Just a little preview of things to come:

I've been working hard on finishing some new projects, one of which I'm still not even halfway through and getting horribly frustrated with but it will all be worth it in the end. Most of them I'm just trying to finish before my big product party next month, but some of these I really really want to have done in time for people to order them by Halloween since they fit the theme pretty well. Once I finish everything up I'll be sure to get lots of pictures for all of you, but in the meantime here's a little preview of things to come.

I was in the craft store last week when I came across some really nifty 3-D plastic scrapbooking stickers. I thought they would make really adorable charms, so I picked them up. They were just little plastic pieces with those sticky foam discs on the back, so I peeled those off, hand-wrapped some eyelets, and hot glued those onto the backs. From the back they're not the most attractive jewelry accouterments ever, but from the front you can't tell the difference, so I consider my efforts a success. Totally worth actually buying something at full price. If you want to pick some up for yourself, I found these at Pat Catan's in the scrapbooking aisle, but if you're not in an area that has Pat Catan's I would bet you could find something similar in your local craft store.

The other project I have in the works is a set of skeletons that I picked up to make charms from. I took each piece apart, so that I ended up with 1 skull, 2 arm bones, 2 arm bones with attached hands, 4 leg bones, 2 feet, 1 rib cage, and 1 spinal column/pelvic bone per skeleton. I have 7 of them, so just taking them apart has taken me all day. I started wrapping and finished a few rib cages and several leg bones, but unless I find a really quick and nice-looking wire-wrapping tutorial, I might take a break on those for a day or so. They are really a pain in my butt to make, but the jewelry I'm already picturing making with them in my head is so amazing I know it's going to be worth it.

The last big project I've been working on is a decorative charm chain thing...I'm not really sure what I would call it. It's a multi-layered chain with big clasps on the end so you can hook it to belt loops and hang it around your hips, or you could wrap it a few times around a boot, or wear it as a layered necklace (if you're lucky enough to not be allergic to every metal known to man that is). I was looking for a way to display all the fun charms and things I've collected or made over the years since the traditional metal charm bracelet is out of the question for me, and I found a tutorial for a belt chain that I adapted. I thought it might be kinda cool to be able to wear my charms a different way every day. And now that I'm starting belly dance classes, maybe I could make a slightly longer chain to wear it as a belt over a dance skirt!

I'm still taking custom orders in between projects, so if you have something you want me to make you please still feel free to ask. I have a patch in the works right now for someone, but I'm hoping to have that finished in the next week or so so I'll have openings again for new orders.