The Rings Adventure Continues

Hello :-) I have more update on my rings.

First of all, I have new rings and I moved my Claddagh ring:

In other words, I'm engaged! :-) yay! For about a month now, almost. To MyJohn. ♥

^here's both my rings, after they were sized down.

At first they were way too big, 'cause I have really small fingers and there's a standard size that jewelry stores sell rings in without having the wearer's size known. (I mean if you know what size you need you can get it sized right after you buy it, but if not you have to go back for the sizing; they keep them at size 6 or 7, I think.)

^too big, before resizing

And when we went to get them sized the saleslady at the jewelry store said the jeweler wouldn't size my rings down to my tiny size because the stones on the sides would fall out. I kind of expected that, because I've seen that before. Fortunately, my brother's a jeweler (that's how I'd seen that problem before) and he wasn't afraid to adjust the rings all the way down to my 3.5 size, since he knows how to secure the stones so they don't fall out. :-) Probably the other jeweler does too but he wants to avoid liability with a customer that he doesn't know.

Now my new rings actually fit better than my other ones, so I was thinking about having my brother resize my other rings, but I still want to try to gain just a little bit of weight and if I do then I hopefully don't need my rings to be smaller. Of course then I'll need him to size my new rings back up a little. I might have more on that topic later.

So I'm still using "the white stuff" i.e. Liquid Ring Guard. But I'm starting to like it less, because it only lasts a few weeks instead of months before it starts rubbing off. Since my knuckles are bigger than my fingers, taking the rings on and off rubs the white stuff off. Last time I redid my Claddagh ring I put a thinner layer pretty much all the way around the inside of the ring, and it seems to be lasting longer; but I'm really tired of redoing the white stuff every few weeks and waiting a day and a night for it to dry. My brother gave me a new package of Ring Snuggies because he says jewelers don't like it when people put stuff on their rings (like tape) to make them fit. So I've started using a Snuggie on my amethyst ring.

I guess I could've zoomed in more on that, but oh well.

It's sort of a compromise between the white stuff and the clasp thing I was doing before. It's like the clasp because I have to put it on the ring after I put the ring on my finger, and take it off before I take the ring off; but it's better than the clasp and more like the white stuff because it keeps the ring from slipping around and from slipping up and down my finger. It's somewhat uncomfortable though, especially when my finger swells slightly (or stops shrinking) and the snuggie pulls the top of the ring against the top of my finger. It was doing that the other day so I pulled the snuggie off, and it flew out of my fingers and into the pantry which I happened to be standing in front of, and disappeared. Fortunately I still have a couple more of the same size but all the rest are bigger. I think I'll have to cut one of the small ones in half and use each half for my Claddagh and birthstone rings, hoping that won't be any more uncomfortable. Or I can get more snuggies but a whole one might be uncomfortable on my small rings. Snuggies are also more difficult to put on and off of the rings than the clasps. But once it's on it's better.

I have to put the snuggie on before I put my handflower on because the finger chain gets in the way, and sometimes the chain gets caught on the outside of the snuggie, but once I fix that it's fine.

Oh I also have a new chainmaille ring in my shop:

Hematite Chainmaille ring

This is the first chainmaille ring with a bead that I've made, and I'm pretty happy with it. I'll make more of these with other colors and stones, if I can remember how I did it. ;-) First I'm working on eyeglass chains and more handflowers, 'cause those have been selling. :-)

Lost Rings Revisited

About a year ago I wrote a blog post about how I'd lost two of my rings and started clasping my rings to my handflowers. This is an update with answers to some problems I had and some variations to what I did before.

So I started clasping my rings to my handflower finger chains, which worked to keep them on my fingers. I also decided to start wearing another ring on my right ring finger, which is a gold birthstone ring (aquamarine) that I got for my 13th birthday and hadn't worn in awhile. So I attached a second clasp to my handflower for that ring.


The rings are slightly up on my fingers because they're so loose at the base of my fingers they slip around to the back. That's one of the issues I still wanted to solve although I was quite happy just to not let them slip off. Another issue is that if I get a job that's basically like any of the jobs I've had before, I won't be able or allowed to wear my handflowers to work. I'm pretty used to that although I'll appreciate it if I find a job where I can wear them, because it's good advertizement for my shop as well as my personal style. But even if I can't wear my handflowers to work I most likely can wear my rings, and would definitely want to wear at least my Claddagh. So I needed to solve that problem.

