Meet Bob, the Mouse

Who's Bob the mouse? Another family member that lives in this crazy house!! Bob is Sallie's favorite toy (Sallie is the dog)! You can usually find him (or one of his many red or yellow brothers) under the bed, in the bed, on the sofa, in the bathroom, the car, the yard, or in Miss Sallie's Mouth!! If Sallie is awake, she carries Bob around with her & if she's sleeping, he's probably under her chin or not far off.

Why is he called BOB? Well, Sallie named him...she came up to us one day, dropped him on the sofa to play, & and made a noise we've never heard before-or since...it sounded just like 'Bob'! Ask her where Bob is & she'll find him for you! Walk into any room of the house and there will be a Bob. If you offer her a new Bob, she acts like she's found a long lost friend---even though there's about 25 of them floating around the house in one place or another. Want to make her crazy, tie 2 Bobs together. We are so easily entertained--maybe we need to get out of the house a little more!!!

Rainbow Moonstone, Specrolite, & Larvikite--OH MY!!

LOOK OUT! I went to a gem show on Sunday & found some gorgeous rainbow moonstone, spectrolite, & larvikite (a.k.a. Norwegian Moonstone) cabochons. I couldn't help but wrap up a few of these beauties to place in our store! The bottom two pieces are rainbow moonstone with flashes of blue, aqua, gold, and a hint of peach---most people haven't seen true rainbow moonstone--the more common blue flash is what is found in the commercial/ manufactured jewelry in the stores...these are far better quality! The top left pendant is Larvikite--a.k.a. Norwegian Moonstone--a beautiful form of moonstone that has patches of blue flashes throughout the stone that look almost like brush strokes! The top right 2 pendants feature Spectrolite--the same family as moonstone with unbleieveable flash & fire in rainbows of color!! I included a close-up of one of these pendants too---can you believe the 'fire' in this stone!

All of these gems are of the feldspar family. The characteristic shimmering reflection in these stones is called ‘adularescence’ or the ‘schiller effect’. It is created when light passes through the the different crystals composing the stone and is diffused over many different angles, creating a prism-like effect within the stone. Schiller can be seen when a stone is moved or rotated in the light.

Lore of RAINBOW MOONSTONE: Believed to help clear the mind, protect, and bring vitality and joy to its wearer. It is recommended for anyone who suffers from daily stress or who carries old emotional wounds or grief. Rainbow moonstone promotes optimism, helps one to overcome obstacles and difficult people, and can guide one through dark times.

Lore of SPECTROLITE: Said to detoxify the body and slow the aging process. It also is believed to elevate consciousness and protect a person's aura, helping to keep the aura clear, balanced, protected and free from energy leaks.

Passion for Purple! A Wire Wrapped Paua Pendant!

This purple paua shell is OUTSTANDING
!! And, the best part is, this is a reversible pendant with blue paua on the flip side! Paua is Mother Nature's dichroic glass...so luminous and vibrantly colored! I've placed many beautiful top-shelf paua shell pendants in our store this week! It is easy to see why many ancient cultures placed a higher value on paua & abalone shell than pearls and gemstones!

Wire Wrapped Goddess Necklace!

Love goodess jewelry? This is a fun piece I created to unite the art of beading with the art of wire wrapping. The focal is one of my signature goddesses...she is holding onto a strand of freshwater pearls and swarovski crystals that weaves its way through each of the wire wrap links in this necklace. I created this piece as an entry to the Fire Mountain Beading Contest...it didn't win, but I love it any way! It is a happy piece that you can't help but smile when you see it...so I wanted to share it with you! I've been contemplating offerring it in our store for sale....haven't decided yet!

The Best Wire Wrapped Chakra Bracelet Ever!

This is the coolest chakra bracelet I think I've made to date!! This is actually a commisssioned piece...the chakra crystal was a pendant in it's former life. I was puzzled for some time as to how I was going to set this large piece in a bracelet that would be comfortable to wear on a 7 inch wrist...when done, it came out even better than I envisioned! I utilized 20 gauge sterling silver wire and created an ornate celtic setting to balance the size of this large crystal. Now that it's finished, I'm going to be sad to part with it....I'm going to have to create one of these for myself!!

Wire Wrapped Ring, Second Place in Fire Mountain Gems Beading Contest!!

Thank you Fire Mountain Gems!! For carrying great beads & for selecting one of my Wire Wrapped Rings as Second Place winner in in the Accessories Category of the 2006 Annual Beading Contest!!! I am honored & excited! This ring was created with an amethyst focal bead and Czech glass accent beads...it is exquisite---one of those pieces of jewelry that can only be created via wire wrapping...cast jewelry doesn't hold a candle to wire wrapped filigree jewelry!! This ring has a delicate filigree look, but is tough as nails...each loop hardens the half-hard wire until it is like steel!! This is my 'Victorian Wire Wrapped Filigree Ring'...I'm working on a few different pieces to place in our store...same design with a mixture of different of stones! Quartz crystals look fabulous in this setting too!!

A Wire Wrapped Jeweler's Bench!

So, what doest the top of a wire wrapped jeweler's bench look like--in the middle of the day--a few days before a show? Here you have it, it looks like a MESS!! A potpourii of stones, wire, pliers, scraps, & creations!! Sometimes I don't know what to wrap first and sometimes I have challenging pieces that may take a few days before I figure out what will look best! Other days, everything flows and your biggest challenge is deciding what you want to wrap next! Regardless of how messy it all looks, I LOVE THIS MESS!!! I love working with stones and figuring out the architecture for new designs and challenging stones! I wouldn't have it any other way!!

IF YOU LIVE IN THE UPSTATE NY AREA AND WANT TO MEET US, WE'LL BE AT THE HERKIMER COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE FINE ART & CRAFT FAIR NOVEMBER 11 & 12. It is a fabulous show, one of my favorites!! Many, Many talented artists with reasonably priced wares. Be sure to bring money, you WILL find something you can't live with out!
Unfortunately, this year we will not be accepting credit cards, cash and check only...I'm sure we won't be the only ones--the fees have gotten ridicuous and we only do a couple of shows a year at the moment.