VISITING CHARLESTON GEM SHOW - FRANCHEZKA WESTWOOD

Some months ago I went to Charleston SC, beautiful place, to a Gem show by The International Gem & Show. I planed to travel with a friend but in the last minute her son got sick and I was there alone 2 days before the show.

The first night I was tired driving, so I went directly to my room to sleep.
Next day I tried to find nice people that maybe wanted to share time on the beach, but none. All I found was grandpas and grandmas.... :(
How fun, the hotel had a party that night, but for senior people. I was the only "young one". eventhough I am more than 40....
Then I realized that the hotel was celebrating the grandparents weekend! Oh Oh.

I called a friend fron Cargo Hold, a wonderful company that wholesale gold, silver and copper chains, beautiful Southern Gates jewelry and findings. CARGO HOLD SITE
He came and invited me to dinner in a delicious fish restaurant. Waters Edge. You should try it if you go there Check out the place That was a wonderful night. He is a wonderful person and his friend/partner too.
Then, he showed me Charleston, antique houses and streets and told me about the history.
What a beautiful place!
You should take 5 minuts to see this video that I found:
http://www.charlestoncvb.com/

I hope you really liked the links I wrote for your next trip to Charleston. Do you want to know how was the Gem show? I will write about it in my next post with some pics.
Franchezka Westwood

Soul Chain Bracelet

Have you ever tried to solder links? Believe me, it’s fun but it has a lot of work!!!

Look at this great video in Youtube from cooltools.com about how to solder jumprings. Click here

Read here how to make your flag

Do you want to make a fast flag necklace?


You will need:
-11 headpins or eyepins.
-43 red rocailles.
-20 navy blue rocailles the same size like the red ones.
-36 white or transparent rocailles. (The same size like the others).
-cord to make a necklace.


fill 4 pins with rocailles in this color order from bottom to top:
-1 red
-1 white
-1 red
-1 white
-5 blue


Now take 7 pins and fill them with rocailles in this color order from bottom to top:
-1 red
-1 white
-1 red
-1 white
-1 red
-1 white
-1 red
-1 white
-1 red


-Now make in each pin a loop.
-Fit the cord throu the loops in this pin order:
-First the 7 pins with red and white rocailles.
-Now the 4 pins with blue, white and red rocailles.


Done


You can tie it around your neck, or you can make a clasp as you desire in your style.


HAPPY 4th OF JULY in USA, 20th of July in Colombia S A, and everywhere!!



Franchezka

REMEMBERING MY FIRST JEWELRY PIECES

When I began making jewelry I remember the whole family sitting together designing and making earrings and bracelets with some stones and beads I had bought just to practice.
Can you imagine even my husband made some?



Maybe these bracelets are not so pretty and not so well done or difficult, but in those times they made me feel proud and happy.

PURPLE DREAM

I remember the day that I started with the wire wrapping fever.
I saw many magazines here and there and in that time almost all the magazines in the market were about how to bead. I don't bead....I started trying to bead a necklace, and a ring, but no. After to finish beading them I realized that it was not my favorite technique.
So, I saw in a magazine some wire designs with images that I kept in my mind for days until I could visit a bead store.
I remember that I went to a bead store in Mexico where I was living with my husband and I bought some stones and beads to build my dreamed ring:
PURPLE DREAM.
I still love it. I have to say that yes, it is not perfect and I don't want to fix it because then it will lose the originality.
My first ring let me remember where I came from making jewelry. Let me see that I was not bad at all with the wire work, so I decided to search more about jewelry, tutorials and classes around my area.
Here is my sweet first ring: PURPLE DREAM