My brother's a jeweler so he could resize my rings for me, or put sizing beads on them, but I would actually like to gain a little bit of weight and if I do I'll need to size them back up or take the beads off. So I'd rather have something slightly more temporary.

So recently I found an Etsy shop that sells jewelry supplies, like displays and tools and things, and they have this ring guard stuff:

TDSONLINESTORE

I decided to order it and try it.
What you do is clean your ring band with rubbing alcohol (I also had my brother polish and clean my rings first) and then put a band of this white stuff on the inside of the band, and let it dry for about 24 hours or so. The instructions say to let it dry for 3 hours, but I read reviews of this product (not connected to the Etsy shop) that said it needed 24-48 hours to really dry.

I had a slightly rough start using this; first it came out clear and liquidy when I first opened it, and then it was white after that. I hoped that didn't mean I was supposed to shake it up before I opened it, because the instructions didn't say to. But after that it seemed fine. The second slight problem was that you're supposed to smooth the stuff out with a toothpick, which is a bit difficult because the stuff sticks to the toothpick. It seems that once you get the hang of it it's ok though.

When I put my rings on after the stuff dried I discovered that I hadn't put enough on, because my fingers are so thin the rings were still slipping around. So I put more on and let it dry. Then I found another problem, which is that the second layer was only stuck to the first layer instead of the ring itself, and because of this it started coming off after a few days, when it's supposed to last at least a few months. So I peeled/pulled/scraped the stuff off of my amethyst and birthstone rings and started over, putting more stuff on than I did the first time. I haven't redone the Claddagh yet 'cause it seems ok so far. After this second attempt my rings fit much better. Well, I may have put a little too much stuff on the birthstone ring, 'cause my knuckle tries to pull it off when I slide it on and off of my finger. So maybe that one needs a slight adjustment next time I redo it. All in all I'm pretty happy with this product and with my rings.


(sorry for the dark pics, I just took them at my brother's jewelry bench)

I've been offering an attachment of clasps to handflowers in my Etsy shop for attaching rings, and my last handflower buyer was actually interested, but her ring is larger and thicker than mine, so I needed to figure out another attachment. I used my boyfriend's class ring (which he gave me because I lost mine ♥) and figured out a chain-clasp combination:

This also worked out; the buyer is very happy.

What's happened to DesignedbyLucinda

reposted from amystreasures on facebook:

In case anyone else is having problems finding the information on what's going on with Lucinda and how to help, here's the information.

It is with deep sadness we must share the news of the tragic loss suffered by Cindy Boardman, known here as designedbylucinda, a UEF moderator and long time member of the Etsy community.

On Thursday, February 3rd an accidental fire took her home, pets, and claimed the life of her 11 year old son, Kevin. No words can convey the shock and sadness we feel, Cindy is an active and valued member of our community and we share in her grief during this incredibly difficult time. Our thoughts, prayers and most profound sympathies are with Cindy and her family.

Her husband Robert Boardman's co-workers have set up a fund to assist the family with medical and living expenses. Donations and care packages can be sent here:

Boardman Family Fund

Knight Communications

10150 Mallard Creek Rd.

Suite 201

Charlotte, NC 28262

Update from Cindy's friend: Please do not send clothes or household items at the moment, as they have some donations already and will be living at a temporary location for a while.

DONATIONS UPDATE: PayPal donations for our contribution can be sent to: forboardmanfamily@gmail.com

All excess donations will be transferred to the family's fund.

For those that wish to donate, please note that if you send the money as personal>gift, no fees will be deducted IF the funds are transferred from another paypal account... if using a credit card to donate, it is our understanding that a fee will be applied.

Please direct any questions about the paypal fund to punch or admin (quirke).

See here for more:

http://unofficialetsyforums.proboards.co....ead=1589&page=1/

Read more: http://unofficialetsyforums.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=announcements&action=display&thread=1581#ixzz1DQoUhUDR

Handflower or Slave Bracelet?

What's the Difference?

