Inspiration can come from Pinterest, and a shopping pal

   My friend Jules likes sparkly things. So it can be easy for me to make pieces of jewelry for her.

It's about time I take inventory

   I decided to take inventory in the Creative Cave.

A button necklace and ornament hook earrings

   I made a necklace without using any beads, chain, jump rings or string. 

ROY G. BIV: It's not easy being green!

   Green is my favorite color in the rainbow of colors known as ROY G. BIV. 

A necklace from yard sale goodies

   I have accumulated an assortment of beads and jewelry findings from yard sales. I decided it was time to make use of some of those items. 

Grab bag makes beautiful necklaces

   In the blog post "Grab Bag of Goodies" I talked about using the very pretty beads that came in a grab bag from Auntie’s Beads. I still had more beads and findings in the bag so I decided to put them to use and make some necklaces. 

Combining paper and glass for handmade jewelry

   I’ve had a collection of paper beads just sitting to the side of my workspace. I decided it was time to do something with them before I made more. 

Easy necklaces from yard sale finds

   I’m always looking for new ways to make necklaces. But sitting recently in the hot Creative Cave something occurred to me. 

Pendant + Wire Jig + Wire = Too Many Options

   A little while back I experimented with a wire jig. I used one such experiment to wrap a pendant.

A necklace made from buttons and odds and ends; and a bracelet thrown in for good measure

   The buttons I got from Jules have been calling my name. So I set out to make something with them.

Getting back in the groove

   I’ve had a slight bout of laziness recently. I didn’t immediately get out to the Creative Cave yesterday morning.

I'm in a black hole of unfinished jewelry

   I thought it might be fun to make some holiday jewelry. Turns out, I’m not in the holiday spirit.

Hopefully improving my necklace-making skills

   I had a lot of fun making a couple of necklaces and wanted to share them with you.

Another necklace, more earrings and renewed inspiration

   In the blog post “Grab a bead and wrap it in wire” I shared photos of wire-wrapped pendants I made. Well, since I have a handful of those pendants I decided to make a necklace.

I finally have necklace success!

   I finally made some necklaces! My experience in creating necklaces up until now has been more "misses" than "hits" so I am excited to share today’s post with you.

The week that was...

   It took me a little while to get back in the creative groove after the Independence Day holiday. But this last week I did manage to get a few things accomplished in my Creative Cave.

If I had a hammer...

   Okay, I decided I want to make my own clasps for my handmade bracelets and necklaces, while at the same time figuring out the “hammered” technique. Here is the website where I got the idea: http://crafting.squidoo.com/Jewelry-Clasps.

Yes I know where everything is, except the chipmunk!

   Is there such a thing as organization amid chaos? My workspace in the Creative Cave has been getting pretty piled up. As soon as I try to pick up a spool of wire I knock a string of beads off of my worktable because I haven’t properly placed the beads in a container. But I am somehow always able to find what I am looking for, just not always quickly.

When bad things happen to good jewelry

   Some days in my “Creative Cave” (AKA the garage) are better and more productive than others. Sometimes I pick up a bead or length of wire and begin threading or wrapping to see what happens.

The necklace saga continues...

   Necklace ideas aren’t coming to me as quickly as those for earrings and bracelets. I still haven’t completed the beaded mess I have, but I have made a couple of necklaces that give me hope that I may be on to something.