"But, really, why does anyone create? You feel a... a restlessness inside, a need to make something new, something no one has ever seen before. You want to add to the beauty and the richness of the world with a gift, an offering that is uniquely yours. It's an act of selfishness and generosity, all rolled into one."

-- Bruce Coville,
The Last Hunt

Friday, August 17, 2012

And Nothing to Show for It

I could cry.

I really wanted to make Marilee's "Beguile" earrings using these cool laser-cut wooden things as the centers.


This one has eight places around the edge where you could join, perfect since the pattern has eight repeats. As I was making the first earring, I ran into a major snag.


A tiny little piece broke off the edge as I was trying to make a join. The whole thing thus became unusable.

I didn't have a spare like this, but I did have a pair in another design.


These aren't quite as cool, but still very attractive and unusual; and if someone hadn't seen the others to compare, they wouldn't know what they were missing. These have ten joining places, so I figured I would just do an extra two repeats and make the rings a little smaller so they wouldn't be crowded.

And then...


I am determined to make these earrings, but I will have to do it with metal embellishments, as these wooden ones are clearly not designed to have tatting joined to them.

11 comments:

  1. Yep you had a problem, what a pity they look so lovely just right for the earrings, hope you can find some metal ones

    Margaret

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my goodness!!! I could cry for you!! They were looking so beautiful!!!
    I sure hope the next time you try they work well without hassles, because I believe they will be gorgeous!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Owwww! That hurts! Nothing so frustrating as working along being beautiful and having something break like that. Did you try some wood glue?? I hope you do find something that works.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did try glue, but the wood is just too thin and delicate, and it didn't hold. Besides, I'm not a very neat gluer, so even if it had held it probably would have looked messy. Frustrating as it is, this is one of those cases where the best thing really is to start over with something else.

      Delete
  4. You just cannot argue with the tatted earring deities... Lets see what you do with the metal ones...
    Fox : )

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, no! All that lovely tatting.........what a shame the wood was too fragile. They looked gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a shame after all that work - twice!
    They were very 'different'! I know you'll have success with metal pieces.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I wondered how that would work out as I read your post. Wood has a grain in it and being cut so fine and close, it is very easy for the wood to break at any point. None is going to be able to take the stress. I am sorry it had to happen to your project. = (

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am sorry that you had that happen to your project. All wood has a grain to it and cut that fine and close, I was afraid that would be the result as I read your post. It would have made such a pretty earring.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a disappointment! Both were looking so good, too. Good luck on finding metal doodads to try with.

    ReplyDelete
  10. So sorry about the wooden centers : ( Earrings using them would have been beautiful!

    ReplyDelete