Wire Jewelry

         I've been fascinated by wire jewelry for a long time.  A few years ago I started working with wire and made a number of Tree of Life necklaces.  Next I moved to wire wrapping stone cabochons.  A few months ago I began making pendants, hearts, and other shapes out of the wire itself. 

         There are lots of great resources to teach you how to work with wire.  There's YouTube videos, pdf patterns, e-books and traditional books. The problem isn't finding resources, it's finding the time to make all the beautiful items.  

          Two of my current favorite designers are Nadja, whose shop on Etsy is ImbaliCrafts, and Valeriy Vorobev, who can be found on YouTube and through e-books. I hope to complete a pendant based on one of  Mr. Vorobev's designs soon.  If you're a beginner, it would be easier to start with a tutorial from Nadja or Yvonne Kennedy from Back to Earth Creations.  

           If you're interested in some pendants that are already made, I have five that are on sale (15% off) thru July 16.  Two of them are pictured below. They can be found at Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry on Etsy.  Click the button to the right to be zipped there immediately.   The wire necklaces are in the Sale section.  

           Hope to see you there!

  

Magical Moonstone

MAGICAL MOONSTONE

 

     There's something magical about Moonstone.  The luminous white stone is associated with the moon and its cycles.  According to legend, the ancient Hindus believed that Moonstone held trapped moon beams.  The ancient Romans thought Moonstone's beautiful color came from the stored light of the moon.

                Today Moonstone is considered a stone that can enhance intuition and calm the emotions.

                 It is a "stone of new beginnings", according to Judy Hall in her book, The Crystal Bible.   

                         

 

          Double Heart Earrings

                 Moonstone and turquoise combined with Sterling Silver ear wires (above) or 14 kt gold (below).  

             Moonstone colors include white, as shown above, as well as blue, peach, and cream.

         White Moonstone is said to encourage spiritual growth.  To see more about these earrings in my Etsy shop, click here for the silver ones and here for 14kt gold.  

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On SALE now:  9 Select Necklaces are on sale 

   20% off through June 30.  See them in my Etsy shop

 in the ON SALE section.

 

BRACELET SALE!!!

Need a bracelet for yourself or for a gift?   I'm having a Bracelet Sale in my Etsy shop now through the end of May.  Eight different styles - all for 20% off.   Here are 3 of the 8 styles on sale:
 

I designed and created this one on a loom.  

These two are peyote stitched - leather added on the sides and ends.

To see all 8 click on the I SELL ON ETSY button on the right.  The On Sale section has these and 5 more bracelets - made just for you!

  

Moonstone - Birthstone for June

      Luminous and dreamy, Moonstone is one of the birthstones associated with June.  It's one of my faves, as you can tell if you have searched for Moonstone in my shop.  I have 4 pairs of Moonstone earrings in my shop, Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry.   

      Moonstone hearts are paired with turquoise hearts in this pair.  A double treat!

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Moonstone also comes in pink, as shown in these earrings.  Blue and rainbow are other popular colors.

Moonstone is considered to be the most feminine stone and brings out feminine energy. It's associated with hope, sensitivity, and abundance.  Many think it inspires intuition and enhances psychic powers.  Whether it does or not, it is definitely one of the prettiest stones to wear.

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If you want to see more about the earrings or other jewelry in my shop, click the button in the top right corner.  But before you go, write down the coupon code below.  You can use it on anything in Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry during most of the month of June.  My shop will be taking a short vacation from June 20 through June 23.  

COUPON CODE FOR JUNE

  As a Thank You for visiting and reading my blog, here's a coupon code for 20% off:  JUNE2022 

Use the coupon when you check out at my shop on Etsy.  Good on items from Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry until June 30, 2022.  

Spring RV Trip

 

     

     Our longest RV adventure (so far) just ended.  I put my Etsy shop on vacation mode and off we went. We traveled through New Mexico, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and finally - Ohio!  

       

     The trip started out great in New Mexico's Route 66 RV Park.  It was a quick overnight stop. No time to visit the nearby casino.  But the park is convenient, and the people are friendly.

From there it was three more quick overnight stops. There were a couple of windy nights, but the drive itself was uneventful.  As we traveled east, we met colder weather. Spring flowers were scarce, and the trees were bare.  

By the time we reached Ohio, I realized that I had not packed nearly enough warm clothes.  Still, it was great to see family and friends.  

The KOA campground in Ohio was large, with two ponds, lots of wooded areas to walk, and even a covered bridge.

On the second day there, Tikaan got to see snow for the first time!

We bought some warmer clothes.  Had great dinners and visits with our loved ones.  All too soon we had to leave and make the trip back in reverse.  We left a day early to avoid some very scary weather that was forecast. (Like tornados and severe t-storms)   

Except for some heavy rainfall for a few hours, we escaped the bad weather.  We were tired but happy campers.     

