It's Purple Day! What would you wear?

It's Purple Day! What would you wear to celebrate? Would you wear purple clothes and accent with a different color jewelry, or just go all out and wear all purple!!!!! Let me know - better yet, post pictures!!!!!

"Chicken Slayer" Viking Pendant Necklace

A couple weeks ago I got the visit of a lifetime. My friend Jenny, of whom I had never met face to face, but we have been dear friends online for nearly 10 years, came to visit me from Sweden!!! We had 10 glorious days together doing everything we could think of and then some. We definitely didn't waste anytime, we were always busy. She brought me the greatest little gifts. One of them was this little brass pendant. She thought I could do something with it. The pendant is a replica of Viking jewelry. I got really excited when I looked at the pendant, because there was a dragon on it. She politely told me - "It is a chicken darling"

I am still not convinced


I couldn't wait to sit down and get to work on this. I paired up the pendant with this large TierraCast bead I have been hoarding for so long from Rings and Things , they no longer have it on their site :(

I knew I had to use iolite. Iolite is known by some as 'The Viking' stone. The vikings cut slabs of iolite very thin and held it up to the sky on very cloudy/foggy days to find the sun and help them navigate their ships. Iolite is also one of my favorite stones. So to incorporate that into the piece has even more meaning. I added rainbow obsidian and tourmaline, with little brass cap accents. I used seed beads to separate the beads, which also allows the design to have a better flow

I also wanted this to be a simple design, to compliment the 'age' of the pendant.

I am so excited about this piece. It has been a while since I have made something for myself. I am thrilled by this gift from my friend, and can't wait to wear it!

What do you think? Chicken or Dragon?

New York Blues - More Vacation

Wasn't that a T.V. show??

This 'set' ended up happening while making a bunch of separates :)

Off set design of copper chain, lapis, and crystals

Lapis wrapped in copper with swarovski accents for the focal


Lapis, glass pearls, swarovski, iolite and chalcedony randomish necklace




Copper bangle with lapis, glass pearls, swarovski crystals and chalcedony

I kept working with the same handful until they were all gone and came up with all of these! The strung necklace is the perfect length to wear with the chain necklace as a great compliment. I did make a pair of earrings but forgot to take the picture :)

These stones are such a sweet and gentle combination. Blue is a peaceful color in itself and these stones are a testament to that.

Lapis brings truthfulness, openness, and creativity. It can help organize daily life as well as organizing and quieting a busy or restless mind. Lapis also helps build self-confidence, and is a stone traditionally for royalty. Lapis bring spiritual love and is also known for enhancing love and fidelity within marriage.

Blue chalcedony is said to foster balance between mind, body and spirit. It is a stone of calm and peace that is reputed to reduce or negate hostility, anger, and irritation. It is also reported to metaphysically encourage and ease communication, particularly what would otherwise be emotionally charged communication.

Iolite one of the best stones to use in psychic, healing, and spiritual activities. It helps one grow spiritually in a gentle fashion. It is also said to help build relationships of all kinds.

Wrap it up - I'll take it!

Got a request for a couple 'purpose pendants'. I love making these. The whole process is very therapeutic to me.

This first one, the customer wanted a pendulum for a friend, wanted it simple, and it was for a 'pisces'. The research began. I found that pisces are imaginative and sensitive, compassionate and kind, selfless and unworldly, and intuitive and sympathetic. Sounds like jasper to me :)

I used jasper and iolite for this pendulum. Jasper - nurturing stone, bringer of joy. Iolite - awakens inner knowledge, gives direction. Silver - energized the stones



This request was a bit more difficult. This customer has a family member who is battling cancer. She wanted a pendant that would keep them focused and positive. Recovery from anything is sped up with positive thinking and staying focused on a goal. Treat the patient, mind body and soul.

silver energizes the stones
tibetan quartz - healing and meditation
azurite/malachite change, rebirth, cleansing. Healing lore - prevents cancer
agate balance of mind/body/soul. Healing lore - heals stomach issues
lepidolite hope peace, stone of transition. Healing lore -helps the immune system




Fun pair of copper earrings I made this morning to go with the necklace I was wearing. I created the large links by wrapping 14 ga copper around my ring mandrel. Then I hammered the links to strengthen, flatten and texturize the copper. Then I had to deal with the break in the link. I have my torch, but that is as far as I have gotten. Still need flux, copper solder, pickling solution, tumbler.........

