Rainbow Button Earrings

I'm having fun starting some of my new collaboration pieces, but I've also been working on restocking a few best sellers this month.

Editing RAW light box images in Lightroom has been a whole new challenge the past couple weeks. Some of my previously learned skills translate pretty well, others not so much. I'm pushing ahead regardless. Lightroom is still changing my entire photography world for the better, and no, I'm not being paid anything to say that.

Putting together photos of the beads and buttons that I used for the latest set of rainbow button earrings was kind of a little reward for this project. I love having best selling items, but sometimes I burn out making whole sets of very similar items.

I never get tired of these gray backgrounds.

Look at that whole group of pretty earrings ready to go. I'm hoping that if I keep plugging away at little sets like this, I won't get too overwhelmed during the holiday season. It just might happen, right?

I messed up experimented and made one set loaded with beads. They have close to three times the number of beads as the original design. In case you need a bigger explosion of color.

Next up on the best sellers: purple celestial earrings. And on that note...

I've been thinking about new color possibilities for future celestial bracelets and earrings. Black and gray/silver is the first one that's come to mind. Other thoughts? Other ideas? I always appreciate your input!

What have you been working on lately?

the making of a rainbow

During the last few weeks I've shown a couple pictures of the process behind my latest button embellished bracelet.  I'm pulling it all together for you now.

When I've made this design in the past, I have not sorted my beads like this.  It made a huge difference.

I took some special in progress shots of this piece for a 2012 craft show application.  I won't find out if I get into this show until sometime in late spring or early summer, but I'll keep you updated.

Here it is completed.

It's available right here.  I have a longer version available as well.

Since I got the listing up and running again, it's gotten tons of views and hearts.  I also recently sold a custom version of my all green version of this piece, which has inspired me to pull out buttons to remake a couple older button embellished designs.  Look for purple and orange/yellow later this spring.

What have you been working on lately?

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I included this post in Michelle's Delicately Constructed Friday 3/16/12 and Erika's It's a Wrap Link Party 3/19/2012.

working with green and more organization

I've been working on several green projects lately.  I'm sure that I'm not the only person in the midwest who's very ready to see some green outside again.  Unfortunately, it will still be a while so I'm getting my green fix through my beads.  One of these projects was a new version of my Beaded Cuff Bracelet - Fringed - Silver Accented Green.  This was another piece that was in desperate need of new pictures.

I was planning to write a pattern for this design with pictures of this piece, but I made a really stupid mistake pretty early on in the process...and didn't realize it until much later.  I fixed the mistake in the piece, but it was too late to go back and re-shoot the pictures without taking apart the whole thing.  And I didn't want to do that.  So even though this is one of my first original designs, there is no pattern for it yet.  I'll get the motivation to come back to it again soon.  For now, you can still enjoy this newly redone version of it.

I've made a lot of progress on my bead and button organization in the last week.  I took pictures of my button organizers right after I finished them.  I'll get some pictures of my bead organizers soon.

The first organizer is mostly new buttons.  Some of the color sorted ones on the top have new and vintage buttons mixed together.  Most of the mixes are themed by shape or holiday.  I have maroon and white together because I collected a whole bunch of maroon for this design and coordinating button magnets. 
All of my metal buttons (most of which are vintage) are in the right bottom corner.

I have so many blue buttons that I made an overflow section in this organizer.  Most of these buttons are vintage or are from random sewing/craft store button clearance bins or destash cards.  Some of the vintage buttons are from my grandmas and great-grandma's collections, too, that were passed down to me through my mom.  I haven't cut into my buttons cards from Christmas yet that I blogged about here, but once I do, I'll sort them in as well.  I have a small overflow of vintage neutral buttons that I'm keeping with some other craft supplies that I can add as needed (it will be a while).  I also have everything from my button magnet tray bagged separately for whenever I return to that endeavor, but ALL of my other buttons are in these organizers now!

button dangle earrings and some more treasury love

Over the weekend, I finally took pictures of the new button earrings that I made over Christmas break, including a new pair of my explosion earrings.  I took pictures of the last pair right after I made my light box and really didn't know how to use it to photograph earrings, especially when they were hanging.  These new pictures are so much better.  The Etsy listing is now updated, too.  And the bracelet that matches them is still available here.

