Delia Stone's Studio

New Blog

2011-03-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

To follow the latest post on my blog, please click here: http://deliastonesstudio.wordpress.com/

Green Corn Feather for Christen

2008-06-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my family and I were out on the reservation for the annual Green Corn celebration. Because I was on my moon cycle, I was not able to participate fully. When it is your 'time' as a woman, you cannot touch the other people on the grounds because your body is in the process of purifying. You also are not able to touch the food, not even for preparation purposes. This left a great burden on the shoulders of my MIL because she was left with the task of preparing for the new fire from the ceremonial square AND doing all of the cooking and preparation for the men in our camp (for three out of four days). I was feeling rather guilty about leaving her with all of this work, but it was not like I had much choice in the matter. Thank goodness that her son Mark came down from New York and brought his girls. Christen, Mark's oldest daughter did a lot of women's work to make up for my inability to work. She was a tremendous help to Mimi (my MIL) and I cannot imagine Mimi having had to do it all alone. Thank goodness for Christen!

I found myself trying to think of an appropriate award for Kristen (and her sister Anna - who helped a great deal with my one year old daughter - a MUCH appreciated task) and of course my mind went to jewelry, because I can make that. :) As I struggled to think of something that would really resonate with their memories of the weekend, I remembered that sometimes as a reward to the male children and the men for contributions to their community (usually in the form of labor and/or performing certain tasks imperative to ceremonial functions), they might be given a feather. This is a special acknowledgement and a great honor. This gave me the brilliant idea of presenting Kristen and Anna with FEATHER pendants to acknowledge them for their contributions in the family camp. This is the first of two feathers. This one is for Kristen. Kristen also went through Green Corn this year, having fasted from midnight Friday until dinner on Saturday and having stayed up continuously from Saturday morning to noon on Sunday entirely by her own choice. She danced around the fire all night right along side everyone else. This is no easy task and I know that everyone, including myself, is very proud of her for this accomplishment. She is certainly on her way to becoming a woman.

I decided not to oxidize this piece because I am only putting it on a cord and I assume that she will likely switch it to a sterling chain later down the line. I would not want the feather to look 'dirty' next to the bright silver of a new chain, so I opted to leave the feather bright for her.

You can read more about Green Corn on my wordpress blog , and of our weekend. All to come as soon as I catch my breath and recover from the weekend. :)

Tutorial Notification List LOST!

2008-05-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

Can you see me kicking myself? I just made a terrible mistake. I accidentally deleted my Tutorial Notification Mailing List. I lost hundreds of addresses of individuals wanting to be updated on new tutorial releases. Amazing how the click on one button can undo years of work. I just love technology, don't you? Arrrgh!

If you were on my list for tutorial notification, or you would like to be on my list for new tutorial notification, please email me at Tutorials@DeliaStone.com with a request and I will gladly add you to the new list.

So sorry all! Believe me when I say I am heart sick over this. Now ... back to kicking myself.

2008-05-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I create jewelry making tutorials from time to time and I am about to start another one. My problem is that I just can’t decide which one to do next. I have so many pieces that people have requested tutorials that I just don’t know where to start. I’ve narrowed it down to two possibilities but I just can’t seem to make a decision, hence I pose the question to you. Any feedback is welcomed.

I think I should either do the ‘foray pendant’ tutorial next, which is a very basic lesson in the rainbow style using a strip set crystal as the focal. See the pictures below:

another example:

The second option would be my sculpted coil pendant. A few examples of the sculpted coil pendant are below:

Example 2

Example 3

So, after having seen the possibilities of the two techniques, which one would you prefer to see published next? Drop me a comment here, or email me at Tutorials@DeliaStone.com with feedback.

Filed under: How To ..., Jewelry Making Tutorials, Uncategorized

2008-05-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

Making Progress
Monday, May 12, 2008

Well, if you've looked around on the site recently you can see I have been busy working to update it. I will be preparing to send out a newsletter as soon as the updates are completed. I have been working on photography a bit here and there and I have a few new photos up to share as well. You'll see the previous blog entry was updated with pictures just today and you'll find many more necklaces and pendants listed on the site as well. I still have much work to do, but at least I am making progress.

I recently won third place in the Metalchasers.com April Metamorphasis Contest. There was some fierce competition and many well deserving peices. I entered my 'Tribute to Spring' Necklace, shown below;

Yes folks ... those of you who know me know that it took every ounce of resistance I could muster to keep from oxidizing it! And it helped that my whole jar of LOS has disappeared since my last show. ::grrrr:: Ah well, I have decided I like this one bright. :)

More updates to come!

2008-05-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

Life has been hectic ... seems like when the warmer months arrive time flys faster and even though there is more light in the day, there is less time in the day. It's just that there's so much more to do.

I'm presently preparing for the Northwest Florida Art Councils Outside Art Fair show to be held May 17th and 18th. I sure am hoping that the weather holds for me this go 'round. The last show I did was effectively rained out which made for a pitiful show. The economy is having ill consequences for American artists as it is .. and the weather doesn't seem to be helping much either. :( Come rain or shine, I will be sitting in my booth this weekend hoping to at least earn back my investment. If it's raining, put on your slickers and come see me anyway!

The last few weeks I've found myself tied up with comissions. One of them was quite the challenge for me. I made a basket weave bezel pendant on custom order with a pin backing. Originally I thought it would be as easy as ordering a prefab pin backing and afixing it to the pendant - WRONG. I could not find one in an appropriate size ... they were all either a couple of mm too big or too small so I had to make my own. I agonized over this pin backing. I wanted to be sure it was strong enough and fully secure and I had to redo it a couple of times to get it just so. But the good news is that I learned something from this project. Now I can add pins to my hat, so to speak. Though I must admit, I doubt I will take anymore pins on custom order because it took too much time - all the fretting and agonizing over getting it perfect. UGH.

After the pin was completed, I took a full 24 hours to celebrate before moving on to my next comission. A lady by the name of Joan had a ring that was special to her because it contained her prized angel skin coral carved rose stone. An amazingly beautiful stone ... but unfortunately the ring had been stepped on and it was beyond repair when it came into my hands. I remade the ring for her and was fretting over whether or not she would like the final product - thankfully I recieved news that she loved it. You can find a picture of the ring below.

Thanks for stopping by. Keep an eye on the website for some changes soon to come.

Much Needed Updating

2008-05-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

Much needed updating
Sunday, Apr 6, 2008

Well, the year has been a busy one so far and I've fallen behind in updating the website and my blog. Apologies! I have many new pieces to share with you that need to be photographed and listed which I intend to get posted in the next week or two. I have just completed the Festival on the Green Fine Art Show and now I have to rework my needle lace caged pendant tutorial for publication in Step by Step Wire magazine's Summer issue. Apparently I should not have cropped the pictures becuase it reduced the file size to below publication standards. I'm going to begin that work today while the lighting is right (I like to take my pics in natural lighting). I will be working on that over the next few days to meet or beat the deadline, so I will not have much time to devote to updating the website until I have that out of the way. Check back soon for pics of new work and the stories of their creation.

Thank you for your continued interest in my work!
Delia Stone

Cloud Nine or my second go at a rainbow wrap

2008-02-10T06:39:00.000-08:00

This is my second experiment in the rainbow wrappers style. Early on I thought this was going to be a disaster and was nearly ready to throw it into the scrap pile, but I pressed on in hopes of salvaging the silver. Boy am I ever glad I didn't give up on it! I went a little crazy with the spirals which managed to hide a lot of the weaving work I did, but I rather like the look of it.

