Happy September!

Welcome to September! It is starting to feel officially like fall, even if it is going to be 80+ degrees today. :)

I have been busy with end-of-summer activities and haven't posted in a month, so here's an update for you!

I have been creating like crazy lately, among other things, adding some new mini-journals to my Etsy shop:

 Natural Dragonfly Mini Journal with Bead and Button Closure

Approx. 5.75” x 3”, hand-sewn with walnut brown waxed linen thread in a chain stitch or Coptic style, and designed to lay flat for writing or drawing. Heavyweight, 100% cotton, acid-free, warm-white Wyndstone paper in three signatures included for 18 sheets (36 pages) total.

 

Thai traditional paper in a natural buff-white color was used to cover the book board and is finished with a flower-shaped, bone-white button and more waxed linen thread for easy closure. The thread has a beautiful dangle of beads that include a 6mm Jupiter jasper bead surrounded by two gold metallic beads. Inside, the end papers showcase gorgeous green and gold dragonflies on a buff background.

Sienna Mini Journal with Mookaite Jasper and Apple Blossom Button Closure

Approx. 6” x 4”, hand-sewn with dark orange waxed linen thread in a chain stitch or Coptic style, and designed to lay flat for writing or drawing. 70 lb, acid-free, Canson drawing paper in four signatures for 128 pages total.

 

Thai traditional paper in a beautiful sienna color was used to cover the book board and is finished with a delicate, antique gold apple blossom button and more waxed linen thread for easy closure. The thread has a beautiful dangle of gold metallic beads and a Mookaite jasper flat round.
 

And I am also preparing for next weekend's 10th annual Kerrytown BookFest. I am excited to be participating for the first time as an exhibitor. If you are local to the Ann Arbor area, stop by booth #138 and say hi!  Here is a sneak peek of some of my new items that will be available there:

New! Flower Jade and Mum Macrame Bookmark. Hand-knotted light green S-Lon thread and featuring beautiful flower jade beads and an antique silver-plated mum charm.

New! Lapis Lazuli and Starfish Macrame Bookmark. Hand-knotted medium blue S-Lon thread and featuring gorgeous lapis lazuli beads and an antique silver-plated starfish charm.

Petoskey Stone Triple Wrap Bracelet. A rare find, beautiful, authentic 6mm Petoskey stone rounds were used to create a stunning triple wrap bracelet. Petoskey stone is the official state stone of Michigan. It is a variety of calcite and was formed by the fossilization of ancient coral, Hexagonaria. Petoskey stones are found on many beaches of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, as well as in rock quarries from Traverse City to Alpena.

And more bracelets, bookmarks, and journals to come! Have a Happy Labor Day!

Studio Update: What Have I Been Up To Lately?

It's been awhile since I have given an update on what's been going on in my studio this spring...so here it is!

I have been keeping steadily busy adding items to my Etsy shop, including a number of new bracelets and some hand-bound mini journals - here's a sampling of my recent offerings:

Safari Jasper Leather Wrap Bracelet. This quad-wrap bracelet features 4mm safari jasper gemstone beads in warm earth tones of khaki, olive green, and rusty red with beautiful camouflage patterning. The stones are wrapped in a rich 1.8 mm red-brown leather with a wood grain button closure.

Moss Agate Leather Wrap Bracelet. This was a custom bracelet done for a birthday present. It features 4mm moss agate stones with 1.5mm brown leather and a unique matching green and silver dragonfly button closure.

 

Carnelian Leather Wrap Bracelet. Some brighter colors for spring and summer include this double leather wrap bracelet featuring gorgeous 6mm carnelian stone beads ranging from fiery reddish-orange to translucent white. The stones are wrapped in 1.8mm pearly white leather with a simple, round, pearly button closure.

Lapis Lazuli Wrap Bracelet. For something a little more delicate, this double-wrap bracelet features stunning, deep blue 4mm lapis lazuli gemstone beads that contain beautiful flecks of gold pyrite. The stones are wrapped in dark blue S-Lon thread and finished with a matching, translucent blue button. It’s like wearing tiny gemstone globes!  

