Sunset Boulevard (Marsha's Mommy's Day Bracelet)

So the other day, Marsha, my MIL, asked me if I would be willing to make her a bracelet similar to the RAINN-y Day bracelets, but in red. Honestly, I was a little puzzled because I've never seen her wear red, but the request itself was definitely doable. Of course, I said yes. She offered to buy the materials, which is when I decided that the bracelet would make a great Mother's Day present.

And so I was off to find some things to make this bracelet with. Now, I've never liked the red and silver combination, so I knew upfront I would need to pair the red with a gold or copper tone. And I've never seen Marsha wear gold, so I settled on copper. A trip to the bead store yielded me my first encounter with Artistic Wire.

Tangent: I've been looking high and low for this stuff. I knew I could order direct from the manufacturer, but I was hoping to find it local so I could play with it. Turns out it's near impossible to find in a good-sized spool in the Denver area. They have the sample spools at Hobby Lobby, but the yardage isn't enough for my purposes. Anyway, I found good-sized spools at Let it Bead in Englewood. This made me happy.

I already had red beads, thanks to the generosity of dragonladydesigns and the thriftiness of laycee. So I just picked up a few copper findings and came home to tackle the project.

After a day lull, I was stringing beads and putting the bracelet together. It came together very smoothly. Lessons learned:
1) Copper wire is the way to go. Definitely worth the extra money (we're talking like a 500% increase over the base metal stuff, but sooooo worth it). The stitches are smooth, the wire pliable, and it's easier to string.
2) Crimp beads suck. The plating always comes off.
3) Rosary wraps also suck, but only because I haven't mastered them.

So... countdown 30 days 'til the bracelet meets its new mommy!