Ah, they’re done! It’s not the greatest photo, but I think these are gorgeous! I’m actually tempted to keep them for myself! Blue is my favorite color after all. So, these are done with glass seed beads, glass bugle beads, some larger matching glass beads, black Nymo thread and gold-tone earwires. The top is made using a decreasing brick stitch and the dangles are traditional stringing.

So, there’s the work in progress. It’s weird stopping to take photos in the middle of my work, but I think it’s a really good thing for artists to show at least a bit of their process. It helps people have more respect for and understanding of what we do. People get some horrible misconceptions about handcrafted items. Most of the time these things aren’t fast or easy. We get good at what we do, but we’re not whipping this stuff out in ten minutes. It all takes time and effort. (These kind of earrings take me 60-90 minutes a pair.)

I’m doing this crafting journal because I really enjoy it, but I also think it’s a good way to let people see what goes into what I do. I never talked about my process before, and I certainly never showed it. I used to think it was kind of like seeing a celebrity with their makeup off; the final effect isn’t quite as awesome if you know how it started. Now though, I think it’s a good idea to let people see how I can go from a pile of beads and some string or wire all the way to a really nice completed piece. And of course, when Eric takes the really good photos for the shop, then you really get to see how gorgeous the stuff is. I’m not that great with the camera, so my daily photos aren’t the most fantastic. You’ll get the idea though.

By the way, feel free to ask questions any time. I’m not much of an instructor, but I’ll help anyone if I can. That’s another thing, I’m not greedy with my knowledge. I’m happy to share what I know with others so that we can all grow as artisans or even hobbyists. It really irks me when people tight-fist their knowledge and act like they’re at some great loss if they share. I think everyone should do some kind of craft and make the world a more beautiful place, so I’ll share anything and everything I know. I think I’m making the world better by being generous with my skills.

Briana Blair

Briana Blair is an author and artisan. She has published more then 30 books and thousands of articles across multiple sites. After practicing Paganism and witchcraft for 25 years, she's now on a journey as an atheist and skeptic. She's eclectic, unpredictable, and always evolving. Facebook - Twitter