I also listed my newest pair of button dangle earrings: Button Dangle Earrings - Two-Hole - Ocean.

And the treasuries keep pouring in!  I may have to start planning a once a week treasury thanks post.  For now, here are a couple new ones.

Lois (FoxyGknits) included my Beaded Bracelet - Purple Rock Garden in her Etsybloggers Team: Singin', "Happy Birthday, February Goddesses!" treasury.

Kathy (jenniferlynnstudio) included my Beaded Bracelet - OOAK Turquoise and Brown in her My Heart Has Wings treasury.

FourthKingdom included my Beaded Bracelet - Button Embellished - Rainbow in her Color Theory Explosion treasury.  This little bracelet always gets a lot of attention when I renew its listing or include it in my featured Etsy listings.  This held true once again!  I sold one version of it a while back.  Hopefully I'll sell another one at some point.

back in stock continues

Happy Groundhog Day!  And happy snow day to those of you in the midwest or northeast who have today off work.  I'm not posting any snow pictures because I think a lot of us have already seen plenty of snow this winter.  But I am still unrolling new versions of older designs that I made over Christmas break.  I'm getting to the end of my stack.

Here's the new Button Charm Bracelet - Tortoiseshell Cat.

And here's the newest Beaded Bracelet - Skinny Square Stitch - Raspberry.  On the whole, the skinny square stitch bracelets have not done especially well.  I'm not planning on making a lot more of these this year.  The raspberry one continues to sell, though, so I'll keep making it as long as it keeps selling.

These skinny bracelets are also hard to photograph at flattering angles.  At least the color balance on this latest set is pretty good.  If anyone has any idea for better angles/poses, let me know.

in the right season

As I'm sure a lot of you already know, I don't always make jewelry pieces that coordinate with the current season.  So I'm really proud that I'm getting all of this together in the winter!

I got my newest stash from Art Beads through their blogging design program this week.  We were allowed to pick any items that we wanted to create a winter piece.

It will be part of my new line that I blogged about earlier this month.  I'm very excited about it.  I used to maximize my number of choices for the blogging program and get lots of smaller items.  Lately I've been trying to splurge on some nicer pieces.  Thus, I chose to include the Swarovski button and sterling silver charm on the left.  I'll have more details about all of that in the near future.

I finally took pictures of my newest leafy bracelet: Beaded Bracelet - The Leafy Series - Winter.  It's available in two different sizes.  They're very similar and both awesome.  Both of these pictures are of the smaller version.

The clear blue and silver leaf beads that I used in this design are from Shannon (beadsandbabble).  I've mentioned her here before, but if you haven't checked out her shop yet, please go over there.  Also, the pattern for my leafy bracelet is available here.

Disclosure - I received my ArtBead's products free of charge through their blogging program. I am honestly reviewing their products and have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products I received. 

back in stock continued

Over the weekend I updated the listings for a couple more pieces that I made new versions of during my time off over the holidays.

Since I started making earrings last year, a few of my designs have really done well so I've made multiple versions of them now.  These light green triangles are one of them.  They're available here.

I sold the original version of this design over the summer.  I'm not sure why it took me so long to make a second version.  It's so simple and classic.  And wasn't I just recently writing about how awesome red is?  This version includes a button clasp from Etsy's own Lisa Peters (lisapetersart).  This bracelet is available here.

back in stock

I did a ton of jewelry making during my time off over the holidays.  I made a bunch of new items, but I also restocked some designs.  I will continue to unroll these as a take new pictures and/or update the listings, but here's what's available now.

My shell designs have done well, but the purple in particular continues to be extremely popular.  I had to track down more of these beads over break before I could re-list the bracelet.

I actually have two pairs of the earrings ready now.  If you're interested in more than one quantity, please let me know.

 I know that Christmas is over, but this button charm bracelet will be ready for Etsy's Christmas in July sale.

