Post and run . . .

Just to let you know I'm still alive.

Chinese Turquoise and Golden Chalcedony.

Wearable.  Wonderful.

Back to gardening and tending the early flowers.

Tres Amigos . . .

Well, this was fun!  In the midst of the 'making frenzy' that is preparing for a biggish show the end of February, stocking galleries and preparing for the summer shows, I took yesterday afternoon to build three beads.  I call them beads because they're open and (duh) not solid.

Punched, drilled, pierced and roughly sanded, these three little guys are fun little pendants - unique, simple and complicated all at once.  They're 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter, hollow, of course, and a treat to make when you're feeling sort of 'challenge-y' and not so 'bent wire and a bead earring-y'.  They are capped with three aquamarine beads for accent - still trying to decide if I like that.  Pretty sure I'll be making more so I'll have my chance to leave the bead off, of course.

No more - no less.  Fun at the bench.

January sunset . . .

Skinny gold orange sliver of the barely-set sun, darkening evening grey January sky, striped bands of layering clouds and jet contrails.

All at once in this banded agate.

I'm committed to getting back to what I love working on most of all : lapidary and setting the stones I cut and polish.  I have so many delicious cabs on my bench and I have spent the weeks leading up to Christmas working on the 'quick work'.  Not particularly satisfying for me but results oriented work.
With this new year : new work
Simple
Direct
Clean
Fresh
Oh, and my New Year's Resolution every year is to make contact with at least one old friend who has dropped off my radar screen.  This has been my Resolution every year for at least a decade and it has been so rewarding.
Completely doable.  
So if you've dropped off my radar, expect a call.