Lovin' Labradorite and Labradoodles

I've said it before....I LOVE labradorite!  

Not sure if I've said it before .... I LOVE labradoodles!

.... see below for the contrasting beauty of both species.

According to Wikipedia.org, labradorite was discovered near a town called Nain in Labrador, Canada though usually mined nowadays for jewelry quality in Madagascar.  And the labradoodle dogs "ancestors originated on the island of Newfoundland, now part of the province of Labrador, Canada."

 Has anybody ever been to Labrador?  Sounds like a pretty nice place to me.

My cousin saw the combo above (a labradorite briolette, my floral "shield" pendant and tiny faceted labradorite beads) before I put it all together and said I'll take it!

Thanks Cuz!  

So if you're down near San Diego way and you see this on a pretty lady...you know who it is : )

Which brings me to say that I will be making another soon.... if any of ya'll are interested let me know!  

And, I have just had a mold made of my pmc pendant below so now I can have lost wax casting made in sterling.  I'm thinking of experimenting with castin in gold too.  I need to hold my breath when I ask for the quote!

And if you're in Ojai, California and you see these funny looking pups... please don't be afraid.  Their bark is just them sayin' hello.  Their names are Stella (red) and Lucy (cream)... mother and daughter.  No, these are NOT their beds .... though they sometimes think otherwise!

Winter Holiday in London - Conclusion

Day Three -
My last day in London was spent at the British Museum.  Again, there was so much to see that I barely skimmed the surface.  I made a bee line to the ancient gold jewelry of the Minoans and Mycenaeans, then through the sculptures of the Parthenon into ancient Assyria, Egypt and Mesopotamia.  Of course, this is where I always go, creature of habit that I am.  This time I took photos and notes.  There is a special energy in these rooms which I cannot explain but is definitely awe inspiring.  After browsing the antiquities, I had a fabulous lunch in the upper atrium cafe which included the most beautiful caesar salad I've even seen then off to browse the fabulous bookshop.  As I was leaving I walked quickly through a room filled with Native American antiquities as I was late for a meeting....Ohhhhhhhhh....had I known!  There are so many more treasures yet to see.  Maybe someday I will live in London for a time just so I can see every inch of this magnificent museum.  I ended the day with a visit to a  dear high school friend who is a full time resident in the UK and her delightful business partner and friend .... a great end to a lovely trip.

I took more photographs than I can share here but here are some highlights....

atrium at British museum

gold & carnelian necklace from Cyprus 1400BC

Minoan earring from Crete 1850-1550BC

Aphrodite 2nd cent. AD Roman

flying eagle necklace from Turkey 1400BC

goddess Hathor 1400BC Egypt

Nebamun, Hatshepsut & daughter hunting the marshes 1400BC

Egyptian limestone game "mehen" 2890BC

Egyptian faience necklace

Assyrian limestone letter and envelope 1850BC

funerary headdress & necklace from Ur 2500BC

Pheonician carnelian & gold necklace from Tarros Sardinia 500BC

Hellenistic oak wreath from Turkey 350BC

"If you are truthful you will have as much gold as you want."

~ Greek proverb ~

Unique Handmade Fine Silver Jewelry for Great Holiday Gifts!

I've been busy using some of my newly acquired (and a few I haven't played with in awhile!) vintage bronze jewelry dies from Afghanistan to create new unique wearable pieces in pure silver metal clay..... still handmade by me in my little Ojai studio and fired in my mini kiln. And I decided to play a bit more with braiding Irish linen for cords in different colors.  It was a little tricky securing the braided cord ends in an attractive way.  I tried several different ways which failed my aesthetically critical eye and was about to give up (for the day, that is) when VOILA!, the Universe came to my rescue and a solution finally came through my thick skull.  I'm excited about the results... and I especially LOVE the braided red linen!

 All items available, or soon to be, in my Etsy online shop.

Tribal Heart Necklace

Floral Blossom Necklace

Floral Mandala Necklace

 

Arabesque Heart Necklace

"A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist."

~ Louis Nizer

Playing with Aura 22 Gold

The price of gold is at an all time high ... $1,855. today!  But, with the invention of Aura 22, I can still play with gold and not have heart palpitations if I make a little mistake!  My cousin commissioned me to create a necklace for her thirteen year old daughter, who saw the crystal druzy and fell in love but wanted my PK touch with it.  I finally found a moment to get my act together and finish it.  I made a few pieces, along with the custom order, so I could practice my guilding.  I made the extra tear drops in case the custom one didn't come out right... luckily they all came through with flying colors. 

The process is fairly easy. You make your fine silver metal clay piece, fire it like normal, then without touching it or polishing it, you paint several thin layers (I did four layers) of the liquid 22k gold clay paste.  The liquid gold has a small percentage of silver clay mixed in so it will fuse with the metal clay piece.  So, after applying the gold, it goes back in the kiln at only 850 degrees for 15 minutes (or you can fire it with a torch).  The first time I used it, I had a difficult time as the clay didn't want to stick to the silver after firing....  it flaked off while I burnished/polished it.  I read that it sticks better if you take it out of the kiln while still warm (but NOT hot) so I tried that approach. Seems to have worked!  Though from the first try, I learned not to polish with a polishing pad with any grit or it will rub the gold off. Best to use a burnisher.  I haven't tried the tumbler yet.

