Sage and Cranberry

Love these colors! In fact, a good portion of my house is done in these colors! These yummy beads are called Rainbow Soocho Jade, but they are really a dyed serpentine. I generally use all natural beads, but I just love the new Antique and Rainbow Soocho "jades" that are available now, and real jade is soooo expensive! (and gorgeous, too). Anyway, this is a quick little bracelet and earring set done with rondelle shaped beads.

A lovely Christmas full of beads and family....

I just love Christmas, and this year was one of the best ever. Although I also love company, it was quiet this year with just family. Not much cleaning and no dressing up - just a long quiet relaxing day of conversation, gifts, and good food - heaven!! I received a lovely stash of beads, which I'm already putting to good use. Pictures coming soon....

Speaking of the spring garden....

A necklace composed of milky aquamarine, sterling silver and a huge Karen Hill Tribe silver butterfly. I really love the milky aquarmarine, and am hoping to get more of it when the wholesale gem show passes through this area again in May. This shade of bluish green is one of the "new" colors for Spring 2007 - 'ocean waves' ..... just lovely, I think. Now it's time to go page through the seed catalog for a new butterfly bush for the garden......

Romantic Red

I rarely ever design with red, probably because there just aren't many really red semi-precious stones out there. I've had some lovely little faceted ruby beads for a while, and just recently saw these great cubic zirconia pendants - they sparkle like Swarovski crystal, but they are as hard as diamonds! I had some fun forging and hammering a little silver heart, and embellishing with more rubies and a lovely little fairy. Just right for Valentine's Day!

More black!

This necklace is made from onyx beads with an interesting dangle of unusual faceted banded agate. I've had this small parcel of huge faceted black and banded agates since last summer's gem show, and have just not been able to decide what to do with them to do them justice. I love this one, and think that a few more necklaces might be just the thing for these stones.

Classic black......

One can never go wrong with classic black. Onyx and pearls with a dangling initial (the initial was handmade by my friend Polly from !WetCanvas - she can write anything in wire!). More black in a rutilated quartz and Brazilian blackstone bracelet accented with a hand forged silver swirl. I love designing with black!

Back in the swing of things after the holidays

Finally getting back in the creative groove after a bit of a break during the holidays. My mind is starting to buzz again with new ideas and dreams of spring. Found a new stone (to me at least) called lemon jade, which is a lovely shade of yellow mixed with bits of cream. The bracelet is accented with a purple jade butterfly, and the necklace with a faceted pineapple quartz bead.