Jewelry
 

I started making jewelry as a hobby 6-7 months after my accident. Very therapeutic. Here are a few pieces

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One more

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Another...I can't figure out how to add more than one pic at a time. :)

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Very nice. Where do you get your stones?
I sometimes make spheres of stones
and found it very relaxing too.
When I get back to my computer tomorrow
I'll put a photo up. There are some reasonable
Sellers on EBay. ;)

MrsD,

Thank you for your post.

I have purchased from box chain stores locally, fire mountain gems, a few lovely stores in Michigan and finding my own pieces on the beautiful waters of Lake Superior, upper Lake Michigan, and Michigan.

I love this hobby. It's relaxing and if I get overstimulated I can leave it and come back to it later. I like to make a variety of styles, and I love to play around til my design feels right, like a soft sweater in the fall. My favorite type of jewelry to make is bracelets.

I love rocks! I have just started using this medium. I'm slowly learning. The stones amaze me. I could rock hunt everyday until my brain gave out if I lived somewhere like that.

I'd love to see your work. No one else I know does this.

I also love your bird photo. I've become very interested in birds over the last year. A few weeks ago I bought a picture book more or less about North American birds. I'm going to put out a finch feeder Nd hummingbird feeder. I love to watch them.

Jace

If you visit the UP you might like The Agate Lady...

http://www.agatelady.com/gift-shop.html

There is also a seller on Ebay called Rock Whisperer...who paints realistic turtles and animals on round rocks... they are really awesome. She is very popular now.
http://www.ebay.com/usr/rock_whisper...88.m1543.l2754
She only has one item now, a raccoon.
She lives in Bay City and has access to a huge commercial rock pile along the Saginaw river where she can choose the shape and size of her starting rocks for paintings. She sometimes finds puddingstones (jaspar conglomerates) in that pile too and sells them raw on Ebay.
Her turtles look totally REAL.

I've been to Whitefish point in the UP and collected stones many years ago. My MIL had a gift shop and wanted some painted stones and since I am an artist I did some for her then. They nowhere were as good as Rock Whisperer on Ebay! ;)

photo #1 is a small sphere of quartz and citrine quartz
Photo #2 is a larger one with quartz and amethyst crystal

I bought most of my stones on Ebay. I like rock too and we have plenty around our summer place to do various things with!
(but not as nice as Lake Superior rock ;) )

Here is one crystal sphere I did -- about 3 yrs ago... I did several and gave them as gifts...

I love your jewellery Living_Dazed, and the way you photographed them on the stones. Very nice indeed. That's my kind of jewellery.

mrsD, those crystals are incredible. Lucky friends who received those as gifts!

I was looking around the countryside where the agate lady lives. Beautiful part of the world.

I believe The Agate Lady moves to New Mexico over the winter.
She has a trailer with all her stones in it!

We bought a plate of hers several years ago. And a friend of ours actually went to her place --her young son really loved it. (Grandpa is a Geologist--so they go to quarries, and various other rock sites on vacations).

Yes, Lara, we can chat about that later.

Sorry for that little hijack .

Oh my, mrsD.
That's far too generous of you but thank you very much.
I don't know what to say really. :o

We'll have to talk about this.

Thank you MrsD for the info. We will be rock hunting in July in Michigan. I love ones I can carve and make into pendants.

Thanks Laura, all the rocks are from Michigan. Either the youper on Lake Superior or the lower on Lake Michigan. Found a petoskey the shape of a heart.

Thanks for sharing your work MrsD. The crystals are beautiful. Sharing one with Lara is such a great way to celebrate 10 years of friendship.

I love sharing my jewelry. I have given away many more than I've sold. I am not into going to fairs. Too hard with my issues. My family takes them to work to sell.

Jace :)

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Multiple stones.

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Small beads several strands

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Small beads several strands

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Suede, metal, stones.

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Matching earrings

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U and me

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Golden hue bracelet

They're really lovely, Jace.
I love the softness of the suede with the metal and the stones.
U and me is great too. All are great lol

Jace you have a real feel for the stones and design.

Perhaps you could sell some eventually on Etsy?
Etsy is "buy it now" without bidding, and easier than Ebay.

Making things seems to occupy parts of the mind that can
minimize pain and conflict.... it is wonderful you have this
talent and ability to use, and it also makes others happy as well when they receive your work.;) I believe that creative activities enable us all to cope with challenges.

Your pieces are just wonderful. I've seen also some similar bead work on Ebay, for lanyards. Dressy lanyards for women, to carry pass/security cards and/or cell phones. To carry a phone, one needs the stronger links like you have in some of your pieces.
I walk with a walking stick most of the time and almost all the time upNorth on the paths (we have an outhouse there I have to struggle to get to)...and find lanyards handy for my purposes.
You might find a market for them too.;)

Keep up the good work...:hug:

Good morning ladies!

Thank your for your confidence boosters. In my classroom we called them put ups :)

My favorite mediums to work with are wood, stone, metal, suede, leather. All natural materials. I love rocks. Just to have them around is pleasing.

I have been on etsy a few times. I haven't delved deeply into it. My surplus jewelry supply is low right now. We packed up and moved in December and my studio hasn't been set back up yet. Maybe a store on there I could do. I have a website already but haven't designed it yet. JenZenJewelry.

I am finding the creative arts are soothing for me. My world was surrounded by music prior to my injury. I can't get back to it yet with hypercusis but I'm hopeful.

I found a new soothing activity yesterday. My family does egg roll day once a year. We have a perfected system nearly down pat. It's quite an event, one my sister and I have to take brain breaks during. Yesterday I rolled them and found it to be very soothing and relaxing for my head. Therapeutic actually. Eating them was good too!

Jace

Egg rolls. Who would have thought of it? lol

All these things would be very good for your fine motor skills during your recovery too, Jace.

Lara,

They really have been great for my fine motor skills. My hands aren't as steady as before but I'm working at it.

The jewelry making is good for so many brain different brain functions. It helped get me from not being able to do basic math to nearly doing it without reminders on how.

Plus just basic thinking. I credit my neuropsychologist for pushing me to get a hobby. It made my brain have to work. It's important for us to keep going.

Life is therapy.

Jace

Yes, this is so true what you discovered. I'd be lost without my art as well. Sometimes when I hurt too much to do any work, I can do some in my head! It helps me fall asleep, and keeps me sharp too! ;)

MrsD,

I do stuff in my head too. Sometimes that's all I can do.

I truly believe getting a hobby saved my life.

Jace