Wellness Words Jewelry Challenge & Focusing on Life

Thanks to Miss Tracy Statler of Make Bracelets for hosting this awesome blog hop!

Last year I had been considering something similar when I got a suggestion from someone to do so, but I already do enough hops (sign ups are on for the 2nd Annual Challenge of Music - join me!) to add this. But it is such a great idea, so I am very happy that the lovely Miss Tracy did! I hope she makes this an annual thing! (hint, hint ;-)

Since words are my 'thing,' this was right up my alley. And I had just chosen my word for the year

B A L A N C E

and an image for that word

... but what sort of pendant or charm to make?

Of course I had to go with my Simple Truths. I have long wanted to offer a pendant or charm to those who choose a word of the year to frame their steps on the journey with a simple talisman that they could wear. I have bezels in all shapes and sizes and metal finishes, but of course, I thought that I needed something different.

I found the perfect bezel from Nunn Designs.

Since the focus would be on just One Word, I wanted something simple but not too large. The loops at the top and bottom were ideal so that it could be used as a bracelet bar or in a necklace or as a pendant. And the pretty stamped back was an added bonus. I thought that perhaps if I liked them that others might as well and they would be able to order their own word.

So, of course, I bought them in my favorite three metal colors: antique copper, antique silver and antique gold. And as luck would have it, two of the colors were on back order, or I would have had this done a lot sooner to offer. But there is always next year! I do have all the colors now and will work on some designs and patinas to offer them in for my shop this spring. But custom orders are always an option!

Copper is my favorite. So I stamped the word  b a l a n c e  in the center using a much larger and deeper set of stamps than normal (so if someone wants one of these, I would have to figure out what stamp might work best for their word - but I have about a dozen of them! Have you learned that about me, that if one is great, 12 is even better?).

Now, I could finish this in my usual bright color style, but I have been having fun playing with the Swellegant line of patinas and knew that I had to use that. I wanted to make it look like one solid piece of metal. I apologize for the delay in having my post ready, as I had to focus on one of my Big Rocks last night (my family - we  traveled to see my son and his team win their basketball games about an hour away), and then got a migraine (health - another of my Big Rocks) so my creative time (one of my most precious Big Rocks) was compromised. And patinas take time.

Originally, the thought was a bracelet. What a silly idea! I don't wear them that often and I find them a challenge to create, so I went with a necklace instead and dreamed about it all the way back in the car last night. I remembered that I had the perfect beads - drilled Michigan beach stones - that would work perfectly with my cairn of stacked rocks image. (BTW, I see that AllyBeans is having a 20% off sale through this weekend only. Good time to stock up on your rocks!)

The Key To Balance

 

 I found this tiny luggage key in a bag of keys I picked up at an antique store. Not liking shiny silver anything, I played with the Swellegant patinas. 

 

In my embarrassingly massive stash of art beads, I found this tiny enameled heart lock from C-Koop. By the way, I am on a self-imposed bead diet and already I have cheated. (Thanks, Miss Malin!) One of my Biggest Rocks is to create out of the chaos that is my studio and use what I have. It really is too much for one person.

 

The wellness word pendant I created and the solid copper chain that I patina-ed still need to cure a bit and maybe have more applied before I can finish it with a sealer, but you get the idea.
 

The stack of rocks is kinetic and can spin, something I am sure that I will play with when I wear it. This necklace is long, so no need for a clasp.

I know that I will wear it with everything, since it is in such neutral tones. I can already tell that I will hold onto this as a touchstone to remind me of my need for b a l a n c e in my life and that if I don't put the Big Rocks first, the rest will not fit.

Thank you Miss Tracy for inviting me to play! Please go and see what the other 50 designers did for their Wellness Words. 

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Additionally, it is week four for the Focusing on Life challenge hosted by Miss Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime. Our task this week was to find a heart. I struggled with that until I realized that I had just made a few wee Lovey-Dovey Owl pendants for my shop. These will be listed later today in case you are interested in them for your favorite Valentine! ;-*