Tourmaline Stackers

The universe has aligned in such a way for me to find super-high quality beads for super low prices. I love it when that happens! Call me cheap, but I hate paying full price for anything. When a sale comes up at one of my favorite bead stores, the debit card comes out and I tend to go a little crazy...

I found these incredible tourmaline discs at a very reasonable price. After I made the bracelet, I thought it looked a little lonely on my wrist, so I made a friend for it using Swarovski Elements in khaki, jet and fuchsia. The colors compliment one another perfectly...the set looks like a little slice of watermelon on my arm.

I also got a great deal on these 15/0 Miyuki seed beads. To keep with the watermelon theme, I selected pink and olive AB to coordinate with the tourmaline and Swarovski crystal. This one is still in progress. I am using a simple netting stitch and will finish the bracelet using a little snap on the ends. Once I am finished, I will have a pretty stackable set that will be a fantastic addition to my summer accessory wardrobe!

The Coolest Thing I Ever Made...

...well, maybe not. But pretty cool nonetheless. I make SO much stuff (probably too much) and it's hard to pick favorites. This design just seemed to work particularly well.

I'm really into science and space (read: nerd) and many of my pieces reflect that interest. These remind me of an icy moon with a lot of craters. To make the silver charms, I rolled a lump of PMC over a textured plate, sanded them to a smooth finish, torch fired them, and then applied a liver of sulfer patina. The discs are a deep blue kyanite, my new favorite stone. Kyanite is similar to mica or talc, but it doesn't flake as easily so it works better in jewelry designs. It's so pretty to look at because of it's unique shine.

Depending on their complexity, PMC charms usually take me a few hours from start to finish, but the end product is worth the effort. I just love these earrings!!!