Take a picture, Jasper

Picture Jasper Necklace

It took me three sessions over the weekend to finish it, but I'm very pleased with the results. Picture jasper donut, beads and chips accented by antiqued bronze pewter leaf drops and "hand made" hand charm. Yes, I did incorporate my beloved delicas in there, too. Click on picture to enlarge

Now I'd like to pose a question for those with etsy shops: Have you considered leaving etsy for any reason? Do you have both an artfire shop and an etsy shop? If so, where are your sales higher?

Reason I ask is that I'm considering switching to a different venue. Sales have been at a total standstill at etsy and I seriously doubt it's all due to the economy. Seems to me there are simply too many vendors there and the market is saturated.

Suggestions? Comments? Let me hear your thoughts on this...

Thanks and have a lovely Sunday.

Paris Fashion Week

No pix today - just a couple links

Before I dash off to the mundane world of my Saturday chores, I was drooling over Paris Fashion Week. The clothes are madly gorgeous but even more interesting to me is the JEWELRY seen on some of these models. You gotta check it out!!

As a young girl, I spent endless hours sketching outfits. Even won an award for a store design I did in my senior year. So naturally I am drawn to all things fashionista, even the blunders, as seen here

Enjoy your Saturday, people!

Triple Decker

Wood + Lampwork with delica fringe

Finally finished the triple strand wood and lampwork bead necklace. Ran out of beads so I had to finish it with glass seed beads. Looked a bit nekkid so I went ahead and added a delica fringe.

It's quite long, dangles to just below the bustline. Took it to work and showed it to my beading buddy who gave it a hearty thumbs up.

At present I'm working on a repeat of my gemstone and delica combo - which SOLD, by the way. This time I'm using picture jasper beads. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Meanwhile - it's FRIDAY!!

I dream of delicas

Recently, I fell in love with unakite so I bought some pieces and put something together. Trouble is, I don't know how to do bails and didn't have any anyway so yesterday I used delicas to attach the donut to the necklace. It looked kinda nekkid so I began experimenting with jazzing it up a little, using the leftover chips and delicas to make a dangle from the donut. haha that sounds funny.

I admit to going a wee bit overboard with the delicas but they're just so adorable, I couldn't help myself.

The unakite beads are not what I was expecting. They're kinda smallish, about 6mm, I guess. I never was very good at judging how big things are by the size designation. It has been my nemesis since day one. Oh, I know. I have ye olde bead size chart around here somewhere...*peers around at assembled rubble* but who knows exactly where?

Once I finished watching CBS Sunday morning, I put this together: a polished rose quartz focal point which I surrounded with various sizes of seed beads.

I'd rooted through my stash looking for more delicas but alas, the only ones I have wouldn't work with the few donuts on hand so I put this together instead. It defers the housework, what can I say?

Last night while I was watching TV, I sat with the bead catalog in my lap and put together a wish list of delicas. It ended up being about $35. haha. Hey, it's free to dream, right?!

A visit to the antique store

I had occasion to visit an antique store today and let me tell you, it was a most delightful 30 minutes.

Yours truly has always has a great love for anything old. Call them antiques if you must. I just call them old things and I wonder about what the original owners may have been like, you know? Who sat at that desk in the 1900s? Who slept in that bed made in 1800 something? What was their life like? What was going on in their world?

The owner who showed me around the place has been refurbishing and refinishing old things for the past 30 years. Completely self taught, he is an absolutely genius cabinetmaker, too. You should have seen some of the exquisite pieces he made!

Like this reversible game table he made of curly maple and cherry wood. Wow. The center part pops and to flip over and make a regular table.
Beautiful, huh?
Look at the intricate carving on this antique bed. Isn't it gorgeous?! I love it!
Or how about this incredible French breakfront. It is absolutely magnificent!

Of course there was more than just furniture at this place. Two floors in an old house chock full of everything you could think of including handcrafted and antique furniture, china, glassware, fiesta ware and of course my all time favorite: Willow Ware ... it was everywhere.

Yours truly was most definitely in hawg heaven, walking through this place! Wow!
SIGH
I've often dreamt about a home just filled with beautiful antiques.
Who knows?
Maybe one day when my beading biz takes off, I just might be able to buy one...or two pieces, huh?
*smile*

--Getting the outdoor fair fever --

Just got these three dolphin watch faces in the mail today. Aren't they adorable? I'm a great fan of dolphins so one of these will find its way into my personal jewelry box.

The other two will be added to the collection of pieces I'm making up to take with me to Fun in the Sun in St. Marys in May.

My friend Keli and I shared a booth at the Rock Shrimp Fest in St. Marys last year and had a great time. I had my best day ever and sold over $200 worth of jewelry. WOO HOO! So anytime I get to go back to St. Marys, I'm there with bells on.

So glad it's finally time for outdoor fairs! Time to break out the tent again. YAY!

Top o' The Morning!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to ye!



Some sweet day, I'll visit the Emerald Isle and research the Donegal ancestors.

Until then, I'll sigh wistfully every time I watch "The Quiet Man" or when St. Patty's Day rolls around. I can still hear my dear departed Daddy singing Toora Loora Loora, An Irish Lullabye It never fails to bring tears to my eyes.

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