Too little time...

My sincerest apologies to all the Bead Soup Blog Party participants and especially to my partner JJ Jacobs and swap hostess Lori Anderson.

I've been working 14+ hours a day on a new job and suffering creative block.  As a result, I just haven't been able to finish creating anything in time for the big reveal tomorrow.  :(

I still have a couple of designs in the works on my bead board and I'll post them here when I've managed to complete them.  I'm just sorry it won't be in time!

"Octavia" and new tutorial!

My latest tutorial, Byzantine Triad Chainmaille Weave is now live!  This chainmaille weave is a variation on the Byzantine chain weave and it is necessary to have previous experience with Byzantine in order to be able to construct Byzantine Triad.

"Octavia" is my newest piece of jewelry, and my first major piece of jewelry since my second son was born more than three years ago.  It sure is good to be back creating again!  She was constructed in the Byzantine Triad chainmaille weave using 14kt gold-filled rings and top quality rainbow obsidian beads.  I've always loved movies/shows based on ancient Rome and when I devised this variation of the Byzantine chainmaille weave it reminded me of the elaborate jewelry worn by the women of ancient Rome.

Octavia the Younger (69 BC – 11 BC), also known as Octavia Minor or simply Octavia, was the sister of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus (known also as Octavian)...One of the most prominent women in Roman history, Octavia was respected and admired by contemporaries for her loyalty, nobility and humanity, and for maintaining traditional Roman feminine virtues. (Wikipedia)

Both "Octavia" and the "Byzantine Triad Chainmaille" tutorial are available in my Etsy shop now!