Hot off the bench!

A few people (including my IT husband) have told me that my blog gives them issues - freezing, loading really slowly, crashing their computer, etc. - and I can't figure out why. I haven't had any of those things happen to me on either of my computers. However, I took out a bunch of stuff from my sidebar that I either no longer need or were bad links and I'm hoping that helps.

If you've ever had trouble with my blog and are reading now, can you let me know if this is an improvement for you? I've been wanting to redesign the template because I'm getting tired of it, but I simply have not had time lately. So if it's the template, it will be a bit longer before that will be fixed.

Also, if you are subscribed to our 2 Belles & a Bead newsletter, can you let me know if you have NOT been receiving it? We have sent out three now - issues for Sep, Oct, and Nov. I know it has been going to some people's junk mail filters. If you are subscribed and are not receiving it, please check your junk mail folders and consider adding orders@2bellesandabead.com to your "safe" list or "contact" list or whatever it is your email server has. Also, it seems that with every newsletter I send, a few don't make it out, and I'm not sure why. I guess it is the program that sends it. I'm trying to get it worked out, but please let me know if you're not getting them.

In other news...

Here are some of the things I have been working on lately, in preparation for our party and show. You can click on all the pictures to enlarge them. Enjoy!

Sterling silver byzantine chain maille weave bracelet. 240 hand cut and woven rings went into this:


This pair of earrings is made with hand forged sterling silver teardrops with a hand sawed and soldered copper heart (with sterling center). I love these!! I think I'm going to give the flower some texture and give it a light patina. I also plan to make them in all sterling soon:


Hammered sterling discs:


Over 100 hand cut and woven rings went into this Japanese flower weave necklace:


A few of you were wondering how my art swap gift was going to be made into jewelry. Well, here is one piece I made from one of the weave links sent to me. I have enough of it left over to make some kind of earrings, but they will have different stones. This bracelet has muscovite - they are a BEAUTIFUL color. After taking these links apart, I discovered that this is a pretty simple weave, so I will be making it for sure!


And finally, some earrings made with rectangles that were hand cut from copper and sterling sheet and given two different textures. I love these too! I have some sterling rectangles I cut that are going to be made into all sterling earrings and a very very large sterling circle that was given a really cool texture and will be a pendant, but those are not yet photographed.