I’m addicted to stones.  There, I’ve admitted it…

I’m not sure when the addiction began…  Maybe it was when I started making jewelry… No, it was before that.  Perhaps it was back in my university days when I had to learn about rocks and minerals as part of my summer job?  Or maybe when I first visited Science North and saw the most amazing mineral collection on display… 

In reality, I think the seeds were planted in earliest childhood.  I did grow up in a mining town, and rocks were all around us.  Rocks and minerals were the source of wealth in my community. 

But I think the day that I truly fell in love with stones was a summer day when I was 10.  The mother of a friend had been on a trip and brought her daughter a bag of polished rocks.  Oh my, they were so beautiful!  So tiny and colourful and perfect!  And best of all, my friend let me pick out 2 to keep.  Oh, that was so exciting!  And such a difficult decision, too.  What to choose, what to choose… 

My first polished rocks

 What do you think?  Did I choose wisely?  These are the 2 polished stones I picked out so many years ago.  The blue-green one was an obvious choice.  I just loved the colour.  Still do.  And the small one, although brown, was so captivating.  I loved the shimmer and how it changed as I moved the stone around. 

I now know that the top stone is a piece of amazonite and the bottom one is tiger eye.  Back when I was 10 I didn’t know their names.  I just knew that I loved them and thought they were so precious – precious enough that I still have them and knew exactly where to find them 28 years later. 

Now I make jewelry.  It’s a perfect (if somewhat dangerous) hobby for someone who has a stone addiction.  I need stones to make my pieces…  It started with beads – all kinds of beautiful, fabulous stone beads.  Stones in every shape, size and colour.  I could browse the internet for hours, looking at stones beads. 

But soon, beads weren’t enough.  I quickly discovered the beauty of cabochons.  Cabochons (cabs for short) have a flat back and a domed top.  They don’t have holes, so they aren’t beads and can’t be strung.  They are meant to be set in a bezel.  As I was finding so many beautiful cabs and lusting after them, I knew that I needed to learn how to metal smith so that I could work with them and indulge in my love for them. 

Once I learnt how to bezel set stones I needed to acquire some cabs.  Oh, shopping for cabs is fun!  Shopping in person is best, but surfing the web works well too, and it’s available any time, any day.  I love discovering new sources of cabs.  Free-form cabs are my favourite.  They have so much character.  When I find cabs that I love, I buy them.  And then I wait for them to arrive in the mail.  And when they get here, I unwrap them and admire them.  I don’t know what they will become yet.  I wait for them to speak to me, wait to dream up the design that will best show off the stone.  Because really, the stone is the star of the show! 

My finds at the Gem and Mineral Show from the fall. Left - seraphinite, centre - ruby in zoisite, right - chrysocolla

Beautiful labradorite cabochons

Gorgeous jasper cabs! I have fallen in love with jaspers. They are so variable and have so much character! Cabs on right are Tiffany Jasper. Cabs on left are Red Creek Jasper.

I have another confession…  I have lots of stones in my collection.  Lots!  I have more beads than I will ever be able to use.  And I may never be able to use all the cabs I have either.  But that doesn’t mean that I’ve stopped buying stones.  No way!  I love them too much!  When I see beautiful stones that I love, I buy.  After all, she who dies with the biggest collection wins, right?

Well, I’ve had garnets on the brain today.  So when I realized that the treasury on Etsy was about to open and that I would be able to snag one, naturally garnet was the theme that came to mind.

So enjoy this collection of garnets and garnet coloured items.   

Garnet is a beautiful stone with great brilliance.  It is a sturdy stone and very hard-wearing, which makes it ideal for use in all types of jewelry, including rings and bracelets, which often suffer more abuse than necklaces and earrings.     

Humans discovered the beauty of garnets long ago.  Garnet beads have been found in prehistoric graves.  Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used garnets in jewelry.  During medieval times, garnet became known as the warrior stone.  Soldiers carried it with them to ward off death and injury.

