I made this one with the turquoise and red beads back when I lived in Flagstaff almost 10 years ago. Some of the beads came from a shop on the Oregon coast where you could find stashes of vintage and world traveling beads. That was over 15 years ago that I bought those. The peridot is my birthstone and the brown glass center piece once spent time in my dreads. :)I have no idea where the one on the cactus went. I gave it to a friend, I know, but who?? It has African glass blue and yellow beads, amber resin beads, white turquoise, pink resin, pink quartz, and square glass for sparkle. I want to eat it.
This was designed for my my ma, in celebration of on of our favorite caring spirit, Santi Claus. Red and green say say cheer, pagan style! My favorite technique is to jazz it up with silver and crystal and the bead in the middle does both with the dichroic charm.
The necklace with the light blue vintage German beads was for Kathryn for her birthday to match her eyes. It also has swaravski crystals for bling against the mat white beads for contrast. Lime green turquoise keeps it happy and bright along with pink and red bamboo coral (not endangered). All of these beads came from various years at the Tucson Gem and Mineral show. I mixed in both gold and silver seed beads for spacers and added a lovely clasp that has a modern touch.
The scorpion necklace in the bowl is the first choker I have worn or made in a long time. Created with the classic combination of amber and turquoise which I have grown up with in the Southwest - only different because of the lovable unique whiteness of these round turquoise and also branching away form that classic style with the jade I added to emphasize that soft feel that the white turquoise contributed. I think of a woman I met while working on a flower press project at a temp job in Seattle, who was an elderly woman from China, when I see Jade. She told me it give you strength and has old wisdom in it, is what I remember.
That's me and my dog Lucy in my garden, where I spend most my time. Those are the suitcases I keep my jewelry supplies in. Many of the colors of the beads are inspired by celebrating life in the Sonoran desert.
