A Trio of Socks

Yes, I know that socks are normally found in pairs.  But what's a girl to do when she finds herself with too much yarn for 2 socks, yet not enough for 4?  Why, knit 3, of course!  That one on the far left looks very different than the other 2, but I don't care.

This yarn was wonderful to work with.  It is 75% superwash wool and 25% nylon.  I purchased it in a small yarn shop in Prescott, AZ a year ago.  See, I do shop for things that are not jewelry or bead related!

A New Bangle Bracelet ... A Gift for Me

Those of you who are regular readers, know that I am very good to myself.  I buy a fair amount of presents for myself, from pottery to art to jewelry.  Lots of jewelry.

This year in Tucson, I couldn't resist this amazing bangle from Andrea Guarino.  You may know her as an amazing lampwoker (yes, I have one of her big, red beads), but you may not know that her metalsmithing skills and eye for design are unmatched.

Trust me, you would have bought one for yourself too.  The patina she was able to achieve on the inner curl of this bracelet is a magnificent indigo blue with hints of purple.  Stunning!

Lampwork Obsession

Yes, my obsession with lampwork glass beads has abated over the past few years, but I still cannot resist when I see something super special.  Something I have not seen before.  Something outside my color comfort zone. 

Against my better judgment, I went to the Best Bead Show while in Tucson.  The reason this is problematic is that I know I will not look at gemstones there -- it's not the show to go to for gems.  The primary reason to go to that show is for the lampwork.  Like I need more lampwork to ogle.  You see, I rarely use lampwork beads in my jewelry because I can't seem to part with those lovelies.  Most of them become part of my private collection.  And I admit that I love having them in my studio. They make me smile. They make me happy.

I defy you to say this bead does not make you happy:

 
Yes, it's really, really long:

I don't even know how I would use it in a finished piece if I wanted to!  But not to worry -- the rest of it's life is dedicated to making me smile.

The artist is Dvora Silberman.

Tucson Gem Purchases

I had a wonderful time shopping for gems at the Tucson shows this year.  I found myself being more selective, which resulted in higher quality gemstones. I also managed to spend a lot less money than usual.  This is a very good thing!

Apparently, I was on a lapis kick during this trip.  Here are: teardrops, cushion cut briolettes, rondelles, pear briolettes.  Actually, if I had to summarize my purchases in one word, it would be BLUE.  Sure, I bought other colors as well, but blue was predominant.

Above are blue chalcedony, aqua chalcedony, Swiss blue topaz and kyanite.  See what I mean about the blue-ness of my trip?

Gorgeous turquoise teardrops (the vendor, Mike -- yes, we are on a first name basis after 10 years! -- told me that David Yurman bought these same turquoise stones.  I'm in very good company indeed!), green chalcedony, chrome diopside, smooth kyanite.

Amethyst (can't resist a gorgeous cut like these long faceted teardrop briolettes), green onyx rondelles, super smooth black spinel, garnets.

Sapphire rondelles, honey quartz, labradorite flat nuggets, olive green quartz.

Now I need to get busy creating more jewelry.  These stones will provide the inspiration and Rio Grande will provide the wire and findings!

Work Table Transformation

What a difference a few days can make.  My last post prompted some great input from my artsy friends Patty and Brandi.  I'll be ready to photograph and list a whole bunch of those interchangeable pendants when I return from my annual trek to Tucson.

 -- I always say that I go to Tucson to buy gems, but this year, it seems equally important to go there for a break from our extremely cold (sub-zero) month of January --

Working on the above mentioned project spurred me into action.  Kind of love when that happens.  I've been working on a series of duet and trio necklaces.  The process of selecting pairs of gemstones and trios of gemstones is really the most fun part of this.  Here's a look at the completed dangles.  Now all they need chains, clasps and prices!

It's always good for me to use a bunch of gems right before I go to Tucson.  That way, I can convince myself that I actually need more.  Right.

I'll close with a great picture of Jet during our walk down to the inlet the other day.  He's the most handsome guy!  He doesn't seem to care that it is -15!!

What's on My Work Table?

I haven't done one of these posts in a very long time!  It's not that I haven't been working on jewelry projects, because I most certainly have.  I just don't seem to think to blog about it as often as I used to.  But this project is a little bit different and was begging to be documented.

I found these interesting pendant bails in Tucson.  They allow the wearer to pick and choose which pendant they want to wear.  A perfect item for those who want versatility in their jewelry!

In the above photo, you can see that I've wire wrapped several briolettes and a few still need to be wrapped.  The above mentioned bails have an opening and secure closure which holds the hanging briolette.  It may be easier to see how this works in the photo below:

These bails rest very nicely on a snake chain or any sort of link chain.  But I suspect it would work really well with a leather or satin cord as well, for a more casual look.

My biggest problem with this new product is how to market it.  Should I offer them with individual drops?  Should I make duets?  Trios?  Obviously, the price will be higher, the more drops I offer with each bail.  And how do I approach this if I want to sell them on etsy?  Should the duet selections (if I go that way) be fixed, or should the buyer select the desired stones?  My guess is that would be a nightmare, involving too many convos and extra photo-taking, just to make a single sale.

If you have any suggestions for me, please share them with me!