Week 21 ~
January is a wonderful time for trying out new jewelry techniques and styles. I have often admired the work of Leah Michon, another artist on the forum, and thought she might not mind if I tried my version of one of her freeform pendants. So here it is ~ its harder than it looks!

Also this week, is the first picture from my new photo studio set up. Crystal etch vinyl on plexiglass side panels, light grey shiny vinyl on lucite background, and lots of experimentation with lighting and a diffraction lens for sparkle!

Thanks, Leah, for the inspiration for this pendant!

Pearl Swirl

Week 20 ~ "Something New for 2005":
I finally felt like making jewelry again! This pendant was actually a link from a necklace shown in my B & B magazine current issue, but I thought it would make a great pendant. Apparently I was right, because when I wore it today, every woman I came in contact with complimented me on it!

The matching earrings were based on a post by Carol/Ladinea that I thought would look great with the flower pendant until I get more time to make flower earrings.

Week 19 ~ "In Memory Of":
While I am preparing to exercise my artistic spirit in the coming weeks, and have many projects either begun or in the early stages of crafting, this week's strung piece is dedicated to the woman who first awakened the awe of sparkly things in my inner child, my paternal grandmother.

She would make me tea and little crackers, and as she did, I would stand and gaze at the prisms dangling from her crystal candle holders. Rainbows from the sun would dance across the walls and floors and ceiling and ME! ~ when I stretched way up and sent them clinking and clanking together! And after tea with milk, if I was still a good girl, sometimes Gram would let me sit on her bed and look through one of her jewelry boxes, where the treasures within would occupy me endlessly. Sometimes the miracle would occur, and she would actually give me something to take home! And I still have each one of them.

This irregular opal "quartz" nugget and vermeil bracelet cannot be photographed adequately enough to catch the diamond brilliance and play of colors. Stunning jewelry is not always based on complicated technique.

I would have loved to share this one with Gram and delight her in return ~ but she has been gone more than 15 years. This one's for you, Gram!

Crystal Recall