The terms "handflower" and "slave bracelet" are often used interchangeably, although some people know only one or the other. Some people don't know what to call them, and some think of different things when they hear these terms. Other terms are used as well, such as "ring bracelet", "maille bracelet", and "panja" or "hath panja". Although these can all refer to the same thing, I've observed some general differences through Google searches.

Slave Bracelet 1:
Usually a slave bracelet is a combination of a bracelet and ring (therefore also called a "ring bracelet"), attached with one piece of chain or string of beads, or some type of charm or pendant-like thing in the center which lays on the back of the hand. It's called a "slave bracelet" because the ring is "slave" to the bracelet. Usually the bracelet and ring are solid metal pieces such as a cuff bracelet and adjustable finger ring. It's sometimes also called a handflower, because it is worn on the back of the hand. These are from Medieval styles.


Pewter Butterfly Slave Bracelet


Slave Bracelet 2:
Sometimes an item named "slave bracelet" is a single cuff bracelet by itself, which used to be worn by slaves, mostly in Egypt or West Africa. Also it could refer to a bracelet made of coins and worn by Nigerian slavers. This is not related to the ring bracelet in any modern way, except maybe in the relationship between the Nigerian slavers and the gypsy/ belly dancer coin handflower.


African Slave Bracelet

Men's Slave Bracelet

Handflower:
also called a slave bracelet or ring bracelet, but usually designed in a triangular shape made of chainmaille, beads, chains, or knitted or crocheted string. Usually has a chain or string around the finger instead of a solid or adjustable ring. These are also based on Medieval styles, although not always approved by the SCA.

Chainmaille Handflower Bead & Chain Handflower Bead-maille handflower

Maille bracelet:
although handflowers are often made of chainmaille, they can also be made of other things such as chains or bead-work, so not all of them can really be called maille. Also, other types of bracelets can be made of chainmaille. The term could more accurately be used for a regular wrist-only bracelet made of chainmaille.

Chainmaille Bracelet

Panja/ Hath Panja:
The Asian and Indian version of the handflower is like a slave bracelet with the charms and solid rings, but usually with 3 or 5 rings instead of 1. Often used as bridal jewelry. The name is Hindi; I think "hath" means "hand" and "panja" means "five".


Panja Bridal Hath Panja Panja

Other "slave bracelet" use: I want to keep this blog rated G to PG, so I won't be too specific, but some people think of a certain adult practice when they hear of "slave bracelets". I don't know a whole lot about that, but from what I do understand, it doesn't use handflowers so much as handcuffs. Perhaps the relation between the handflower/slave bracelet and the cuff-style slave bracelet (although it's only the name) causes the confusion between the handflower and the handcuffs. Some people who use that practice might wear handflowers as symbols of ownership, but I believe that is not what they were originally designed for and is not the meaning of the bracelets themselves. Most people who make or wear handflowers do not mean it that way.

Harem Bracelet: This name seems to refer to belly dancing, which uses handflowers made with coins and bells. I made two of these once (one for the hand and one for the foot) for someone at my church who does belly dancing for fun and exercise. I haven't found a specific connection between harem bracelets and actual harems, unless people do belly dancing in harems, which I think is it. I think the reason belly dancers wear this style is that gypsies would wear bracelets made of coins as a way to carry money, similar to the Nigerian slavers, and also because of the flashy and jingly effects.

Foot Slave Bracelet
(Harem Bracelet)

9/11 tribute

I'm sorry this is late, I was out on Saturday.

I found this video posted on a friend's Facebook page. I hadn't seen it before. I had to watch it twice because I didn't recognize the area (I'm pretty sure it's New York, but I haven't been there), and it made me cry. In fact it still makes me cry just to remember the video, let alone watch it.

This is one of the Budweiser commercials with the Clydesdale horses.

9/11 Bud Commercial - AIRED ONLY ONCE

I remember that day.

Furry Friday

My sister works at the Balcom Agency and they have a Four-Legged Friday every week when they can bring their dogs in. My sister doesn't bring our dog 'cause he would get too excited in the car, but I thought I should do a Furry Friday post. Our dog Rolo recently got a new toy with a squeeker in it, and the spueeky is really exciting for him. In the first week or so he wouldn't let it out of his sight (or his paws):





some of the "newness" has worn off for him now, but he still loves the squeek.