Early Medieval Hilt Fitting, part of the Staffordshire Hoard - image by portableantiquities

My favourite random fact about garnets is that garnets were apparently used as a weapon by being shot from guns.  Can you imagine using a gemstone in the place of bullets?     

Today garnet is best known as the birthstone for January.  The image of a brilliant, deep red stone may come to mind when you think of garnet.  But red is not garnet’s only colour.  It can also be yellow, brown, orange or green.  In fact, garnets come in all colours except for blue.  

 

The familiar deep red stones that many of us readily identify as garnets are pyrope garnets and almandite garnets.  But if you prefer earthy tones from light golden honey to cognac to deep maple, hessonite garnet may be the stone for you.  Spessartite can be found in beautiful shades of yellow, fiery orange, red and reddish browns.  If green is more to your liking, perhaps hydrogrossular garnet (which is sometimes called Transvaal jade), tsavorite garnet or demantoid garnet would suit.  Demantoid garnet, originally found only in Russia, was favoured by Carl Fabergé.  Although demantoid garnet is now also found in Namibia, it remains the rarest and most expensive of the garnets. 

Have you discovered the beauty and versatility of garnets yet?

   

Garnet, Citrine and Sterling Silver Necklace

Red and Green Garnet Bracelet

Hessonite Garnet Earrings

My sister had a small (okay, large) crisis just before Christmas.  On December 21st, her oven died.  Kaput, gone, just like that.  Which was a serious problem as she was hosting Christmas dinner for 20 people. 

On December 22nd, she started calling around to find a new range.  This was a big problem, as she had a gas range and apparently there were none to be found in the city of Ottawa.  And several stores told her, even if one could be found, it couldn’t be delivered in time…  And even if they could deliver in time, they wouldn’t be able to get a gas fitter in time…  Well, the staff at the new Lowe’s that opened in Orleans a few weeks ago found her a gas range on Dec 22nd.  And they delivered it on Dec. 23rd.  And a friend of my brother’s is a gas fitter and set everything up, so the Christmas turkey was saved (or rather cooked) afterall!  Yay!  Thanks Lowe’s staff!

What does this story have to do with disposable you wonder?  Well, the oven that went kaput was only 7 years old.  And her microwave, of the same age, died about a month earlier.  And the dishwasher was replaced 2 years ago at the ripe old age of 5! 

 Does that sound right to you?  Since when do major appliances have such a short life span?   

The appliances we had when I was a kid lasted much longer than that – unfortunate, considering the ugly 70s colour choices.  My mother’s current washer and dryer were purchased in 1985 and are still in great working order.  Somehow I suspect that the front-loading washing machine we purchased in 2006 will not still be around in 2031…

So why is it that in the 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s we had the ability to built things that would last, but today it’s not just the milk that has an expiry date? 

How many DVD players, mp3 players, computers and TVs has your family gone through in the last 10 years?  Do we even think about what happens to all the materials that were used in the fabrication of these items when we dispose of them?  How about all the new metals, plastics and hazardous materials that are required to build new ones?  Where does it come from, where does it go and at what cost to us? 

As I ponder all of this, I shudder at all the waste, both in dollars and even more at the impact on the environment.  There must be a better way. 

I’ve never been into buying vintage, it just hasn’t been my thing.  But perhaps buying things that are already in existence and that were built to last would be preferable to the incessant need to buy new items that lead to the production of even more new items with shorter and shorter lifespans…

I think I finally understand the appeal of making treasuries on Etsy…  It’s like shopping but without spending the money!   

Curating a treasury is more satisfying than just browsing through shops.  It allows me to go get the item and place it alongside other items that I truly find beautiful and love!   They become mine in a way.   

Nabbing a treasury today was a bit of an adventure and a surprise.  I had nothing prepared, not even a theme or a title.  So this one is the result of looking through the shops of some sellers that I have in my favorites list.  I really do wish I could have one of each of these items.  They are all very beautiful on their own and I hope that people like the collection of items together.

I curated a treasury on Etsy today.  I really love this one.  It’s called Morning Frost.

 

How did I come up with this one?

