another edition of why I love my customers

Welcome to another edition of why I love my customers! One reason that I love to do custom orders is that they often get me to try something that I wouldn't have tried on my own. This recent custom order was no exception.

A fellow HubPages writer loves this design and wondered if I could make it with wooden beads and music note charms. It took a little bit of hunting to find wooden beads in blue that were a good size for this design, but I did. She also decided that she wanted a wrap style instead of a single strand.

This is what it looks like when it isn't wrapped.  It's long enough that it can be worn as a short necklace.

I was worried that the music notes would be too large for this design.  I usually use these charms, which are considerably smaller, but my usual source was sold out and this was the best alternative that I could find.  I think that it worked out just fine, though. I almost never work in a truly monochromatic palette, and the single blue paired with the silver is great.  Best of all, the recipient is really happy with the piece.  She'll be giving it as a gift so hopefully the final recipient will enjoy it, too.

I made a single strand version to list on Etsy.  Click on the photos to check out the listing.

As always, I can customize the size, charms, bead color, etc.

I may have to order some more wooden beads so I can experiment with this design in other color palettes.  For now, I'm working on a bunch of other blue charm bracelet designs in with my standard glass bead mixes.

Have you been working on any neat custom orders lately?

Where I Linked Up Today:

another edition of why I love my customers

Some of my best creations and favorite orders have been customer suggestions that I never would have come up with on my own.  My most recent custom order is no exception.

I posted this bracelet when I first put it on sale.

Grace of Dragon's Alley left me a comment, remarking that she'd always wanted to see this in purple.  After a series of e-mails, we settled on a set of beads that she liked, and I got to work.  This is the result.

Grace is really happy with it, which is awesome.  I enjoyed working with the purple and decided to make another purple version to list on Etsy.  Grace wanted to toggle clasp, but I went back to the lobster clasp, which is my standard clasp for charm bracelets.  This type of customization is very easy so don't ever be afraid to ask for something like this.

I also used a mix of purples seed beads beads in two different sizes.  It took me a couple tries to get a mix that I liked.  Too many magenta shades make the darkest purples look almost black, even in person.

It's available here.  I'm really happy with the final result.  I never would have used purple with the stars and moons, but it turned out so well.  Thanks Grace!  I still have enough star and moon charms left from this set to make one more version so if you're also interested in a different color combination, let me know.

olive green tubular triangles

Some of you may remember this new line that I started back in the fall.  I wasn't inspired to do much with it for a while because the response to the those first two pieces was pretty underwhelming.  The necklace finally got a couple hearts after I re-listed in January, but overall the views have been low.  I think that this is largely due to the pictures.  These minimalist chain link designs simply disappear against the music background.  The silver just doesn't stand out.  While I haven't been motivated to re-take the original purple pictures (which as we all know, is also just a difficult color to photograph well), I did shoot the new pieces against gray.  I also experimented a little more with the poses and angles.  I think that this is a neat design and is very original, even on Etsy.  I haven't seen anyone else use tubular triangles quite like this.  So I'm not ready to give up on it yet.

With all of that being said, here are my newest tubular triangle charms, this time in olive green.

The bracelet is available here, and the necklace is available here.  I'm pretty happy with the balance against the gray.  The silver stands out a lot more, but the green doesn't disappear.  I love these two shades of olive green together.  Olive is definitely another underrated color.  I know that charm bracelets/necklaces aren't designed to be elegant/dressy jewelry pieces, but I think that the olive color could coordinate with something pretty nice.

I don't have any other triangles in the works right now, which is shocking I know.  But as always, I'm open to suggestions and/or custom requests.

Also, Margaret (SplendidLittleStars) included my Beaded Cuff Bracelet - Dagger Fringed - Pink Garden in her Etsy Bloggers Team Spring green with blossoms treasury.  Thanks Margaret!

And Julia  (TreeBonsai) included my Beaded Cuff Bracelet - Monochromatic Explosion in her Monochromatic.. treasury.

celestial

Another wonderful treasury feature!  TheTeddyBearShop included my Beaded Bracelet - Silver Links - Celestial in her The moon and the stars...were the gifts you gave treasury.  I am wowed by how much attention this little piece has gotten since I took new pictures of the latest version!  And I never get tired of this theme.  Gorgeous collection.

new product line, treasury feature

Like many of my designs, this new product line is something that I've had in mind for quite a while and finally put it together.  I've been a big fan of the Tiffany heart charm bracelet and heart charm necklace for more than four years (which I don't own; I have the Lia Sophia knock offs).  I thought that it would be neat to make a charm bracelet like this, but with a triangle charm.  As I've mentioned before, I love my tubular triangle earring design but wanted to use one of these triangles in a bracelet design.  This is the result of all of those thoughts.  And I also made a necklace design.  Plus the first versions are both purple because a handful of people have requested more purple items.

Silver Chain Links Bracelet - Tubular Peyote Triangle Charm - Purple

I know that the purple looks almost black here, but it's really wonderful rich royal purple.

Silver Chain Links Necklace - Tubular Peyote Triangle Charm - Light/Dark Purple

The gray shots with the necklace turned out so well that I may try taking some pictures of the bracelet with it, too.

As always, I am open to other suggestions for the next versions of this design.

Finally, Carrie (carriegrab419) included my Peyote Cuff Bracelet - Autumn Explosion in her Autumn Splendor treasury.  Thanks Carrie!

newsletter, flame II beads, pictures, treasury feature

I added a newsletter subscription code to my blog today.  You can now subscribe to my newsletter directly from here.  Scroll down and look for it on the right side of the page, right underneath the followers.  I am putting my August edition together right now so please sign up!

I finally took a picture of the beads that I made in my Flame II class a little over a week ago.

I'm pretty pleased with the results.  I don't have any specific projects in mind for any of them yet, but I'm sure that they will work their way into my designs soon enough.  I'm open to suggestions, too.

I edited the listing for my yellow and green stars charm bracelet today and uploaded new pictures.  It's the first listing I have with shots that are on a white background.  It's also the first listing that I have with light box pictures.  Let me know what you think.

While I was taking pictures today, I took one of Angel because I haven't posted one of her here in quite a while.

Finally, Laurie (laurelsbylaurie) included my two-hole button explosion charm bracelet in her Buttons and Bows treasury today.  Thanks Laurie!

 

 You can view this treasury by CLICKING HERE.

treasury feature

When it rains it pours, right? Thank you to okbuyer for featuring my yellow and green stars charm bracelet in her JEWELRY PICKS treasury!


You can view this treasury live by CLICKING HERE until Wednesday February 24 7:20AM EST.