Here's a video of another happy dog with a squeeky toy:



Happy Friday!

Thoughts on Medians, Sleep, and oh yeah...

So last night was Face to Face, and it was in Azle which is about half an hour away from my house. In general a half hour isn't a really big deal, and although I don't have air conditioning I did manage to stay cool with various things including Powerade. Also it helped that the weather was a bit rainy/stormy although it didn't actually rain on me. That made it a little cooler. The problem I had was driving home in the dark. I don't know the area, so even with ok headlights and the occasional use of my brights (when there's no cars coming at me), it was a bit difficult since I can't exactly see medians at night. I'm not even sure what happened exactly but I think I had trouble with two different ones. I don't understand why they don't have reflectors or at least neon paint on the edges. I hope I didn't hurt my car... not that you could tell if I did... but we're lucky I didn't have a nasty wreck, and not just by running over the median itself if you know what I mean.

So I guess it's from the stress of that drive home, but even though I was really tired and went to bed around 11:30 or 12, I didn't get to sleep until after 2:30 or so. And then because there was a big storm here at home last night we suddenly had to get up at 7 to clean up the pears that had fallen from the pear tree. So far I've had two cups of coffee... which is no substitute for sleep... but it kinda makes it tolerable...

But yeah, medians are invisible at night. Makes night driving not fun. I'm just really glad it wasn't raining on me.

anyway, I think this turned out well:



Now what I'm wondering is if the style can be considered Victorian. I think maybe it is.
hmm... I also wonder if it'll look better with the keys on the inside of the outer chain, attached at the top corners of the triangle. If I change that I'll have to retake all the photos, but still... that
might work.

Saturday already?

woops, I haven't blogged in a week. I've been busy looking for a job, helping my boyfriend move out of his apartment, reading about craft blogging and SEO, and stuff and things and all that. My boyfriend is a gamer and he got me hooked on this one computer game he gave me and I'm stuck right now trying to fight a boss without dying, and on top of that he's now lending me his PS3 with a game while he's moving and told me to play it and see what I think. But this past week I've been mostly working on other stuff. I played the PS3 game for about an hour this week and that's it.

Face to Face

I found out a couple days ago that my Christian rock ministry can no longer play or practice at the church we've been using for the last 7 years, so we have to find other places. So far the other places we have are in Azle, which is a slight problem for me because it's half an hour away (assuming I can find the place), and I have a very old and beat up car and very little gas money. But we'll see how things work out. Right now I'm just sad we have to move but happy that we're not quitting.

Chainmaille

I finished the silver handflower and the necklace, I'll put pictures up as soon as I get some taken. Now I'm working on a gold (brass) handflower, and I'm thinking of making a brass and blue-copper ring for myself to hold the place of my lost class ring, since my school colors are (were) blue and gold. but I don't have enough rings or wire for that right now so I'll have to do it later. I do have some 26 gauge blue wire and I wonder if I can try to make some micromaille. I wonder if a toothpick will make the right size rings. and should I use tweezers instead of pliers? hmm probably. this is definitely something to think about trying. I also have 32guage silver wire, I wonder if I can do anything with that. hmmm.

Improved Blogging

As I mentioned I've been reading about writing good blogs, and I'm planning on trying to actually do it. Today is just a quick update though. I was about to post one more of those "points about chainmaille" videos, but I think this post is long enough. Although it would be better with some pictures or something.

ah, here's a really nice photo I took in my backyard:


ok, hopefully next week I will blog about the finished necklace, post the last "points about chainmaille" video, and then start writing better blog posts about handflowers and chainmaille.

