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.

 

Busy with Bracelets!

Happy Spring, everyone!

Are you enjoying the weather lately? We have had unseasonably warm temperatures here in southeast Michigan with a couple of gorgeous weeks in the 70s and 80s. It's back to closer-to-normal today with some rain and temps in the 60s. Very pleasant, actually, especially now that it is officially SPRING!

I absolutely love spring. It is my favorite season. All of the new growth of plants and the world waking up after winter (what there was of it this year, anyway!) Obviously, with an interest in botanical art and illustration, I love seeing the trees bud and flowers bloom. So much material and inspiration!

I am working on the second trillium drawing - the one with the open bud - but just barely started, so no photos yet. 

However, I have been working on more bracelets for my Etsy shop and have completed quite a few. I am also excited to report that I have had 3 more sales! Thanks to all of my customers who have purchased so far. I hope that some of my new items will catch some attention now that we are heading into the short-sleeve time of year!

Some of my most recent creations are listed below. If you want to see more photos, click on the item to get to my Etsy shop and further details!

Dumortierite Single Wrap

 
With a gorgeous silver-colored leaf motif 
button closure.

Dumortierite Macrame

 

Simple and elegant in dark navy s-lon thread. 

Safari Jasper Double Wrap

More great earth tones in this beautifully patterned jasper.

Red Flake Jasper Single Wrap

 

This deep, fiery stone paired wonderfully with dark red leather and an antiqued gold button.

 Rhodonite Triple Wrap

This one was just posted today and uses one of the new buttons I just acquired in my stash. I have many more interesting buttons, so stay tuned for new bracelets!

Random Weekly Round-Up! Project Updates.

I have had a rather productive week. In addition to getting my desk space re-organized (partly, anyway), I have had a chance to complete 2 bracelets and my very first coptic hand-bound journal for my Etsy shop. I thought I would randomly choose today to do a little weekly round-up of my artistic activities and show you what I have been up to:

Terra Rosa Jasper Double Wrap Bracelet

This little beauty features 6mm terra rosa jasper stone beads in a range of swirling dusty purples, pinks, maroons, creams, and blue/grays. The stones are wrapped in 1.8 mm steel blue leather and finished with an antiqued metal button closure.

I love jasper. It comes in a wide range of colors and patterns. This particular variety is a natural stone and had a different color scheme that I had come across previously. I had ordered some different colors of leather and thought these paired beautifully with the steel blue.

As for stone properties, terra rosa jasper (also known as sci fi jasper), like other jaspers, is stone of gentleness and relaxation. It is said to bring tranquility, comforting, wholeness, and healing. It is also said to have a subtle and deep energy that seems to nurture one on a soul level.

Seraphinite Double Wrap Bracelet

The other bracelet that I was able to complete this week was this elegant double wrap using 4mm seraphinite gemstone beads. These rare stones are found only in the Lake Baykal region of southern Siberia, Russia. They are a deep sea green with feathery inclusions of silvery white and shimmering chatoyant patterns, similar to tiger's eye.

These stones are said to be a premier healing stone, promoting regeneration and self-healing. It is also a purifying stone that helps one find one’s higher purpose and will, creating a feeling of wholeness and well-being.

I wrapped these in 1.8 mm dark olive green leather and finished with an antiqued silver flower button closure. I absolutely love green and so between the beads and the leather, this was one of my favorites to create!

Coptic Bound Art Journal

After getting a chance to do some beadwork, I decided I would work on my first coptic bound art journal. I have a great deal of art supplies gathered over the years and not always enough time to draw. I have been itching to do some bookbinding, so I thought I would raid my supplies and see what I could come up with! 

I found some wonderful, heavyweight, 100% cotton fiber art paper by Wyndstone in my stash. I had enough to create 5 signatures for my journal and tore the sheets by hand. They came with a feathered edge already, so the hand-tearing added to that effect. There are three signatures in 'natural' and two in 'warm white'.