I was browsing through my team’s items (SATeam) looking for inspiration.  It wasn’t happening.    Then I thought about one of our team members who often creates treasuries.  Caron from beadsire curates the most wonderful treasuries.  Each one tells a story and is beautiful.  Her treasuries have even been featured on etsy’s front page.  So I decided I would find inspiration in her shop.

There were several possibilities in Caron’s shop, but the item that most caught my attention was a beautiful white necklace called “Milk” (first column, second row).  I immediately thought of “From the Land of Milk and Honey”, but wasn’t certain if that should be the theme.  But I started looking for other white items from team members.  I found several lovely ones.    And then I came upon Elven Princess Necklace by Danagonia (bottom right corner).  And my theme was clear.  It would be Morning Frost.

This week we had our first frosty mornings.  That’s quite early compared to the norm.  And it feels a bit sad too, as it seems that fall is ending quickly and that it will soon be winter (and a long winter, if this early start is anything to go by).  But those frosty mornings really are beautiful.  We have such vivid fall colours this year, and when the ground and the leaves are tinged with frost, it add such sparkle and light!  Yes, it is the passing of the seasons, but each season offers something special.

I love heat.  I sometimes joke that I am part reptilian because I love to go bask in the sun.  I don’t complain that it gets too hot, I just enjoy it.  And I’m not terribly fond of the cold.  So sometimes winter can seem long and difficult.  But I really love living in a place where we have four distinct seasons.  Each is beautiful.  Each is special.  And as one ends, we are ready for the next to begin.  Even though the colours of the fall signal the end of summer, so many of us look forward to that special time when the fall colours are at their peak.  We would miss it if it didn’t happen.  And as fall storms happen, and the wind and the rain will strip the trees of their leaves, we will begin to think of winter and what it will bring.  And that first snowfall of the year, even with all the troubles that it can bring, will seem magical to many.  Children will rush out to make their first snowman of the year – often using up all the snow in the yard to make it.   :)  And we will dig out our skates and our skis from the basement, itching to get out there.  And we will enjoy the opportunities that winter brings to us.  And so the seasons will change…

It’s been another tough week, as I was still sick for the first part and we got some bad news midway through the week.  Nonetheless, I was able to make at least one item most days this week.

Monday September 7th was a good day.  Made these two pairs of earrings.

Lampwork Glass Disc Earrings #1

Lampwork Glass Disc Earrings #2

 

The week continued well on Tuesday.  I made this pendant using a conglomerate stone bead and some copper wire.  I love the stone!  It has such great colours and patterns.  I think it’s perfect for fall.  This is a natural stone, not man-made. 

 

And the back is just as attractive as the front! 

back side of pendant

 

Wednesday was not such a great day.  We found out that Greg will be laid off in mid-November.  We were expecting it, but it still took the wind out of my sails and I didn’t get any jewelry done.

Back on track on the 10th.  Made these great black labradorite (larvikite) and sterling silver earrings.  I think they are really cute!  And they have a swirl on the back side too.

 

And yesterday I made this lampwork disc ring.  These rings are really fun! 

 

I also experimented with heat patina on copper.  I made this copper bracelet a few weeks ago, but I thought it would be really interesting if it was treated with a heat patina.  I love the colours that can be achieved on copper, the only challenge is that it’s hard to control and things never turn out the same way twice!  But I like the warm colours this bracelet now has.

 

I’ve been so busy photographing and editing today that I haven’t made anything yet.  Hum, what shall I make?  You’ll have to come back next week to see the results!

Several members of one of the forums I belong to (Starving Jewelry Artists) have been challenging themselves to do jewelry related tasks each day for several months.  I decided to join them for the month of September, specifically to make at least one jewelry item per day. 

At the end of August I also found a few Etsy shop owners who had also decided they would make one craft item per day.  And so, the One a Day Craft Challenge was born.

The month started off quite well.  On September 1st I made 2 simple pendants using lampwork glass disc beads. 

 

Unfortunately, my challenge took a nose dive from there.  I’ve been pretty sick this week, so making jewelry was just not possible for 5 days.  The will was there, the body simply couldn’t do it…  I’m feeling somewhat better today and I did make 2 very simple pairs of earrings (photos to come later). 