Black tourmaline and zincite crystals add color to the silver shell. I love the color of the zincite. One tiny tourmaline bead is wrapped in a herringbone and stitched to the upper left portion of the wrap ... I'm considering adding more but I'm not sure at this point. The piece is at least 99% finished, but I'm debating on a few small changes.

At any rate I am very pleased that I am finding a fair measure of success in sorting out this rainbow wrap mystery. :) Again, thanks go out ot Felix, a.k.a. Andrew, of wiredoodles.com for his help in unlocking the mystery.

My Initial Foray into the Rainbow Wrap

2008-02-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

This is my initial foray into this genre of wire work. Thanks go out to artist Felix, a.k.a. Andrew for the pointers on where to begin in terms of construction. Thanks for being generous with your time and advice!

I used copper for my initial experiment because I didn't want to be inhibited by the concern of wasting good silver in the event I crashed and burned, so to speak. I didn't get too adventurous this time around. I simply wanted to focus on structural integrity, clean finishing and get a feel for this type of work. I am pleased with my initial experiement and I look forward to hoaning my skills in this genre of work.

While working on this piece, I gained inspiration for another set of experiements which should be a lot of fun. I can see it is going to be both fun and challenging to hoan my skills in this style of wrap. My hopes are that I can assimilate the rainbow style while infusing it with my own style.

This piece was completed on January 24th of 2008.

One of my favorite combinations

2008-01-11T12:18:00.000-08:00

The bad lighting in these pics don't do this pendant justice. I love onxy, opalite and gold together ... and in this case they have been joined with another favortie of mine: Wire lace work.

Better pics to come on a sunny day. :) Stay tuned.

Ocean Jasper

2008-01-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from different angles of the ocean jasper pendant. The lighting left something to be desired ... an overcast day unfortunately. However, that said, I still wanted to share them.

Wire Lace Obession continues

2008-01-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

I just get fever over this wire lace work I've been doing ... I do one piece then I have to do two or three more right behind it. It's like a bag of Lays potato chips. It's good that my Muse is prodding me, even if she is insisting that we stay here with the lace work for a while.

Here's a piece made with an irregular shaped lepordskin jasper cabochon I had. I love the oranges and greens in this piece. The colors are more like some I've seen in ocean jasper ... but it is lepordskin jasper without a doubt.

I worked with the button hole stitch variation on this necklace. I have yet to decide if I will oxidize this necklace or not.

Available on my website: DeliaStone.com

Obsessing over wire lace work.

2008-01-09T08:55:00.001-08:00

Since my focus seems to be inexplicably bound to needle lace work these days I decided to start working on some variations. This stitch is called the button hole stitch. It's made by creating a double eye on either side of each loop. The double eyes look like tiny pretzels. :)

This was not the best stone to show it off with, however. I would have preferred a solid dark colored background to show the wire work best. It just doesn't pop for me against the mottled background on the ocean jasper. That aside, I do love the shape of this stone for this piece as it adds more visual interest. I am going to add it to chain, but I'm all out of gold presently so I'll have to place an order. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with this piece.

This piece is my week two entry of the 2008 Year of Jewelry Project.

Monochrome Fire Mosaic Earrings

2007-11-11T18:48:00.000-08:00

These enchanting earrings were created with sterling silver, black diamond swarovskis and the best quality labradorite available. They have a steely monochrome feel ... until suddenly an unexpected burst of firey blue color leaps from the labradorite and reflects in the steel grey swarovski beads by which it is framed. Subtle ... enchanting ... beautiful.

When these lovely earrings are in hand, you will see the incredible depth of their icey fire. Available in my shop on Etsy or DeliaStone.com.

Netted Tigers Eye ... a custom piece.

2007-10-21T10:23:00.001-07:00

This is a custom order I did for the local bead shop here in town. I really like the way it turned out. The photos aren't the greatest as the lighting was just too bright this morning when I was taking them. I really liked the way the bail turned out on this one. It integrates so well that it appears seamless with the pendant. I am glad I left the bail plain on this one ... I don't think I would have been as happy with it otherwise.

This peice can be found at the Bead and Crystal House on West Garden Street in Pensacola, Florida.

Capturing the Past

2007-10-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

I ordered some of these great amonites back in august and took them to the New Beginnings art show. I set them out along with other cabs and stones that were unwrapped, which usually nets me a few custom orders. I sold both of them within the first few hours of the first day. One woman requested a custom wrap with the needle lace work with hers and I loved the results! Considering their popularity, I ordered more amonites and I couldn't help but reproduce the pendant I made for the lady. I'm not really thrilled about the bail on this one, but it will do. :)

Overall, I am still very pleased with this pendant and I think I'll make one in silver for the silver lovers out there soon. October 18th, 2007.

Jeweled Bezel Pendants

2007-10-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Lisa Niven Kelly's entangled bezel pendant I created my own version. My results were more organized than the look of the entangled bezel, which in the end I was pleased with. I captured these vintage porceline horse cabs in a nest of swirls and sparkling swarovski accents.

I intend to use this technique to create some more organized looking pieces. It will be interesting to see how this technique develops. October 14th, 2007.

Stage Three: Netted Bezel Pendant and new jewelry making Tutorial

2007-09-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

Now available by Instant Download on my website:

Delia Stone's Studio

Click on 'Tutorials' on the side menu!

New Tutorial: Needle Lace Caged Pendant

2007-09-09T17:04:00.001-07:00

I have enjoyed this technique so much I've decided to share it. It's been very inspirational and if you're ready to try something different I am sure you will have as much fun with this technique as I have!

This tutorial is 11 pages with a total of 39 high quality pictures to guide you through every step. I've taught this lesson to a beginner to wire work with very good results! Based on this experience I would say that it can definitely be done by a beginner though I rate it as an intermediate project.

Check it out. It's on sale for the special introductory price of $7 on my website: www.DeliaStone.com for a limited time.

Coral Reef Treasure

2007-09-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

More experimentation with the needle lace technique applied to wire. This seemed the natural next step ... a netted bezel. This is the most incredible specimen of fossilized coral I've ever seen. The stone itself is just stunning. I knew it deserved something special. I captured it in a netted bezel and added a sandy brown swarovski crystal element for sparkle.

I really enjoyed making this pendant ... and then staring at it for hours on end afterwards. I considered keeping it for myself, but I was a good girl and decided to list it on my etsy site and give it a chance to sell first. It sold at lightening speed ... I miss it so. :) It followed my Tale of a Seahorse necklace to New Zealand. That's okay. I am sure Annette will take good care of my babies. :)

Mosaic Equine / Horse Pendant

2007-09-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

This is my second mosaic horse bust pendant, inspired by Azalea Egyptian Arabians, breeders of Egyptian Arabian horses. I formed the frame from 20 gauge sterling silver wire and then used endless feet of hair thin sterling wire to secure countless 2 mm to 4mm freshwater pearls and sterling beads to the frame. The eye is a faceted blue apatite roundell wrapped in a delicate herringbone weave. I coiled and formed the mane by hand as well. Props to my friend Cammy for suggesting the coiled mane. :)

I have grand plans for a mosaic neck piece for this pendant, but it might be a while before I get to it. Meanwhile I will probably just put it on a chain to give it a chance to sell at the upcoming show next weekend. If it sticks around long enough, I'll work on that neck piece. ;)

Water for your fire ...Blue Blossom.

