Countdown!

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I can remember a time when I was quite small when the month of December was one of the longest in the calendar.  Those days are long gone!  Time is flying quickly toward Christmas Day and even faster to the day I leave for Africa.  I have been busy with custom orders and all sorts of preparations, so I have only three bracelets today.  The first is a Swarovski bracelet with five strands of Swarovski bicone crystals in Pacific opal, white opal, white opal starshine, white opal sky blue, violet opal, peach, tanzanite, and Montana blue. It features a sterling silver toggle clasp.

   The next jewelry piece is a garnet bracelet with a very special large clasp with seven cabochon garnets bezel-set into the top.  A few rose quartz gemstones are scattered throughout the five strands for a difference in colour and texture.

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Back from Africa!

When I looked at the last date on this blog, I was shocked to see that it was November 30th!  I think that this is the longest I've ever gone without a blog entry.  I'll blame it on the Christmas rush and our trip to Mozambique and South Africa, but now I'm back and everything is in full swing.

Although this is a jewelry blog, I am including some of the photos I took of the wildlife at Kruger in South Africa.  The animals roam free and will walk around you and your car (hopefully you IN your car; it is not recommended to get out).  I saw amazing things, including two hippos crashing into the water to take an evening dip - they swim like dolphins, lifting themselves partially out of the water - and real, live lions within 30 feet of me (5 of them at one time!).  The sights and sounds of Africa have already had an affect on the colours and lampwork beads I am using and I have just begun to translate experiences and sights into jewelry.

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African Rhythms

I'm still catching up from my trip to Africa, but here are a few samples of jewelry pieces that are in my new collection called African Rhythms. It's going to take me a few days to get them on the pages of the website since I am still behind on shipping, but they will be there soon with more to come! Enjoy!

To the left, a lampwork bracelet with special lampwork beads, a sterling silver bird toggle,  and Swarovski crystals in a copper colour.  Below, Swarovski crystals in rainbow colours grace the Swarovski bracelet with sterling silver.

Above is an iolite bracelet and below:

a fire agate bracelet;  followed by bracelets of lampwork and Swarovski red magma;  smoky quartz with gold vermeil;  leopardskin jasper;  carnelian, citrine, and amethyst, and a necklace made of sterling silver and chalcedony.

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a fire agate bracelet

I have an unusual grouping of jewelry today; perhaps I should say "eclectic" since there are a variety of gemstones and colours and textures. I am still working on my "African Rhythms" collection and you will be seeing and hearing more of it. Meanwhile, today's group includes from the top: a fire agate bracelet accented with carnelian gemstones and one of my favorite sterling filigree toggle clasps.  Below are fire agate dangling earrings.

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An Odd Assortment

Ah... the air is getting colder. . . I love this time of Autumn when the leaves are changing everywhere and the air is nippy in the morning. I'm looking forward to next weekend when we "fall back" and set our clocks back an hour since when I leave at 6:45 in the morning it is as dark as can be. I actually like the feeling that I am getting a jump on the day, but it does make the day seem especially long.
The jewelry pieces here are a motley group, no real theme, just pieces made because the gemstones intrigued me usually.
Above, you see an iolite bracelet (iolites are also known as the "water sapphire") with 5 strands of iolites and one silver-laced lentil bead that has a hint of purple along with the blue. The clasp is a large oval box clasp set with a cabochon rainbow moonstone that has a beautiful blue glow almost every way that you look. These multi-strand bracelets look especially good with blouses and sweaters with 3/4 length sleeves since every strand will show.
Below, a prehnite and tourmalinated quartz bracelet has three large, gorgeous lampwork beads as focals. They glitter and shine in the light and make a huge statement. All accents are sterling silver.

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The Fall Collection IV: More Colour!