So I am 5 days behind on my challenge.  So maybe I will extend it to the first 5 days of October…

I’ll update here about once a week with what I make.  I use morning light for my photos and as I work Monday through Fridays, weekends are the times for my photo shoots. 

Check out the others who have taken the One A Day Craft Challenge (OADCC).

The orginator of the OADCC, Ashley from Ashley Amanda Designs 

juanitatortilla

tilt

top knot creations

anjeannette

juliann

Jen D.

Labour Day weekend has always marked an important time, a time of transition.  

As a child Labour Day was bittersweet.  It was the last day of summer vacation.  My friends who had spent the summer at the cottage usually came home that day.  And the next day was the first day of school!

Oh, how I loved the first day of school!  I looked forward to seeing my friends again after a long summer off.  And I had new pencil crayons and a new pencil case.   Everything was fresh.  And I so wanted to show off some of my new clothes that Mom bought for me in the children’s department at Sears, but I never could wear it that day because it was always to warm out for that fall/winter clothes.  

Back to school was fun!  I didn’t worry about homework, I was too excited about a new year beginning. 

Even as an adult, Labour Day marked the passing of the seasons.  Working in the tourism industry, back to school time meant summer staff leaving, students going from full time hours to part time, and the number of visitors decreasing dramatically.   It also meant that any final prep for school programs had to be completed before teachers started bringing their students in around the end of September. 

Now that my job is no longer directly linked to students, teachers and visitors, Labour Day doesn’t signal a transition in the work that I’m doing.  But it still marks the end of summer for me, and fall feels different than summer.  It’s not about being light and carefree.  The things that are put aside during summer call out for attention in fall.  It’s time to get back to work and to routine…

It started back in March.  I became involved in a big project at work with virtually impossible deadlines that had to be met… 

I was working like a fiend all day and by the time I got home, I didn’t have the energy to get dinner on the table, let alone make any jewelry.  It was really frustrating because I had great ideas, but no energy to make anything. 

Within a few weeks, I no longer had design ideas, all I wanted to do was sleep!

The project thankfully wrapped up April 22nd.  I was so grateful as I had a craft fair coming up on Mother’s Day weekend and I was not a prepared as I wanted to be.

That’s when life really threw me a curve ball…  We had a family crisis at the end of April that was very stressful and exhausting.  We  began to function in crisis management mode.  I was completely drained.  Everything went by the wayside.  The house wasn’t clean, we weren’t getting laundry done on time, making meals was a challenge and going to work each day was very difficult.  I didn’t have energy for regular life stuff, so I certainly didn’t have the energy to take care of a jewelry business.  Oh the guilt!  I felt that I was letting others down.  Even worse, I felt I was letting myself down!

Eventually, I gave myself permission to neglect my jewelry.  After all, making jewelry started as a hobby.  It was a way to relieve stress.  The jewelry shouldn’t be another source of stress.  I had plenty of that already!  So I let it go…  I didn’t make a single piece of jewelry for almost 6 months.  And I was no longer dreaming up new pieces on my bus ride to work or in those minutes before falling asleep at night.  That was probably the hardest part.  Not even being able to come up with ideas for future pieces.  But it was something I had to accept.  I was too exhausted to do otherwise…

And then, a few weeks ago, I saw a design for a ring in a jewelry magazine.  It was a simple design, but the rings were fun and flirty and free.  And I was inspired!  I wanted to make one of those rings too!  And I had ideas for pendants and earrings that could be made using the same style of bead. 

I searched through my stash to see if I had any beads that would work… Nope, none…  So I found some online and ordered them. 

And I made a ring!

Yes, it is a simple ring.  But it’s more than just a ring.  It is a new beginning.  It is inspiration.  It is my creative energy coming back after a long hiatus…

I have new ideas for pieces each day now.  And slowly, I’m finding the energy to make them.  These 2 pieces have been in my head for about a week and a half.  Yesterday I sat down and made them.  And I really like them!  And I feel there is more inspiration to come…