Like most beaders, I make a lot of beaded jewelry. Some pieces are my own designs, while some are designed by others. I often make multiple versions of the same thing just for the fun of experimenting with different bead and color combinations. I also have a few unfinished pieces that are languishing in my stash, waiting for me to either complete them or take them apart and do something different with the beads.
Of the many necklaces, bracelets, and earrings I’ve made, I have a few select pieces that I wear frequently (frequently for me, anyway, as I usually leave the house without any jewelry on at all). Most of the others I wear only occasionally. My sister was recently the recipient of some of those rarely-worn pieces. It’s not that I don’t like them – on the contrary, in fact, I found it a little difficult to let go of them. It helped, of course, to know that I could re-create them if I decided I wanted to. But I think one of the things I like most about beading is learning each new technique or process, and figuring out why certain combinations work and others don’t.
I wonder where I fall on the spectrum of beaders? Are there a lot of other beaders who love to make beaded jewelry but don’t necessarily wear much of it? Or are there more who make sure they wear something beaded every day? Personally, my goal is to start wearing more of my beaded jewelry. In order to achieve my goal, I’ll paraphrase a song from the musical “Annie” and remind myself that I’m never fully dressed without beads!