Feelin' those funky beads

Got a wild hair to do some beading and couldn't resist using some funky shell beads this week. I have a thing for funky shells, but sometimes they are a little harder to design with because of that funkiness. I loved these blue dyed shells that I bought recently on a trip for my lapidary class (lapidary is an artisan who forms stone, mineral, gemstones, and other suitably durable materials (amber, shell, jet, pearl, copal, coral, horn and bone, glass and other synthetics) into decorative items (e.g. cameos, cabochons, and faceted designs).

My friend, and college pledge daughter, Tina liked it so much that it is now hers:-) Well, it's on it's way to her anyway. I also have brown shells of the same type, but I didn't get a chance to use those yet, so more fun for later. I had hammered this focal piece quite a while back and hadn't used it, so why not now? I added a mix of jasper and copper beads and crafted a sterling hook clasp in back.

Cabochons and other musings

So, a friend of mine comes here to check out my new blog. He had read the posts of how I went to the class to learn some new skills. He says, what is that, the cabochon, that you were talking about. I guess we all sometimes forget that every area has it's own vocabulary. Well I looked up the definition in different places, and the one I chose is this: a gem or bead with a smooth curved surface, highly polished but not faceted. So, now maybe there are others out there who wanted to ask the same question, and can now rest easy to know the answer.

I did a pair of stamped sterling silver earrings this past week, and thought I'd pop them on here. There is actually one small extra stamp on one of them. I guess I'll discount them slightly for that (but no one would notice it), so let me know if you are interested in them:-) They are a little over 3 inches but I really like the shape, and have some like it myself.

It's a Bella Day!

You may or may not know that I make "Name" pendants. That is, a pendant with a name or other word pierced out of the metal. This week is a tight squeeze to recover from vacation before going back to the "regular" job next week, but I wanted to get this necklace done for Lori P's daughter, Bella. Since the word makes me think of Italy, I believe I had a bit of a Momma Mia swagger as I sawed, and I did have pasta for lunch as well! Here it is Bella. Hope you like it:-)

Beginning of my Blogging Era:-)

OK, Let's get this show on the road! My friend Lori Peterson started this new page out for me here at Blogger.com and it's about time I get started! I hope to showcase some of my jewelry work here and provide a place for you (yes you!) a chance to provide input or ask questions. You know people are always asking, "Where can I go online to see your designs?" and I guess for now, this will be that place.

Lately, I haven't had time to do many free designs, instead keeping busy on personal orders that have been coming in. I want to really thank those friends of mine who have been supporting me by ordering special pieces from me. It may sound corny, but when I make a piece with a person in mind, I feel like I'm sending a little love directly to that person:-)

I so thought I'd get more pieces done this summer, but here we are in August and time has just flown! Some of you already know, but I spend a week at William Holland School of Lapidary Arts this summer. I had been there last October and was excited to go back. Last time was Silversmithing and this time, I really went out on a limb and took 2 separate sections: cutting rocks and cabochons, as well as faceting stones. The faceting is quite a slow process, with each level of facets cut before moving to the next. I came out with 2 faceted stones, one of which I put in an easy to place pre-made basket setting. The other will hang out in my studio until I decide to set it. Now there is the cabochon cutting, which is much faster than faceting but is so totally messy. I started with some flat slabs of pretty rock and turned them into nice rounded and polished stones, really for wire wrapping or setting in silver.

Back in May, hubbie and I were in the artist's community of Gatlinburg, TN and I found a small slab of "stone" that I figured I could cut in my class. Cost me a buck and had some interesting little circles on it. Turns out, it was really a fossil and the instructor was able to show me a stone like it that had never been cut. The fossil animals were similar to ocean snails, and were the "circles" in the design of the rock. My first completed cabochon was made from this, so I had one of the wire wrap instructors wrap it for me to keep for myself:-)

What a great week! I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in rocks, silver, wire, etc. There is a great treasure of skilled teaching that goes on there for both beginners and advanced craftsmen alike. It is also one of the hidden bargains in the artisan world when it comes to training. A single fee covers class, your room for the week and 3 meals a day. I believe the address is lapidaryschool.org if you want to check that out.