The 10 Day Art Challenge

   Day 1 of the 10 Day Art Challenge

      A group of my artist friends have been participating in a 10 day Art Challenge on Facebook.  The purpose is to promote positivity, passion, and attention to art.  

     I was nominated by Leslie Ready to show one image of my art, my life, my studio, or exhibition for 10 consecutive days. The rules were that no explanation was to be given.  You were also to nominate another Artist every day to do the same. So basically 10 days. 10 images, 10 nominations. 

      On the first day I posted a picture of the bracelet I entered in the Arizona State Fair a few years ago. It was the first (and so far only) time I have entered a juried contest.  I was accepted, but I didn't win any prize.  But my husband and I got to go to an Artist's Reception with my friend Leslie and her husband, both of whom had entered and won awards for their art. It was very exciting and a fun night.

Day 2

       

      My entry for Day 2 was my Owl Cell Phone Purse. The feather came from a Great Horned Owl that had been living in another friend's tree and frequently dropped feathers on the ground.  I was taking a class on color, and the first assignment was to make something using neutral colors.  I had the little owl face in my stash and the feather, too.  I modified a Simplicity pattern to make the little purse.

 Day 3 

      My choice for Day 3 was a necklace I made from a piece of Quartz with some Amethyst and possibly Citrine in it. My husband cut and polished it from a small slab we had found at a rock show.  I added Swarovski crystals and other beads to make the necklace.  One of my faves.  

 

       I tried hard to nominate other artist friends to participate, but I struck out. One person wanted to do it but was recovering from a serious illness that I had not known about. A couple of others had projects and activities going on and didn't think they could take time away from them.  Two people couldn't get Facebook to work for them.  After trying six or seven people, I gave up on that part of the challenge.  It's too bad. They are all good artists and it would have been great to see their work.

       In a few days I'll post more of the Challenge pictures. In the meantime, if you've been in a similar challenge or would like to do so, let me know. I'd love to hear about it.

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!