The first two pieces today, top and bottom, will be listed under chalcedony jewelry on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. The chalcedony necklace above is a single strand necklace featuring faceted nuggets of aqua chalcedony along with the prettiest faceted coins of a strong pink chalcedony, Bali sterling silver and the unique lampwork beads of Suzette Celestin. The lampwork picks up the aqua and pink and adds a creme colour to the mix as well. The necklace would look great against a dress or blouse in one of the season's hottest neutrals, a deep creme with a touch of brown called creme brulee.
Below, more chalcedony, this time faceted nuggets of a golden yellow chalcedony that positively glow! The only silver: the tiniest Karen Hill Tribes silver beads, barely noticeable, between the beads, and the pretty sterling toggle clasp. Why? Because the nuggets themselves are so beautiful and so strong in colour, I wanted a very gemmy look for the bracelet, a look that calls for very little silver. This is a simple nugget bracelet with a lot of impact!
One of the Fall 2009 season's colours is "rapture rose." It is a colour that is epitomized by the rhodonite bracelet that you see below - a strong but soft deep pink or rose colour. Sterling silver and two borosilicate artist's lampwork beads add a dash of different colour to the bracelet which consists of two strands of different shapes and sizes of rhodonite gemstones. If rose is not your colour or you can't afford to add this colour to your wardrobe right now, this is a perfect way to get a dash of the colour! Rhodonite is a matte gemstone making it suitable for daytime or nighttime wear, so the bracelet is quite versatile - it also looks great with the iron grey that is one of the most popular neutrals this Fall.
The last two jewelry pieces are a necklace and bracelet and both feature blue. Above, the simple sapphire necklace is made entirely of blue sapphires with the addition of a focal dichroic that sparkles in natural or artificial light. (It's also this month's birthstone).
The last piece is a double strand bracelet that features amethysts and kyanite. Very special lampwork beads add a magical touch to the bracelet and the geometric toggle with the amethyst cabochon keeps it from looking too froufrou.

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Etsy Alumni: Bre aka brepettis

Bre no longer works for Etsy, though we hope to continue to collaborate. We wish him the best of luck with all his exciting web and hacking projects! Don't be a stranger, Bre! (The following was originally posted on March 2008) Etsy has had quite a growth spurt in the past year, and we have the awkward pictures to …

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Etsy How-To: Make a Pinback Button

Anda walks us through making pinback buttons. Brought to you by the good people of the Etsy Labs …

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Exquisite Floral Garden Large Fused Dichroic Glass Heart Pendant Necklace

Description

This is a beautiful collection of breathtaking Dichroic on a Black base that demands attention. The White Enamel floral accents are simple stunning and perfect as a focal bead or on its own. Several layers of glass go into each piece to make it full of depth and with exceptional clarity. You will love the fine detail and intensity and clarity of the colors. These shimmering Dichroic accents are layered to maximize the effect and nuance without mottling the individuality of each pattern. It is a bold and glorious heart perfect for "Big" look. The glass is is 1 3/4"W x 1 1/2"L and is mounted on a Large Sterling Silver Plated Bail. It comes with a Sterling Silver Plated Necklace. All jewelry items are gift boxed with a ribbon. Bubbles are deep within the glass and are generally not noticeable to the naked eye but simply a natural occurrence from the layering of glass. Silver and Gold Plated Bails can be changed according to your specifications. Solid Sterling Silver and 14KT Gold Filled Bails are available for an additional charge. Please note that pictures may have darker or lighter colors on different monitors and are usually darker than portrayed in these pictures. All of my jewelry is created in my smoke free home studio. It is properly fused and annealed to ensure longevity and style. Each piece is individually crafted, fused and shaped which often takes three fusing cycles to complete

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JOURNEY TO THE CENTER Mandala Necklace

Description

The pattern of creation The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds. Describing both material and non-material realities, the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community. "The integrated view of the world represented by the mandala, while long embraced by some Eastern religions, has now begun to emerge in Western religious and secular cultures. Awareness of the mandala may have the potential of changing how we see ourselves, our planet, and perhaps even our own life purpose." (From Mandala: Journey to the Center, by Bailey Cunningham) The Mandala pattern of this necklace is snowflake-like. I particularly like it because it reminds me a study made by a Japanese scientist that heavily studied frozen distilled water. Frozen distilled water does not have snowflake-like crystals, but he discovered that when he exposed it to classical music, froze it, it developed beautiful, symmetrical crystal designs. He went even further and placed distilled water at the center of a circle of preschool children and had them say and recite words of love, and caring, and joy. In its frozen state, the water from the bowl that was exposed to all that goodness produced countless more beautiful, symmetrical and magical snowflake-like crystals. Can it be that our words and our minds can change the properties of water? If the answer is yes, then so begins our journey to the center. Made of hand hammered silver discs in Indonesia, this pendant is just under 1" and suspends from an 18" fine sterling silver chain.

