Sunday, November 26, 2006

Tourmaline, Lampwork, and a Drusy

I didn't used to work with tourmaline very often; it is a rather expensive stone if you are able to find stones that don't look like lumps of coal (and I really don't care to work with lumps of coal) but I finally have had some luck with getting some decent tourmaline. This tourmaline bracelet mixes different colours of toumaline, including pink tourmaline, with sterling silver and a couple of lampwork beads from two different lampwork artists. I love the faceted nuggets, a cut I haven't yet gotten tired of.

I decided that I needed to make a lampwork bracelet without gemstones, and that I needed to use some of my new Swarovski Cosmic crystals - these are in Lt. Colorado topaz, and I am very happy with the way this bracelet turned out. The very, very nice lampwork beads were some that I've had and that are so special (and expensive) that I'd put off using them. They are also a rather odd colour as well and weren't easily matched. I do love the new Cosmic crystals by Swarovski.
A drusy agate pendant got me started on this necklace, and it was serendipity that some whitish to bluish-grey agate nuggets, smooth, arrived in the studio, just waiting to be paired with this drusy pendant. I'm making earrings to match, of course.
I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Ah, the beginning of the holidays. From now on, everything will be rush, rush, rush!
See the drusy agate pendant necklace at
Cluny Grey Drusy Jewelry, and don't forget what a wonderful gift our unique handcrafted jewelry is!

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Unconventional vs. Conventional?

The first bracelet was inspired once again by the marvelous lampwork beads by James Derrick Reeves and reminds me of something a friend once said,"Artists can get away with anything."
"Oh, you mean like staying drunk all the time and being unfaithful?"
"No, "she said, "you know, like wearing green and purple together."
The bracelet above is made of tourmalinated quartz, lampwork beads, and wonderful faceted amethyst nuggets along with sterling silver chain and tiny little charms.
Maybe not as daring as green and purple together, but I was in a mood, and I'd just gotten these luscious faceted citrine nuggets (very nice), and decided to mix them with some light aqua chalcedony I had as well as the lampwork beads. The sterling silver accents are from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes.
For the more conventional, a rainbow moonstone bracelet with lampwork beads in a light periwinkle blue. The lampwork is by Burt Gumeson. There are also chalcedony nuggets and faceted rondelles as well as some tiny little cabochon rainbow moonstone charms.
In the same vein, but a different temperature is the bottom bracelet: a sunstone and boro lampwork bead bracelet with vermeil and a huge very special crab fire agate faceted nugget. The vermeil elements in this bracelet are from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes also.

After being out of town for a while, nothing is as hectic as returning and trying to catch up on all the work - even though I took plenty of work with me! Does work multiply exponetially when we're away?
To see these bracelets, and many more, go to our Cluny Grey Jewelry website; the link will take you to the citrine bracelet first. (Don't forget that citrine is the November birthstone).












Saturday, November 11, 2006

Citrine, Kyanite, Pearls, and a Little Lampworking





I haven't posted for a while since I've been busy in Washington, D.C. taking a lampworking class among other things. I drove my daughter's-in-law 2 cats there (about 900 miles) so that they could all be together since they are back in the US for a while. I've been busy trying to find blue topaz that is a decent colour, but affordable, and trying to resize a bracelet with huge chrysocolla beads so that it retains its original look. But I did do a couple of things.
The first bracelet celebrates citrine since citrine is the birthstone for November. Aren't the dragonfly beads great?
The pearl necklace/torsade came from an idea I had when I was in Bailey, Banks, and Biddle in St. Louis buying a watch for my husband. (Thanks for the inspiration B,B, & B).

Finally, the earrings are the most marvelous sterling silver woven rectangles from the Karen Hill Tribes that have kyanite coins hanging in front of them. The basketweave in the silver is wonderful.
I will post again soon, I promise! I am also trying to get new pieces on the website as soon as possible - check Cluny Grey Jewelry.