Just for Fun

I'm making up a new meme - it's called 'What's in your jewelry box?' and it's very simple - post pictures of as many or as few of your own jewelry pieces, with or without descriptions. By 'your own jewelry pieces,' I mean ones you have kept for yourself and wear regularly - not just the things you make and sell to other people (if you're a jewelry designer). I'm curious to see what kinds of things other jewelry designers wear themselves - I think it's interesting to get a glimpse of each artist's personal style; I know that I tend to wear things that are generally more understated than a lot of what I design and sell to other people. It's not that I don't love the fancy stuff; it's just that I am usually a jeans-and-a-tshirt kind of girl. So here you go, a look inside my own personal jewelry stash...

This is my simple 'everyday' necklace - a sterling silver photo charm (with Carlos' picture of course) and labradorite pendant on a basic sterling snake chain.

Matt got me these earrings a while back and I love them - they are just basic sterling hoops but I love the way they open and close - the joint is virtually invisible.

Again, very simple (are you sensing a theme here?) and basic, but this one has sentimental value because we got it on our first trip to Guatemala when we met Carlos. It's sterling silver and jade.

This is my most recent purchase. I very rarely buy jewelry from other artists now that I'm making it myself, but I had to have this ring from Down to the Wire Designs. It was a custom order; I saw another like this but with a different stone in his shop and I mailed him this pink tourmaline cab (my birthstone) to use for my ring. It just arrived the other day and I haven't taken it off since except to take this picture.

I have these for sale in my Etsy shop and nobody has bought them. I can't figure out why - I love them! I can do them in lots of different colors, but this one is perfect for me because it stands out against my dark hair. I wore these today, as a matter of fact.

These are also for sale in my shop, and I had to make a set for myself. They go with everything and are small and simple. I've sold quite a few of this design.

Another offering from my shop that I had to have for myself... AAA garnet on a delicate sterling silver chain. This one is called the Ella necklace.

This one has been for sale in my shop for about a month and I finally couldn't resist the pull any longer - it's mine now. I'm hoping to get more of these rectangular labradorite cabochons though, so I can make more. I've gotten several inquiries lately from people wanting me to recreate it for them in a different size, but I'm out of cabs! Grr.

Another of my own designs, this one is my wire wrapped Swarovski vegan pearl ring in Misty Grey. I love the way the pearl picks up the colors of what you're wearing and seems to blend with almost anything.

This is my one exception to my otherwise 'nothing too fancy' personal style. It's an Eni Oken inspired wire wrapped bracelet with green garnet, citrine, Bali silver, Swarovski simulated pearls, lemon jade, serpentine, and ocean jasper. I love the way all the stones work together. I don't wear it often but when I do, I really enjoy it.

And last but certainly not least, my wedding ring. It's not looking its best here - it could use a cleaning, but I love it. The center band is carved in an antique-inspired orange blossom pattern. Simple and delicate, perfect!

And now I get to pick five people to tag...

Magdalena

Rae's Creations

Starry Designs

Christina

Eni Oken

What I'm Excited About Today:

1. I found out that our local recycling center has a big stash of used bubble mailers that they give away for free. I've been troubled lately by the wastefulness of buying box after box of new bubble mailers that will probably all end up in someone's trash, and now I don't have to fret anymore! The larger ones will be cut in half, and I'll stick a new label on and probably enclose a small note for my customers explaining my environmental reasons for reusing envelopes. I know it's not as pretty but hopefully people will appreciate the motive behind it.

2. Every so often, I eat something without it even dawning on me to check the ingredients for non-vegan substances (such as Planters dry roasted peanuts - who would ever think to check for gelatin???) - anyways, a few years ago I met and fell in love with Altoids cinnamon mints... that is, until I found out that they too contained gelatin. I was disgusted and never at them again - blech. But today at the natural foods store, I found these.

Yum!!! (And in case any of you non-vegetariand are confused about why gelatin is a no-no, it is made from animal bones and tendons and things like that.)

Family Day at the Beach

My eight-year-old nephew, Calvyn, is in town this week and I think Carlos is in love. Whenever Calvyn is around, Carlos toddles around with a big goofy grin glued to his face and giggles nonstop. It's pretty cute. Today we took the kids to the beach, along with my dad and grandparents, and a couple of dogs (not ours).

I needed a cookie fix...

I have been trying really hard to do less baking during the last few weeks because I'm trying to be healthier, but today I had a serious cookie craving, so I whipped up some of these Chocolate Chip Spelt Cookies from Vegetarian Times.

If you are like me, and think that the taste of the cookie dough is just as important (if not more so) than the finished cookie, then you are in for a treat. I think this cookie dough is some of the best I've ever tasted.

One note on the recipe - it's totally possible that I mis-measured my flour, but if not, then the amount of flour called for in the recipe is insufficient to produce a cookie-dough-like consistency... I had to add another 1/2 cup. But maybe I just screwed up on the initial measuring, who knows.

Anyway, they turned out very good, and to ease my guilt, I'm taking most of the cookies to Matt at work later today. Plus, they're made with whole grain spelt flour and they don't have any hydrogenated oil (if you use the right kind of peanut butter). So there.

Vegan Bridal Jewelry Completed!

I've finished making vegan_noodle's bridal necklace and earrings, plus necklaces and earrings for her bridesmaids. I'm really happy with how everything turned out! I used a ton of different gemstones, including aquamarine (smooth, cloudy rondelles and AA faceted rondelles), faceted green garnet briolette drops, faceted labradorite rondelles, faceted rainbow moonstone rondelles, AA prehnite (faceted pear briolettes and faceted rondelles), and vasonite, as well as ivory and moss green Swarovski simulated pearls and a variety of sterling silver beads. Whew!

How do I stand the cuteness?

I think I have some faunch on my camera lens (I believe that's the technical term) and I had it on macro without realizing it, but still, these pictures are killing me with their adorableness.

If I keep this up, I might be able to bathe in beads one day...

More beads delivered today... eek!

Garnet briolettes

Iolite rondelles

Labradorite rondelles

Prehnite rondelles