Kyanite Chunk (185.00)

I found these Kyanite nuggets on my last trip to the warehouse to stock up on gemmies for the opening of my new wholesale Gem Store http://www.magpiegemstones.com/ and I couldn't resist ripping apart a strand and wiring it together with thick sterling.

I picked up a small flat of kyanite raw rocks awhile back but was never able to get them in the store. They were each so different it was hard to build a listing. I made it so the foacl is removable. The fire is glorious.

I have a few strands in the store. http://www.magpiegemstones.com/catalog/item/5332376/5304532.htm

Sunset Custom Order (sold)

I made up these beautiful amonite cabochons for a lady in Austin. Wrapping the neck cabs was a labor of love. It is hard to see how they were wrapped but their is no beginning and no end. It was one of those - "I think this will work in my head" things that took four hands and three tongues bit just right in the cheek to manifest into reality. I felt like I won the superbowl when I got them to perfectly match.

Moon Bracelets

Button Closure

Pink Aventurine Medley

Chaos Wraps

More and More and .........................

Still playing with what do people want under the tree. What would I want under the tree. What would I stuff a stocking with? Here is what I envisioned.

The Beading Gem.

Beadinggem did a blog on my work. She was so nice I am blushing.

Go take a peek if you want.

Szarka

Feature Designer Szarka is a 16 year wire-twisting veteran who deeply appreciates the gemstones she uses. She confesses to fondling gems and lets each piece dictate how the design unfolds rather than the other way around. Mother Nature is her muse. Szarka hopes each design is a work of art and they are indeed.Her designs are gorgeous. No wonder I had the near impossible task of trying to select the one design that speaks most about this artisan. In the end, I chose her Baltic amber cabochon because, it shows her skill at wire jewelry making and her unerring eye for unusual focal beads. The amber had been cleverly carved to showcase flowers against a black background created by burning the amber from behind. Szarka emphasised the garden theme further with turquoise rondelles.This is but one design among many. Her sampling of her latest collection for the season shows her versatility as an artisan. She may call it wire twisting but this pendant in a piece she aptly calls Kaos shows her technical skill in turning wire into cascades down one side of the pendant. Another collection of her work features a lovely carnelian necklace - Szarka loves carnelian as do many people.Tempted? Go do some serious drooling on her blog.

Getting ready for the Season

Just some more pieces I have been working on to get stocked up for Christmas.

Crochetted Halters

Hand crochetted hemp, ribbon and cotton. I have sold hundreds of these over the years and there is no pattern except the one in my head.

Kaos

Egyptian Ruby

Peruvian Opal, Rubies, Blue Chalcedony brought together with an Egyptian Silver medalion. The Rubies and Opal can be found in the store www.turquoisemagpie.com

Carved Amber

Someone carved flowers into the back of this Baltic Amber Cabochon and then melted the back so it was black. The effect is an amazing glowing garden inside the amber. Very unique, well I had never seen anything like it. Married with large Heishi or maybe rondell green turquoise. This piece has presence!

Simple Brio Earrings I am doing up for Christmas buying. I like the industrial look on these.

Busy Beaver

My husband found this beauty for me. It is Gold Seraphanite, it has Gold shimmer mixed in a brown to olive green background. Just my colors. It is very soft and in my playing I scratched the back so now this piece is mine. I have decided all the clothes I will buy will be brown (I am tired of having so many clothes so I figure one color fewer pieces needed?) so this piece will go with all my new clothes.

MMMM sleeping beauty. At a bead show I saw a vendor with tables of faux and Chinese turquoise. Never hurts to look right? I found a pile of natural Sleeping Beauty hiding under it all and my eye sought it out like just find Waldo. I walked off with every piece for a song. It is beautiful.

Another glass bead by Noel. I have been hanging onto this one to replace one a customer broke but I have been waiting a year and have heard nothing so I whipped it up with mismatched silver and hunks of Tourmaline.

The new AA grade turquoise from China. Beautiful blue mixed with real Coral. The good stuff. Very hard to find and keep any of it in. I have 4 strands in the store http://www.turquoisemagpie.com/

Matching bracelet of course.

......................... and ear thangs.

Old Amber and dirty pennies.

Much better picture. It was raining today and the camera always seems to like taking shots in the clouds. Carnelian. Orange crush. I love carnelian.

Found some Omega chains. New supplier in Texas. Yeah. No more mail order form Florida wondering if it will ever arrive.

Sleeping Beauty Turquoise I got yesterday. It made my heart happy. The baby blue, natural, sigh. I mixed it with Amber a friend of mine brough back for me from the Baltic sea. I had been holding it in my tight little fists for years. Time to let go of it I suppose. Thanks Bri. The focal is an amazing story. When I started to live on the road full time doing festivals I was scared. I was use to the stability of a 9 to 5 etc... I met a beautiful traver by the name of Becky. She lived in a green motor home and sewed up teddy bears for the stars. She was working on one for Demi Moore while I watched, at her card table with a chord running 30 feet to a plug in. She had just hit the road herself (10 years previously) and was feeling as I was at that moment. She went to a garage sale and found a plastic beaded curtain. She almost put it back when she took a really close look and realized it was Amber. Large amber beads of butterscotch. Wow. She informed the guy it was Amber, he shrugged his shoulders and said $2. She lived off of that amber for a year, selling it piece by piece. This was the last piece and she gave it to me. It was cut in half to make a cab. I wore it on a my hand made buffalo hide pouch my husband made me for years. My money bag for shows. It has traveled for 20 years now with travelers bringing luck and fortune. When I was making up this necklace it asked to go with. I am sad about that but who am I to argue with a piece of Amber. Someone else needs it now.

Bone Goddess I picked up at the Austin Bead Bizarre from a vendor named E. Silva who runs a bead business called Pulquerios. She had wonderful unique focals and I couldn't resist the Goddess.

Frustration Works as a Muse.

The Lizard made me so frustrated that I went into a whirlwind of activity ....... here are the results.