2007-09-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

Something cool and refershing to bring down the heat! THIS piece should have been named Water Garden, but I already had a piece with that title. I adore this beautiful bracelet. Even though it's a little too chunky for my personal taste, I pull it out and admire it often. It has such a tranquil feel to it. It makes me think of a crystal clear pond with lillies floating on the serene surface. Just beautiful. The stones are actually rough hewn aquamarine chips. I finished it off with one of my signature handmade toggle clasps.

Spicy Salsa ... Fire in the Belly

2007-09-09T16:26:00.001-07:00

This bracelet was created for the Year of Jewelry Project 2007. I'm late posting this to the blog so I will actually have to go hunt up what week it was ... I know, bad Delia. :::smacks hand:::

Faceted carnelian roundells create the bangle and the double netted clasp focal is some kind of lace agate. Earthy Indian red 3 mm swarovskis accent the main focal. This is really a very lovely bracelet in hand. I dig it. :)

Terra X

2007-09-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try something Dana Kellin-ish lately so I started coiling beads to this frame. I originally had planned to use a different focal stone in the center but it wasn't really big enough for the frame. Then I remembered a pendant like this that Magdalena had done with a marquis stone set in the center. I remembered that I had some smoky quartz marquis briolettes so I busted them out and used them. I decided to oxidize it to add to the earthy look of it.

I made and added the coiled beads after I oxidized the piece, so I had to go back and oxidize them later so that they would match. This pic was taken before I did them too, and I haven't gotten a new pic taken yet but I posted this one anyway. I will edit this when I get updated pics.

This peice was actually created in Early August, though I did not post it until September.

Water Garden

2007-08-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest piece utilizing the needle lace technique. I'm having so much fun with this. I've used it to create a cage for this lovely amazonite. I worked in a few swarovskis that I'm not real sure about. I think I like them one minute and then I change my mind the next. I have not LOS'ed it yet, but I probably will eventually. I'm really curious as to how it will look. If I do I will repost an updated pic.

I am not entirely finsihed with it yet. I have yet to make a matching toggle for it but I hope to get that out of the way today.

Tale of a Seahorse

2007-07-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

Here begins my new Mosaics Collection. This fabulous seahorse was inspired by Magdalena some time back. If you look in my past post (probably archived by now) you will find the original post on him. He was just a little seahorsey then :) and now has grown into a functional piece of jewelry. I finally made him a rolling waves chain and transformed him from a lovely mosaic pretty to look at into a functional piece of jewelry. :) I am quite proud of the final product.

I can't wait to make more of these lovely mosaic masterpieces. :) I need to motivate myself to make some mosaic earrings for the website too. So much to do... so little vacation time left. :::sigh::

Green Pagoda Pendant

2007-07-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

I have really fallen for these pendants. I love the airy and intricate look of them. I decided to make another in more earthy colors using swarovski's and green garnet. I had much better control of my loops this time. I used a knitting needle as a mandrel for keeping them as close to the same size as possible. Certainly an improvement but I can still use some work on this technique. I'm having fun with these. :)

Flowering Pagoda Pendant: Experiment

2007-07-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

After toying with the netting setting last week I decided to try something a little different with the netting. Rather than using a solid form to build the net on, I tried some open netting. Now this little piece is my only experiment thus far with this, so the flaws are apparent - at least to me. At one point I almost threw this in the scrap pile ... okay, I actually DID throw it in the scrap pile, lol, but I later fished it out and decided to play around with it. I still expected to throw it back into the scrap pile when it was done. But after making a few adjustments to it I decided that I rather liked it. I think it shows promise. I would like to get a length of translucent lilac ribbon to hang it on at some point. Even though it's a little ragged, I think it still makes for an attractive pendant. Certainly I could improve upon it, and I will eventually.

Fire In the Belly: YOJ wk27: Simple Elements

2007-07-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

Another Simple Elements Necklace, this time inspired by Deborah (a.k.a. Sneekbead).

This morning I popped in to see the latest inspirational offerings here at the year of jewelry project and found Deborah's Phoenix Necklace. I gotta tell you Deb, I caught my breath when I saw it! I *loved* the look of the oblong rectangular stone with the netted cap. I had some sort of plain-ish agate tongues like this and I just couldn't figure out what to do with them to save my life - but I've been itching to make *something* with them. When I saw Deb's pendant I knew what I wanted to do with those agate tongues. :) I had actually experimented with this netting idea back in the initial YOJ project, week 49 with just a flat tumbled piece of Montana Agate. It turned out so-so and I told myself at the time that I would experiment more with this technique but never really picked it up again until today. My technique is really primitive compared to what I've seen going around since Eni created a tut for the netted top drilled beads/briolettes. I thought that using a drilled bead might make it a little easier on me and I might even do better this time. Honestly though, I think my first attempt might have been at least a little better than this one even though it had a bit of an awkward start. Maybe I should drop the $ and get Eni's tut to help me refine my netting skills? :D Of course a little practice could be in order, eh? lol

Either way, this is not a complicated necklace at all, and it's certainly not perfect, but I'm really beginning to like this Simple Elements concept. Nothing that I did to make this necklace took more than a few minutes to do and then I was able to put them all together fairly quickly. The end result is a simplistic necklace with just the right amount of detail to be eye catching. No excess here, but that's what I dig about it. :D

So there you have my entry for week 27, Fire in the Belly.

New Line: Simple Elements

2007-07-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start a new line called Simple Elements. The Simple Elements line will be composed of uncomplicated elements combined to create something lovely. I kicked it off with some new earrings and I just created my first Simple Elements Necklace as well.

And now my first Simple Elements Necklace, which matches the earrings above:

Now this picture isn't particularlly great, but it'll do until I take some better ones. :D

Keep an eye out for more Simple Elements for your personal body adornment!

Basket Weave Bezel Tutorail almost done!

2007-07-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

Just a short entry to assure those of you who have been holding your breath (ha ha) waiting for my new basket weave bezel tutorial to be completed that your wait should soon end. I know, I know ... I've been saying this for a while. This tutorial has been a challenge but I'm nearly done. I have to complete the mosaic element portion of the tutorial and then it will be released! This tutorial has been a bit of a pain, so the cost will be set at $15 - BUT I am going to make it available at the introductory cost of only $10 to thank those of you who have been so incredibly patient with me through it all.

For those of you who are not familiar with the tutorial I am working on, below is a picture of the pendant the tutorial will teach you to make:

I will be emailing those of you on my tutorials mailing list as soon as it is available. For those of you who are not already on my tut mailing list but would like to be, you can join on my website: DeliaStone.com

Mirror Mirror on the Wall ...

2007-06-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

Who's the fairest of them all? This pendant makes me think of the magic mirror in Disney's Sleeping Beauty - thanks to Christine from the Art Jewelry forum. She pointed out that it seems reminiscent of the Magic Mirror - and as soon as she said I could see it without a doubt. The shape, the scrolls ... it's totally there!

This is a simple tumbled Amethyst transformed into somthing beautiful. I wanted to take a more symetrical approach and make another pendant like the Golden Swirls pendant in a mirror image - so that the right side matched the left side. The Golden Swirls pendant with the botswana agate stone demanded something more organic to match the freeform shape of it. I chose this tumbled amethyst specifically because of it's shape.