So I did the next best thing. I call it a weld wrap :) I just wrap the link with a smaller ga wire, here I used 22 ga, so it covers the gap of the loop, and then give it a good mash with my pliers. Decorative and functional!


This was my morning, between cups of coffee, cleaning up after the cat, wearing out the dogs and laundry - i am ready for a nap :)

A little something to hold on to

Sometimes we all need a little something to hold on to to remind us there is a higher power, or to remind us of our good qualities, or even to give us that little bit of luck we need that day.

Gemstones portray that 'little bit of something' to me. They are easy to carry around or wear as jewelry. I can easily reach up and touch a pendant as a reminder, or reach into my pocket and feel their warmth and reassurance. Silly to some I know, but it is the same as throwing salt over your shoulder when you spill it, crossing your fingers for good luck, keeping your St. Christopher metal on the rear view mirror of your car, or not jinxing your team by always wearing the same outfit to the game. All of these are our little traditions or superstitions that make us feel better about us.

With this in mind, I made this pendant for my sister in law. I chose the stones for their meanings and 'powers'. She is gentle and loving soul, her life is her family and friends, a teacher, with genius creativity.

I wrapped garnet, citrine, iolite and carnelian to the crystal, which is is the focal, which amplifies the qualities of the stones.




Garnet: Removes negativity, career success, self confidence.
Citrine: Success, intuition, creativity
Iolite: Intuition, inner knowledge
Carnelian: Creativity, peace, luck

Do you see the pattern here?

Friday quickie

Most of this week I have been working on a necklace using that fabulous Glass Chevron, 30mm Round Bead from Rings & Things for a focal.

I have been eluded - this necklace taunts me so. Three times I have tried to make what is in my head and still it lays in pieces parts. This morning, once again I took it apart and tried to make something come of it. I got three beads strung, *sigh* pushed up from my table and got another cup of coffee.

It just isn't happening.

I think I know why. I have had my "Purpose Pendants" on my mind all week as well. So many different designs are rolling thru my head, it is all I want to do. I made two new ones to try and quell this new obsession so I could start on my necklace, but to no avail.

Here are the two new pendants.

Creativity
Coral, aventurine, apatite and citrine all for creativity



Balance -
Iolite and agate for balance.
The double swirl is also the celtic symbol for balance.



My shutter stuck on the last shot, and this is what it took. I think it is a fun shot

Smoookin!!!


Don't forget to check back on Monday for more updates on the Artist Exchange!

it's April

Man it is sneaking up on me.

Hey Kids, did you know Aprils birthstone was diamond!?? Of course you did!
Did you know that an alternate birthstone was sapphire? Some of you may not have.

Here is where it gets tricky so keep your hands and feet in the car and the lap bar firmly in place cuz we are going for a ride.....

Diamond and sapphire are a bit pricey for me to work with, and typically faceted/cut to be put in a setting. I am not at that stage yet. I am sure I could wrap them in a creative artsy way, just getting a hold of them is a challenge in itself so we will leave them alone for awhile.


But.......


Did you know that iolite was also called the water sapphire? Did ya? I ADORE iolite - ADORE! It is a beautiful little stone and readily available in many grades. Its color varies slightly but more than not it is a beautiful dark purple/blue. *sigh* Do ya see where I am going here - we are going around our elbow to get to our ankle on this ride to take you from sapphire to iolite. I warned ya to hang on.

It has also been called "Vikings' Compass", because it was used to find the direction of the sun on cloudy days. The stone was cut thin, like a pane of glass and held to the sky. "Light scattered by air molecules is polarized, and the direction of the polarization is at right angles to a line to the sun, even when the sun's disk itself is obscured by dense fog or lies just below the horizon." (From Wiki)

Do ya think, that maybe because I am an adventurous soul, and have a tendancy to wander and explore and have been nicknamed -DOM (Daughter of Magellan -who I know is not a viking, but was still a savvy sailor) by my husband and have a compass tattoo so I always know where I am going, that I would be so drawn to this stone?

Mebbe so. All I know is there is something about iolite that makes me squeal deep in my heart, and instead of a diamond in my wedding band, guess what...yes - I have an iolite.

Nice segway here .......

So in light of that, here are a couple of things I have done with iolite.



Faceted roundells with bali sterling celtic beads



I wear these all the time. I love these little guys. I have a strand of these faceted drops and have been very stingy with them. I think i will keep them all for me :)




Fun quick wrap on a roundel for a small pendant. I wear this one alot too.


Thanks for playin!!!