Vacation with Grandbaby

I am having a wonderful time with my daughter and grandson this week.  He is learning so fast.  We are spoiling him rotten of course. 
He gets his third round of immunizations today...dreading that.  Right now he's having cereal and beets, with a bit of formula mixed in. 

I have to confess I miss my jewelry making; but I thought a break from it was due.   I really want to spend every minute I can with Gunner Kane, since it will be over next week (until I return for more).  Long distance grandparenting is not ideal. 

Well, off to the doctor's office!

Yesterday

Well, I got rained out yesterday...sales were good for the hour that it wasn't pouring rain!  All my jewelry got wet, tags ruined, tablecloths soaked.  Yuk.  I had to pack up and leave once the rain let up enough to do so...everyone else was leaving too, since more rain was coming.  Now, we needed that rain really bad so I can't complain too much.
As for the hand-crafted only business?  Ha!  The lady right in front of me set up with cheap Chinese junk jewelry to resell.  I am so disgusted with that.  Should I join in?  It seems to do well money wise, but never mind that it will fall apart tomorrow and no telling what sort of toxic chemicals are in it.
That's it for today, gotta pack to go see that precious grandbaby boy!!!!

Selling at Van Buren tomorrow

I'm going to try a new venue tomorrow, Sept. 17,  for selling jewelry in person.  It's at Van Buren, MO (the courthouse square).  This event used to be called the Van Buren Arts and Crafts Festival, but it is now run by the Missouri Extension Council and is called the Carter County Fall Festival. I sure hope the weather is great and the crowds are wonderful.
Last time I participated in a "hand-crafted items only" event, many vendors were selling made in China junk.  That is a turn off for many who come looking for unique items.  I will ONLY be selling items I made. 
In addition to jewelry, I will have gift items such as bookmarks, keyrings, decorative fan pulls, and zodiac stones.  Start Christmas shopping now and have a serene December while everyone else frantically shops the leftovers!

More Favorite Stones (Not the Musical Group, Ha)

Let's see, how about Rose Quartz?  This stone is naturally pink, sometimes very pale.  Occasionally it is dyed to enhance the color, but I prefer to use natural stones.  Sometimes there are streaks of opaque white quartz in the stones as well.  Here is a piece, combined with another favorite, prehnite:

Behind the slabs of rose quartz are amazonite (aqua), chunk of raw rose quartz, and amethyst.

Aqua Terra Jasper:  this stone comes in vibrant shades, such as this one, or in more delicate shades.  It is also referred to as Impression Jasper, or Sea Sediment Jasper.  I combined it with cream quartz and golden crystals, along with antique brass metal components.

Serpentine...so many types are available.  This one is referred to as Rainbow Jade, or Antique Jade. 

Serpentine is relatively soft, and should be handled and stored with some care.





Moss Agate is a beautiful and fascinating stone when viewed closely.  It contains green inclusions and white agates (sometimes drusy).  I used a woodgrained jasper for contrast when designing this piece:

 One more for today.  This is considered an organic bead, since it was a living creature at one time.  Its name is Apple Coral; you can see why:

These pieces are all in my personal collection (all designed and made by me).  Thanks for looking!

Elements of Nature

I started jewelry making because of my love of stones.  Crystals, pearls, metals...I knew about that kind of jewelry.  But when I realized that the average person could obtain gorgeous real stones..already polished, shaped, drilled ...each one unique...I became passionate about it.
Recently reflecting upon some of my favorites, I decided to share a few with you.
Rhyolite has various greens, reds, cream, rust, and brown in it, along with drusy quartz inclusions:

Turquoise...this piece has some greenish tint to it, and brown inclusions.  The diagonal stone on top is a type of chalcedony referred to as "green opal".

Agates are gorgeous, too.  And each one is so different with it's own patterns.  This one has a nice quartz center:

I have lots of others to tell you about in the next edition!  Time is up for today.  Thanks for browsing.

Upcycled Jewelry

My daughter loves the vintage jewelry style that is so popular right now, and she recently acquired a relic to fashion into either a necklace or bracelet.  So I added this old vintage chain and clasp, along with some new bead caps and purple crystals.  What do you think?

She hasn't seen it yet....shhhhh!

Recycling/upcycling old pieces into something new is not only a good thing for the environment, it can keep a favorite piece usable, or convert something that was Grandma's into an item that a teenager wants to wear. 

Oh, P.S.   I knew the weatherman was lying!  We got a barely discernable mist.  But it is cooler, that's nice.

Hope everyone is having a nice Labor Day.

Promises, Promises

Yes, the weatherman just keeps promising rain and cooler weather.  Now it's supposed to be tomorrow.   Do you think so?  Well, eventually it will be cold and wet; it always gets there. 
I live in a riparian water rights state.  That means if a body of water runs across or under my propery, I have the right to tap into it and use it (as long as I am not polluting it).  That has been great!  I have a submersible pump in the creek and lavishly water my flower beds. 
Or, it WAS great.  The water is so low now there is just a trickle, so my poor plants have fallen on hard times.  I've had to choose who gets to live and who has to die (or at least go into an early dormancy).  I guess when it cools off, I will just cut back all the nasty dead stuff and wait for next spring! 
Feeling empathy for all the flower lovers, wild critters, and farmers down in Texas this year.

Remembering earlier this year:  some giant tomatoes in the background.  Love these black-eyed susans; they volunteer every year.
Enough for today.  Better go water the potted plants before it hits 95 degrees outside!

Ahhh Autumn! Well not quite yet, but close!

It finally cooled off a bit today, but still no rain.  With the drought turning the leaves yellow it has me feeling like Oktoberfest time. 

Is there anything so nice as a crisp day with an azure sky and rustling leaves of warm hues all around?  Well, probably, but I am looking forward to it.  Here is a nice scene from my back yard a few years ago to get you in the mood.

Blog work done! Added 3 widgets and this episode.  Kinda fun!