Wearing of the Green in an Irish Leather Bracelet Design

              Four leaf clover photo by Yan Ming on Unsplash

In addition to making jewelry and cards, genealogy is one of my hobbies. I have traced a line of ancestors to the Irish O'Hare's from County Armagh, Ireland.  O'Hare is one of the few surnames which resisted the general tendency in the 18th century to discard the 'O' in their name. Generally, the distinctive mark of an Irish surname is "Mac" or "O", according to the well-known lines.

By Mac and O

You'll always know

True Irishmen, they say;

But if they lack

Both O and Mac,

No Irishmen are they.

After the Anglo-Norman invasion, the names in use in Ireland were almost purely Gaelic; however, the English forced the Irish to adopt English surnames. Accordingly, it was enacted by the statute of Edward IV (1465), that every Irishman dwelling within the counties of Dublin, Meath, Louth and Kildare, should take an English surname. The Irish people were forced into adopting an an English version of their Irish surname, therefore many removed the 'Mac' or 'O' from their surname. However the O'Hare families did not drop the 'O', nor did they adopt an English version of their surnames. As a result, they had to endure extreme hardship and suffering because of such opposition. The creation of societies such as the Gaelic League in the late 19th century resulted in the widespread resumption of the 'Mac' and 'O' prefixes to many Irish surnames and a rebirth of Irish language and culture.

CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=482629

The color green as well as the shamrock became the emblem of sympathy for Irish freedom and independence. The British killed those wearing green, which was certainly a drastic and uncalled for measure.

"O Paddy dear, and did you hear the news that's going round? The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground; St. Patrick's Day no more we'll keep, his colours can't be seen, For there's a bloody law against the wearing of the green ...."

There are other reasons this hue is linked to St. Patrick's Day. Another interesting Irish tidbit is found in Irish folklore. Wearing green makes a person invisible to leprechauns. If you are not wearing this color you will be pinched by one of these wee fellows.

Wearing of the Green Bracelet by BayMoonDesign

Along with many Irish and non-Irish, I celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. I decided to make to make a leather bracelet for The Wearing of the Green. 

I created this multi strand green leather cord bracelet in olive, emerald and gold. This leather bracelet has multicolor genuine leather cords and gold plated findings. I added a unique Celtic charm that I made just for this bracelet.

Making bracelets can be a challenge due to the necessity to size the bracelet correctly which can range from easy to maddening. Personally, I love to have any quick easy design that allows for flexibility in length. The design I selected allows the bracelet to be adjustable. I knew that I wanted some great looking colored leather.

Trio of leather bracelets by BayMoonDesign

I remembered finding some beautiful orange leather from Plessmann Endless Leather when I made some cute leather bee bracelets. The reason I was drawn to this company is because I recalled their wide selection and large choice in  leather cords. They have more than 2000 different leather cords at wholesale prices online.





For my "Wearing of the Green Bracelet", I used the following:
olive 1mm round leather 1 meter in length
green 1mm round leather 1 meter in length
gold metallic round leather 1 meter in length
TierraCast Gold (plated) large classic hook clasp 32x16mm or something similar is necessary.  I had beads and gold findings on hand for the six dangles that go on the ends of the cords. I made the Celtic charm from the TierraCast Antique Gold (plated) Medium Celtic Diamond Bead 14mm with a crystal added to it.  I use this bead in many of my designs because it has the Celtic Triskele symbol. 

Triskele This Beadalon tutorial shows how to make this style of bracelet. The one challenge that I found was locating a bead with a large enough hole to allow the 6 strands of leather to pass through and at the same time compliment the components.

I love that there is no limit to creativity with leather. Comments are welcome!
     

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Swap N Hop '20

Photo by Dave Phillips on Unsplash

BayMoonDesign is participating in Bead Peeps 7th Annual Swap'n Hop 2020.  I love the opportunity to swap beads and get inspiration from a new assortment of beads.  This is a blog/social media hop event where the organizers partner up with other beaders around the world to swap beads and then post the creations made with them. Be sure to check out the Facebook group for more info on this fun event!

Some beads sent by BayMoonDesign to my partner

My partner is Jackie Marchant from Middlesboro, Kentucky.  Jackie likes to bead and crochet. She is currently crocheting for her 4th grandbaby. My daughter just gave birth to me first grandchild. It has been fun to chat online about our grandchildren.

More beads sent to my partner which include Classic Blue 

For this blog we are suppose to send some beads that are the Pantone Color of the Year Classic Blue. To meet this requirement, I selected to blue polymer clay Roses by Brook Boch. I also sent several focals that Jackie can choose from.

Beads sent to BayMoonDesign

Jackie sent me a large organza bag that was stuffed with all sorts of goodies. There was so much to choose from that I had to come with a strategy of attack. The reveal is April 18, 2020. I want to be realistic about what I can get done in that time. I never have as much time to bead as I think I will. I decided to pick out some classic blue beads, a couple of possible focals and beads and metal that might work with the focals.

My focal will come from the above beads.

I have some classic blue beads here to choose from.

My partner included a sweet note.

My strategy is on track.  I used some of the classic blue beads in a piece that I love and can't wait to reveal.  I am now working on a piece using one of the focals.  I have an idea!  Stop by my blog on April 18 to see what I created.

