New Bracelets

I just love making bracelets - I guess because I love wearing them.  I wear them more than any other type of jewelry with the exception of my wedding ring.

I found a shop on etsy a few months ago, Keystone Clay and Bead, owned by Kristin Baldschwiler.  She had a connector listed that I really liked but it was flat and I wanted to use it as a bracelet cuff.  She made one special just for me, along with several other pieces, and I am excited to debut a braclet made with her cuff.  I love the colors of it and I think the bracelet does it justice.  This is one of the pieces I have been struggling recently to finish and last night, I took another stab at it and it just came together.  I am anxious to also work with the other pieces I received from her.  She also generously included several gift pieces.  Thank you Kristin!

 I so enjoyed making the bangle with the clasp that I posted a few days ago that I set out to make another one.  I decided I wanted to make this one with smaller beads but still needed to stay with the handmade clay or some other beads that would fit on the 14 gauge wire that forms the skeleton of this bracelet.  I used a copper glaze heart from Karen Totten at Starry Road Studio as the focal.  I used two small red lampwork beads from Joyce O'Shay and four really small stoneware beads also by Karen.  I love the color palette of the green copper, brick red, and mustard tan.  I finished the ends with a variety of small copper beads. 

After I had the basic beads placed on the heavy gauge wire, I generously wrapped more copper wire between the beads on which I had strung small seed beads.  Remember the light and dark amber ones that I had left over from the Kristy Bowman ammonite blog bracelet - yep, I used those along with some copper seed beads.

I like this version, but the stoneware beads sort of fade into the copper wire wrapping.  This is one of those designs that is difficult to redo so I am leaving it like it is, but next time, I will know to use a tad larger beads.