New Ideas

Under the sea with this beautiful sterling silver turtle. His shell is a        druzy, andhe swims under a reef made of blue lace agate. embellished  with rough agate, sea shells, mother of pearl koi swim among the seed  beads and fresh water pearls.

This reef themed bracelet features a star fish lamp work bead, thai silver  rounds and a silver and turquoise clasp. I strung this bracelet and it sat for  a while in my hall of shame, it just did not look right, I was afraid the glass bead would clunk on something and chip or worse break. The band was too thin for the glass bead, it looked out of proportion. So on the way to Tuscon I took it as a project to take apart, but thought I would try something a little different. This under water themed bracelet emerged, the glass bead is nestled in a basket of seed beads, it can still spin freely so you can view the other side. The band is embellished to reflect sea creatures from beneath the sea, bulking up the thin bracelet and adding interest. So from the hall of shame emerges a star “fish”.

I found these druzy’s in quartsite, and fell in love with them, druzy’s if you  don’t know are the inside of geodes. Geodes are like kinder surprises you  knock them open and there is a surprise in everyone. Mother nature is  awesome. This druzy is bezelled and backed in sterling silver.  Embellished  with seed  beads. The beaded bail is adorned with iolite and reflects the  undulation of  the druzy itself. Below we find tanzanite and more iolite  drops to bring out the purple in the druzy.

This druzy is bezelled and backed in sterling silver, the bail is also sterling silver. Embellished with seed beads to bring out the brown in the druzy, the bottom holds three tourmaline drops.

Here we have left over pieces from my porcelain doll making days. Quite expensive glass eyes from germany I could never part with them. Traveling to Tuscon I again planned on doing something with them, I just couldn’t stand them staring at me for all these years, I thought I would bezel around them, but I didn’t want Laura McCabe to be upset with me, that was her idea first. So once I became more familiar with silver smithing I created these eye earrings, forming the eye brows and shape of the eye, but then again they may resemble a bird? They where quite a hit in the silver shop, I could keep an eye on everyone. Giving my doll eyes a purpose once again.
This piece contains rhondonite and is bezelled and backed in sterling silver. Using a silver tube bail.
This piece of porcelain jasper was cut and polished by my husband John. We also learned to lapidary in Tuscon. I hope he continues on with the stone cutting it would be great to be a team once again. I used a sterling silver dolphin bail which is hold a cz clear marquis. The seed beads shadow the porcelain jasper.

Another druzy bezelled and backed with sterling silver, sporting a sterling bail. The embellished druzy is decorated with seed beads to echo the purples in the druzy.