Sea Shell Mini Journal. A compact 4” x 2 ½”, but full of character this mini journal has a sea shell paper cover with rusty red Italian book cloth, 36 sheets (72 pages) of 70lb acid-free, blank Canson drawing paper, and is hand-sewn with natural-colored waxed linen thread. The simple binding contains a little flair of macramé down the front cover, reminiscent of mariner knot work.

  

Blue Mini Journal With Nautical Button Closure. Another compact journal at 4” x 2 ½”, this one is hand-sewn with natural-colored waxed linen thread in a chain stitch or Coptic style, it is filled with 48 sheets (96 pages) of 70lb acid-free, blank Canson drawing paper and covered in deep blue Italian book cloth. An antiqued gold button and knotted, waxed linen thread rope allow for easy closure. The inside is decorated with beautiful sea shell end papers.

In addition, I have been working on a pen and ink house portrait commission for a friend of mine. It's almost done and will be delivered within the next two weeks. I'll post an update when it is finished.

As always, I have more ideas than I have time, but I have some new things planned for the shop so stay tuned!

What has occupied your creative time this spring? I'd love to hear from you!

Wrap Bracelet, Necklace...or Both?

When is a bracelet not just a bracelet?

They say necessity is the mother of invention. My cousin emailed me today with a wonderful idea illustrating this idea. She received one of my bracelets over the holidays as a gift and here is what she said:

"Last night I was looking for a necklace to wear with a gray/black/white outfit.  I was going to wear your bracelet, which was laying on my dresser." Here was her solution - ingenious!

Basically, if you have any jewelry lying around with different charms, necklace focal pieces, etc., that can be removed from it's chain, then you can do this, too! Perhaps many of you have already thought of this, but I thought it was very clever. :) 

By the way, this was a double wrap bracelet with 4mm cat's eye quartz stones (very beautiful chatoyant quality...), black leather and a simple, black button closure. Here's what it looked like when I sent it off at Christmas:

Have you ever had an "ah-ha!" moment with your jewelry or art? Something you just never thought of that came to light like this? Let me know! I would love to hear from you.

 

Bracelet For Sale! Double Leather Wrap with Botswana Agate.

Bracelet For Sale! 

Botswana Agate with Warm Gray Leather.

This double-wrap bracelet features gorgeous 6mm Botswana agate stones in swirling banded patterns of apricots, dark grays and dusty purples. The 1.5 mm warm gray leather and antiqued metal button complete the look. This has two closures to fit wrist sizes 6 - 7.5 inches.

Metaphysically, Botswana agate is said to be a stone of harmony, giving courage, energy, strength, and emotional comfort. Agate also enhances creativity and stimulates the intellect.

 $35.00 plus shipping. Michigan residents add 6% tax. 

Email me if you are interested: carol @ ccreechstudio.com  (Don't forget to eliminate the spaces in the address!)

Bracelet For Sale! Mookaite Jasper with Dark Brown Leather.

Bracelet For Sale! 

Mookaite Jasper with Dark Brown Leather.

This beautiful single-wrap bracelet features 6mm Mookaite jasper stones in rich tones ranging from dark reds and golds to creamy white. They come wrapped in dark brown leather with a natural wooden button closure.

Mookaite, like other jaspers, is said to be a very protective stone, and is particularly good as an emotional protector. 

Fits wrist size 7-8".

$25.00 plus shipping. Michigan residents add 6% tax. 

Email me if you are interested: carol @ ccreechstudio.com  (Don't forget to eliminate the spaces in the address!)

And the Giveaway Winner is....

Congratulations to Leticia who is the winner of my bracelet giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest!

Giveaway! One More Day To Enter!

You have one more day to enter my blog anniversary giveaway of this beautiful bracelet! It would make a great gift for yourself or for someone else this holiday season.

See the original post for details on how to enter. I will choose a winner by random number generator tomorrow, Tues., Nov. 8!

http://ccreechstudio.blogspot.com/2011/11/giveaway-time-my-3-year-blog.html

Giveaway Time! My 3-Year Blog Anniversary!

It's Giveaway Time!!

3 years - already?! Wow. Time sure does fly! 

