Commssion Chronicles: Bolo Ties (2023)

In 2023, a colleague, KB, asked me to make her a couple of bolo ties to add to her collection. At the time, I had not thought about making a bolo tie. I remember she had asked me in person, and the conversation went: 

PJ: Hi KB! I would love to make a bolo tie for you ❤️ Let me know what look and feel, and colors you're thinking of? 

KB: Hi Paula—I’m just sitting here thinking about it. I have one slider of silver and turquoise that belonged to [my partner's] father—I suspect it’s 75+ years old and needs attention. Otherwise, I’d like a couple more, one with a green stone and another with a red stone. How does that sound? 

PJ: So two new bolo ties? Would you like the stones to have a more natural look or a faceted/refined look? 

KB: Yes...Natural look, please. This is fun, Paula—thank you!

She went on to say that she is partial to bloodstone, as it is the stone of the Hermit Tarot card. So I went searching for the right stones and tie tips.

At the time, my favorite local bead store, Blue Door Beads, was still around, so I perused their collection and refined my search with frequent feedback from KB.

Tip options

As if the universe knew my quest, there was a trunk show by JM Imports (Alameda) at BDB soon after.

Top: Bloodstone Cabochon, Bottom: Crazy Lace Agate

KB's choice of Crazy Lace Agate and Eudialyte

Eudialyte Bolo Tie

Crazy Lace Agate Bolo

Bloodestone Close-up

Bloodstone Close-up

Crazy Lace Agate Close-up

Eudialyte Close-up

After the handoff happened, I got a text from KB: The bolos were a BIG hit at home!  Thank you again.

This whole process of receiving the request, ideating, iterating, and completing through dialogue/feedback felt great.  My favorite part was the collaborative nature of the process. 

I even went on to lead a bolo tie making workshop with some pals later that summer.

A few months later, KB came back to me with another commission request. This time the object was a bolo tie with a representation of a tree. It was for a friend's 50th birthday and crone ritual. 

KB initially asked if I could carve a tree out of a stone, which I knew was wayyyyyyyy beyond my capabilities. 

I decided to wire wrap a tree and overlay on a stone to be attached to a tie. But did I know how to wire wrap a tree? No(t yet)!

But I had YouTube (University) on my side, and there was a perfect tutorial for the occasion (there always is).

But first, I needed to find the right stone!

The Tibetan Turquoise won this round!

It took several attempts and many callouses to get from

All that wire wrapping led to a final master piece of:

And I couldn't be happier with the outcome. I chose raw leather for the tie and silver tips to pull it all together. 

I heard through KB that the group of friends who were pooling together for this commission were pleased by this special bolo. I hope it's still holding up well even two years later.