Clownin' Around Lampwork Bracelet

I just love the colors in this beautiful focal lampwork bead. Focal bead is made by: The Shard Gallery. It measures 21mm x 33mm and the colors are a brilliant orange, red, gold, white and turquoise with a touch of clear glass. The tiny bubbles inside gives it the appearance of the colors floating in fluid. I tried other colored beads with this but the genuine turquoise just set the whole focal bead. Any other color just seemed to take away from it's beauty. Sterling silver bali curved tube beads, a couple of cute sterling bali round beads, some bali spacers, a sterling lobster clasp and extension chain finished off this bracelet nicely. For an added touch I attached a handwrapped sterling silver beadcap and an orange AB czech glass crystal beads with a tiny turquoise bead for a lovely charm.

WOW, doesn't this bracelet and all the colors remind you of the clowns at the circus? This bracelet was just recently featured on: The Shard Gallery Website. If you are interested in purchasing this bracelet, it is for sale at my Etsy Shop: Naturally Charming.

We are definitely making the move to Wisconsin. Our target date for leaving is: August 15, 2007. We will be having a couple of garage sales before we leave hoping to weed out a collection of things that we have accumulated in the five years we've been in Florida. I am somewhat of a packrat and I am totally addicted to garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets so you can imagine all the things that I will be getting rid of. I'm in the process of sorting and organizing all of my pattern magazines that I've collected over the years; ie. quilting, sewing, beading, crocheting...and the list goes on. I have started listing some of the patterns on my other Etsy website: The Foolish Craftsman.

Be sure to check it out for upcoming specials and goodies. I will be adding things on a daily basis so check back frequently.

English Lavender Garden Bracelet

Can't you just smell the lavender in bloom? I love the lampwork beads in this bracelet. I bought these beads from FerrariOriginalBeads at Etsy. http://ferrarioriginalbeads.etsy.com/. They have gorgeous beads so check them out. I'm sure you'll find something you like. I handwrapped these beads in sterling silver wire and added a couple of fancy sterling beads that I had been saving for that something special. This was that time I think. The square beads are a beautiful amethyst crystal glass that I also have had for some time. I finished the whole piece off with more sterling rings, bali spacers and a very lovely floral sterling silver toggle clasp. If you're interested in purchasing this bracelet, please check out my Etsy Shop at: Naturally Charming .

My Etsy Trades for Baby Things

Etsy is such a great place to shop or sell handcrafted items. I have two grandchildren who will be born sometime in September. My son and his fiance are expecting around the 15th of September and my husband's daughter and her fiance are expecting around the same time. It has gotten to be kind of comical because it appears that the race is on between the two families now.

Each week, as the girls go to their doctor appointments, I get a new report of how they are each progressing. Recently, both doctor's have figured they are both further along than realized therefore, the due dates have changed frequently. Unfortunately, since these will be our first grandchildren....it's become a bit of rivalry for being the first. The good news is: my son is having a boy, my stepdaughter is having a girl...so at least, we'll have one of each. Maybe if we're lucky they'll both go into labor at the same time and they'll have the same birthday.

Anyway, I've been doing some shopping for baby items that I want to buy for my new grandchildren and I've been doing it on Etsy. Yesterday, I posted in the forum asking for baby items that I might be able to trade for. I got several responses and I've made a few choice trades. I traded a beautiful rose quartz necklace for a lovely rag quilt and I've also traded two ankle bracelets for two chenille bibs with little fishies on it.

I'm going to leave you with both of their shops on Etsy. The quilt was from:Susan's Treasures and the bibs are from: Our Kid's Boutique . I want to say Thank You to both of you for making this such a wonderful transaction.

