Christmas Day 2007 The Felt Girls

Monica with the wonderful felt hat from Vanessa.


Emma strutting the bracelet that Nancy made!!! along with the knitted fingerless gloves and funky knitted socks that her Grandma knitted her. The tee Emma is sporting is from a wonderful Etsy seller,
Circularassessories.

2007 Christmas Concert at Henry Hudson

Emma has gone a long way since September, learning to play the tenor recorder!!! She played Jingle Bells, Up on a House Top and Lightly Row.

Tourmaline, Akoya Drop Festive Earrings

My new festive earrings. In tourmaline with plump Akoya pearls. I've listed these on my Etsy site to see if I can sell jewelry rather than just earwires... sigh....

18k Gold, London Blue Mystic Topaz, Sapphires, Oh My

Well I've finally made something with my 18K gold. Earwires. Hmmm. Today I wirewrapped all the London Blue Mystic Topaz briolettes I bought from e-Bay along with sapphires. These earrings are surprisingly heavier than I imagine they would be, but much lighter than many earrings I've made. I'm not sure how many headpins I used, probably over 50.

My Sweetie

A picture really is a priceless!!!

I'm Winding Down

Well I've finished the Craft Shows now. I'm officially on sabbatical from selling. I have a few pieces left and will hopefully just sell them by word of mouth. Above is an Exclamation Pendant that I was commissioned to do. The stone is garnet.

Last night I bought 5 rough cut cubed diamonds. And this morning a pair of biwa coin pearls on Etsy that are inset with clear topaz in a 18k gold bezel. In the next few months I hope to be able to fabricate with ease small gold bezels together to form organic looking pieces. Of late, Todd Reed has been an inspiration to me. He a self-taught jeweler who is very in touch with the organic side of fine jewelry making at it's best.

Moving onward with Jewelry

This past week has been hectic for me. I've been crazily making jewelry from all my hundreds of semi-precious and Swarovski crystals. I made about 12 necklaces of freshwater pearl necklaces at 11:00pm or 5:00am, to have them sell instantly. Earrings, oh my, last week, I made about 40 pairs and all sold. I'm exhausted, but feeling good that my supplies are dwindling.

What irony, I wanted to move my jewelry that has been sitting in my jewelry room, some for 2 years now, and when you tell everyone that you are moving on to different jewelry projects, then all of a sudden, wham.... people are wanting my jewelry...

Finally read the camera manual

I've been really trying to work on my photography with this digital camera I have. I actually read the manual and went online this week.

Here is a photograph, without a photo tent. I used one halogen lamp, put camera on the P zone, and changed the AEB to 1. Done in the dead of the night. I'm pretty pleased that my photo came out as good as that. No photoshopping done to it at all.

Snowdrops Pearls and Lemon Quartz Earrings

I'm testing my new circular non-interchangeable earwires. These earwires have several dangles wirewrapped around them, so that you know you'll never loose any dangle since it is soldered together.

Ocean Breeze Blue Chalcedony, Blue Peruvian Opals, Green Amethyst and Labradorite Earrings

I'm working on my new dangle type earrings. I'm trying to evoke elegant, streamline and eye catching. hmmm.

Tourmaline, Tanzanite, Citrine Briolette Necklace

At the Fraser Valley Bead Show, I fell in love with many sparkly, facetted briolettes. This strand is said to be of the Tourmaline Family called Tandrite. I wirewrapped random number of briolettes, with an odd dangle of a Ruby rondelle. On the side of the necklace is a cluster of round smooth tourmalines, with rubies and one lonely Tanzanite facetted rondelle.

The other half of the Heart of Gold for United Way

Here are the matching earrings to the Heart of Gold Necklace.

Emma's Return from Girl Guide Camp

I picked Emma up from Hollyburn this morning. The rain has been relentless this weekend. Thank goodness for wick away clothing and 100% rainproof gear from Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC). I think Emma could qualify for the outdoor store magazine, she was dressed from head to toe in all their gear. Special thanks to her guide leaders, Agnes, Andrea and Hayley.

Heart of Gold for the United Way Silent Auction

The focal glass bead is the "Heart of Gold" by Kerri Fuhr (lampwork BC Artisan). This beautiful necklace I've handcrafted for my Periop Team at the Vancouver General Hospital for the United Way Basket Silent Auction. I wirewrapped Swarovski crystals to accent this beautiful focal lampwork bead. The dangles from the bead are Tandrite, a type of Tourmaline stone. All components in this necklace are hand fabricated by me and are all in sterling silver. Matching earrings to follow.

Northern Lights

Yesterday I went to the Fraser Valley Bead Show. I spent way too much, but have a beautiful selection of faceted, Mystic Topaz, London Topaz, faceted rubies, citrine, amethysts, periodot. Today I bought some Tandrite Tourmaline and Green Amethyst (presiolite). So I must make lots of jewelry now to get out of debt. I made these earrings this morning using my own sterling silver headpins and earwires. The top beads are sapphires, then I have a beautiful lampwork bead by Kerri Fuhr. The bottom of the earring is Labradorite and a Blue Peruvian Opal. I named these earrings Northern Lights. The Inuit have a ledgend that the Northern Lights are captured in Labradorite, and this is the spirit of these earrings. If you like these earrings, they are for sell!!! JFAA

I also purchase a big hollow lampwork bead from Kerri, named a Heart of Gold. This will be the focal bead of a necklace for the United Way silent auction at work, donated by my team, Perioperative Services.

Clouds

A really cool thing happened today in Vancouver, first the sun came out and we had beautiful white puffy clouds, (now for those who do not know, this is like rare occurrence, especially since it is Thanksgiving Day). Last night I made these earrings called "Clouds". They are chalcedony, sapphires, aquamarines and one lonely Swarovski crystal. I caught the clouds in the reflection while taking photos of these earrings in my "photoshop area".

Using My Stones!!!

Here is my Autumn Cornelian Necklace joined with the bracelet. In the spirit of making jewelry that can be interchangeable. This necklace may be extended form 21.5 inches to 28 inches when the bracelet is attached to the necklace. I hand fabricate all my sterling silver clasps and try to make them appealing enough that you want the clasp to be in the front!!! If this necklace and/or bracelet is calling your name, visit my online store






Another whole set, using all my Amazonite stones. Again, the bracelet and necklace may be joined together. For added flare, I've added Karen Hill Tribe silver lentils.

Turquoise & FWP Necklace No. 16

So what to do on a Canadian Thanksgiving weekend? Start actually making jewelry from all the huge stash I have of semi-precious stones. What a concept?!!! Well above is a beautiful natural turquoise nugget necklace accented with bronze freshwater pearls and two Karen Hill Tribe 12mm silver lentils that are oxidized. And of course the clasp is one of mine. All components are sterling silver. If you feel the urge to buy this beauty go to my online store here

I'm a Devil, a dirty little devil....

Today we went and bought fabric. Emma wanted to be a devil for Halloween. Needless to say, there is never a perfect pattern, but we had lots of fun improvising.

Study of Circles - Bubbles in Motion (BIM) No. 2

Shown with just two rings.

Another one of my Bubbles in Motion (BIM) No. 2. Again using the same concept that you can blow real bubbles using the (left) bubbler ring. The middle ring, omega open and closed is new in this series.

From L-R we have bubbler ring, omega open and closed, and the bubble in motion ring. This ring may be purchased right now from my JFAA website.