Thursday, September 25, 2008

Jewelry Exchange - The Story Unfolds

I love to make stories for my beads and jewelry, and make jewelry with a story. How fun to tell the story of some jewelry and how it grew! This is about Gaea's jewelry exchange idea and how it all came about in pictures.


Gaea started it all, it was her idea and we agreed it would be fun. What would several jewelry designer beadmaker types do with a work-in-progress. Sounds like a good time! Here's the story to date. This is a photo of how it started out, and then it headed to have some more special touches added by Lorelei.


She changed the wire, added beads and the beginnings of a dangle, and a word stick to match the little heart key emblem on the focal bead. Next, Joelle added a special touch like this.


Very neat second strand added, some length, color - the exchange is showcasing various work and yet complimenting the style of all involved. Next to Mary, who put a special spin on the next stage like so:


See the cool toggle, the fiber chain and the bird bead. Neat additions, lots of texture and new colors. Many hands, one spirit, on next to Jennifer to add her special flavor to the mix.


The dangle got some new friends with a stick pearl, brass dangle stick and stamped charm on chain, very kinetic and lots of movement. Next it traveled to me, and I added some length to get it almost to the finish line.

I added an orchid bead and one of my pierced stick chain links with hand forged jump rings, connected by darkened steel wire, to add length and play on the love notes theme, metallic textures and violet colors of some of Gaea's ceramic beads.




Here's an arial view of where it was when I sent it off to Stef, to add the next touches before it goes back to Gaea for the last word and the finishing touches.



And a bit of a closeup, to show all the neat colors and fun stuff.



I can't wait to see what the finished piece will look like, and boy, was it hard to see it go out the door in that package to Stef, it's one great necklace right there! And I know Gaea has some special plans for its future, so keep posted on her blog to find out the rest of the story.

Anybody else want to do an exchange, maybe a charm or bead exchange? That was way too fun not to do it again. If five or six of us got together and made six of the same bead, charm or component, we could do a swap! and get six new cool things - then collaborate to use the charms in a bracelet, earrings or something.

Want to???

14 comments:

Lorelei Eurto said...

HI Lynn!
YESSSS! Although, I'm not much of a beadmaker. I could try to come up with something. Hmmm, the wheels are turning!
But I'm totally in. Cuz the jewelry exchange was a BLAST!

LLYYNN - Lynn Davis said...

YAY - I wanna do this, just because it will be like getting presents and making them to give - how fun is that! Lorelei, you are the master, I've seen what you and that new bench block can do, LOL!

And you're right, the jewelry exchange was a total hoot!

Anybody else?

Lorelei Eurto said...

Hey Lynn!
I left a note on my blog post about this exchange. So we should have 6-7 people in NO TIME FLAT! :)
yippee.
fun!

Cristi Baxter Clothier said...

Hi Lynn! I would love to participate...

LLYYNN - Lynn Davis said...

I'm thinking about the November timeframe, maybe midmonth, for everyone to send the number of charms to me and I will send them out to everyone? I would love to act as coordinator, and I think people get really busy right before Thanksgiving - so it's best to have the delivery before that.

Thanks for the link on your blog, Lorelei. How about a theme of 'counting blessings' - or just leave it open?

Lorelei Eurto said...

Oh I like that theme idea!
Very cool.
I like that time too. That'll work for me.

Lucid Moon Studio said...

Hi all,

I would love to participate! I've never done a swap before, but it definitely sounds like fun!

Lisa

Gaea said...

Wow! It looks great! You can see everyones style and yet it works! Great job! And count me in on the exchange!!!

Cristi Baxter Clothier said...

Hey Lynn, I love your idea for the theme! Count me in!

LLYYNN - Lynn Davis said...

If ya'll will click on the photo of the RINGLEADER of LLYYNN and send me an email, I'll have your addresses and can coordinate - what fun, super duper!

Erin Siegel said...

Hi!

I would love to participate in the bead exchange. Please count me in!

Cristi Baxter Clothier said...

Hi Lynn, I can't click on your Ringleader photo and connect to your email. My computer has some kind of hangup about that. Anyway, I sent u an email to your gmail.com address. Thanks!

LLYYNN - Lynn Davis said...

Crisit, that worked - I got your email that way also. Right now the list is Lorelei, Gaea, Cristi, Lisa, Erin - with me that makes six. Think we have room for more - I can make seven charms or beads but I don't want to overstretch anyone?

LLYYNN - Lynn Davis said...

Mary Harding is joining us too - wheee! I'll email the info to you all and we'll do a show and tell in mid-November when the swaps go out. The theme is 'counting blessings' - however you'd like to express that as a bead, charm or component. If you haven't emailed my gmail account yet so I have your email addy please send me one.