It was a bit of a pain trying to manipulate the coils just so. Of course they aren't EXACTLY the same on both sides, but that only shows that the piece is handcrafted by a real person, so I'm okay with that. :)

Something New ... Golden Swirls

2007-06-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

Here's the pendant I've been working on for the last few days ... on and off, of course. It's something I've had in my head for some time now. I've been browsing the metalworkers.org site drooling at all the wonderful wire work there and many of the artists there use similar coiled swirls such as these to some degree or another in their work. So I guess that I have several sources of inspiration for this piece ... especially the numerous artists specializing in these coiled loops from metalworkers.org. I browse that site all the time for inspiration but there's so many different artists there that I can't site just one as the source. Finally, mhead (sorry I don't know his/her real name) whose site I stumbled upon recently. She made a pendant using a similar technique which motivated me to 'get on the stick' as it were.

So here's the results of my experimentation:

Back shot:
Showing the woven bail.

Side view:
Even though the pendant has the appearance of being so 'substantial' you can see from the side that it is not bulky at all.

It's really a beautiful pendant! I am pleased with the results of my experimentation over all. There will be more of these... little ones, big ones, and in-between ones. Guaranteed!

Adding more content to the Egyptian Coil Tut

2007-06-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay .. if you've already bought it don't sweat it! I'll send you a copy of the altered file free of charge when it's ready. I've decided to add more concise instructions on the flattened coil bracelet, such as the one shown below.

I think the orginal tut material creates a more feminine version, while adding this one will create a bracelet with both masculine and feminine appeal.

I'm going to finish up my bezel weave tut before going back to add the new content to the egyptian coil tut though, so be patient!

Changes to the horse pendant

2007-06-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

Forgive the horrible pic ... it does not do the pendant any justice. Suffice it to say that while initially I was very disappointed with the way this pendant was turning out, I am now madly in love with it. This is a clue as to how much lovlier the pendant is ... though the photo does not really show this. It really breaks my heart that I will not have a good pic of this pendant ... I finished it up at about 1:30 a.m. lastnight and then rushed out to hand deliver it in the wee hours as Wendy and Tonya were leaving at the crack of dawn for the Egyptian Event horse show.

Changes made:
I bent the ear forward to make it look less like a horn. Not a big difference but a slight improvement. Secondly the mane - this made all the difference. Thanks to all of my collegues for critiquing my work and offering suggestions on how to improve upon it and most especially to my friend Cammy for the coiled mane suggestion.

I will be making another one of these soon. This time I will have a clear idea of what I need to improve upon BEFORE starting, which will ensure that I have a far lovlier piece in the end. I WILL get a good pic of that one before I let it go! Rest assured. ;)

More for Azalea Arabians and the Egyptian Event Art Auction

2007-06-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Well, as I have already mentioned in my previous blog I was working on some comissions for Azalea Arabians. I wanted to create a pendant with a horse motif for them. This is what I've come up with so far... it's still a work in progress and there's much I'd like to change, though I am not sure how many changes I will be able to make in the short time I have left. Here's what I have thus far ...

Not bad ... but the changes I would like to see are 1) make the ear not look so much like a horn. I'm going for horse, not unicorn. 2) give him a stronger jaw line while keeping the muzzle slim as is characteristic of the Arabian horse and 3) give him a mane that gives the impression of movement ... flowing mane.

Now I am not sure how much I will be able to change this since I have very little time over the next two days to work with it before it's off to the art auction, but even if I am not able to implement all of these changes in this pendant, I will make another one and make the changes then. I can see the potential here, even if my first one was not the best one. :)

I will update after I've made a few changes to my horsey, so keep an eye out.

Egyptian Coil Bracelet inspires NEW TUTORIAL

2007-05-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

I was recently commissioned by Azalea Arabians, breeders of fine Egyptian Arabian horses, to create a couple of pieces for them to donate to the Art Auction at the upcoming 'Egyptian Event' horse show. I decided to make one of these pieces from an authentic ancient Egyptian technique. I created this lovely Egyptian Coil Bracelet with Turquoise and copper wire. It was lightly oxidized to give it an antiqued character. It's absolutely lovely on! Of course I modernized it a bit with some romantic turquoise. So many horse enthusiast love turquoise, it seemed a natural combination in this case.

I decided that since this was an easy enough project I would go ahead and take the pictures necessary to create a tutorial. I see people asking for a tut for this ancient technique all the time, but I've never seen a through tutorial offered anywhere for it. If you're looking to learn this ancient technique - Look no further my peeps! The tutorial will be underway soon!

Horse Jewelry: Other Ideas for custom work - Mosaic Pendant?

2007-05-22T09:23:00.001-07:00

Upon further brainstorming, I am considering using the same type of technique I used to create the seahorse recently (just a couple of posts before this one) to possibly create a pendant of a profile of an arabian horse, set in a mosaic frame for the June 2nd show for Azalea Arabians instead. They are pretty much allowing me full creative freedom to make whatever I want. I am actually thinking of making both if time (and material stock) allow. I can just give them a great deal on it and make a little less than I might otherwise make, but I will be getting my name and my art out to hundreds if not thousands of horse enthusiast which will possibly draw me a few custom orders. I really love the idea of this pendant... now, if only I can create one as beautiful as what I'm visualizing I can dazzel the masses. :)

Horse Jewelry: Azalea Arabians Egyptian Event, Art Auction

2007-05-22T09:20:00.000-07:00

I have been commissioned by Azalea Arabians to create a piece of jewelry for them for the upcoming Egyptian Event. The Egyptian event will be held in the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky June 3rd through the 9th, 2007. The owners of Azalea Arabians will be donating this piece to the art auction held at the event. Since Azalea Arabians obviously specializes in the Arabian breed, and the event itself is celebrating the Egyptian horse a piece created with a genuine ancient Egyptian technique seems appropriate - and romantic. For those who are unfamiliar with the ancient Egyptian coil design, here is a picture of an embellished egyptian coil bracelet I submitted to the Year of Jewelry Project (Also known as the Four Seasons of Jewelry Project) in 2006. This one has a more modern flare, thanks in large part to being embellished with swarovski crystals and bali silver flower beads.

Upon the discovery of an ancient Egyptian tomb this design was discovered in the form of a necklace upon one of the royal mummies. I have always enjoyed using this technique knowing that it was the design of an Egyptain Artist from so many thousands of years ago. Amazing... to create such an effectual design that even artist thousands of years after your death still continue to utilize it. Now that really *is* a form of immortality in a sense. Too bad we do not know the name of the artist who offered such a timeless technique to us. His ... or her name is lost in the sands of time.

I need to order some serious lengths of copper wire as I would also like to create a jeweled Egyptian coil halter for some of their horses eventually... but that's a project for another day. Keep your eyes peeled. I will surely put a picture up of the finalized bracelet.

Seahorse Inspired by Magda

2007-05-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the work of the talented Magdalena I am emulating one of her pieces (Seashore Lullabye)with her permission. She made a seahorse and posted it to a forum we are both members of - It set my mind on fire with multiple ideas that were just screaming to come to fruition. Magdalena, being the generous soul that she is, happlily agreed to allow me to emulate her seahorse design. Though I readily and easily admit that hers is far lovelier than mine, I am still thrilled with my results thus far. This is only stage one. Presently what you see represents a single element of work in progress. I have so many ideas on where to take this that I haven't yet settled on one direction just yet, mind mind is still spinning with the possibilities. Should I make a simple necklace, a cuff bracelet with multiple seahorses, an elaborate ornate mosaic-like neck piece? The possibilities are endless. Thank you for the inspiration, Magdalena! I can't wait to see where this takes me ...

