I Love Fall Giveaway, Part 2 - A 2 Belles Giveaway!

Guess what! It's Thursday, and that means it's time for me to play along with Laurel Wreath's I Love Fall Giveaway! Laurel has asked me to host a giveaway for 2 Belles & a Bead jewelry, and I couldn't say no. Laurel has been a great friend to me for years, and somehow she continues to put up with my craziness. *grin*

To enter my giveaway, all you need to do is visit 2 Belles & a Bead and sign up for our monthly email newsletter (click here or on "Newsletter" from the 2 Belles home page and fill out the form) then leave me a comment after. I promise you'll love our newsletter because it's short, sweet, and has a contest every month for free jewelry!

Wait! I know many of you are wondering what to do since you're already newsletter subscribers. If you already subscribe, then just leave me a comment stating what your favorite 2 Belles piece is.

The contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. You can enter through September 9th, and the winner will be drawn and announced on September 10th.

Now... onto the fabulous prize you're waiting for!

Well, when I think of fall, I think of mixed metals. Okay, when I think of anything I think of mixed metals because as my friends know, I'm juuust a little bit addicted. But really, these earrings I'm giving away today just scream fall with their warm tones.


One of my more popular designs, they are completely handmade from sterling silver, solid copper, and solid brass. Each disc is given a unique texture and an antique patina to bring out the details. If you are the winner, you will receive a pair of these triple metal earrings in your choice of sterling silver hoops (as shown) or on plain sterling silver ear wires.

So go on and enter, and don't forget to visit Laurel today to see what she's giving away.

Good luck! *grin*

Mixed Metal Mania

I'm addicted, y'all.

Can't.Stop.With.The.Mixed.Metals.

They call out to me, begging me to make them all harmonize. The sterling tells me it can't stand to be alone, and the copper is all, "yo, I need a bright and shiny bud".

Seriously. My jewelry talks to me. Doesn't yours talk to you? No? Well, maybe you just aren't listening! (Or maybe you're just, you know, sane.)

I actually had a little creativity in the past few days. Not much, but a little. Mostly I've been bogged down with adoption stuff or filling orders for my handmade supplies shop for things that have long been designed (not that I'm complaining, mind you). I haven't gotten to actually design something in a few weeks.

I've been wanting to make a triple metal Jens Pind bracelet for a while. My Shaggy Loops bracelet was originally going to be a Jens Pind, but the aspect ratio was off just a touch, and Jens Pind is a very picky little weave. So picky, in fact, that it is apparently one of the hardest weaves to learn. But never fear, jewelry loving friends, for I have mastered it. I guess chain maille becomes me, because I actually found it fairly easy to learn. (Am I allowed to say that I'm dang proud of my mad chain maille skillz, yo? Cause I am. I have now mastered two of the so-called "hardest weaves". Go me! Woooo! I kick massive chain maille booty!)

(You do realize that I don't really say words like "mad skillz" and "yo" and "kick massive booty" and "fart in your general direction", right? It's all an online act. Sorry. It's true. In person I am quite eloquent and have mad speaking skillz, yo.)

(Stop laughing.)

(For real, Dustin. Stop laughing.)

My photo set up is packed away while my office is getting the new flooring, so these photos taken on my kitchen table (with a cool little wooden dish that came from Hawaii!) aren't the best.




Here is what I made today. Six gemstone pendants (from left to right, top row first: black water jasper, blue pearl, lapis lazuli, kiwi jasper, Russian charoite, and a wooden teardrop, all wrapped with sterling silver wire) and some mixed metal earrings. Copper flowers, hammered antiqued brass teardrops, and antiqued brass lotus flowers, all on sterling ear wires.




Oh, and just look at these little earrings! I did not make them. My parents brought them back from Maui (where they are handmade! Woo!) and gifted them to me (along with... *happy sigh*... handmade soap!! Do they love me or what?). These earrings are little sterling plumerias. I think they're just the most darling earrings ever, so I had to share.



What is your jewelry saying you to you these days? ;oP