I am in glorious, beautiful, Nanaimo, BC, Canada at my second home. I have had migraines for two months and recovering from foot surgery so this was a necessary get-away for my own sanity. Alone time near the ocean is better than any Doctor prescribed medication - don't you think? We sold our Alberta property and after looking at dozens of places especially in the frame of mind and condition I was in - nothing appealed to me and frankly I had to get away from it all. I packed boxes of beads and then forgot to take pictures of all those beauties! One thing I knew for sure - I was going to make something for ME and Green and blue make me feel good especially when I would be looking at the ocean every day. So here are some of the beads - sorry the pictures are rather atrocious - must be the dreary dull day. Can't wait to get started. Think I will make a free form necklace.
If only I could decide how long and how big and how many gems. It seems so much easier to plan a bracelet which I am much more used to doing. But I am no coward. I have 10 days to myself and I want to do something BIG and lucious and dripping with watery colors. I made up teal, blue and green soups so now I just have to get my move on. OK, ready, set, GO...
I made a bunch of these leather wrap bracelets last year and they continue to intrigue me. What I like about this style is that I have never seen two the same. With the vast and beautiful array of 4-6mm beads available, there is no end to color combinations. 
I personally like a mix of gemstones and picasso glass beads adding little czech cubes for interest. Using all gemstones is costly but the look is well worth it.
For the top two bracelets, I used one of my lampwork beads for the clasp. I found a plaid cloth covered button for the third one and it sets off the white leather quite nicely.
I have a big box of buttons that I scrounged from my mother's home and some of them are quite old. Part of the fun of making this style is finding a suitable button that compliments the beads and leather. I take pictures on a macro setting by a window where there is an abundance of natural light. I love how the picasso glass shines with colors that are not apparent when you look at the bead. I would have to say that Picasso and Czech glass are some of my favorites.
