Not Yo Momma's Charm Bracelet

Had a customer ask if I made charm bracelets .. well, there are SO many different kinds of charm bracelets out there these days. The ones I remember (back when I was old enough to have a boy buy me one) involved a charm chain and a long-term commitment to additional charm purchases for each and every "special" event or occasion. If you were VERY special, over time you'd end up with so many little jingles on your bracelet, your shoulder would hang lower on one side. I don't make those. Though I have been known to special order charms at a customer's request, I don't keep a ton of 'em on hand. I prefer to make my own ..


This is the kind of thing *I* really like to make. Out on the trade show scene I've heard them called "Cha Cha" bracelets. I do a lot of this bead burst kinda construction .. in earrings, pendants, and bracelets. I call them either bead bursts or "Melange" designs. They take a bit of time to design, and even more time to construct. But when ya get one right, it barks at cha. This one has something like 80 attachments .. but it was a real beauty. It sold at a show down in The 1000 Islands (Clayton) last summer.




















These are some Bead Burst pendants on hand dyed ribbon, Greek leather cord and sterling snake chain. Two separate vendors called that first rectangular bead on the left Red Sunstone and Muscovite .. so I never know what to tell my customers. It's kind of a pretty strawberry color. The middle stone is chalcedony (kal SAID knee), one of my favorites .. whether it's a blue or green chalcedony, it almost always looks as though it's lit up from the inside. The stone on the right is sugalite .. once again, the photo doesn't do it justice. It's a deep, rich purple color. This pendant is from the same series as the bracelet above. Got a ton more hand dyed ribbons to play with, so I'm thinkin' there'll be some more Bead Bursts comin' in the spring!

But, I digress ... yes, indeedy, I do make charm-ing bracelets. What would you like??