Ooops

Drat! I left the kiln on last night - that means only one thing. I have to make beads this morning to justify leaving the kiln on all day! (If I set it to anneal now - I still won't have the beads until this evening anyway, so - they might as well stay in there. ) That's just sad - having to sit down at the torch and make beads first thing on a Sunday. Truly tragic. ;-)

Check out this parure (jewellery set) - I finished the bracelet yest. morn while waiting for a kiln firing for some painted glass beads that I'm working on. I put them on a new background, which looks nice, but the focus is not quite perfect - so I'll have to re-shoot these - I guess the camera needs a coffee first thing too.

The amazing dragon pendant has a neat little story. This spring, some of my friends were down in Tucson (for the big spring bead and gem shows) - and S____thought she'd try and find me a dragon. Hard to find me one I don't have, these days. But as she was wandering around, she got lost, and found herself outside an antique store, away from the usual vendors of the gem shows. In she went, and lo!, she found this dragon - isn't he perfect? I'm not sure what the base he is mounted on is, it actually appears to have been something before the dragon was added, as there is an old carving on it that is mostly obscured by the dragon on top. He is sooooo awesome.

The Turq. beads are the 12 mm beads that we sold out of almost immediately - I snagged a strand for myself, and you can see that I would have used more in the bracelet if I'd had more! But they match perfectly the turquoise that is inlaid into the pendant for colour. The turq in the pendant doesn't have the high polish of the beads, leading me to suspect that it might be real unaltered turq. Especially if it is old. Thanks again S____ - I LOVE this dragon! He is soooo gorgeous!

The big sterling balls are new - look for them on the site, hmmm - I think they are in this week's update - I love 'em - I predict they will be hot! The bead caps next to the "ivory" spacers - in reality, my own handmade lampwork beads in ivory glass, and lightly etched - a look I love! - the bead caps are awesome with lampwork and I think they will be hot and fly out the door too. Also coming up this week, I think.

The earrings - this Victorian Fan headpin and two of these new flower bead caps - maybe they aren't in this update, cuz I can't think what I called them - are my new best friends. Headpin, beadcap, bead, beadcap. Wrap, earring finding. Wham, bam, thank you ma'am! And - they really flatter my face. I'm having a hard time with earrings these days - still mourning the lost of the ankh that I wore for the last 17 years, dammit. Which is why I'm wearing posts with studs, euro-wires or shepherds hooks with a plastic stopper. Losing that one really made me crazy. (For those that don't know - I have worn a silver ankh earring on one ear and silver stud in the other for as long as anyone has known me. This spring, I lost the ankh while out at dinner - while tugging a necklace off over my head to show someone, I think. Anyway - retracing steps and calling the restaurant revealed nothing. It seems crazy to feel bad about something like a little piece of jewellery - but - well, it was important to me. )