As a thank-you to all of you who have followed along on my wide-ranging artistic endeavors, I am giving away my latest creation - this beautiful, double-wrap leather beaded bracelet:

 

This earthy adornment has 16 inches of light-gray leather (1.5 mm wide) with a gorgeous strand of 4mm Rainforest Agate gemstones. The multi-colored stones include tones of moss green, rich red and light cream and the closure is a small, dusty-purple/red pearly vintage button.

Metaphysically, agate is said to balance yin/yang energy, enhance creativity, strengthen the intellect and give courage. It is a protective stone and one that eases anxiety and stress. 

To enter the giveaway:

• Leave a comment on this post.
• For a second chance to win, visit my Facebook page and leave a comment on the giveaway post there.

I will choose a winner via random number generator next Tuesday, November 8, my 3rd blogiversary! 

Be sure to let your friends know about the giveaway. This would make a wonderful gift for someone for the upcoming holidays!

As always, thanks for reading and good luck!

Double Wrap Bracelet in Blue!

Here's my latest bracelet! I mixed it up in the color department this time, going with 2mm black leather cord, 8lb smoke grey Fireline thread and 6mm sapphire blue round shell beads.

Yet another button from Gram's tin. This is a very nice, faceted black button which gives the closure a subtle bit of flair, I think.

I included an "in-progress" photo in case you were curious about how this looks as it's being done. It's easiest to keep straight if you clip one end to a piece of cardboard or other flat surface. I really need to invest in a simple clip board as I have seen others use. For now, I am getting by with this, but it's a little too short for this double wrap length. I also bought a bracelet beading tray from the craft store which is great for lining up beads, sorting out ones that are too small or damaged, and generally keeping the project in one place. It also has a handy lid that I can pop on top to keep it closed off from kids and cat. :)

I had a little birthday money to spend last week, so I made a nice trip to the local bead shop the other day with my girls. Bless the bead shop - they had a kid drawer with crayons and coloring books, so I actually was able to shop uninterrupted! I bought some beautiful 4mm Rainforest Agate and 1.5mm warm grey leather cording. I hope to make a nice double wrap (at least) out of that, so stay tuned! 

I do find that at this point, at least, it's easier for me to stop and start work on a small sewing project like these bracelets than do much drawing. I hope to get back to some pencils and paper soon, but for now, I am happy to keep some creativity going with the beads!

Tiger's Eye Leather Beaded Bracelet

I am continuing on my fascination with wrap bracelets! 

 

I completed a sweet little single wrap, this one with 6mm Tiger's Eye round beads and dark brown leather cord (2mm). It actually has a surprisingly nice heft to it, which is why I chose to only do a single wrap.

I love the look of Tiger's Eye as it has a silky sheen to it, an optical reflectance effect seen called chatoyancy seen in certain gemstones. It's like seeing swirls of honey and caramel wrapping around your wrist! 

I paired the stones with another button closure from my box, this one a simple style in a matching dark caramel color.

Metaphysically, Tiger's Eye is said to be a grounding stone, bringing calmness, serenity, and harmony and the ability to see clearly.

Here's to a New Decade!

Today is my birthday and it's a big one - 40! It is such a nice, round number :) I am excited to start a new decade.

I have spent a lot of time in the last couple of years setting up my Zazzle and Spoonflower stores, creating my business Facebook page, and updating the look of my blog and my website. Now that much of the infrastructure is in place, I think that one of my big goals in the coming year(s) is to simple do more art! I always have more botanicals that I want to do, and I am very interested in doing more beading, including more bracelets, but also working with seed beads. I would love to play around with some bookbinding as well. So, plenty of interest areas - I will not be bored, that is for sure!

Speaking of creating, I did manage to finish another wrap bracelet this week - a double wrap with lighter-colored leather and white and brown swirled shell beads (6mm this time.)

Well, I am off to do some regular stuff around the house and hopefully squeeze in some playtime with the beads, perhaps. Have a wonderful day!

Thanks to Marlene Brady!

A big thank you to Marlene Brady for her gorgeous bracelet giveaway that I won. Marlene is a polymer clay artist who also does beading and mixed media painting. Check out her blog, her page on Crafthaus, and her Flickr photos for her amazing and creative work.