Year of Jewelry_wk 18: Mini Luna

2007-05-13T23:23:00.000-07:00

This week I am following my bliss rather than the theme. This is unfortunate because I think this was my favorite theme of all so far in terms of concept, but I just couldn't make myself conform. I'm too excited about this basket weave bezel technique and working to refine the process. To that end, I created a miniature Basketweave Bezel pendant - knowing that the smaller it was, the more difficult it would be. It was a bit of a personal challenge ... could I pull it off? The answer was a resounding yes.

The dangle is a faceted opalite marquis with a london blue apatite accent. I still feel compelled to remove this dangle and replace it with a minature scaled mosiac like on the Blue Beauty pendant. I am giving it serious thought ...

Overall I am pleased with the result. The main part of the pendant is somewhere between the size of a dime and a quarter. It's smaller without looking bulkier or sloppy. The tutorial for this will be done soon.

Year of Jewelry, week 17: Fish Net

2007-04-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

Trying to be on theme, really on theme, for once. Lately I've decided to explore more weaving/basketry techniques after being inspired by the Pink Lady and Blue Beauty pendants. I bought the book "Fabulous Woven Jewelry" to research some additional weaving techniques (I will edit this post later to include the authors name).This was a quick attempt, somewhat botched, but the general idea comes through well enough. I wish the picture showed it off a little better ... it does look better in person. In case it doesn't come through really well, it's a fish in a net. :) I made some mistakes along the way, but that's okay, I learned from them and that was the point of this experiment. More to add later.

Introducing the Blue Beauty

2007-04-23T07:09:00.000-07:00

Week 16 of the Year of Jewelry Project, 2007.

Well, still working on this woven bezel technique. I think that this pendant beats the last one hands down! I used a 28 gauge wire for the weave this time which resulted in a tighter, neater weave which adds more to the detail of the piece. I loooove the london blue apatite I used in this piece. It just POPS in the nicest way next to the peridot. The colors remind me of the waters here on the emerald coast. Beautiful blues and greens line our shores.

I am working to hoan this technique in prepartion for a new tutorial. I am making progress without a doubt. :) However, I am going to make a few more so that I can make the tut as clear and straight forward as possible.

My First Tutorial: Wire Wrapped Toggle Clasp

2007-04-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

This week I intended to both create my year of jewelry project piece and finish my first tutorial: Wire Wrapped Toggle Clasp. However, I learned a lot this week. I learned that creating a tutorial is hard work! I could not believe how long it took to create a tutorial for a clasp that it takes about 15 minutes to make. Try about 10 hours.

First, I had to make the item - taking one handed pictures the whole way. I took about 5 or six pictures of each incremental step to be sure that I had at least one good shot of each to work with. Then I had to sort through the pics, pick the best ones to work with then take them to photoshop to edit them. Crop, adjust lighting, etc. Rename and reorganize...

Then begins the actual work of writing and preparing the tutorial. You write, organize pics, lable pics ... then you rewrite, reorganize, edit and add text for clarity. Re-edit text for clairity... proof read... well, you get the idea.

Ultimately, you have the result:

Now you can make your own toggle clasps to coordinate with your handcrafted jewelry with this simple tutorial. These little beauties add impressive detail to any piece giving it a truly distinctive look. If you’ve ordered toggle clasps in the past, you know that they can cost several dollars each. Gold-fill toggle clasps are not only difficult to find, but they are especially pricey! With this tutorial you can make custom toggles to suit your project for literally a few cents each by utilizing scrap wire lying around on your bench.

Now Available!

Cost: $5.00

Year of Jewlery Begins

2007-04-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

Finally I am on board again with the Year of Jewelry Project. I have sooo missed being a part of this project. I can look back and see how I've grown over the years that I was a participant thanks to the personal challenge and the feedback, inspiaration and motivation that I recieved from it.

While my initial entry is nothing to die for, and not *exactly* on theme as it were, it is something I've been planning to make for years now and just recently decided to commit to. My dear friend, Karen, is the owner of Beach Bride Weddings. She performs destination weddings on the beach in the gulf coast area from Pensacola to Destin, Florida along our emerald shores. She recently gave me a solid push to make some barefoot sandals, also known as scandals as they are very popular with her brides. Above are the first two I've created at her behest.

My favorite is the neutral toned one made with moonstone and Light Colorado Topaz swarovski crystals. It sparkels so beautifully! Of course, I couldn't capture that in the photo. :( The blue one is made with turquoise and swarovskis.

Check out my website if you're interested in these beauties. You can also contact me for custom request for your destination wedding.

Inspiration

2007-03-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

I was admiring my new work recently when all of the sudden I decided to marry them together. I made a dangle to match the earrings and attached it to the face in the woven bezel. I like the look of them together and will make more like this in the future. There are changes I will make so that it is a little more planned out and my dangle doesn't begin so far under the face. I'd like it to be a little more snug with the bezel.

I also rather liked the look of the earrings hanging on either side of the pendant as shown above on the hand knitted chain. I thought it might be nice to make a full necklace with the three dangles ... not fully convinced that that's where I want to go with it just yet, however. I had my mind set to make a mosaic neck piece to attach this pendant to, but I think that all three; pendant, dangles on either side and a mosaic neck piece might be a little too much. I will give this more thought before I decide.

More Mosiacs

2007-03-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

Lovin' the colors in this pair of mosiac earrings. Mostly shades of purple, from light to the darkest I could find and one powerful pink *pop* thrown in. I'm really enjoying making these miniture mosiacs. I'm planning some bracelets and neck pieces in this style that I hope to get done in the near future, so check back periodically to see more.

2007-03-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

These beauties are inspired by Dana Kellen and Eni Oken. I've always loved the mosic work that Dana does. This is not the first time I've played with the mosiac idea, but it is the first time I have applied it to something as small as a pair of earrings. Eni also played off of Dana's mosiac theme and created a pendant of her own adding the little coiled sections to the work, like the ones you see below. So there you have it - a teaspoon of Dana with a dash of Eni makes for a delightful bit of eye candy. :D

These are made with sterling silver, swarovski crystal and olive green tourmoline with a faceted zircon drop.

Woven bail pendant

2007-03-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

This lovely piece was inspired by simply glancing over the tutorial for Remy's free form sculptural pendant. I haven't even gotten close to doing the full project, but I'm taking one technique out of the whole tutorial and applying it however I can. Perhaps one day I will sit down and actually read the full thing and produce the kind of piece that was meant to make? lol Either way, it is a very worth while tutorial because just as she says you will learn so many techniques that you can apply to your work that your jewelry making style may be changed forever! Right now, I'm kind of feeling like it would be hard to go back to a simple border wrap. Considering what I know I CAN do, it would almost feel like a waste of material.

So, here are my pics. The first one is not the best, but it's the only side view I have for the moment.

The Pink Lady

2007-03-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting with some new techniques and had a project which I had started and set aside. It seemed a bit overwhelming and like it was going to take me days to progress with it ,so I took a break from it. I picked it back up yesterday and stared at it for a a little while and all of the sudden I was posessed to finish it - today! I finally realized that it was just such an organic technique that the only way I could win was to surrender to it. I had to just let go of all preconceived notions about what the piece should look like and stop tyring to make it happen. I just let the wire go where it wanted to and this was the result.

It's BIG. It's what I call a four fingers pendant. It lays across all four fingers when it's in your hand. That being said, though I personally prefer jewelry that is less... well, shall we say 'bold' I really like this piece. I learned a LOT from making this pendant. It was a fun project once I got over being intimidated by it and just let it happen. Thanks for looking. All feedback is welcomed.

