Last Weekend…

I took a class taught by Richard Salley (great teacher BTW!!!) and learned to make the “Ketoh Bracelet”…typically a wrist guard worn by Navajo Indian archers to protect their forearms from the snap of their bowstrings when shooting arrows. It was a two-day workshop held at Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts in Mineral Point, WI, but I was far enough along with the project that I could head home Sunday morning and finish it up in my studio.  Here are photos of my finished bracelet…

I scratch-textured the sterling pieces and used a matte red jasper for the focal cabochon and 5mm Garnet and 4mm Hematite cabochons for the accent stones on the side panels. The back panel is made of tooled leather. I have a stash of beautiful cabochons somewhere that would be perfect focal stones for another Ketoh bracelet…I’ll have to carve out time to explore and play with variations of this design!  I can also envision a tall sculptural center bezel holding a collection of small resin faux crystals! How wicked cool would that be!

I think this bold bracelet is beautiful!  And it goes so well with my latest collection of resin faux crystal rings!  I was wearing them all together (the Ketoh bracelet on one wrist, a heavy chain link bracelet on the other and two rings on each hand) when I went out to dinner this week.  A woman who also was wearing many rings, necklaces, and bracelets came up to me and exclaimed, “I thought I had some great jewelry, but Wow! That is some badass jewelry you’re wearing!”  I consider that quite a compliment!

~ by BarbaraBriggsDesigns on July 29, 2017.