A Blue Ribbon for a Rose Quartz Tree of Life

1st Place is a Happy Place

     I was really please to be awarded First Place in the Wire Wrapping Class, Adult Division, at the Arizona State Fair this year. I've been making Trees of Life for a few years now, and this was one of my favorites.  The tree is on a round piece of Rose Quartz that I bought at the Tucson Gem Show two years ago.  It's been in my stash, waiting for just the right project.

      I entered my beaded cuff bracelet, "A Walk in the Woods", in the Fine Arts Division in the 3D Sculpture class.  It was accepted into the competition, which was very exciting.  This was the first time I had entered a juried contest.  It didn't win a ribbon, but I still happy that it got to go to the Fair and be on display for a month. 
       If you have a Fair near you, think about entering one of your creations.  You might win a ribbon, too!  Even if you don't, you're a winner by entering and displaying your work.  It will delight the people who see it and inspire other artists. 
       My cuff is back in my drawer, waiting to be worn on a special night out.  The Tree of Life on Rose Quartz is on its way to California. A very nice woman bought it from my Etsy shop. 
       I hope it brings her as much happiness as it did me.

My Heidi Necklace

     Last July I had the opportunity to travel to Colorado and take a private workshop with my favorite bead artist, Heidi Kummli.  She's the author of "The Spirit of Bead Embroidery", my favorite beading book.  I practically sleep with it under my pillow. 
      I brought the white bone carving that I had bought at the Tucson bead show earlier in the year.  I told Heidi I wanted to make a beaded collar. I had never attempted such a big project, although I have been wanting to make one for a long time. 
      Heidi showed me how to make the collar pattern and helped with the initial design.  On a large piece of grey ultra suede Heidi drew the outline of what would morph into the pattern you see in the picture.  She attached the middle row using my bone carving and the green and violet beads that came from her stash.  While she worked on her own jewelry project, I began stitched her iris gold seed beads around the first three beads. 
       Surrounded by Heidi's art pieces and supplies, I had a relaxing and inspiring afternoon of beading.  Heidi was generous with her advice and encouragement and is an excellent teacher. 
       The basic design stayed the same, although I decided to add more natural stones to the project.  From an online store I bought more "Heidi beads", the iris gold 10/0 seed beads that she uses in many of her projects.   Whenever I worked on the collar I remembered the great time I had that day.
        If you want to see more of her work, here is the link to her website.  She also sells on Etsy in her shop.  Her designs are one of a kind, wearable art. Beautiful and inspiring.
        If you have a favorite bead artist who offers workshops or classes, I highly recommend you try to go.  I hope you'll have as much fun and get as inspired as I did.
        I've worn my "Heidi necklace" once and can't wait to wear it again. 

   
   

Happy Birthday, Etsy!!!

      Etsy is celebrating its 13th birthday by featuring a site-wide sale event!  The celebration will be held June 18 to 22, 2018. Many shops, including mine, will feature deals and discounts that you won't want to miss.

      Etsy is the premier site to find unique handcrafted and vintage items. For the DIY'ers, there are shops selling supplies, too. Currently there are nearly 2 MILLION sellers from around the world on Etsy.  You can find one-of-a-kind jewelry like I make, as well as paintings, posters, clothing, knits and much, much more. If there’s something you want, you can probably find an Etsy shop that sells it.

      Many sellers, like myself, are joining in the birthday fun by placing items on sale.  I rarely have sales in my shop, so this is a unique opportunity for buyers to get a handcrafted bracelet or necklace at a special low price.  I will be giving a 15% discount on all items over $20.00. Plus free shipping within the U.S.

       Click on the Etsy logo on the side or here to go to my shop, Desert Dabbler.  Or go to www.Etsy.com  to reach their main page. 

       Mark your calendar - the sale starts June 18.

Amethyst Rocks!

    Amethyst is one of my favorite stones.  The rich purple color reminds me of royalty. Maybe its the purple velvet robes I remember the movie kings and queens wearing.  The ones with the ermine collars and sparking diamonds. They must have cost a fortune. Luckily for me, amethyst rocks are plentiful and available to everyone, even a commoner like me.
     Cabs, beads, crystals--amethyst comes in many shapes and forms.  The rock itself is found in many parts of the world, including the U.S., Canada, Brazil, India and Siberia.  It's a type of quartz that gets its purple color from ferric iron. The color ranges from pale violet to deep, dark purple.
     Quartz dominates in the cabochon pictured here.  We found the slab at the Tucson Gem and Mineral show a few years ago, and Kent cut it into a cab for me.  I love its abstract shape, which reminds me of a flower.  I paired it with Swarovski crystals and pearls to turn it into one of my favorite necklaces.

  I have a couple of amethyst geodes in my casita studio, too. The one pictured below is the largest I have, although it's fairly small as geodes go. About 5 inches long.  At the Tucson gem show I saw Amethyst geodes that were three and four feet tall.  Beautiful! 

 
     At this year's Pueblo show in Tucson I found geode cabochons. My picture doesn't show its full beauty. The crystals are stunning!  It measures about 2" square.

  I added Swarovski crystals and pearls, seed beads, and a lot of love.  The result was this Amethyst crystal geode necklace.  If you want to see more pictures of it, check out my Etsy shop listing for it here.

    Amethyst has been a favorite of jewelry artists for centuries.  In ancient times they believed it would keep a person from becoming intoxicated.  In addition to wearing the stone, it was used to make wine goblets.
     Today many people still believe it has special healing powers. Aiding emotional balance, promoting love and dispelling negative energy are a few of its attributes.  The Crystal Bible calls it an extremely powerful and protective stone.  "Amethyst is one of the most spiritual stones, promoting love of the divine, giving insights into its true nature, and encouraging selflessness and spiritual wisdom." (The Crystal Bible, p. 54)
      No wonder Amethyst is such a popular stone!

   
 

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary's Winter Campaign

   I've been a supporter of Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary for a couple of years now.  Ever since I learned about the work they do in rescuing wolves and wolf-dogs (plus a few other animals) from owners who have abused, neglected or mistreated them. I was even lucky enough in May, 2016, to visit the sanctuary and see Teton, the wolf I help sponsor, and meet some of the other wolves up close. 
      A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from WSWS that included an e-book about wolves and dogs and information about their plans for a Winter Campaign.  A few days later I received a second e-mail, and today I received the best and last one about their new campaign.  Included in today's e-mail were sound tracks of the wolves and a video! 
       If you love wolves and are looking for a great way to help support them, take a look at Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary's video.

If you would like to donate, their website is here. Howls of love and gratitude to you!