Christmas in July

Here's a crocheted necklace made with red wire and red dyed turoquise and emerald green cats eye beads. Attached to the necklace is a red and green flip flop. The necklace is 21 inches in length and held together by gold clasp. This necklace that reminds me of Christmas in the Caribbean. Since I made this in July, I think Christmas in July is a fitting name for it. This necklace brings back some beautiful family memories! It reminds me of our first trip to the Bahamas several years ago. It was on this trip that we learned about the Junkanoo. It is believed that this festival began there during the 16th and 17th centuries. The slaves were given a special holiday at Christmas time, when they could leave the plantations to be with their family and celebrate the holidays with African dance, music and costumes. After emancipation, they continued this tradition and, today, Junkanoo has evolved from its simple origins to an organized parade with intricate costumes and music. Every Christmas we hang a brass cow bell that was used in a Junkanoo parade on our tree.

This was a wonderful vacation for a number of reasons. Who doesn't love escaping the cold of December and being able to wear flip flops? Wearing flip flops in the winter and feeling the warm sand between your toes is a real treat. This necklace is reminiscent of the warm weather and soft breezes. I have combined summer flip flops with traditional Christmas colors of red and green. This necklace would be a fabulous accessory for a seaside vacation or cruise in December or it would be a great necklace for anyone who loves flip flops.

Happy 4th of July

I love the 4th of July for a lot of reasons. We celebrate our liberty which has been earned through the sacrifices of many. This is a holiday that is in my favorite season--Summer. Just about every year I celebrate the 4th of July on Lewes Beach, Delaware. This small, beach town usually has some great unofficial fireworks that are set off over the water. Even though the fireworks are small in comparison to some of the large fireworks displays, they are very special to me. I love to see their reflection over the water and hear the sounds of them moving through the air and exploding over the water with the sound of the waves in the background.

This holiday inspired my latest necklace which I have named my "4th of July Necklace". It is made from shells, buttons, and beads. The shells are from many beaches and Lewes Beach is one of the locations from which I get my shells . I have used the primary colors of red, white, and blue with a pop of yellow . It can be worn around the neck with one, two, or three loops. I prefer three. My daughter likes to wear this casual design as a bracelet sometimes. It is crocheted using monofilament wire so it has lots of flexibility. This is a lively and fun addition to a casual wardrobe.

Postcards from Delaware

This Spring I had an opportunity to show some of my jewelry to buyers for the new Delaware Travel Center on I-95 in Newark Delaware. I met with them and they were excited about my children's line and crocheted line. It has been an interesting several months for me. We corresponded by email several times. I began by sending them my w-9 and a copy of my invoice. Then I actually received an order from them. I filled the order, packed the order very carefully and with love and placed the order in the hands of the U.S. Postal Service. My small, carefully packed box remained "lost" for about a week along with the many packages of goods received by the new center. My order was located and lovingly put on display. Next thing I know, I woke up to a front page article in The News Journal about the opening of the new Delaware Welcome Center. The article mentions that the souvenir shop Postcards from Delaware sells goods from local artisans.I am excited to be one of the local artisans selected. The travel center is big and beautiful. You can see photos and read about the opening here at http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=BL&Date=20100618&Category=PHOTOS01&ArtNo=61
www.delawareonline.com. One week after the opening I happened to be on I-95 in Newark and I couldn't resist visiting the shop. Unfortunately, it was closed at 10:30 p.m. That didn't stop me from peering into it and spotting my two jewelry lines. My children's jewelry line was sitting in front of the cash register with bar codes on each necklace. My crocheted line is in a glass rectangle with a bio of me. This line is there along with other local artisan work and signage about Delaware being home to a large group of local artisans. I am happy to be included with these fine artisans. I am excited about this new endeavour.

An AHa Design

I had an aha moment when I was talking to a friend about a custom order. In the course of the conversation, she told me that she wanted the focal piece of the necklace to be detachable so that the focal could be worn on a slider or a silver chain. I knew I could do this, but had to give it some thought. I found Fire Mountain Gems carried a sterling silver snap bail that would allow me to do this very easily. I had an aha moment when it occurred to me to use this clip bail now and more often in the future. This bail would give my customers more flexibility with their jewelry.

The result is a gorgeous amethyst and mint green Swarovski crystal with sterling accents. This sterling silver center piece has symmetrical spirals at the top of it. I hammered it on my anvil until I got the perfect texture. It is filled with crystals that are of shades of purple, amethyst, and opal violet as well as a mint green. One the the palest purples contains a hint of pink. The hand hammered sterling silver focal piece made by me is detachable and I think you will agree that it is perfect for a silver slider or chain. For dressy occasions, it belongs on the necklace of crystals. The necklace was originally inspired by a pair of earring that resembled the silver and crystal centerpiece. I decided to use the design as a centerpiece for a necklace. I love the mint green colored beads that are added to provide some contrast in color. The colors in the necklace remind me of a field of summer lavender.