Etsy Feature: cksilver

cksilver is a member of CAST and she commented in my post about the necklace last week, so in appreciation for helping me out, today's post is about her and her shop. Cross Cell Phone Lanyard by cksilver Intro: My name is Cindy, and I love to make jewelry. It is so much fun making new creations in sterling silver, freshwater pearls, semi-precious gemstones, and swarovski crystal. I love creating my own unique designs or developing a design of your own choosing. I have all birthstones available either in the stone itself or in swarovski crystal. Found at Sea Sterling Silver Necklace by cksilver What motivates you: I am motivated by my customers and learning more about the kinds of things you love to wear. I also love to find new fun designs of colors and stones that I can combine for new effects. Flower Cluster Sterling Silver Earrings by cksilver Favorite item in your shop: I have so many favorites, but here is a matching pair of earrings & bracelet that is really beautiful: Left: Pink Cascading Waterfall Sterling Silver Earrings Right:Pink Cascading Waterfall Bracelet cksilver.etsy One favorite Etsy shop: There are so many fun Etsy shops, but here is a new one I just came across: http://whitesuggar.etsy.com Lily the Lilac Butterfly hairclip by Whitesuggar Links to your Etsy/blog/facebook and whatever else you want to link to. Etsy: http://cksilver.etsy.com Blog: http://cksilver1.blogspot.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cksilver Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cksilver Sterling Silver Swirl Ring by cksilver

Please Excuse

My last post was a feature of my own shop which I had to write in order to submit it to another blog. Hope you enjoy it; I will feature another shop, as promised in previous posts, this week.

Here's another video from lindybeige about chainmaille.

some of this (such as the time it takes) applies to any chainmaille, but the chainmaille that I make is not armor and is not protective.

ShadowCutter Jewelry

ShadowCutter Jewelry is an Etsy shop of handflowers and chainmaille jewelry.

Chainmaille (or chainmail) is a medieval style type of jewelry made from lots of metal links woven together in a pattern. Here are some examples in my shop:

European 8-in-1 chainmaille:

Blue Chainmaille Bracelet

Byzantine Chainmaille:

Silver and Blue Byzantine Bracelet

Handflowers are medieval back-of-the-hand bracelets which are a combination of a bracelet and a ring. They are also called slave bracelets or hath panjas. I make two types:

Chainmaille (European 6-in-1 weave):


Black and Red Chainmaille Handflower

For these I make a triangle of European chainmaille and attach a wristband made of a Persian chainmaille weave called One Hour Less Sleep. Then I add a finger ring of chain.

Chained Beads:


Chained Amethyst Handflower

These are a bit more difficult as I arrange the chains in the pattern that will fit evenly over the hand, and then arrange the beads in a symmetrical pattern and attach the bead pins to the chain. I also usually make the wrists adjustable with chains and lobster clasps, although I prefer toggle clasps.

I wear one of each type of handflower which I made for myself every day. The comments I get about them are what led me to start making and selling more of them. I try to make a different pattern and color combination every time, and keep them unique by not duplicating anything except the smallest and simplest designs such as earrings.

I also have earrings and a few finger rings and watches in my shop, and I'm starting to add some necklaces. I even have a few things designed for guys, which is especially difficult to come up with since the guys I know don't wear jewelry. I like to take requests sometimes, when I'm able to; especially for things I didn't know about before, such as whatever a guy would like, so I can learn what else I can do.

Thanks for looking at my shop! Hope you enjoy my chainmaille!

Finally working again

I'm pretty much over my cold and I'm making some chainmaille again. It's nice to be back.

I'm making a silver chainmaille handflower with colored copper wire rings. It's about halfway finished now.


that's not the best lighting but silver chainmaille is just SO pretty. Making it makes me happy. Actually just looking at it makes me happy. :-)

After I finish this one I'll make a brass one which looks gold. By the time I'm finished hopefully I can start listing things. I have two fairly new and really pretty blue bracelets I still need to list, but lately I've had to renew some expired things so I haven't gotten to the new things yet. I'm trying to keep my Etsy fees spread out over time, but I wonder if I should list new things before renewing older things.

About the necklace, I was thinking about making a Celtic Visions star, but I'm not sure I can make one small enough. Still seriously considering using the fluer-de-lis. Also I still need to feature some shops on here. I'll get to that soon, I promise. ;-)

And in other news, tomorrow I'm going around with my boyfriend to look at a couple houses, since he's going to buy one soon after moving out of his apartment. That should be fun. And I'm looking for a job lately. That's not so much fun. Most job listings I find are either assistant manager positions which I don't have experience for, or very very extroverted jobs. Like "good with people, outgoing, enthusiastic!". I'm fairly social and I like helping people when I can, but I'm an introvert, which is not those "outgoing" things. Although I have a book of introvert jobs, apparently the only ones actually around are Etsy selling. I wouldn't mind assembling bikes at ToysRUs, but that would probably be a nightmare come Christmas shopping time. Thinking about it though. Oh well, I'm still looking and applying at places. A craft store like Joann's would be lovely, but even though Snagajob says they're hiring, someone I know who works there says they aren't. Well basically I'll just keep looking and applying and making jewelry. I'll have a craft fair in October and it's a good idea to build up some more inventory.

