My Earring & Necklace set for Portland Circle of Friends & Family Preschool Spring Extravaganza Bazaar Raffle

I've already shared with you the fact that Cari (Wahkeena Photos) and I are participating in this Portland Circle of Friends & Family Preschool Spring Extravaganza Bazaar this coming Saturday, April 30 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4904 SE Hawthorne Boulevard (Eagles Lodge), Portland, Oregon.  I just finished the necklace and earring set I'm contributing to the raffle and thought you might like to see some photos of the finished products.

Portland Circle of Friends & Family Preschool Spring Extravaganza Bazaar

Saturday, April 30 is another great bazaar that you can attend to find all sorts of wonderful items for your spring and summer events.  It is sponsored by Portland Circle of Friends & Family Preschool and is a great event for every member of the family, young or old.  Besides vendors such as Earringopia (http://www.etsy.com/shop/earringopia) and Wahkeena Photos (http://www.etsy.com/shop/WahkeenaPhotos) with a great assortment of handmade jewelry and beautiful photo stylings, there will also be a number of other vendors offering their handmade wares.  There will also be a raffle, bake sale, activities for children, and more.  I think it sounds like great fun and sure hope to see you there!

The bazaar will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is located at 4904 SE Hawthorne Boulevard (Eagles Lodge) in Portland, Oregon.  Stop by, say hi, have some fun, and find some truly unique items from local Portland artists.

This Week's Favorite Etsy Find

I had to clean my floors recently with my Swiffer and realized I had run out of the boxed Swiffer pads.  It was then I realized what I wanted to feature in my next blog post, this great reusable and washable and reversible Swiffer cover for both wet and dry use.  The boxed Swiffer pads sure don't come in gorgeous colors like this and it's just one more way to be both thrifty and kind to the earth.  This excellent product is available from MontanaDaisyGirl on Etsy at Ecofriendly Handmade Cotton Swiffer Cover  I know I sure want one.

Dutch Iris Necklace

This necklace started out as an odd fragment of a coil of wire in a box of supplies.  It kept talking to me, telling me it would make the most beautiful pendant for a necklace, but I ignored it for awhile.  I finally hung the wire fragment from an earring holder on my work table and it grew on me enough that I pulled out my bead box.  There were several lavendar and violet blue beads and one larger aurora borealis bead that worked their magic on me. 

I am not an experienced wire wrapper, so it took me awhile to arrive at the final shape and pull the ends together and wrap the wire.  I was pleased with the final product save for the top part where I had wrapped the wire tightly and securely, but really didn't like the end product there.  Poor me, I made a trip to my local fabulous button and ribbon store, The Button Emporium (http://www.buttonemporium.com/ ) and spent a very pleasant couple of hours picking out ribbon and buttons (button story later).  I used the very pretty ribbon to wrap around and over the unattractive wire portion and it came out looking like this:

A much prettier product I am proud to present.  Here's a further closeup of the ribbon:

And in the end this is how the necklace looks as it would hang on a neckline:

Like I said, I am pleased to present the necklace and found working with the wire fun, but seriously I don't want to have to work that hard or long in the future.  There's always a better way, so I've decided to sign up for a wire wrapping class with my pal, Cari (a talented photographer for the record at http://www.etsy.com/people/WahkeenaPhotos ) at a local bead shop, Let It Bead (http://letitbeadportland.com/ ) on either Sunday, May 15 or Sunday, May 22.  I'd also like to invite you to join us in the wire wrapping class.  If you do want to join us, please leave that wish in the comments section below along with the better of the two Sundays for your participation.  Also be sure to leave any questions you might have below in the comments section as well.

Basic info about the classes:
When: Sundays at 2 p.m., two hours in length
Cost: $35 for two hour class plus cost of materials for any project you wish to make and keep. 
Where: Let It Bead, 1426 NW 23rd Avenue, between Pettygrove and Quimby Avenue, Portland, OR

The necklace is now listed at Earringopia (http://www.etsy.com/listing/72005248/spring-iris-blue-and-purple-color-wire)  Should you decide to order the necklace between now and Mother's Day, an extra added little matching set of dangly earrings will be added to your order (picture of that treat will be shown in the listing) as a thank you treat.