But we'll all be ready to go off again in a few months!

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My Etsy shop, Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry, is now up and open again.  As a Thank You for visiting and reading my blog, here's a coupon code for 20% off:  SPRING2022 

Use the coupon when you check out.  Good on items from Desert Dabbler until May 30, 2022.  

Happier New Year 2022

 Once again we're all pretty glad to say goodbye to the past year and welcome in a new, hopefully better, one.  So Happy New Year!

      The Tucson Gem Show is coming back this year.  Hurray!  Can't wait to go and buy too many beautiful stones and beads.  More about that soon.  

       Lately I've been working on wire wrapping cabochons.   Here's the Red Creek Jasper I recently finished.  It's in my Etsy shop.

Now through January 31, you can get this Jasper necklace for 20% off when you use coupon code JanuaryBlog at checkout.  (If you have any problem with using the code, let me know!)

Red Creek Jasper is one of my favorite stones.  It's sometimes called Cherry Creek Jasper.  But by any name, it's a pretty, earthy stone. 

What's your favorite stone?  Let me know in the comments.  I'd love to hear from you.

 

Is Impression Jasper Really Jasper????

    

     If you ask a geologist if Impression Jasper is really jasper, the answer will most likely be "no". But if you ask a buyer of beads and jewelry, the answer will probably be "yes".  Like many questions, the answer is not as easy as it seems it should be. 

     If you're not familiar with Impression Jasper, you're in for a treat if you like colorful stones. Impression Jasper is an opaque stone that comes in a variety of colors, often mixed together in geometric patters.  You can find blues, greens, reds, purples and more in many rock and bead shops. I found a beautiful set of 9 graduated tear drop purple Impression Jasper cabs at the Tucson Gem Show two years ago. Dakota Stones was selling them.  

    The stones were labeled as composite and dyed, as opposed to natural stones that are frequently only cut and polished. So I was curious about what composites go into Impression Jasper. I'm not sure I found the answer to that question, but I did find some interesting information. 

    The Gemsona Critique Hub website states that Impression Jasper is "actually a hydrated aluminium phosphate mineral called variscite."  On page 159 of Patti Polk's book, Collecting Rocks, Gems, and Minerals, there is a picture and information about Variscite. However, there isn't any information about it being used in this manner.  

     Other sources identify Impression Jasper as a composite, including Dakota Stone.  But it's still beautiful, and Impression Jasper rolls off the tongue easier and sounds much prettier than Variscite.  

               

    I usually like more natural stones, but I have to admit that Impression Jasper is colorful and striking. I finally made my set into a necklace a few days ago.  The set came with some 4mm Purple Impression Jasper beads, but I added more.  I also added some crystals and some gold spaces.   The clasp is a gold plated lobster claw that didn't make it into the picture.  It's big enough to be easy to use and very secure.  You can see it in my Etsy shop here.

          The crystals are more sparkling than they appear in the picture. They also came from the Tucson Gem Show from a store called Queenly Global.  Queenly Global is one of my favorite shops, and I always make time to shop with them.  

    You might be wondering if Impression Jasper, being a composite, has any healing or metaphysical properties.  According to information found at the website of Crystal Life Technology, Inc. "Impression Jasper (Variscite) is a stone of tranquility and encouragement. This is a stone that unifies lives and reminds people to help one another. Impression Jasper absorbs negative energy, balances yin/yang energy, and aligns the body, mind, and spirit. It is useful for shamanic travel. This stone also aids quick thinking and restores energy after recovering from an illness."

      So if you like colorful jewelry, take a look at Impression Jasper. Ignore its origins if you like the look and feel of this colorful cabochon. 

      

Summer is Ending???

    It's hard to believe that summer will soon be over. Here in the part of Arizona where I live we haven't even had our monsoon rains.  We've had excessive heat warnings for days and days. Our skies should have looked like this:

     Instead its been hot and dry.  For the entire year we've only had 3.70" of rain.
Whether we'll get some rain between now and September 30, the official end of the monsoon, remains to be seen.
   
    But while the end of September may be the official end of the monsoon, the unofficial end of summer is Labor Day.   And Labor Day is fast approaching.  It's only about 14 days away.  Schools, which used to start right after Labor Day, started here last week.  The calendar does seem to be spinning faster and faster.

     According to Etsy, Labor Day is now a big shopping event. School supplies and new shoes were always bought at our house around this time of year.  But the experts say other items are in demand today.

      To mark the occasion, Etsy is sponsoring a sale event and encouraging shops like mine to participate.  So I am. 

       Beginning August 30 I'm offering 10% off of summer items in my shop.  You'll find summery floral earrings as well as bracelets in bright colors.

     Click on the shop sign on the right to go directly into Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry.   Hope you'll find something you like!

       In the meantime, send some rain our way.