Gray Mist Lampwork Bracelet

I am so pleased with how this bracelet turned out. The focal bead is a One Of A Kind lampwork bead created by Cindy Craig at: Artglass Adornments . The gray part of the bead is kind of transparent with swirls of white and blue colors going through it but the beautiful part of this bead is on the inside: a luminous color of aquamarine/teal blue and it is so sparkly and beautiful to look at. It shows through both sides of the beads. I decided to add some sterling silver bali curved tube beads, rose beads, a couple of twisted rings and some 6mm Swarovski crystal bicones to add to the sparkle and luminosity of the focal. I finished it off with an extension chain and lobster clasp of sterling silver with a small handwrapped charm at the end of the extension chain. I tried to get the camera to pick up the dazzling colors in this bracelet but I think it didn't do it justice. It truly is a beautiful bracelet and it has a mysterious quality to it. If you're interested in purchasing this bracelet, you can do so in my Etsy Shop: Naturally Charming. I have more wonderful lampwork beads by talented artist on Etsy and I will be showing them off as I complete each design so stay tuned for more surprises.

Lemony Flower Jasper Olive Jade Pendant and Earring Set

This is the other pendant that I had so I decided to do something unique and unusual with this one as well. I started with some sterling silver cable chain and handwrapped some olive ab czech glass crystals and a oblong tab of flower jasper. I continued on with that theme along one side of the necklace and on the other side I added a couple of larger olive czech glass crystals and some beautiful sterling silver beadcaps in between the flower jasper beads. The end result is very beautiful, I think. I added a simple pendant of olive jade as a focal point for the necklace.

The earrings carry the same theme with the olive ab czech glass crystals and flower jasper beads. I added the olivine swarovski crystal bicones to give it a little more pizzazz. The ear wires are french style and sterling silver. If you are interested in buying these you can do so by going to my Etsy Shop at: Naturally Charming.

Turquoise in Motion Necklace

This is a little different style for me but I wanted to try something quite unique with some pendants that I have. I thought they required a chain but with some added flash. I handwrapped some turquoise and red mountain jade beads into the sterling silver cable chain and attached a beautiful heart toggle in sterling. Then I wirewrapped the pendant in sterling silver wire and added some jade charms and another larger round turquoise bead with a Hill Tribe silver bead cap. I think the end result is very stunning. The pendant is quite unique as it has a very nice striation of lines and markings all the way through the stone to the backside so that the back is just as beautiful as the front. If you are interested in buying this pendant and necklace you can find it listed in my Etsy Shop: Naturally Charming .

Gemstones Galore

I finally got these photographed tonight. These are the ones I found in downtown Melbourne, FL the other day. Click on the picture to enlarge so you can get a better look. From left to right:

1. First three are Silicon Carbide - Discovered in 1891 by E.G. Acheson. Man-made fro a compound that forms extremely hard irridescent crystals that are insoluble. Information on the metaphysical properties of silicon carbide is unavailable.
2. Next one on top - Ruby in Fuchsite - Encourages one to follow their bliss. Allows one to remain at ease after tense emotional or physical situations. Due to fuchsite's flakey texture, do not prepare elixirs from this stone in the traditional manner of soaking the stone in water.
3. Onyx - green/gold - Excellent for scrying or carving magical amulets. A stone of inner strength, allowing one to focus and follow through. A stone of physical strength, allowing one to gradually build up one's vitality.
4. Tiger Iron - Accelerates and enhances all healing functions. Diminishes one's tendency to procrastinate. Helps to alleviate fears associated with "survival" issues.
5. Bottom left - Amethyst - A physical representative of the Violet Ray of transformation, with strong protective qualities. Enhances psychic abilities and channeling. Stimulates the pineal and pituitary glands, and the endocrine system.
6. Aquamarine - Aids creative self-expression. Enhances inspiration, peace, calmness and love. Calms nerves, reduces fluid retention. Strengthens kidneys, liver, thyroid and spleen.
7. Citrine - "The Merchant's Stone" - Allows the bearer to increase and maintain wealth. Enhances the body's healing energy. Never needs clearing or cleansing, and will not accumulate or retain negative energy or vibrations.
8. End piece - A carved whale bead in jasper - Holds an aspect of solar energy and a connection to the solar plexus chakra. An intense stone of protection against negativity. Helps one to be grounded to the stabilizing energies of the Earth.