, "I trust you." Yeah, I know... ya could have knocked me over with a feather. Still, I had her look through the pictures, and some of the elements I had on hand and tried to keep an idea in my head of what she liked, what she was looking for... and what her personality was. Sometimes, it just takes pulling the elements together.

This bride, fell in love with a set of sterling silver, heart links that I had in my stock. She kept picking them up, and I knew it was something she wanted in her necklace. This girl, is so sweet, and romantic, and she and her groom made a positive impression on me, and when I saw her dress I had a pretty good idea what kind of jewelry would work for her: romantic, elegant and just that little touch of shiny thrown in for some sparkle. I was so happy with the way this jewelry turned out, and the bride and her family have since told me how happy THEY were with the jewelry. So, I thought I'd at least share the preliminary photos of the bride's jewelry, her bridemaids', mother's and flower girls' jewelry as well. Sorry, I don't have pics of the bride and everyone in their jewelry... yet... as I was a goober and left my camera at home on the day of the wedding. Hey, you try getting yourself, your hubby and four kids out the door when they don't want to wear their church clothes on a non-church day! LOL. Enjoy!

The Bride's Jewelry: Necklace and Earrings




The Mother of the Bride's Jewelry: Necklace and Earrings


Bridesmaids' Jewelry: Necklace and Earrings (There were five bridesmaids and a Maid of Honor who had green pearls instead of blue)



Flower Girls' Jewelry: Bracelet and Flowered Hairpins

In the end, everyone, including me, was happy with how the jewelry turned out.

(edited to add photos from the wedding) Click and zoom below to get a close-up look at the jewelry in action. Enjoy! :-)