I am a bit hesitant in publishing personal photos, but since no one's reading this blog...yet, I hope...I couldn't resist.  This is a photo of my grand-daughters, (Maddie and Stella, for whom my shop was named) asleep after a hard day at the beach...by electric candlelight...no real flames.  Nothing is more beautiful than a sleeping child.

I just finished these Ocho Oco and Amethyst Earrings and they will go up in the next bunch of listings...it'll be awhile...am just getting started.   I absolutely love these, gorgeous and light.  That's one of the things I always consider for earrings...weight.  And that's always a consideration when adding elements like dangles...how much will they weigh?  Nobody wants to hang boulders from their ears.  You have to figure costs into pricing.

I like to keep my prices as low as possible and sometimes, it's tougher than I'd like it to be.  I paid more than I should have for these cabs, but the color and translucency were so good, I couldn't resist.  I knew they'd work with other colors well.

I finished a couple more pairs of earrings today.  The first is a citron chrysoprase with garnet cabochons...there's a Scandanavian kind of Georg Jensen influence, I think.

And the second are a very festive...in a lady like kind of way...Chrysocolla with pearls.  I hope they find good homes and lots of happy occasions.  Did I spell that right?

I have been taking care of other things and haven't been working on my metals as much as I'd like.  I hope to post some new things next weekend...earrings and necklaces.  Here's a preview of the earrings.  The first are larimar and white faceted topaz...reflection earrings.

Then there is tourmaline and pink moonstone.  Having a hard time photographing these because the shades in the tourmaline are not really showing.  The moonstones actually capture the undercolor in the tourmaline...also reflection earrings. And last for now.  Montana Agates with gold filled balls, African trade beads and lampwork sprinkled with silver...playful, casual earrings. 

I said a couple of things so here's another completed piece...an Australian opalite with coral and a turquoise chunk. This is a great color combination...one of my favorites...and it's summery and southwest and sort of Scandanavian, too.  I made a vow that everything I make goes up on Etsy...but if this one doesn't sell in the first go round, I may keep it.

Got home from vacation a week or so ago and naturally, I'm catching up now....and then of course, unexpected leaks....lots of them....water gushing in...towels on the floor...buckets and pails everywhere.  What fun!

But I have been working, too.  I'm just accumulating some things and then I'm looking for a set of ears to show off the earrings.  Here are a couple of things that I have finished.

A fiery orchid quartz  with a high high dome from Lost Sierra with tourmaline and citrine ...I wasn't sure how to finish it so I added some beads, but it could really stand alone with a sterling bead and just the chain...easy enough to change.  What do you think? 

Game of Thrones sort of inspired this piece..over the top, fanciful...I used to see Peter Dinklage (Tyrion) riding around on his skate board, but he's traded it in...he's pushing a baby carriage now. 

Vacation Time....About Time

We're getting set to go on vacation...hurray.  Ten sun filled days of time with the girls...Maddie and Stella.  I bought some dresses...well, I'm always buying things for the girls...and Amanda told me to only bring two, but I said four and then I asked Maddie how many...four or six...she said, "Six".  Sorry, Amanda, you're overruled.  Six, it is.

Working on things as usual.  Here are some snaps, but they won't be for sale until after I return...some earrings, too.  A Chrysoprase and a Montana Plume Agate  in brass...

Since I have to price things according to how much cash goes into them, I wonder if some other sellers are smarter than I am.  My stones are pretty pricey and I see that other sellers don't invest as much in the stone...do buyers know, do buyers care?  But still, I don't think I'd want to work on a stone that I didn't truly like.