Happy Birthday, Robin!

A good friend of mine is turning 60 today. As part of the birthday celebration, her husband decided to commission a set of jewelry. He took a look at some of my designs, and asked me to make something using my leaf cluster design. He also selected "jade" as his color choice - then I set to work. I've really enjoyed creating with a specific person in mind. Her husband came by the other day to pick the set up, and was very impressed.


I'm really hoping she loves the pieces, too. I made earrings in 2 sizes, a delicate necklace, and came up with a new design for a bangle bracelet. I really like this style, and am already working on one in purple.

Faux Opals

Opals. They're so full of sparkle and depth. The range of colors is just amazing. Real opals are also fragile and crack easily if not cared for properly. I thought it would be fun to see if I could re-create that sparkle and depth with polymer. I found some ideas on the Internet, including an excellent tutorial from Donna Kato, and then launched some experiments of my own.

Part of the trick with making the opal "look" is creating the illusion of depth. Hurray for liquid polymers, translucents, and iridescent flakes! I'm doing some more playing with heat, color, and settings, and will be looking for other inclusion possibilities. I plan to be showing you those in the near future.

It's August - and I'm back!

I'm back! Of course, you probably weren't aware I was away. My husband and I just finished cycling - that's right, pedaling with our own legs - up several mountain passes in the Rockies of Colorado. Amazing views, and tough climbs - especially on a tandem. Really beautiful country.

Now we're home, and I'm busy with beads and clay. I'm working up the samples for the various workshops I'll be teaching this fall. I've got the first bracelet made. This is the class I'll be teaching at Nature's Art in September. More photos of other samples will be forthcoming - as soon as I get off the computer and get back to beads and clay! Keep checking back, and take a look at the workshops and classes page for more info.

I also have a loose bead show at the end of the month, so am working away on my polymer. Here's a sample of the first set I completed. I love chrissy canes, and had to try this experiment. I'm really quite pleased with the results. :)