Another Ornate Pendant: Desert Dreams

2007-03-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

Earthy Elegance Ala-Eni! I ADORE this piece. I'm very tempted to keep it for myself - again! LOL The last one that tempted me sold before I could convince myself that I was allowed to keep one once in a while for myself.

This pendant was made with warm toned Moukaite and embellished with brandy colored tourmoline stones. Click to enlarge to show detail.

This pendant is for sale on my website:

www.freewebs.com/deliasstones/

Petersite Delight

2007-03-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely specimen of Petersite. Too bad the camera can't really show off the velvet patterned colors in this stone. Lovely rich rusty reds and beautiful calming blues.

This pendant is for sale on my website:

www.freewebs.com/deliasstones/

Sha BANGels!

2007-03-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

I finally decided to make some wire bangles. This is a first for me. Combining swarovski crystals with sterling silver and 14k gold fill wire. They are simple but elegant. I like them. :)

These bangles are for sale on my website: www.freewebs.com/deliasstones/

Catching up

2007-03-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

Now that I've replaced the digital camera that was stolen, I am able to update my website and add pics of all the work I've been doing. I began the process this morning, though I still have much to do to fully catch up to myself. I like my new digital camera MUCH! These shots are so clear and beautiful. My last camera was only a 4.0 megapixel, and I thought IT took good pics. My new one, which cost even less than my last one (love the way technology advances and prices relax) is a 7.1 megapixel. The difference is clear.

This piece was draped over this wonderful lava rock that my MIL gave me. I love the way it turned out ... it gives the pic the feeling of being on the rocky california coast. This will come in handy for photographing my bridal line as it develops. Thanks Mimi! :)

This is a simple herringbone necklace in amethyst and sterling. Delicate and detailed.

This necklace is for sale on my website: http://www.freewebs.com/deliasstones/

2007-03-09T08:06:00.000-08:00

My friendly little faces again. I love these hand carved faces so much. Until now, I have only used these faces in my Luna Series. In the Luna Series they have always been framed in a chandelier style wrap, but I decided recently that because of their wide appeal, I should wrap some without dangles. Not everyone likes dangles after all ... but everyone likes these faces.

It was a good decision, as it turns out. My feedback came in the form of these babies flying off of the table. This pendant sold the first time she was displayed to the public. Must make more... and maybe try putting on a fancy hairdo.

Eclipse

2007-03-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

I call this "Eclipse"... It's like the full moon and the dark moon meeting in harmonic convergence.

This piece is one of my signature chandelier pendants. I love combining opalite and onyx. They make for such a beautiful contrast ... shiney black and glowing white! Oh my! This peice also has an opalite bead wrapped in a delicate herringbone wrap attached to the bail to give the pendant a touch of detail. The opalite has a firey and ethereal presence in hand that the photograph could not truely capture.

Pardon the "Other Pendants" text. I altered this pic for my website and forgot to save the original.

This pendant is for sale on my website: www.freewebs.com/deliasstones/

Elegant Earrings

2007-02-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

Sterling Silver, Brandy colored tourmoline and exquisite faceted smoky quartz marquis drops combine to make these lovely earrings. SOLD

Custom Orders for Kate

2007-02-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

Two wraps for Kate, per her request. I like the crystal especially. I created a different armature and decorated it in Eni-ornate sytle, only in mirror image. As above, so below. I like the new approach. I'll have to use this again. The border wrapped rutile quartz is just a basic wrap. Nothing too 'oooh-ahhh' but it's nice. LOL

A few pretties I've not posted yet

2007-02-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

Back to the ornate pendants. These are so much fun... yet so labor intensive. I sweat everyone of them every inch of the way. They never seem to be looking right until the final touches are put on and then all of the sudden they come together and BAM! One striking pendant is staring back at you. This picture is not the best, too dark to show off the beautiful blues and greens in the chrysacola stone. It's accented with genuine emerald rondells and brilliant blue chez crystal to give it POP. This one is currently up for sale, but I don't expect it to stay around too long. I might even decide to keep it for myself. ;)

Inspiring Chat

2007-02-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Karen was just over and she inspired me to undertake a couple of projects. I popped in from the hospital to pick up some things at the house, including my son whom she kept for me lastnight. Karen sat and chatted for a bit with me. She owns Beach Bride Weddings, offering beach weddings to couples along the Northwest Florida Panhandle. She suggested that I make some coin pearl chandelier earrings with watery colored compliments. As soon as she said it, I could SEE them. I can't wait to produce a pair of them to show off. She also suggested I make some scandals in beachy colors and said she would link me into her website, which is getting a lot of traffic. This could be a comfortable niche for me, bread and butter stuff to make a little money on the side and bring others to my site to learn about the other things I do as well. I don't really relish the idea of producing the same thing over and over again, but I can do it if it will keep a little income flow coming in that I can use to funnel into making the stuff I want to make. I prefer to follow my bliss ... don't we all? Anyway, I was inspired by our chat and wanted to write these thoughts down before I forgot about them. With my new baby in the hospital my mind is certainly other places and I would likely forget all about this conversation by the time I got around to being able to make them.
I have to get back up to the hospital and give Jay a break. I know he needs to get down to the cafeteria and get a bite to eat. He must be starving by now and I know he won't leave our little girls side until I am there to watch over her.

Back in the Saddle again!

2007-02-27T07:38:00.000-08:00

Well, as anyone can plainly see, it's been a while since I've blogged. This is indicative of the fact that I have been going through a major transition in my life and I've felt practically turned upside down. I have literally started my life over, and it has not been easy. It took a lot of my time and attention to adjust, but I have. Though it was tough, it brought wonderful changes into my life. A loving partner, a beautiful new daughter (and I can't forget to mention her awesome big brother, though he was with me from the start of these changes) and a new lease on life. I am greatful for all that has come my way, though we still struggle... at least we are sharing the struggle and supporting one another through it.
While I have not had regular access to the online world for some time now (nearly a year), I am FINALLY online again. I will be posting pics of new jewelry soon. I also plan to rejoin the Year of Jewelry Project, or Four Season or whatever they are calling it this go round. lol

FSOJ wk27_funky toggles

2006-04-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

Yup... more toggles. These things are so fun they're addictive, I swear!
This time, I decided to make a tear drop shaped toggle so see how it would look on a bracelet. Again, I liked the results. The bracelet itself is nothing to brag about, but the toggle saves it.
Again, the toggle was embellished with a carnelian bead to tie it into the overall bracelet. Which worked fine, but not it didn't look as tailored as I would have liked for it to. I thought it was a super cute toggle, regardless.

FSOJ_wk24_Gold Toggles

2006-04-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

I decided I wanted to make a gold fill toggle this go 'round. I was very pleased with how rich it came out looking.
Usually, I think that gold fill looks a little weak next to vermeil (sp?) but after putting this little toggle on I was impressed with just how well it seemed to match in the richness of tone with the vermeil.
The color combo on this bracelet turned out very nice, I thought. The pale green aventurine contrasted very nicely with the golden-brown swarovski's.
The sparkel of the swarovski and the richness of the gold made this bracelet look worth the price. I have really enjoyed playing around wtih making my own toggles. This one, I embellished with a single swarovski to match the bracelet. It give it a very tailored look... like the toggle was made especially for the bracelet, and of course it was! lol Sweeeeet....

