Saturday, January 19, 2008

Valentine's Day: Coming Soon



Valentine's Day is just around the corner - less than a month away, and I'm trying to get the newest Valentine's creations on the Cluny Grey website. A few jewelry pieces that I will be adding are featured here today: first is the heart pendant necklace above made with garnets and a touch of Swarovski crystals here and there. Of course, the lampwork beads of Lynn Nurge, especially the silver-laced heart I used to make the pendant, are the focal points of the entire necklace. The necklace can be found on our Handmade Necklaces page (along with the last heart necklace at the bottom of this post).The Prayer Box Necklace above has some of my favorite silver freshwater pearls, little flower beads and charms, and of course a sterling silver prayer box. This prayer box is a favorite because when it opens, not only is there a place to put a prayer or wish, but a kneeling angel comes out. The prayer box hangs from a flower shape that reminds me of some stylized flowers I've seen in the great cathedrals in Spain and Portugal.
The last necklace also features the beads of Lynn Nurge: the lampwork heart with flowers, rose quartz coloured tabs and mauvey-pink and green rounds. The gemstones here are purple crazy lace agate faceted rondelles; little charms hang from two places on the necklace as well-flowers and hearts - very appropriate for Valentine's Day. The necklace also has a flower on the "S" clasp (from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes).

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Moonstones & More Garnets

Ive been trying to look over my website the last few days and in doing so I realized that I had only one moonstone bracelet that hadn't been sold. It was time to make more. I have a Rainbow Moonstone Jewelry page, but it was the regular Moonstone Bracelets page that was so depleted. I have some moonstone that I hadn't made anything with for a while that I am very fond of: these are faceted white moonstones in a nugget form that fascinate me for some reason. They have a strange gleam or glow at angles and I just like their faceted nugget shape. Ifound what I think is the perfect match with some of Robin Weber's magical translucent, silver-laced lampwork beads and with some pretty blue aquamarine faceted nuggets. I used all bright silver to match the sterling silver Robin had worked into the beads and added a Karen Hill Tribes thick white silver chain. To top it off, a pretty white silver toggle that has a flower on the edge of the ring. This bracelet just made me feel good!
But I also had these moonstone nuggets that were the same faceted shape and were odd colours - a greenish colour and a greenish grey. Again, I really liked these but hadn't used them before. Once again, Robin Weber's beads to the rescue! With their green touched with a grey, cream, charcoal and silver, they were perfect for the bracelet I had in mind. Sterling silver and some more moonstone beads with their eerie glow and I had a bracelet I thought seriously about taking home (one of the problems of this trade). But I dutifully put it on the website. With its spiral sterling Hill Tribes charms and rings, it's a real eye-catcher! The third moonstone bracelet contains a mauvey-peach-beige moonstone that has little flecks of glitter as well as a glow in it. The addition of leopardskin jasper with deep peach tones was great for a different look. Leopard in the Moonlight is also on the Moonstone Bracelets page. Don't forget that Garnet is the January birthstone. The garnet bracelet above mixes garnets with porcelain jasper and faceted rose quartz accented by the great lampwork of James Derrick Reeves. Little bezel set garnet charms hang at intervals on the bracelet.
I'm trying to stick to those New Year's Resolutions, and unfortunately, find myself adding more all the time! It seems I have a lot to work on! But I am working on them, little by little, getting organized, being more thoughtful of others, neater at home; I even bought an organization book for artists and artisans about how to organize a studio/office. Here's hoping it helps!