Monday! Several years ago, I was in Mexico, wandering around trying to find presents for my mother and a friend. I looked at all the jewelry for sale, and didn't find anything that I liked. Then I realized that I could MAKE jewelry for them...
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group gives Kossacks a safe place to check in, a daily diary where we can let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, earthquakes, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It also allows us to find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, earthquakes etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a Kosmail and ask to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news!
We do have a diary schedule. But, when you are ready to write that diary, either post in thread or send FloridaSNMOM a Kosmail with the date. If you need someone to fill in, ditto. FloridaSNMOM is here on and off through the day usually from around 9:30 or 10 am eastern to around 11 pm eastern.
Monday:
BadKitties
Tuesday:
ejoanna
Wednesday:
Caedy
Thursday:
art ah zen
Friday:
FloridaSNMOM
Saturday:
Most Awesome Nana
Sunday:
loggersbrat
So when we got home, I rushed to the library and checked out books on jewelry making. I went on eBay and bought some stones, Soft-Flex wire, sterling crimps, sterling beads from Thailand, and sterling silver clasps. I bought some tools and beading boards, and I was ready to go.
I made a few necklaces for my mother and some friends, and some pieces for myself. Then people started urging me to sell them, so I obtained a resale license and started buying my supplies at the big wholesale shows in Denver, as well as the stores on West 38th Street when I was in New York.
I set up a website and did a few shows in Denver, and one in the Hamptons that made the papers :) Slow news week :)
I use mostly semi-precious stones, sterling silver, and gold-filled beads and clasps. I make very few pieces that do not contain semi-precious stones.
Here are a very few of the pieces that I have made and still have in my possession:
This is a better picture of the same necklace shown on the wrinkled tablecloth:
Turquoise with gold-filled beads and clasp
These are dyed freshwater pearls and onyx. I'm sure that I had some clothes on. I ended up lending these to a friend for the wedding, because they matched her dress better than mine. Lol :)
Me wearing two pearl necklaces twisted together. I made these for my brother's wedding.
One of these days, I need to sit down and polish this piece and many of the clasps!
Sterling, badly tarnished, and the turquoise one shown in the first picture.
I love amethyst. I have all manner of amethyst beads, in all sizes. This picture doesn't show the true purples :(
Rough-cut and smooth amethyst, with an amethyst and sterling silver pendant.
Sometimes, I'll make something right before I need to wear it. The designing takes far longer than the actual stringing and finishing.
These were made for specific outfits. The one on the left is freshwater pearls and black onyx. The bottom necklace is lapis lazuli and black agate. The red beads on the right are ruby quartz. I think.
Because I am tall and have wide shoulders, I don't usually wear delicate necklaces. I wear the long one with two other long ones that I did not make. Chrysocolla is one of my favorite stones. Metaphysically, it balances. The stones are actually oval, but shrinking the picture changed the shape. Ugh.
The long necklace is purely costume, made to wear with a long crocheted dress. The other one is enhanced chrysocolla and abalone.
I love agate :) They are just beautiful stones. The round faceted beads on the necklace on the left, with black agate, are labradorite, another favorite. The middle one is a beautiful deep blue.
Agate necklaces :)
This is actually a glorious color. It is a very dramatic collar. The first one was better. I named it "Drama Queen." I sold it to an old friend for $350 on the condition that he give it to a woman that could WEAR it. He gave it to a tiny blonde airhead that bored him within two weeks. Smh. Since I missed it, I made this one for myself. He wanted it, again, but I said no. I am not a terribly good businesswoman, according to him.
Dyed magnesite
This is a horrible picture of two of my favorite and most-worn pieces. The dalmatian jasper is brown and white. The chrysocolla has real depth and is blue-green.
Dalmatian jasper (left) and enhanced chrysocolla
Can't remember what the faceted blue stones are...urrgh...
Quartz and ...I forget.
Sometimes I make odd pieces just for fun. The huge pink quartz balls were irresistible :)
Pink and green for Hamptons summers :)
I love this one. Itchy was going to buy it, but we had a huge fight and she left. Phew. I still have it.
Dyed magnesite and Thai silver
I apologize for the very poor quality of most of the pictures. They were taken tonight in my dining room. I do have a professional lighting setup, but didn't have time to get it and set everything up. Then when i shrank the picture sizes, they came out weirdly. But I hope you can get some idea of what they look like! The ones on the wicker table, on stands, were taken at our beach house in sunlight. Much better :)
Took these with my phone as I was preparing to bring them back upstairs:
Better picture. IPad camera sucks.
Agates, with phone camera
Happy Monday! Sadly, I may be a poor hostess AGAIN :( But I'll try to be here.
Sun Apr 12, 2015 at 11:05 PM PT: The scheduling said MST! So I changed it to 10:55 to be 9:55 PST. And then it said it would publish at 05:55. What the hell time zone is THAT? Ugggh. Sorry it was late. Wasn't supposed to be.