The first photo show the teardrop metal clay pendant without any oxidation. The whiter area is the silver without the gold overlay. The following photo shows the same teardrops as earring WITH oxidation.... a completely different look.  The last photo is a fine silver metal clay pendant with Aura 22 gold painted only on the granulation and floral detail, then oxidized.

GOLD 

 This symbolizes the purity of the spiritual aspect of "All That Is". It is symbolic of spiritual development in the realm of complete understanding, allowing one to both attain and maintain communion with the source of all being. It emits an energy to prompt one to allow beauty to come forth from the inner being as one travels through the world of experiences. It assists one to activate, to mobilize and to actualize the intrinsic potential of the self. The energy of gold can assist one in the elimination of ego conflicts and feelings of futility. It balances the heart chakra and amplifies thought forms. Gold has been used to open the third-eye and is an excellent mineral for purification of the physical body. 

"PURE GOLD DOES NOT FEAR FURNACE."

~ Chinese Proverb ~

Beads and Legos of Summer

Yes, I have been a bit distracted from my jewelry passion lately.

I have been very determined to help my fiver year old son learn to be a stronger swimmer so we've been in the pool practically every day this summer.  He loves the water and is definitely part fish like his father but he has had a great fear of THE DEEP END! Several attempts to motivate him into the DEEP END ended up in tears. Hmmmm. I decided to bribe him.... The other day, I told him that when he was ready and could swim from the deep end to the shallow end (long length of the pool) I would buy him a new Lego set.   I know, I know... I shouldn't have but I just KNEW he could do it! He looked at me and said "You mean for FREE??... No allowance?"  I said "Yes!".  He ran straight to the deep end, jumped in and swam all the way to the shallow end ...NO TEARS!  Thank you Lego...mission accomplished!

Despite my hours in the pool, I have managed to squeeze in a little creative time for myself and managed to design and assemble a few pieces that have been sitting in my studio for a few months.  I made the silver pieces months ago but as you can see, I'm finally playing with the beads I went crazy buying at the bead shows and having so much fun! Here is a sneak preview before they hit Etsy....

"You are all separate beads strung together on that one thread, God."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Ancient or Contemporary

I sketched the design for the following necklace sitting in a splintery old wooden chair set in a strip of gravel next to a decomposing asphalt parking lot behind an old gas station while my car was getting it's yearly health inspection.  Instead of dwelling on my unsavory surroundings, I enjoyed a quiet moment in the California winter sun and let my mind wander.  I came up with several simple designs, all with curves, dots (I love dots!) and holes.  I tend towards simplicity but I love detail.  I think the piece below is a nice compromise. But I can't decide if it looks contemporary or ancient....maybe my creative juices went back to the future!

This piece is now for sale in my online Etsy shop.

"The distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion."
 ~ Albert Einstein ~

Lovin' Linen

As I sip my earl grey tea I am thinking about my love of linen.  I love everything and anything linen....sheets, dresses, napkins, pillows. Old, new....I adore it all.  If I could (maybe I've said this before), I would probably live in white linen (layered with cashmere in the winter!) adorned with jewels for color! And now, I have added a new favorite to my list.... waxed irish linen cord!


I had previously used natural hemp linen thread to create braided cords for my silver pendants but my friend Tegan, the fabulous antique letterpress printer, let me in on a little secret source..... Royalwood Ltd.  They are the ultimate source for basket weaving supplies and Irish waxed linen cord.  For a small fee, they will send you a sample card of every color and size of waxed linen you could ever hope for.  I ordered spools of about 5 colors to try out and now I'm itching to order more....purple, red, indigo, mint, fuschia.  


My first experiments with the dyed linen making knotted necklace strands turned out so well, I have more colorful jewelry creations sprouting in my head. I feel like an excited kid with the anticipation of new box of crayolas!

field of flax...birthplace of linen

The necklaces are all for sale on Etsy.

Solid Foundation

I finally got my act together the last two weeks and put my rear in the saddle again.  I've been busy assembling pieces that I made at the beginning of summer, photographing the finished pieces and loading them onto Esty.  My creative juices are flowing again.... I'm sketching, pulling out my beads and ordering more findings and clay. And, I sent my first order to a jewelry fabricator to have some of my original pieces duplicated with molds and the lost wax technique so I can create more elaborate pieces with better price points!  I can't wait to see the results.


Considering I've been under the weather the last week it's a miracle that I've been so productive .... maybe it's the new birthday year cycle getting in gear (my birthday was Monday the 20th).  I'm 44 years young now and I've heard that 44 is a powerful number. The number four "vibrates with paying attention to detail and building a solid foundation for the future.  In 44, the effect is doubled".  Well, that's what I'm doing!

Here's some of what I've been working on... all available on my Etsy shop...

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him."
 ~ David Brinkley ~