On Sunday some people came over and we all watched Taking Chance. We got it from Netflix after Dennis Prager recommended it on the radio. It's a really lovely movie. We all cried through the whole thing and I totally recommend watching it. Seriously, go watch it. It's an HBO movie.
Trailer:

Some points about chainmail

a video from lindybeige. This guy has some really interesting videos.

I need your help

I've had a cold the past few days and have been holding off on working on jewelry to avoid spreading germs through my chainmaille (not sure that would actually be a problem, but just in case). It's a bit of a bummer since I've been looking forward to making silver and gold chainmaille handflowers. Well before I caught a cold I made this necklace:


(pictured with my lovely messy desk)

I feel like it isn't quite finished; I think it needs something in the center of that triangle in the chains. I'm thinking maybe something star-shaped, but not a pentagram/five-point star or a Star of David (unless someone wants to request that). Perhaps a four-p0int star, or a four-point star with another four-point star behind it at a 45-degree angle making an 8-point star. Definitely smaller than the prism drop. I just don't have anything in my supplies that will work so I'm in the market for something. I'm looking for suggestions of what to use and either where to find it (if it's a charm) or how to make it (if it's a chainmaille design). Also I'm planning on making another necklace like this one, so if there's two of these items or two similar variants that will be extra helpful. What do you think?

maybe a fleur-de-lis
or this charm

would you please vote on those ideas or give me a new one?

and hey, if I like and use your idea and you have an Etsy shop I'll feature your shop in my blog. :-) or if several people vote on an idea I'll pick someone to feature.

on another note, I just got into this BNR Treasury: please check it out.

Ok thanks!

Chainmail demonstration

The Last Unicorn "Walkin' man's road"

Lovely movie, lovely song

Claddagh Rings

Even when I don't wear all my jewelry I still wear my class ring (until I lost it two weeks ago) and my sterling silver Claddagh ring. I really like the Claddagh, partly because it's Irish and partly because it's a relationship status ring.

I did a lot of research about the Claddagh after I received one about 9 and half years ago. Since then I haven't been able to find all the info online that I found then, but fortunately I still remember it; so besides what the Wikipedia article says about it, here's a little info about the lovely Irish Claddagh ring.

(I wish my camera would let me get closer)

The Claddagh is made of a heart, a pair of hands, and a crown, symbolizing Love, Friendship, and Fidelity (in Irish, "Grá, dílseacht agus cairdeas", pronounced "graw, dealshocked ahgess cordiss").
A poem to illustrate it:

The hands are there for friendship,
The heart is there for love,
For loyalty throughout the year
The crown is raised above.

As Wiki says, the Claddagh is a Fede ring, or "faith ring"; it's also a relationship status ring. This is one of the bits of info that I remember from years ago but haven't seen in entirety since. Relationship status is determined by how and where you wear your ring:

Right hand, with crown pointed towards your wrist: Single/Friendship
Right hand, with crown pointed towards fingernails: Dating/Courting/"love is being considered"
Left hand, crown towards wrist: Engaged
Left hand, crown towards fingernails: Married/"let love and friendship reign forever"

example of second position:


The third position is the one that I haven't seen mentioned in a long time. Sometimes it just says wearing it on the left hand means "love and friendship forever", and sometimes it actually describes the whole fourth position (crown pointed outwards) meaning married, but still skips the third. I don't know why that is, perhaps because "engaged" is supposed to automatically lead to "married" so they're combined into "married", but I like having all four positions and meanings attached. In fact I think it makes more sense that way since the second position doesn't always lead to the third and fourth, and most people get engaged before they get married. Also maybe I'm a traditionalist... ;-) Especially with Irish traditions. Did I mention I like everything that is Irish?