Art Elements February Theme Challenge – Letters

Photo of letters that say Love by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

This month we celebrated Valentines Day. One of my favorite traditions of this holiday is the tradition of sending handmade cards to loved ones. In our digital world, handwritten letters and cards have become nearly obsolete. I don’t really like this. In fact, I love making cards and I refuse to give into this trend. I know people appreciate getting handwritten mail and cards. I know that those who I send the handmade cards seem to keep them for long awhile. I see them at times when I visit friends' homes.  I see them in my son's and daughter's home.  I sell some of my cards in my Etsy shop so I know people are still looking for a unique card for a special occasion like a wedding, birth, and anniversary.  

The meaning behind the theme of “letters” has so many interpretations. For example, the idea of using letters can be applied to vintage, stenciled or messy writing or stickers or stamps, etc.  Letters could be in a collage, painting, embroidery or carving in paper, metal, clay, fabric, or whatever media your heart desires. I decided to focus on the handmade cards that I made for this month. 

Valentine's Day Card by BayMoonDesign

Of course, I made Valentine cards for family members. This Valentine card has a heart shaped from flowers. I added tiny white pearls to the larger flowers. I layered red and white cardstock onto beige cardstock.

Inside of Valentine's Card by BayMoonDesign

It has the saying "Happy Valentine's Day" hand stamped inside.

Grandbaby

This month I celebrated the birth of my first grandchild. I plotted and planned for months before the birth to take a special photo of him. I found LittleWearsCreation an Etsy shop that had this cute red outfit and a photo of a baby wearing it. The photo was very similar to the one I took. I used silk petals that I found in the wedding section of a craft store to form the heart. I was counting on the sun providing additional light but it has rained ten days straight so I went with the light that I had.

Baby Card by BayMoonDesign

This is the new baby card that I designed for my grandson. It features a cute brown teddy bear. The saying "Welcome to the World" is in aqua blue ink on the front of the aqua cardstock. There is a panel of paper with stripes layered on aqua paper. Since the sex of the baby was not to disclosed until the birth I went with gender neutral colors.  I liked this baby card so much I made one to sell in my Etsy shop.

Inside Baby Card by BayMoonDesign

The inside of the card are the words "Hello Baby Love You". There is plenty of room for you to add your own personalized note. This baby card is perfect as a gift card holder, infant money enclosure, baptism or christening card. The card comes with a high quality white envelope.

Floral Wedding Card by BayMoonDesign

I always like to have a few wedding cards on hand, This is a handmade heart wedding card for a bride and groom. This floral card is made with a high quality deep pink and white card stock. The front of the card has tiny white pearls on the largest of the flowers.

Inside of Wedding Card by BayMoonDesign

It has the saying "May your love grow stronger, deeper, and more beautiful with each passing year" hand stamped inside.

Wedding wishes card by BayMoonDesign

This is a handmade blue wedding card for a bride and groom. This card is perfect for a wedding or anniversary! It has the saying "Wishing You a Day of Love and Joy" hand stamped and framed on the front. Inside the card is stamped "Congratulations" in blue ink.

Inside wedding wishes card by BayMoonDesign

This is a blog hop so I am looking forward to seeing what the other participants created.  We love comments!

Guests

Tammy 

Karin

Kathy

Evie and Beth

Divya

Hope

Anita

Art Elements Team

Claire

Lesley

Jenny

Cathy

Niky

Jen

Thanks for visiting my blog.   I would love to have you subscribe to my blog if you don't already.

Photo by Susan Holt Simpson on Unsplash

We're All Ears :: February Inspiration :: Sculpt the World

Land art by Jon Foreman

February's All Ears inspiration is the work of Jon Foreman who is a land artist from Wales. He is inspired by the natural materials found in his seaside location there which include stones, sticks, shells, leaves, sand, and more. He uses these materials in his mandala-like sculptures. 

Land art by Jon Foreman

Foreman says, “I create using material that is made from that environment for that environment. The tide washes it all back to the tide line, and I come back the next day with an empty canvas to work with. People often ask if it bothers me that the work has to disappear eventually. To that, I say: not at all. If anything, the fact that it’s short-lived makes it more special to me.”

Land art by Jon Foreman

For this challenge we can focus on the patterns and shapes like Foreman uses or we can incorporate natural elements like sticks and stones and leaves into our interpretation. His creations are not just something he enjoys but it is also a therapy for him, an escape from the stresses of everyday life. My creations are also therapy for me.

I love the beach and spend as much time there as I can. My usual haunts include the beaches in Lewes, Delaware and Key Largo, Florida. Both places provide lots of inspiration for my jewelry and handmade cards. I enjoy walking the beaches. I am always on the lookout for sea glass and interesting shells. Most of my sea glass is from my past visits to the beaches in Mexico and the Carribean. I went through my sea glass collection and found two pieces that were the same color, shape, and size to use for a pair of earrings. Triangle shaped glass is the easiest to work with. I used 22 gauge silver craft wire. Any size between 24 and 18 will work.  I recommend finding a tutorial on the Internet that works for you and your sea glass project.  There are a number of them to choose from.

Natural Sea Glass Earrings by BayMoonDesign

For my next pair I decided to stay with sea glass, but this time I used faux sea glass or what is known as cultured sea glass.  I a pretty shade of aqua blue that reminds me of the water in the Carribean and a pair of blue quartz beads on hand.  I love sand dollars and I have a collection of them that I cherish.  These sand dollars are sterling silver.

Faux Sea Glass Earrings by BayMoonDesign

I added sterling silver ear wires to this pair of dangles. I love how the faux sea glass gives them a casual look. I also love blue paired with silver. It is a favorite color combination of mine.

This is a blog hop so I am looking forward to seeing what others were inspired to create.   Pop on over to the Earrings Everyday blog HERE to see what everyone else was inspired to make!