Windows to the Past

I've finally finished my first fall piece. I'm running a little behind schedule! This piece is made with all natural baltic amber. I've been hoarding my amber for years. There is so much fake stuff out there, I'm afraid to buy anymore!

Baltic Amber is one of my very favorite stones. But its not really a stone, its fossilized resin (tree sap!). It estimated at being at least 50 Million years old though it could very well be older.

The pendant features a gorgeous green amber cab. Green amber is my very favorite kind of amber. I've used honey nuggets and butterscotch nuggets as well. The butterscotch nuggets are particularly special - they are half opaque and half translucent - something you don't see every day.

In between the honey nuggets, I've used fine silver hill tribe nuggets. There are also ornate bali beads through out and a bali clasp.

Wedding Baubles

One of my closest friends, Shell is getting married in the fall. She is wearing one of the most beautiful wedding dress I have ever seen! Since she lives in Australia, I had to design the jewels from a picture of the dress. I've always wanted to design wedding baubles. Of course, I have before but nothing like this. Shell generously gave me complete creative control! I got to pick out everything which is what I love best. For the earrings, I've wrapped tiny, micro faceted smoky quartz around the delicate turkish silver filigree earwires. I bezel set the sparkly faceted garnets to resemble a abstract flower shape. 

The focal of the necklace is a pendant bezel set with 29 sparkly faceted garnets - though I did not set it. The necklace is made with micro faceted smoky quartz and faceted garnet. There are bali sterling silver beads sprinkled through out. 

Here is Shell's beautiful dress, I can't wait to see the wedding pics!

Thank you so much Shell, I hope you like your baubles!

Atargatis, the Mermaid Goddess

I finally got a piece done after about a month of not creating anything. This piece was inspired by the story of Atargatis. The first known mermaid stories appeared in Assyria, ca. 1000 BC. Atargatis, the mother of Assyrian queen Semiramis, was a goddess who loved a mortal shepherd and in the process killed him. Ashamed, she jumped into a lake to take the form of a fish, but the waters would not conceal her divine beauty. Thereafter, she took the form of a mermaid — human above the waist, fish below.

I love the colors and textures of this one. It features a gorgeous abalone and pearl pendant. I've used white druzy pearls, peacock keishi pearls, whole abalone shells, fine silver hill tribe molten nuggets and sterling silver bali beads.

Custom Order

This was a custom order from a dear customer and friend. It features a beautiful sugilite pendant. The necklace has my special stash of sugilite along with pink, purple and plum spinel and bali spacers through out. Finished with a bali clasp. I love how it came out! All the various colors of purple look gorgeous together.

Sugilite Pendant                     

Sugilite, spinel & bali

I have been battling a nasty cold for a few days now and finally am starting to feel better. Yesterday, we awoke to about 2 inches of snow. More snow! Winter just started and I have a feeling we will be seeing even more of the white stuff.

Latourell Falls

Photos by Jeff Scooler

www.ScooyouPhotography.Etsy.com

My knee has been injured most of the summer so I haven't been posting much. Finally, its getting better. Last Sunday, we went to Latourelle Falls which is in the Columbia River Gorge. It is quite beautiful there with a very short trail to the fall. Not quite as beautiful as Multnomah Falls but much less touristy. 

I have been working on my fall line. I'm making pieces with rich browns, dark oranges, velvety purples and golden yellows. Several pieces will be made with 14 KT gold fill and vermeil. Here is one of my newest. It is made with warm orange red fossilized coral and hammered 14KT gold filled chain. Vermeil Clasp. I was fascinated to learn that fossil coral is mined in Indonesia from pits and trenches dug in the jungle and along stream beds that was under water billions of years ago. Reefal Limestones are fossil remains of coral reefs. The calcium is leached out of the limestone and replaced as silica. This process is referred to as silification. The result of the silification is the creation of fossil coral. 

Earth Day

Yesterday was Earth Day though we celebrate earth day everyday. We try to be as green as possible. Even my 4 year old knows about pollution and he turns off lights when not is use, he turns off the water when he brushes his teeth, recycles paper, washes out his yogurt containers and recycles that too. My family lives green by using/doing the following:

• Wind power electricity
• Recycle all paper, glass, plastic, plastic bags, cans
• Low flow heads on all sinks and showers
• Eco, phosphate free dishwasher detergent
• Limit driving and combine trips
• Flush only when necessary
• All light bulbs are CFL
• All appliances are energy star
• Limit electricity use
• Recycled paper towels and napkins
• Turn off water when brushing
• Recycle yard debris
• Cut up our christmas tree and use for fire wood
• Natural makeup, soap, body scrub, lip balm, lotion

My hubby and I regulary discuss other ways to be more green, we are planning on taking the following steps:

• Green laundy detergent - I found several sellers on etsy and can even get it scented coconut!
• Green gardening - We do some now but I want to switch to all green products
• Hybrid car
• Green cleansers - there are some new products on the market I want to try
• Compost

I just haven't been able to use the recycled toilet paper, it feels like sand paper! I hope they can find a way to make it softer. I would love to have a house built with all green products and have all our energy, solar powered.

Here is one of my newest pieces. It has a angel aura druzy pendant. There are faceted mystic quartz crystal nuggets, rainbow moonstone and faceted mystic smokeyquartz. The clasp is rainbow moonstone and all metal is sterling silver. It is available for sale at my etsy shop.

Project Night Night

I sold one of my favorites pieces. This gorgeous baltic amber necklace with a amber pendant that has a real butterfly inside. It was hard to let it go. I put so much of myself into my pieces that it feels like a sense of loss when a piece sells. Especially this piece, this piece is special. Its nearly impossible to find amber with large insects inside.

I had the flu most of last week so I didn't get any pieces done. Saturday, we went to a farmers market. Sunday, I worked in the yard.

This week, I'm working on pieces I'm donating to two charities. One of the charities is called Project Night Night. Project Night Night is dedicated to improving the lives of homeless children. Project Night Night donates tote bags with a blanket, book, and a stuffed animal to children in homeless shelters. Project Night Night is helping the emotional and cognitive well-being of each child by providing objects of comfort. They are having a silent auction and I am donating these earrings made with natural pyrite druzies, turkish silver and sterling silver. For more information on Project Night Night, here is their website : http://www.projectnightnight.org/