FSOJ_wk23_Toggles turn flirty earrings

2006-04-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

While I was playing around making more toggles, I thought that a matching pair would make some flirty earrings. I loved the firey red-orange flashes in some new swarovski crystals I bought and I wanted to use them for the project. I hung a earthy orangish zircon briolette in the center of each one... again, my friend bought these up the second she saw them. She's got a fair tan and strawberry blondish hair and they looked so incredible on her! I couldn't help but stroke myself when I saw how great this simple pair of earrings looked on. lol

FSOJ_wk22_More Toggles

2006-04-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Putting some of those hand-made toggles to use, I strung up this quick bracelet, which I loved. If I had made it small enough to fit my tiny wrists, I would have kept it for myself I liked it so much. But alas, it was a little too large for me and that's okay, because it sold before it ever even left my house. :) A friend came over, saw it, fell in love and bought it on site. No complaints here. lol
You can see the detail work on the toggle below. I really like making the toggles themselves so ornate and detailed. It makes the overall piece look much nicer ... it can give a simple strung bracelet a very detailed look. The toggles take no time to make as long as I have my coil all ready to go I can make one of these little pretties in about 5 to 10 minutes. I just love 'em!

Creativity born from Necessity

2006-04-17T15:37:00.000-07:00

Creativity by Necessity: Toggle Clasps
I wanted to do some stringing (bracelets, necklaces, etc) and when I sat down to get started, I realized I had virtually no clasps to work with. I sat there pouting, thumbing around in my goodies hoping to be inspired to do something else ... suddenly, as I fondled a bag of scrap silver wire and abandoned projects, inspiration struck. Silly me, I could make my own toggles! And use nothing but scrap wire to do it. And so I set to work.... a series of small works incorporating these hand made toggles followed, as you will see.

FSOJ_wk20_Playing catch up

2006-04-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well, after a long and painful death of my old hard drive, I am just beginning to recover some of my pictures. I think I may have lost my portfolio of my last 4 years of work - thank goodness I had some pics spread around on the web to steal back. lol I finally got my kodak program loaded up on the tiny hard drive I'm using now, and I'm back in the groove. Though I haven't been able to take and publish pics for the last several weeks, I continued to make jewelry to keep up with the project. While I do not have my adobe photo shop to dress my pics up with signatures and what not, at least I have photos to share again. :) This pendant sis the result of yet another Eni Oken tutorial. Here's my week 20 entry into the Four Seasons of Jewelry project:

FSOJ week 19: Embellished Egyptian Coil

2006-01-31T10:04:00.000-08:00

For week 19 I put together this lovely embellished egyptian coil bracelet for the Four Seasons of Jewelry project. Not on theme again, but I seldom follow the optional themes anyway as my muse has a will of her own. :) The egyptian coil technique is as ancient as it sounds, coming to us from the artifacts of ancient Egypt. The identity of the original artist is lost in time, but I often imagine how flattered they would be to know that they created a timeless technique. This bracelet was embellished with bali silver and tanzanite and peridot swarovski bicone crystals to give it a punch of color. The floral clasp combined with the bright colors sets the mood for spring... my favorite time of year. I think I should have oxidized it before I put the crystals on as I am concerned about getting in close enough to buff the bali spacers. I will post a pic of the oxidized bracelet when I get it done.

FSOJ: week 18: Ammolite and Peridot

2006-01-24T22:17:00.000-08:00

Finishing up this round of custom work for my Canadian friend, Doug. This is a very large piece of ammolite. I didn't want to do anything too fancy to the bail because I didn't want to add any size to the stone... it is more than ample as it is. From the top of the bail to the bottom of the stone, this pendant probably measures near four inches. It's a beautiful beast though. :D This stone actually has some wonderful peridot green fire on the bottom half - which unfortunately does not show well in the photograph. This is why I chose to add a simple embellishment of peridot to the top... it makes a nice accent. I hope Doug is happy with it...

FSOJ wk 16: Cavern of Mysteries

2006-01-10T21:32:00.000-08:00

More Ammolite this week. I am using what time I have to catch up to some custom work for my friend Doug. I am having bad wire karma these days... my gold wire finally came in, but it was round - not the square I ordered. Ughhh... I am assured I will have the *right* wire here by Friday. :::crosses fingers::: Meanwhile, I bummed some gold wire off of my friend, Jenz, to wrap another ammolite. Doug sent me a lot of faceted stones to set in some of the pieces after he saw what I did with the Electric Phoenix piece. I was digging through his little treasure trove trying to match a fit to some snap tites I had... hoping to get one to fit a peridot. Alas, all I could match a fit to was this amethyst marquis. When I put them together, I was not at all sure I liked the color combination... I mean, I love green and purple together, I think they are dynamic colors. And I even like fiery oranges together with purple.. but I just wasn't sure about all of them together. But I have to say the more I look at it, the more I adore the unexpectedness of it. I love working with these stones... they totally inspire me.

Ancient Ammolite: wk 15 FSOJ

2006-01-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting patiently (sort of) for my last order of gold wire to come in. It's been on back order for over two weeks. I have other larger ammolites I need to wrap for my friend Doug... and I've been waiting and waiting and waiting. Doug must be getting as impatient as I am. :::sigh::: but I had this other tiny ammolite in my case, and since I'm soooo itching to wrap some ammolite, I decided to dig through my scrap wire to see if I could manage enough to wrap a piece. I found enough to wrap this smaller piece, so I got a little fix. :D NEVER throw your wire clippings away. They do come in handy in times of despiration. lol This piece has hessonite garnet accents that bring out the 'earthy' quality in the flashy colors. Here's hoping my gold wire comes in soon :::crosses fingers:::

FSOJ wk_14: December's Secret

2005-12-31T16:32:00.000-08:00

Onyx, opalite and sapphires...

I am trying to work with the newest techniques I've learned while seeking a way to color the designs with my personal style... The coolest thing I took away from Eni's tut was what I learned about creating an armature and building upon that. While this pendant is a bit more organized than my other recent free form pieces, it still maintains that organic feel... I included some very challenging *tiny* herringbone wraps around the 4mm opalites and the 3mm sapphire beads in this piece, exercising some inspiration I gained while working on my 'Seer's Stone' pendant in the original Year of Jewelry project from 2004-2006.
I have found that it can be very tricky to attempt a symetrical design with this technique because every milimeter counts. Even though in this piece I attempted a more symetrical design, I think the organic charm is still prevalent. I am already three days late for this weeks submission to the FSOJ project, but I made it before the year ran out. :) And so here it is... More pics, including side views, to come.

FSOJ wk 13: Custom Ordered Luna Pendant, # 14 in the series

2005-12-31T16:17:00.000-08:00

For week 13 in the Four Season's of Jewelry project, I am submitting a custom ordered Luna Pendant. Her name is Charlie, named for the young woman for which she was meant. Her father comissioned her at the recent Pensacola Christmas Market for his daughter's christmas present. He asked me to include a personal message on the back. Where as I usually use this space to sign date and number the piece, I agreed and thankfully was able to fit all of it on the back. I had my doubts I would be able to.

As an aside, I got a little press in the local paper off of the show. A reporter stepped up to my booth to interview a customer... he started kind of fumbling his words then nervously turned and told the reporter that she should be talking to the vendors at the show and nudged her in my direction. I got a couple of quotes in, a brief description of my work and that's about it. Would have loved to get a photo or contact info in there with it, but didn't. :( But at least my name was out there. :) Right? I just hope I didn't burn up all of my 15 minutes of fame on it... LOL

FSOJ: Wk_12: Emerald Isles

2005-12-19T09:25:00.000-08:00

Here is my second free form bezel wrap... finished it up while working the show over the last three days. Traffic was slow on Friday and Saturday due to the weather, so I entertianed myself by working on this piece. It's a beautiful chrysocola accented with 4mm emeralds, blue green apatite and some very bright blue apatite. I wished I had more of the bright blue to work with, but I only had three.