 
I also made a trip to my favorite local decorative paper and bookbinding supply store, Hollander's here in Ann Arbor, to find the right material to use for the cover of the journal. I found a lovely sheet of 80gm mulberry and bamboo paper with Tamarind leaves in the paper. The Tamarind leaf tissue is backed with the mulberry/bamboo paper so it has a great weight/durability but good flexibility for covering the journal. I used PVA glue from Hollander's and waxed linen thread for the binding. I wanted to do a Coptic stitch, also known as a chain stitch, as it allows the journal to lay flat when open.


 
Since Coptic bound journals often have a lot of signatures and are hard to keep closed, I added a simple closure wrap of the waxed linen thread and added three beads of mid-Michigan alabaster that I purchased from Nawbin Beads in Traverse City, MI. I will someday make a trip up there, as it sounds fantastic, but for now, I am able to order from their Etsy shop.





The paper is great for pencil and pastel, photo journaling, scrapbooking, or for use as a guest book, writing journal. etc. I really enjoyed creating this and look forward to doing more Coptic bound journals as well as other sewn bindings.

Have you started any big projects lately? What have you been working on? Are there things in your stash you wish you could use? I'd love to hear from you, so let me know!

I have been a busy bee for the last few weeks and am happy to finally announce that my Etsy shop is now open!

I have listed 6 bracelets and will be adding more of those as well as some of my botanical art and hand-bound journals. 

Please stop by and take a look around and feel free to share with your friends. 

I'd love to hear what you think of it and what else you might like to see there - just let me know!

Happy New Year!

And here we are to New Year's Eve already! I want to wish each of you a very happy, healthy, creative new year in 2012!

I thought I would round out this year's posts (my 200th, in fact - wow!) with some images of gifts I created over the holidays. I was bracelet-crazy this year and had a wonderful time making these for friends and family:

Double wrap in 1.5mm brown leather with 4mm sodalite beads and a dark blue button closure.

Double wrap in 1.5mm brown leather with 4mm sodalite beads and a pearly button closure.

Double wrap in 1.5mm brown leather with 4mm lapis lazuli beads and an antiqued gold metal button closure.

Single leather wrap with 6mm flower amethyst beads and a cute purple and silver button closure.

Red leather macrame bracelet with a cute candy-cane striped bead for the closure.

Double wrap with 1.5mm dark brown leather 
and gorgeous 6mm Tiger's Eye beads and a swirly brown and tan button for closure.

Double wrap black leather with elegant 4mm cat's eye quartz beads and a black button closure.

 


Another double wrap with black leather and 4mm cat's eye quartz beads, this time with a cloth-covered black button closure.



  



Double wrap in 1.8mm black leather with beautiful, vibrant green malachite beads and a faceted black button closure.

 

Double wrap with dark brown leather and 4mm Charoite beads. The swirls of browns, earthy greens and golds in the beads matched very well with the leather and gold metal closure.

 

Double wrap with 1.5mm black leather with fun snowflake obsidian beads and a silver metal flower button closure.

I also did a couple of additional jotter journals with some of my Spoonflower fabric swatches.

This is small jotter, approximately 3" x 3.5" made with 32 blank pages for notes, lists, doodles, etc. I used waxed linen bookbinding thread to sew in the pages and added a few white beads for embellishment. This is quilting weight cotton fabric in my roses pattern.

This small jotter is also approximately 3" x 3.5" made with 32 blank pages for notes, lists, doodles, etc. I used dark green s-lon beading thread to sew in the pages and added some flower amethyst beads on the spine for embellishment. This is quilting weight cotton fabric in my cyclamen pattern.









I am looking forward to a new year of creativity, drawing, beading, and perhaps more bookbinding. I am also interested in opening an Etsy shop, and I have some of my own ideas of what I'd like to include...what things would you like to see there?

Well, stay tuned for more creative adventures. I'd love to hear about the new things you are hoping to try in the new year, too, so let me know!

Happy New Year!

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!