Tourmalinated Quartz . . .

This turned out to be one gorgeous icy ring. The inclusions are spectacular so setting it with an open back was a no-brainer - as was darkening the channel in the band.

So cool.

Update :: sold!

Wordless Wednesday

VinNebraska and All Our Kids, Inc. Art Show

Thanks goodness the weather was wonderful since you really can't ever count on a cool August in Nebraska and that alone makes for a great art show. Tents and tables were already set up and ready for us when we got there so I was grateful not to have to struggle with those two heavy things this time!

There were about 30 artists at this event, which was the organizers first attempt at an art show combined with their fundraising soiree. Granted, most people were there to sample the wines and food and that alone did bring a bit of traffic but sales were disappointing. That's the chance you always take at art shows, n'est ce pas?

On the super swell, positive side, I met some wonderful new artists whom I really, really hope to see again sometime. Plus, it gave me a chance to try out my new set up and display pieces so that's the *big* plus!

Oh, and the wonderful company of my friends, of course.

Coyote pup at the neighbor's house . . .

Again, I hope these twins develop a healthy fear of peeps

Coyote pup!

I've been listening to these little guys talk to each other at night for a month or more but this is the first time I've seen one of them. There are two and they're pretty young - maybe 4 months old or so and about the size of a Jack Russell Terrier.

This pup let me get what I thought was too close, around 20'. I took this picture from the car and 20' is really too close even for the curious pup, I think. Hope they develop a healthy fear of humans as we really don't want them sleeping on the back porch or anything. However, I don't think they have a taste for barn cats if they're well fed and we could use fewer mice and garden-destroying rabbits around here.

I now carry a large stick and my cell phone when I walk.

Ice baby!

Love this Tourmalinated Quartz

I got three pieces of this from Prof Pabian, my lapidary instructor, and here you see one. The stones just beg to be set open-back. Shows off the icy coolness and the stabs of sweet inclusions.

Pretty cool.

Amanda's necklace

My friend Amanda asked me to make her a little necklace to remind her of her grandmother who used to wear a lot of lapis lazuli. Since her grandma had passed, Amanda had none of her jewelry and wanted a little piece of lapis so I made her this sweet necklace.

I wanted it to be a bit lacy and I scalloped the edges and set it with a scalloped bezel. I cut a tiny heart in the back and hung a little lapis bead from the hook to represent Amanda.

Turned out nice, I think. I hope she loves it.

And the other prehnite cab is set . . .

No words necessary, hmmm?

Prehnite couldn't be yummier.

Where the magic happens . . . Jill, for you

I probably should have posted a pic of the Genie in my last post to show exactly what my lapidary equipment is. This little guy really does a fantastic job, I think, although there are much larger and more complicated machines.

There are six wheels in six progressively finer grits as noted in my previous post, the finest being a polishing grit, two spitters to keep the wheels wet as I grind and a lamp so I can see what I'm doing, and a magnifying glass for those of us over 40.

And the end result of the piece of prehnite I polished earlier this week - made into a sweet necklace.

(a daylily pair- had to sneak that in)