Photog I am not

This past weekend I fooled around a bit with the camera and tried out some different backgrounds for my jewelry pix. I really like the idea of using the map of SF and pairing it with the branch. But on the other hand, the colors and busy-ness of the map are a little distracting. Needless to say, many many many hundreds of photos were taken this weekend. Most of them dumpers. Maybe a dozen or two actually look decent. Thank god for digital. My uncle's a photographer and I always hoped that whatever artistic gene touched him also affected me. I may have an eye for some things, but lighting and shutter speed knowledge (not to mention steady hands) not so much...

Here's the latest piece I've made: cherry quartz wire-wrapped in gold-fill, about 2 inches long. This style of wire-wrapping is something new I'm trying out. This is only the second time I've done it. The wrapping is a little insane--my fingers and eyes hurt after a while! It was worth the pain though. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out actually!

So this next piece is what I'm going to refer to as the Holiday Party Necklace quite simply bc I wore it to my company holiday party. I'm deep. Faceted garnets asymmetrically lined up on gold-fill. I'm using a linen background--plain, but at least you get a good look at the necklace. I got a lot of compliments on it at the holiday party, too! But I feel compelled to mention that all my coworkers were probably sauced.

Love pigs

Wow. This is a cry for help.
Here is how my boys spent Valentine's Day. On the menu: heart-shaped "lasagna" of lettuce, tomato, and shredded carrots.
There has got to be a 12-step program out there for me!

Super Quartzday

Wait a second. No posts for weeks, and now two in one day? Get out! What can I say? I'm listening to the Super Tuesday results and, in the meantime, am on a roll with the blogging and picture taking. Here's a necklace I made fairly recently (a few months ago at least)--smokey quartz pendant, garnet, and amethyst tear drops wire-wrapped in gold-fill with a 3-inch extension. The zoomed-in pic shows off the colors a bit. It's another fave of mine--goes with nearly everything!

Labradorite & silver earrings

It's taken a while, but you're finally looking at my first SugarCube Jewelry posting. These earrings are one of my favorites of the moment. They're made from labradorite, sterling silver and Swarovski crystal. Like all my jewelry pieces, they're handmade by yours truly! More jewelry pix to come for sure on the blog -- showcasing my jewelry was one of the main reasons for starting it. The BF is working on my Web site, which will be more of a gallery than a business site. It's slow-going, so stay tuned...