Festivus post is looong.

Y'all are so kind and supportive with your comments I can't even think how to thank you.
Seems like if you show vulnerability in the  online world of artisans, folks close up ranks and become just incredibly loving and wonderful.

But let me reiterate that I was already OK when I wrote that post. Which is why I was able to write it. Before that I couldn't even call up the wherewithal to form coherent sentences. But I'm fine now! See? Bracelets?

In fact I'm very lucky to find myself so responsive to medicine, I don't think most people are.

OK, but back to the matter at hand. I had this tore up old strand of gorgeous antique African beads which at some point was itself a necklace because while the string it was on was worn out, it ended in this amazing toggle/button clasp you see here. I thought I could find a use for it, and I've been seeing all these lovely bracelets with big ball beads around the craft-o-sphere so I got inspired.

Actually I'm just super proud of how I was able to hide all the strands and mechanisms using the clusters of little beads. Also that I glued in eyelets as cores in some of the beads where the holes were too big. You know how somethings you're just proud of how you managed to put it together so seamlessly? And used all these beads I had no plan for? So friggin' pleased with myself.

Ok so this one has this piece of metal from an archeological dig which I was intrigued by because on the underside it had two huge prongs. My plan was to slightly curve the piece and use the prongs as rivets. Then two years go by. And now I've finally made the dang thing, joining it with a Kathyhaul rhinestone choker.

Come to find the metal was actually copper! Most archeological things are steel and they are hard as shit which makes them almost impossible to hammer/pierce/etc. But copper is made for rivets, see picture above.

Basically I've been storing up a million bracelet elements since forever and I've finally started putting them all together. Like this applique cuff from Kathystash with druzies also from Kathystash.

I coated the cuff in many layers of polyurethane for strength and stiffness, stitched it on to a wire frame underneath, leafed the druzies, etc. Even those little metal spacers were given to me in an old patroness strand. Nepalese I think.

Next!

Ok so ages ago I showed you in my most recent Uruhaul, this little bottle with the edge that had come completely apart.  

I fixed it!! Yay solder.
Used some of my recent handmade chain and this one button with a thistle from a set of cuff links as the closure.
But guess what? As I was pulling apart the cufflinks, I found that they have a special mechanism to adjust to any size cuff. There's some kind of spring inside that if you pull on it releases more chain. No clue how I could make use of such a thing but it's pretty cool.

So yeah necklaces. And lots of cords. Cording. Cord-usage.

And this amazing "Application and Conduct" academic medal. Sure are lots of school medals in Uruguay.

And this old bracelet that lays along the back of the neck, with more handmade chain.

Another lariat with more cord and more delicate Uruguayan treasure. I waxed all this fiber cord, then felt like they were too waxed, so I evaporated it off with a heat gun and now they all look extra time-worn. And all the rust deposits from the liquid oxidizer.

Amazing detail and amazingly flashy labradorite.

OK, I'm not into Jesus but I like how in this one he looks like he's going, "Why I oughta...!"

In Uruguay I found a few slabs of gorgeous minerals, like this rhutilated quartz.

I edged them with solder after cutting the copper tape to fit perfectly along the slender edges.

And they came out so stunning I felt they needed very little extra. Didn't want to distract. So I just finished them with fine chain and simple wire closures and added tiny gorgeous charms that I had collected thinking of earrings.

Like this sterling rocking horse that really rocks! Cuz I've made millions of earrings and I'm not as motivated by them just now.

Here I used a whole bunch of charms with a slab of stalactite.
The windmill spins and the leaf is fine silver and the moonstone is crazy opalescent.

But here's a pair of what I consider classic fancifuldevices earrings.

This medal is too sweet.

And finally what might be my last pair of this particular style of caged earrings with hand-gruged vintage glass pearls.

Phew!

Happy War on Christmas everyone! I love you and thanks for all the comments for realz y'all made me teary.