Latest Projects (Knitting and Jewelry)

Well, just a week into my new "schedule" and i am liking it! I decided i needed to be more productive with my work and have decided that Mondays are jewelry making days, Wednesdays are fiber days, and Fridays are dedicated to painting. I wish this meant that i could lock myself up in my studio first thing in the morning and emerge hours later with a few new masterpieces on these days, but hey, i gotta save some time for life too! So i am making sure i dedicate at least one hour a day to these aspects of my creative life. It sounds like it should be easy, but...

Anyway, here is the latest in the jewelry and knitting department....

My newest serpentine bracelet nestles in Buddha's hand. The colors are deep and rich mossy greens, greys and ochers. The clasp is sterling silver

Here are a few pair of earrings. More chalcedony with sterling silver wires, and some green peacock fresh water pearls, and tiger iron beads, hung on gold filled lever back ear wires...

Mixed turquoise nuggets, some real rough and some more polished, are hand chained together and held with an oversized sterling silver lobster claw clasp.

More of those peacock green fresh water pearls strung with a sliced shell centerpiece, and sterling silver fish hook clasp. The necklace and matching earrings sit on a bed of amethyst...

here is a picture of the back of the centerpiece, which can be worn either way...

i really like the sheen on that piece of shell...

In the knitting department...LOOK WHAT I MADE! I still have to sew the seam together , but you can actually tell it is a baby hat! The wonderful world of knitting has opened up for me! And i could never have done this without my wonderful knitting teacher, Linda Lange, who teaches knitting classes at The Paper Sparrow This may not look like much to you, but it is the first time i have actually been able to read a pattern, and make something in knitting with needles other than a square or rectangle! Thank You Linda!

And for my latest project and one of my goals for the year...make a baby sweater. This one is all in garter stitch and is the easiest pasttern i could find on the internet. Once i get this one done and put together, i'm going to try to make a fancier sweater for Lola and then one for Seth. Wish me luck!

New Malas

A green Jade mala

I managed to bring my little travel case with my wire, beads and tools to Boston with me and while there i managed to make a few new malas . For those who don't already know, a mala is a string of prayer beads worn or carried by the owner, used to count the repetition of prayers, much like a rosary. As i would complete a new mala i would place it around my neck, and wear it for a bit to check to make sure there were no problems with the piece. I was approached a few times by people who wanted to buy them from me right off my neck there at the conference center!

Aquamarine mala with Quartz crystal center bead

Soft pink Rose Quartz mala

This is my own personal mala i wear all the time. I could have sold this one a few times! It is made of Amethyst tumbled beads with a Lemon Quartz center bead. I have always had a fascination with malas and rosaries and love to make them too. I thought i would share the new bead projects with you...

In the Works

I finally put the dolls down and decided to get busy with my jewelry projects. I need some pieces ready for The Paper Sparrow, and for a fundraiser for my sister Sandy in the next few weeks. So, here are a few of the pieces i have finished...

A bronze shell pearl necklace

A faceted Olive jade necklace with a carved new jade centerpiece

An agate cuff bracelet

a chunky turquoise necklace

A handmade rosary with rhyolite
and agate

Black shell pearls strung on a handmade chain

And an amethyst nugget mala (hand chained, 54 beads)
with a lemon quarts nugget guru bead.

Now all i have to do is work on my photography skills!