I am enjoying this technique so much! It's opened up a whole new approach to wire work for me... brought it to a new level of excitement for me again... and I love the challenge!

FSOJ: wk 11: Strawberry Fields

2005-12-11T01:52:00.000-08:00

This weeks entry was inspired by Eni Oken's ring tutorial... but I took it a step further and reworked it to creat a pendant using what I learned from her free form technique. It was great fun to make... taking a full 8 hours to produce. Rhodocrosite stone with facted pigeon's blood ruby accents. The pendant sold six days after being listed on my website... I hated to see her go, but shipped her out to her new home where she would become a christmas gift. I hope Emily liked her :).

Wk 8 _ Free form ring ala' Eni

2005-12-07T20:35:00.000-08:00

I am back tracking, catching up... I am posting for week eight in the Four Seasons of Jewelry, more than a little late, but alas, here it is. :D This is my results for the freeform ring tut from Eni. While I wished I had used a different stone with a higher dome, I think it turned out pretty well. The pic is crappy (will be replaced later) but I am too tired to break out my light tent set up right now. More later ... Im' too tired to think right now and I must go... to ... bed...

FSOJ wk 9: Pheonix

2005-11-26T18:04:00.000-08:00

I am behind a bit on the year of jewelry project... missed week eight. This pendant is my week 9 entry. It is a comissioned piece for a man in Alberta, Canada who cuts his own stones. He displays in museams and asked me to wrap some of his stones for him to use in his displays. The stones are truly inspirational, so they are a lot of fun to wrap. This is a fine specimen of ammolite... all a very intense electric fiery red! I felt that it was soooo red, that I needed to break it up a bit, so I added three mexican fire opal accents to it, which I think work well with it. I love the way it turned out... very proud of this piece. And knowing that it will be on display in a museam in another country is just icing on the cake. :) :::flips hair::: lol. The gentleman and I now have an arrangement whereby he will provide stones for me to wrap, and I will barter my wraps for some of his amazing specimens to call my own. Since I am totally in LOVE with ammolite, this is a perfect arrangement for me... these stones aren't cheap, so it's a very beneficial relationship. He now has someone to wrap his pretties, and I don't have to go broke to get my ammolite fix. :D

Wk 7: Cradle of the Moon

2005-11-09T09:25:00.000-08:00

This week started out with no listed theme, though the theme 'family' wa later selected. That did not inspire me though, so I went off in my own direction (as I often do) and created a pendant inspired by Lisa Claxton. Even though it was inspired by Mrs. Claxton, I gave it my own twist and created something different. I call this piece 'cradle of the moon' because the coin pearl looks much like a moon to me and the wire weave just sort of cradles it... I really enjoyed making it, and while it looks terribly compicated I was impressed with how quickly it came together. I will do more like this one without a doubt...
I have yet to oxidize this piece, which I fully intend to do as I feel it will add depth and character. I think I will use the boiled egg method to oxidize to ensure that the pearls will not be damaged. I am afraid if I dip it in a LOS solution that it will do more harm than good, but the sulfer gas from the egg will be much kinder to the overall piece.

FSOJ: Week 6... Pizazz Earrings

2005-11-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

Well, while earrings are the last thing I planned to make this week as I've really made *enough* of them already, lol, that is where my inspiration led me. This weeks theme was Pizazz, and I love this color combo together... serene and sparkly. Very oceanic in my opinion.

Delia Stone's Studio

2005-11-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

FSOJ: Autumn week 5

2005-10-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

I had a custom order that was sitting on the back burner that I decided to get out of the way for this week... a rear view mirror ornament. This was really one of those destined pieces. I had been thinking about making some of these ornaments while sitting at my last show, when a local woman came up with a crystal piont and asked me to make her a custom rear view mirror ornament. Serendipity for sure... and so, I finally did it and will be making more soon.

Week Three: Earrings

2005-10-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

This has been a crazy week so I didn't have much time to really devote to making jewelry. I spent my weekend taking my 3 year old son on his first camping trip, so I had no time that I could utilize for jewelry over the weekend - hence, the quickie earrings I cranked out to keep up with the project in a timely manner.

I might have tried taking some supplies along with me but that we were hiking into primitive forest about 10:30 at night, in the dark... just me and my son, and god knows I had enough to carry in addition to having to hold my little mans hand the whole way in (which was a somewhat precarious trip) who was a little concerned about his mommy leading him into dark woods in the middle of the night. LOL But we were meeting friends who also had children who were already out there, and I kept encouraging him on with the promise that his Kat and Adrianna would be waiting for him... after about the first 10 minutes on the trail, he began to doubt me and insisted that Kat and Adrianna were in school, not in the dark woods and that we were lost and should go home. But he held my hand in a death grip and we continued forward. He was so pleased when we arrived in the camp site and his buddies, Kat and Adrianna, were waiting for him - just as mommy had said. He had the best time of his life that weekend, and he keeps urging me to take him camping again... so I guess the dark and scary trip in was worth it to him after all. :)

Week Four: Earrings too

2005-10-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I had hoped to be able to put aside time this week to make a piece worth of the FSOJ project, but again it has been hectic to say the least. I quit my job and got a new one... I think I am going to like this job much better than the last. However, this one is going to be a BIG adjustment for me as it has more than doubled my drive time each day and I now have to get up at five in the morning to get to work on time... UGH. I am really nocturnal by nature, so this is a challenge for me. It leaves me greatly exhasted by the end of the day and I seem to be void of any creativity. However, I am looking forward to having the weekend to put aside some time to bait my muse into helping me to create a worth piece for next weeks entry. :::crosses fingers:::

Week Two: Luna # 12 in Autumn Colors

2005-10-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

For week two, I decided to use a custom ordered piece from my last show which I completed in time for the entry. She is another Luna from my Luna Series created with green garnet and hessonite garnet.... her Name is Autumn Moon. These colors are so beautiful together. Very rich combination. She will be a Christmas gift for the customers mother. I hope that she will like it as much as her daughter insists she will. :) Autumn Moon was fun to make, as were all of her sisters. I really enjoy making these pendants. Each one has it's own unique character, just like little people.

Four Seasons of Jewelry: Wk 1: Autumn Bangle

2005-09-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

I was one of many participants in the initial incarnation of the Year of Jewelry project (2004 - 2005), sponsored by the Creative Wire Jewelry forum. Jewelry artists from around the world participated, each committing to make one piece of jewelry per week for 52 weeks to contribute to the gallery. The project was a huge sucess, pushing all of the participants forward in their progress and growth as artists.

I am also a participant in the second incarnation of the YOJ project, now renamed as the Four Seasons of jewelry. I look forward to another year of growth as I seek to experiment with new techniques, refine and revamp old techniques and search for ways to express myself as an artist. For the first week, the theme (which is optional) was counting your blessings. Two great blessings in my life are first and foremost, my beautiful three year old son, Dakota. Through having him, I have grown as a person in ways that I never imagined. He remains the number one blessing in my life. The second blessing which is represented in my work this week is discovering Eni Oken. Eni is a very talented jewelry artist who gives of herself freely, sharing her techniques which has helped me to grow as an artist in uncountable ways. In tribute to the blessing that her work has been to my life and my own work, I created a bangle using her coiled frame technique for the first weeks entry into the FSOJ for the Autumn quarter.