Sand into Pearls

This is one of my necklaces for my guild's theme show in March. The Sea is the theme this year. I'm not much of a beach and sea person, but this year the theme has me bubbling with ideas. I have at least another 4 ideas for necklaces and one abstract mixed media piece. As I finish them, I'll get them up here.

I even have an idea for a story to back up one of my necklaces. It's called "Curse of the Dragons Teeth". Based on a beautiful bead I bought last year, it has a King, a Sorcerer, Four Daughters and a Glass Dragon. I'm still working through some of the details, but this is really a cool story. I'm also thinking I may need to add a Pirate and I NEED to go get that pirate bead I saw at the bead store!

This necklace has some very lovely glass pearl beads in the necklace as a base for the sand colored coral fringe. Pearls, faceted pearls, glass pearls, amber and bits of coral hide in the seed bead fringe that surrounds a handcarved bone seahorse. This piece is priced at $175.00.

New Necklace

Here is a new necklace I've just completed. It has five "walls" covered with "vines and grapes". I had made up the triangles some years ago and didn't have an idea for them at the time. But...the ideas have been coming lately and they reminded me of walls. I had fun making this necklace and playing with my beads again.

This piece is made of five brickstitched triangles made with square bronze beads. The vines are a fringe stitch called coral fringe with Czech pressed glass leaves interspersed among the vines. The "grapes" are Wonder beads that have a fantastic inner light when in the sun. The necklace is made of Wonder beads and crystals with a button and loop closure in the back. This necklace is priced at $195.00.

And now for something completely different.

I'm very proud of my cat. She has caught two mice within the last three nights. She is also very proud of herself.

It's still snowing!

With the exception of about 2 days since Solstice, we have had snow/ice or combo of both on the ground. So far, we've measured 16" of snow at the deepest. (Not counting drifts.) For us, this is deep. I've been here for 17 years and HB for 29, and this kind of weather has only happened twice in all that time.

The Oregon mountain ranges have been especially hard hit with well over average snowfall. Great if you're a skier or boarder, but not so great if you try to drive there. Tractions tires AND chains are a necessity. Glad I'm not a trucker going over the passes. AND...more is coming. We're about 1,500' and I hope the freezing level will rise to at least 2,000', I have errands to run.

I've been hibernating since Christmas, but just this week my Muse came back from vacation with any number of ideas for projects. Just finished a necklace tonight and will start a new one tomorrow for my Guild's theme show. It is "The Sea" this year. Everything above, on, below or around the sea. That leaves a ton of ideas to work with. I'm pulling out the pearls for a couple necklaces and have an idea for an abstract collage of a beach sunset. I'm having fun with this theme, even tho' I'm a mountain girl at heart.