Not Again

Scrolling Dragon Choker

I never thought I'd get tired of talking about dragons...

This is an interesting pattern. It also came from a bit of clip-art, this time from a border bit. I realize Draco's tail is chopped off in the picture, but I assure you he does have one, and it curls around.

I cleaned this pattern up, and then I think I was planning to use it in the corners of the World Map Beaded Tapestry, but it was too big or something because it's not the one I used (passing resemblance, though), but I had the pattern in my pattern software since forever.  I do know that at one point I made the pattern bigger and used it to make a belt--there was a second dragon figure originally, in a complementary shape, so the belt is those two guys back and forth.

It's a pretty cool belt, if not terribly functional, but it's one of the things that's still *ahem* inhabiting the attic.  Someday, someday, I'll get it out of the attic (and my awesome Celtic knot dragons), and you'll get to see just how awesome it is.

In the meantime you'll just have to buy this choker, and use your imagination.

Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon

Sleeping Dragon Choker on Etsy

This choker reads "Never tickle a sleeping dragon" which is one of my favorite sayings--and it was BEFORE it was the Hogwarts school motto, too.

Especially since I forgot that it was the Hogwarts motto until I was googling the quote in anticipation of posting it.  Not that I'd mind if people bought this because they were Harry Potter fans (better Harry than Twilight, if nothing else). I like Harry Potter. I just didn't make this choker for him.

I had a slight difficulty in making this choker because the phrase wasn't quite long enough for a choker, which is where I got the idea to turn the word 'dragon' into a dragon--which is a really neat effect, but it made the phrase too long for a choker.

Sometimes you just cannot win.

Speaking of not winning, I've got an ad for my shop going up on the 12th, and since I'm feeling optimistic about it, I'd recommend buying that bracelet/tapestry/keychain/whatever that you've been eying now before someone else gets it. Otherwise you, too, will loose.

Those Who Wander

Runic Wander Quote Choker

I actually made one of these for myself back when I'd started making jewelry--before I figured out how to attache the jewelry, actually. I had two bracelets sewn onto my wrist, and then I had three that were just long beaded ribbons, if you will--and this, which was an extra long strip. I was actually rather reluctant to put the snap on the original, because I liked that it was just this phrase that wasn't on something, but which WAS something--it's hard to explain.

Then, after I put the snap on it, I wore it as a double-wrapped bracelet instead of as a choker for a long time. It was partly an adjustment period because it'd been awhile since I wore anything on my neck regularly, but it also had a lot to do with the fact that I wanted to look at it and handle it.  That's part of the wonder of beaded objects like this; the sheer tactile experience of them.

Actually, my love of touching and handling my beadwork is why I don't frame the tapestries when they're finished.  I don't really even like to put the hanging loops/rods on them because even that limits how you can interact with them--but of course, they're barely even decorative without SOME way of hanging or displaying.

Anyway, this choker reads 'Not all those who wander are lost' in JRR Tolkien's runes--which is how the actual quote actually goes, and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP

Useful Alphabet Choker

This choker was fun to make because every letter is a different color, running through the typical rainbow. I had to dig through me 'bead ends' bin for...I think for one of the oranges, but otherwise it's like a cross-section of all the beads I own--not to mention the most colorful thing I've made.

Speaking of colorful, I went to Orchid Quest today, which is an orchid show/convention/thing. It apparently occurs once a year, but this was the first time I'd even heard of it.  There were lots of pretty flowers (but I didn't bring my camera, pity). I even bought one!

It's just a baby seedling, and it should grow into a miniature moth orchid, if that means anything to anyone. (It almost means something to me...) Assuming I don't kill it before it gets there, of course.  I don't have a great track record with plants--not anymore.

See, I had a lot of plants in college, but I left half on an open window sill one night when we had frost.  Then I ended up locking the remaining ones in my black car in the full sun for a day--uh...whoops.  The plants I had left after that have suffered the wrath of housepets and the lack of sun in my parents house, leaving my with only the most durable spider plant in the world, a very tenacious wandering Jew, and a rather nervous fern. We'll see how long the orchid lasts.

