Another spring pendant

Windflower

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Spring Pendant

I've just added a few more necklaces with the vintage optical lens pendants to my site. This one features Mucha's "Spring" painting. Even though it's still in the 40s and we're having a Nor'easter in New England, I'm nonetheless thinking spring!

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Tools

Lee Valley Tools ~ a fabulous place to browse! Even more fun than Home Depot, and that's saying a lot!

And a light saber to go with it!

I suppose I could argue that a light saber really is more like an accessory than a Jedi robe? This clever generator allows you to add laser and light blade effects to QuickTime movies and DVD streams.

Your own Jedi robe!

It's not jewelry, but...well...hmmmm...I guess you could loosely term it an accessory! BoingBoing had a link to this wonderful blog today, with instructions for making a Jedi robe.

Clasps

I buy most of my clasps at shows, so I couldn't really tell you who I get them from since I don't pay enough attention! But there is one online source that I really like and recommend ~ Star's Clasps

Over the years I've learned the hard way not to use cheaply made findings, especially clasps. I like vintage materials, and sometimes will have to work a bit to recondition a vintage clasp so that it's usable. My recommendation ~ don't ruin hours of good work with inadequate findings. It's easy to think that you're going to save money by buying the inexpensive ones, but there's usually a good reason that they're inexpensive!



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HeartsART radio show

I've mentioned HeartsArt radio on my other blog, but I don't think I've pointed out it's existence here. You'll find a wonderful archive of interview shows that you can listen to online, all concerned with mixed media art. All of them are interesting, even if you don't do that exact kind of art, but some are really particularly applicable to wearable arts people: Rice Freeman-Zachery, Sharilyn Miller, and others.


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Midnight Agate



Another piece using one of the wonderful cabochons I picked up at a gem show.

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More on bakelite and plastics

Vintage necklaces

Karima Parry has a website dedicated to vintage plastic costume jewelry. Together with Gale's site that I mentioned before, you'll find a lot of really good info on spotting the fakes as well as some sources for purchasing nice pieces. The plastic vintage pieces that I carry are mostly therosets from the 1950s and 1960s, so if you are interested in older bakelite, lucite, or celluloid pieces, check out these other sites.

Antiquing On Line's reference list

Jewelry designers and company information in a really easy-to-use format. Although this is just a brief overview, according to the web owner, there's a lot of good info and links to books that could be of further use to you.

More African trade beads

Here are some more of the wonderful beads that my Sis-in-Law brought back from a market in Kenya. I used a waxed cord so that the length could be adjusted.

Some of that beautiful Bali silver



Bali Hai



Bloodstone, fancy jasper, and some stunning Bali sterling silver beads. I'm probably not going to be able to bring myself to use gold or vermeil for awhile!

Before I go...

I'm leaving in an hour or so for the gem show, but I felt the need to make something before going.



Agate Forest

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necklace

"Going on a gem hunt..."

Sung to the tune of "Going on a bear hunt":

Going on a gem hunt (echo)
I'm not afraid (echo)
'Cause I'm strong (echo)
And I'm brave (echo)


Did I mention I was going to a gem show with a friend tomorrow? Gotta get some more Bali silver beads and clasps. I've been using up the silver I got at the last show at an alarming rate!



Quartz

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beads,necklace

Optical lens pendants

I just love optical lenses ~ they are the old test lenses used by optometrists to test your eyes and figure out the prescription for your glasses. I make a lot of the pendants just to be hung on a chain or a ribbon, but here's one I made today with a more elaborate neck-strap:



Destiny