And my brother and future sister-in-law are going to Ireland for their honeymoon next year. *jealousy jealousy* One of these days I'll have a picture of her lovely engagement ring, designed and made by him, if they ever get around to coming over.

Oh I haven't seen Leap Year yet... should put it on the Netflix list.

Well until next post,

May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door.
-Irish blessing

Saturday Blog Shoppers

Hello! Happy Saturday. Time for SBS.

I have a new item in my shop.
Pewter Sword Necklace

A pewter sword charm hangs between metal barrel beads and Mood beads on a black suede lace cord in a slip-knot style necklace/choker.

The Sword is a symbol of authority and chivalry, or courage, or defense and protection; or in Christianity represents Truth or the Sword of the Spirit as part of the Armor of God.

Mood Beads change color according to temperature, and traditionally correspond to moods as follows:

Black = strained, anxious, uneasy, stressed
Green = neutral, calm
Blue = tranquil, serene
Blue-Green = pleased, energetic, loving

The goniochromism stone does not actually change color, but appears to change according to the angle of your view.

I think this necklace is pretty much unisex, but I'm never sure about what guys will or won't wear. Do guys like mood jewelry? Well anyway, this necklace is in my Necklaces section, so if guys do like it I hope they find it. I hope to have a couple more necklaces before too long also, of a different kind.

I hope you all like this sword necklace as much as I do! Please visit my shop and the rest of SBS. See you later!

Lost Rings

I have three rings that I wear every day. One is a white gold, diamond and amethyst ring, which was a birthday present on my 18th birthday. It's not my birthstone, but purple and silver are my favorite colors. Another ring is my silver Claddah ring, which originally was a Christmas present from my high school teacher, I think when I was in 11th grade. I especially like it because it's an Irish relationship ring. And the third is my class ring, which was a graduation present from my parents (my choice).

A problem I have is that in certain weather my fingers shrink and my rings slip around. I think a lot of people have that problem actually. So about a year and a half ago, I was weeding a garden in January early on a Saturday morning; you'd think that would be a stupid idea in itself, and actually yes it was, but since I'm in Texas we don't want to do gardening in the summer, and sometimes it's actually not too cold even in January. But that day it was cold, so cold in fact that I couldn't feel my hands and didn't feel my Claddagh ring slipping off, and didn't see it disappear. After I realized it was gone I tried to use a borrowed metal detector to find it, but no luck. So I started considering replacing it (although I'd much rather have my original back), and I actually found the exact same ring for really cheap on one website, so I ordered it. I figured if it came fast enough I could pretend it was actually the same ring and I'd never lost it. It never came, and I got no replies to my emails, so I had to use a Paypal dispute to get my money back. Then my brother and sister got me a new Claddagh ring for my birthday.

Last Thursday I was running errands, and it was really hot; I don't have air conditioning in my car so I drive with my windows down; and somewhere among those errands I lost my class ring. Hopefully not out the window. Fortunately I have my name engraved on the inside, and thanks to a custom jewelry order I attempted/worked on a few months ago, I actually have a photo of it, although not a very good one; so I've put my ring up on this site
(my ring here)
And I'm trying out ways to prevent my rings from slipping off in the future, since twice is more than enough. I've tried Ring Snuggies, but I don't like them because they're difficult to put on and take off, and they're uncomfortable. Also they come in a package with different sizes (one of each size), and I need two of one small size and one a little bigger. I googled "how not to lose your ring", but other than Ring Snuggies I didn't find anything except this plastic or silicone ring that goes on in front of your real ring. There wasn't much detail on the webpage about that one, and I don't think it's the type of page people should buy from, but I don't think that type of thing would work anyway, because if my fingers can't hold my rings, how is this plastic thing going to stay on? Maybe it would be smaller than my rings and stretchy, but I can't tell from the webpage. So for now I'm trying clasps attaching my handflower finger-chains to my rings.

Of course this won't work the same way for my class ring on my pointer finger, or any rings on the ring finger if anyone wants that, so I'll have to figure out a slightly different way of doing this for those. Perhaps a small length of chain going from the finger chain to the clasp to the ring. Also I'd like to replace the lobster clasps with some kind of hook clasp, if I can find something. But then also if I have to not wear my handflowers but still can and want to wear my rings I'll need something else. I'll have to work on that.