Anyone want to open a betting pool?

Sun Sun Sun, Here it Comes

Sun and Moon Choker on Etsy

Well, there's not much sun out these day in my part of the world. Actually, we had our first snow of the season yesterday--the first snow that stuck, rather; I think there was some a few weeks ago.  Guess it really is winter now.

You do get some sun in the winter, of course, but it's not the sort you want to go hang out in.

I was working on patterns of suns and moons for a bracelet when I ended up with this choker pattern, although I had to go through a few permutations to get it correct.  It's a bit like that whole moon-in-sun motif you see trying to be Mystical everywhere. I wish I knew the cultural history behind that one; where did it come from? I feel like someone once mentioned it was Old-World Central/South American, but the current style of it doesn't seem to support that.

It's just this odd little symbolism that fails to conjure up any sort of mystical appreciation when I look at it.  At best I get a few associations with Disney-style gypsies and a memory of it's over-use on that one trip I took to Salem, MA.

Well, my choker is similar to that idea, but also entirely different, so I don't have to worry about failing to respect any cultures in trying to sell it.  It's just a cheerful little necklace in strong colors which celebrates our two most obvious sky inhabitants.

Great for anyone who loves the sun, the moon, the sky, or 'mystical' symbols of dubious origins.

Western Choker

Western Choker

I'm not listing anything on Etsy today. I have my reasons.  So instead of showing you something new, I'd like to redirect your attention to the above choker.  I made it originally as a custom choker for someone who approached me to request it, insisted that I use specific colors and textures (some of which I had to go out and buy just for this), and then, when I sent her the link to the finished object, she vanished off the face of the earth.

I waited for a week, thinking perhaps that the aliens would return her to this planet, but she's still MIA, so I'm forced to conclude that she doesn't want this.

I think the worst part is that I don't actually know. I mean, she could be...simply too busy to purchase it.  Or maybe the fault is with the choker; maybe it's not what she wanted after all, maybe when she insisted on 'matte' beads she really meant 'not-shimmery' so this is entirely wrong.

Or maybe, maybe this is just some sort of joke.

"Hey, I'm bored; know what I'll do? I'll go on Etsy, find a newbie seller, request an item, lead them on until it's made, never buy it and then cackle to myself knowing I just manipulated someone like that!!!"


Yeah, well, fuck you and I hope you got your jollies from it, and I hope that some day someone will buy this choker and love it the way it was meant to be loved.

... I might be a little bitter; why do you ask?

Dragon Choker

Dragon Choker

I guess Dragons is today's topic.  I guess I'd like to say that I've liked dragons since well before they were cool.

I know everyone nowadays likes dragons and you can buy dragon figurines and dragon books everywhere, but when I started liking them there wasn't a stuffed dragon to be found, and I had all five of the dragon books out on the market.  One was just a bestiary of mythological creatures, but it had a dragon on the cover, si I guess it counted.

I am of two minds about the increasing popularity of dragons.  On one hand, I like the fact that I can buy tiny plastic dragons in stores, but on the other hand I don't like that if I want a shirt with a dragon on it I have to either shop in the boys section or reassess my dislike of the color pink.  I don't feel that dragons were ever meant to be pink, I'm afraid.

I'm also less than fond of the idea that something I like is now something everyone likes. I always went out of my way to eschew the popular things and decide what I liked on my own--which occasionally matched with what was popular, but not usually.  Now what's popular has decided it likes the same things I do, and some part of me feels like I should start liking something else because of that.  Just to be contrary, you know?

But once you've liked dragons, what can possibly replace them?  'sides, Harry Potter ruined all the other possible mythological creatures by making them popular, too.  Well, except for vampires, but those aren't what you'd call 'less popular' these days.  Seriously. I'm down to--to, uh...hypogriffs.  And who can really love a creature that's half-horse half-eagle?