300 Reasons

I've really been enjoying the book 'A Charming Exchange' by Ruth Rae and Kelly Snelling.

Every time I pick it up and glance through it, it inspires me with new ideas.


It started as a charm exchange, there's a blog about that.

And now that the book is out, there's a blog about the book.

Ideas for chains and clasps.

And interesting ways to create charms using found objects and different ways to use wire.


The book isn't a step-by-step book with instructions for every project pictured in it.

There aren't always detailed descriptions for creating each piece or jewelry design in the book, although there are some nice how-to areas with pretty photography.

But if you have any experience with jewelry tools you'll be able to figure out a way to make the designs work for you.

I don't like to exactly reproduce a design, but prefer to let the feeling or texture of the example spark ideas to take me in different directions.

Some metal, glass and fiber. Washers, chandelier crystals.

Some shiny, soft and colorful. Felt beads, reclaimed flatware.

All the results of a collaboration involving a lot of creative and talented people. See the list of them and check them out on the book's blog. Be inspired.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news, the number is 300!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm celebrating the 300th sale in the ExpeditionD shop.

It opened in 2008, on Easter. It's been poised at 297 for some time now, and I couldn't wait for the 300th sale.

It's sometimes hard for me to believe that I've created and listed 300 things in that time, and harder to understand the reality that people have liked and taken the results of my hands, that they have enjoyed them. I get such nice emails and communications, it's heartwarming. It's what keeps me going.

I have new designs on the workbench, I will be putting them in the shop very soon.

Thank you for supporting the Etsy ExpeditionD Shop! Enjoy the free shipping for the month of November.