I still haven't gotten labradorite out of my system...

...so here's another necklace. I'm really happy with how simple it is, while still providing plenty of 'wow' factor. You can click on the photos to read more about it and see more views.

I've also been playing around with alternate versions of handmade earwires from my free earwire tutorial - here's what I came up with today:

To make this version, I formed larger coils (probably about a 3/4" dowel instead of a 1/2" one) and cut 3/4 hoops instead of full hoops. They are bent at a sharp angle in the middle, and I hammered them. What do you think, are you interested in seeing another free tutorial for this version or is it easy enough to figure out yourself based on the last one?

I've spent a fair amount of time during the past few days getting my workspace more organized, and as a result I have a pile of supplies set off to the side that I know I'm never going to use. So I thought it would be fun to give them away. I've always had 'freebies' in my bead shop (spend $25 or more and you get to pick something out from my 'freebies' section), so I'm going to add these items there. They will be going up during the next day or so, and there are a couple of pretty nice things, more valuable than my usual free items, so check in when you get a chance, and maybe you'll find a prize! Here's a sneak peek at a few of the things you might be able to snag for free:

And on the vegan cooking front, I have to tell you, it's been a bad week. I've been in the mood to try new recipes but I've somehow managed to pick a bunch of stinkers. It's irritating to take the time to cook something and clean up the mess, only to have it taste crappy! That's why you should pay close attention when I post recipes - they are always carefully taste tested, by both a vegan (me) and an omnivore (hubby) before they grace the pages of this fine blog.

Tonight I'm going to work on a second try of a veggie stew and dumpling combination; hopefully it will turn out yummy enough to share. This morning I tried making vegan french toast for the first time, and it was fairly good, but I think I can make it better, so we're going to be eating french toast variations for breakfast for the next few days while I try to perfect that as well.