These are pictures from an art exhibit I visited today - huge murals made of recycled Mardi Gras beads, which of course are available in great abundance here! This were really a beautiful and unexpected show. What a feast for the eyes. The photo on the right is a detail of the plantation house mural so that you can see the beads. Amazing work.
Went through a lengthy process to get here - from plain, simple silver bangles to bangles with pearl only to bangle with fleur de lis only to both (see photo above) and then finally to bangles with both charms on the same small jumpring. whew. I have always made simple bangles but there are lots of simple bangles out there. To make these a little special, I have added a small freshwater pearl and a hand-stamped fleur de lis on a sterling silver disk. I have also be fine turning the sizes for these bangles - small, medium, large and extra large. that, too, has been a process. how did my bracelets ever evolve into being seemingly random sizes??? anyway, apparently, these are the appropriate DIAMETERS for those sizes: 2 3/8" = small, 2 5/8" = medium, 2 7/8 = large and 3 1/8" = extra large! oh, AND 2 1/8 = extra small for the petite among you!
Newsletter? click HERE.  ah, the magic of the tumbler for polishing sterling silver jewelry! pop soldered/filed jewelry in the tumbler, add stainless steel shot, water & a dash of Dawn & send it on i'ts merry way - all night or all day or just for a few hours - voila! lovely, clean, polished jewelry ready for tagging & packing! fabulous.
Newletter? subscribe HERE  Today is an interesting day for me. I have been getting very involved in both Facebook and Pinterest, for Laura Teague Jewelry business and have found that I am just so "fractured"...going in a million different directions at once. SO - I met yesterday with my friend, Ana Andracain, of Jewel of Havana (Ana has been trying to do too much multi-tasking as well!) and we are working together to make a weekly schedule for our businesses that makes sense and doesn't drive us crazy! I'll keep you updated on this "plan" and let you know how it's going! As Helen Keller said: "Life is either a daring adventure or it's nothing." I don't think this qualifies as a "daring adventure" but it sure is a challenge for me.
 Mail continues to be used as a component of stab-resistant body armor, cut-resistant gloves for butchers and woodworkers, shark-resistant wetsuits and, of course, jewelry. Lovely and functional - gotta love that!
Sign up for newsletter here!  How do you make chain mail?
To make chainmail (armor or jewelry), hundreds of small rings must be linked together, one at time, by hand, to make a sturdy but flexible mesh. Typically, each ring is joined with four others, in a type of chainmail that is commonly known as “European four in one”. Many other patterns are used as well both for armor and jewelry. Feel smarter?? Want to get our newsletter? sign up HERE.  I am having such a great time making these rings. They are sterling silver, of course and so much fun to make. They are made of 16 gauge wire with sterling balls on each end. I'm finding endless variation in how they can be designed. In fact, I'm rather obsessed with these right now .....but in a good way!!! :)
Sign up for newsletter here!  What is chain mail?
Chainmail (or “mail”) is a material that was used historically (as early as the 3rd century BC in Romania) to create protective garments for soldiers. Chain mail was typically made of iron, steel, or bronze and had a distinctive advantage over the earlier used “plate” armor, being lighter and easier to handle. Sign up for my newletter here! 
well, yes, i suppose i COULD make these - would you like a pair!!??? Too funny - can't imagine they would be very comfy, can you?
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 Hello!I am Laura Teague, a metal smith, knitter and sewist living and working in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and traveling the western US whenever I can! Categories
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