Just when I thought I was caught up

Bali Silver and Aquamarine

I seriously thought I could kick back and play in the studio since I was feeling that I had substantial inventory floating about out there and could just wait for the checks to roll in from my summer seasonal shops. In actuality soon I'll be getting packages back from a few galleries containing everything they didn't sell.

Most of the places I sell my jewelry are on consignment so when a gal that works at the University of Alaska Museum approached me at market telling me that they needed more of my work I was quite happy since they pay up front. I also had been approached by another shop owner that I had done wholesale with and she also needed more.

...So back in production I was.

Fortunately making jewelry is my default these days. It tends to be a tidier venture and I like nothing better than to high-grade my own stash of beads for my very own designs.

It always seems that when I set out to do some photographing of my work it turns out to be a rainy day.

Still haven't used my newly decoupage-ed bust for a photo shoot yet.

I'll have to make do with scans today.

I believe the stones on this one are adventurine and a green quartz.

If you look closely at the focal bead you can see that every once in awhile I employ dichroic subtley.

Another problem I've been having lately is remembering the names of the stones I'm using.

These rough nuggets are a very pale green with a kind of black rutilation (ooh, technical word that spellcheck doesn't like)

When in doubt it's probably some sort of quartz.

The faceted crimson rondels are crystal.

The roundy Czech beads on this I put through an etching bath.

I've been influenced by Fanciful Devices on that count I must say.

The blue stone beads I can't vouch for as being a natural color but I did like that particular color to mix with my beads.

These carnelian beads are rough cut on one side and smooth on the reverse.

The shimmery rounds in between are sunstone.

I'm particularly fond of this one. 

I went through some of my oh-so shiny-vermeil findings (that's gold on silver, thicker than gold plating)

for those of you not familiar with vernacular. I find that I'm not using gold tone so much in my designs these days so I oxidized them with Patina Gel.

I'm liking the oxidized look these days....(also influenced by Fanciful Devices among others)

We headed toward fall rapidly here, leaves are turning and it's getting dark at night again.

Just hoping for some good Indian summer before I take off for New England.

I'm looking forward to my very first mixed media art workshop retreat at Squam.

I'm meeting up an rooming with my good blog and IRL friend Corrine from Dosfishes

before heading north to help out my folks at their summer place in Maine.

It's one way to extend the summer!