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Fused Glass Dichroic Pendant PRETTY IN PINK dimensional heart

Description

PRETTY IN PINK! A 1 1/4 X 1 1/8" fused glass dichroic pendant with dimensional fused heart. All colors of the spectrum are floating around on this dainty pink cabochon! BONUS: Perfect for gift giving this pendant comes complete with an 18" matching organdy & cord choker as well as a 4" X 3" drawstring satin lined velvet gift bag! I hand make each fused glass cabochon by first cutting and shaping the glass, stacking and kiln firing to proper temps for fusing and annealing. The bail is glued to the cab with a glue designed for glass and metal. (It is possible the bail could come off under certain conditions but can be easily re-glued with proper cleaning and use of an appropriate glue.) About DICHROIC GLASS: 'dichroic glass' - is a type of glass originally developed by Nasa. It is beautiful and mysterious: any angle you look at it, you will see a different color. Dichroic "color" is not a pigment or a dye, It is the interference of wavelengths of light (color) passing through ultra thin layers of certain minerals that are vaporized and applied, usually onto glass, in a vacuum chamber. The result is a transparent yet highly reflective colored surface. The specific color is determined by the thickness of each layer of each mineral. "Dichroism" means a two color system: One color transmits through, while the complementary color reflects back off the surface. Dichroic trademark: Each color shifts over to a slightly different color as the viewing angle changes.

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20 inch Black and silver necklace with Red Jeweled Cross

Description

This is a 20 inch black and silver beaded necklace. It has a 2 1/2 inch red jeweled pendant attached.

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Black and Silver Handmade Necklace

Description

This black and silver 18" necklace is the perfect finish for any outfit. The black beads give it an edgier touch. Very nice!

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Blue and White Handmade Beaded Bracelet

Description

This blue and white bracelet matches the blue and white necklace. 6 1/2" long. It is a perfect finishing touch. Very elegant.

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SOS Vintage Gold Plated Locket and Chain

Description

I adore this locket and chain! This 1" x 1" vintage gold plated locket has an embossed flower design on one side and the initials SOS on the other side. The necklace is accented with vintage Lucite peach dangles. The necklace is finished with a gold tone lobster clasp. Total length with locket is 27". Necklace may be shortened on request.

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Green Diamond Bracelet

Description

Its made up of all transparent beads both green and clear on transparent elastic.

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Blue and White Handmade Beaded Necklace

Description

This 20" handmade beaded necklace is beautiful. I used light blue and white beads to bring a peacefulness to this necklace. A matching bracelet is also available.

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Fairoza Bracelet

Description

This Piece was Handmade and Designed by Asencio Designs; I used Bright Turquois Glass Round Beads, Cvech Metalic Black Glass Beads, Gunmetal Chain (Thick Solid). Chain is Adjustable in Size, can fit 6 1/2" to 9" wrist.

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New Sweet Success Chainmaille Earrings in Copper and Silver Plate All Non Tarnishing

Description

These SWEET handmade earrings are perfect for dressy or casual, for a gift or for you! They are wonderful in their simplicity and wonderful in their intricacy! They are handcrafted by Ralph from non tarnishing silver plated and copper jump rings, which he hand makes and then weaves into this pattern which is also called a parallel or helms chain weave. They are shown here with Ralph's handmade non tarnishing silver plated ear wires which are perfect for sensitive ears! Lead and nickel free; the base metal is copper which gives these a nice weight to dangle, but the copper is coated in color and then enameled. So no metal touches your ears! These SWEET earrings measure 1 1/2 inches and are available as shown to ship next day after payment! Available in silver plated clip ons or post tops! No charge! Make a note in the "notes to seller" at the time of purchase. These will probably coordinate well with lots of things in your jewelry box.....BUT, they coordinate nicely with our whole Sweet Success line! Available as a custom order in sterling silver, copper, brass or colored wires in any combination! We LOVE special orders, send us a convo and we will get right back to you. Allow 2 days for special orders.

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Rutilated quartz briolette necklace

Description

Great for layering or worn alone! One GORGEOUS golden rutilated quartz briolette (25mm) is suspended on oxidized sterling silver. Necklace measures 18" ::Thank you for shopping Sparkle Couture::

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