I'm so happy to have this piece back in stock.  I got lots of compliments on the original version, which I sold over the summer.  As you may remember, I had a request for it last month from a co-worker so I went ahead and made an extra one after I'd finished hers.  And now it's up.  This listing was in desperate need of some better pictures.

back in stock, custom order, storm pictures

I updated the listing for my Peyote Cuff Bracelet - Fringed - Turquoise and Red tonight.  It's now back in stock!

I still haven't gotten tired of the turquoise/red color combination.  I really love the turquoise button, too.

I got a request for a custom cuff tonight.  We've been working out the final details for the colors.  This was my preliminary palette.

I may add a pastel aqua shade, but I think that all of current selections will stay.  I'll post more details on this as it develops.

We've had thunderstorms almost every night this past week.  I got a few got pictures of the one last night.  Our town has a photo contest every year.  People can submit their own photos from around town.  The picture that won last time is okay, but I think that I could submit something better.  Unfortunately this first storm picture here that I took earlier this summer was not actually in town, but the second and third ones (in town, from our porch, from yesterday) aren't bad.

redo, back in stock, treasury feature

I had to redo the clasp on one of the bracelets that my grandma purchased from me earlier this summer.  I used cube beads for the clasp originally, and it didn't hold very well.  So I took it out and put in a button and seed bead loop instead.

I played around with the white balance in the light box today.  The tripod photos have considerably less blue tint than the ones that I've shot thus far.  I'm still struggling to get close up shots on custom settings that don't blur.  It's a work in progress.  My shots are still improving.  Hopefully this button clasp will work better for her.  Trial and error!  My other cube cuffs with cube clasps are wider so I think they'll hold better, but I'm not planning to use that design again.  If anyone is interested in the above design, you can purchase it as made to order in my Etsy shop here (or click on the photo of it).

I made a new version of my Two-Hole Button Explosion Earrings and updated the listing today.

I have one more multicolored explosion version planned as well as an all blue version.  After that, I'm not sure yet, but as always, I'm open to suggestions.

Patch (patchfirstshop) included my Beadwoven Bracelet - The Leafy Series - Winter in her EtsyBloggers weekly treasury: Favorite BLUE!!  Patch is the one who came up with the weekly treasury idea for the team.  It's been a big hit so far.

You can view this treasury by CLICKING HERE.

I finished the first draft of my next beading PDF pattern tonight.  Having completed one pattern already, I feel much more confident about this second one.  I think that my photos are better for it, too.  I used all white backgrounds (except for a couple of the completed bracelet shots) and black thread so the clarity is good.  I'll proofread it and make the final edits in Word tomorrow.  I should have it for sale within the next week.

Thank you to everyone who promoted my Christmas Button Charm Bracelet during the Christmas in July sale, especially through the Christmas treasuries, because it sold today!

I'm participating in my first SNS tonight.  My sale will hold through 6AM EST Sunday so there's still plenty of time to check it out if you haven't already.

new listing, back in stock, treasury feature

I listed a new pair of earrings tonight: Red/Blue Button Dangle Sterling Silver Earrings.

I sold a pair like these at the Arts Festival back in June.  I have another similar pair finished and yet another similar pair in the works.  I don't know if I'll have any luck with them on Etsy, but they were a huge hit at the Arts Festival.  I could have sold more if I'd had more available.  If I had pierced ears, I would wear earrings like these.  They're simple, fun, and very lightweight.

I restocked one of my best selling designs yesterday: Purple Shell Beaded Bracelet.  I actually gave the last version to one of my Iowa friends who helped me with the tear down process after the Arts Festival.

There will be matching earrings for it on Etsy at some point.  You can preview them here.  One of my aunts bought the first pair last week, but there is a second pair ready for someone else.  I would like to make a green version of this bracelet with matching earrings eventually, too.  I have the shell beads already.  They're a great subtle olive tone.  I just need to get around to making the bracelet.

Finally, Chris Maj (beadn4fun) included my Sunshine Gold Accented Skinny Peyote Cuff Bracelet in her Over the Rainbow treasury.  16 EBW pieces in all different colors!  I just took new pictures of this cuff this afternoon before I knew about the treasury.  Sometimes timing works out really well. :) I made sure to get a screen shot after I'd updated the listing.

You can view this treasury live by CLICKING HERE.