Bracelet Design

[chrissy]

So have all you bead trading mamas started to think of how you're going to design your bracelets? I have never done this before (okay, once I went to a bead making thing and made an ugly bracelet that doesn't fit:( ) so I'm not quite sure. I love love love walking by the little pottery dish that I have my beads sitting in and imagining it though!

I *think* what I am going to do is string them together and put little wooden or light brown pottery looking beads evenly spaced between them. That way the beads from all you sweet mamas will really stand out.

Are any of you going to ask any other friends to give you beads to put on these bracelets or are you going to keep them just from us September mamas? I haven't really thought about that even as an option until just now. Hmmmmm....

This is so fun! I"m glad whoever thought of it (Jen?) did!
:love you all!

[JenInMpls]

I was thinking of spacing the beads with amethyst beads, simply, because they make me so happy with their purpleness.

Purpleness?

:D

jen

[mum2tori]

I'm probaby going to use silver spacers to help set off each bead. Depending on how much space I have left over from the beads I get here is whether I'll be adding any "additional" beads. I'll probably keep it just the September moms from here though. :)

Should we call you "Your Purpleness" Jen? :) I love Amethyst too, I have one bracelet that is all large tumbled amethyst beads. It was my Easter present this year. (I have to buy it for DH to "give" to me, then I still had to ask for my present :eyesroll :eyesroll ).

[msrog]

I'm thinking of using silver charms as spacers, but we'll see. The ones I saw and liked were baby charms and Christian type charms, which would be quite appropriate for a labor bracelet...!

But I'm not sure a jangly charm bracelet would work well in that setting??? I'm not a big inwardly focused laboring mom or anything, but I'm hoping it wouldn't be in the way or break. I'd love to wear it on my ankle, but I won't be able to see it past my big belly, haha!

The only thing I've thought about design-wise is to put the biggest beads at the middle and work out from there... and probably put the "twin" amethysts Anna sent me by the clasp, to complement each other (or else on either side of the large center bead, but that would interrupt the size concept, since they are small).

I'm pretty clueless, as you can see! What fun, though!

P.S. There are TWO pages of names on the Yahoo bead database... I'm on the second page, as is Mum2Tori. We should all have sent out 14 beads.

Edited to add: I am keeping mine just to our group. I think if you add more beads, you'll end up with a belly bracelet instead, haha!

[banana girl]

One of my favorite things to do with Jewelery / beadwork is to convert or alter an existing item to a new purpose.
My plan for my beads is to create a "charm" bracelet or anklet. I have a really cool belly dancer style belly bracelet (with jingly bells and animal charms) that I haven't been able to wear for about.... humm, ohhh 5 or 6 years! It has alot of sentimental value and is symbolic in some ways of my adolesence / virginity. Anyway, I intend to use a segment of the belly bracelet as the base for my blessing beads.
So, the beads I receive will be made into little earing sized "dangles" and spaced out on the links of the chain. I am jewelery savvy enough to add the dangles and clasps.
I haven't decided if I want a bracelet or an anklet.... We'll see how many beads I end up with!
I am planning on having a "Blessing Way" in early september and intend to request blessing beads from the participants. So, no this will not be a "September Mommies" only item.
I intend to wear the item during birth and hope to lend it, and it's birthing energy to my sisters and friends as the opportunities arise. Eventually I hope to pass it down to a daughter when she is pregnant with her first child.... but that's looking REALLY far ahead, isn't it!

the tools / materials i expect to use include...
A "rounded" needle nosed pliers (not a normal needle nose!)
pliable sterling silver wire (I buy it on a spool)
An existing segment of linked sterling silver (the belly bracellet)
A "loop and Bar" style closure
Blessed beads given with love!

Good luck to all in creating their blessed bracelets!
anna banana

[JenInMpls]

Should we call you "Your Purpleness" Jen? :)

Sounds like something they called Prince when he changed his name from Prince to a symbol!! No, that's ok, Jen is fine ;) I just have always loved amethyst.

j