A Final Selection of Grapes

I hate to clog my blog with pictures of focals, but it's the easiest way for me to tell you about what is available in detail.  I have what I think will be my final set of Grape Caramel's Claws necklace and a few Caramel's Acorn Earrings kits releasing today, Friday the 9th of November.  I am calling this the final set, because I have used my very last silver melon beads for these kits, and they are getting very hard to find!  And the focal beads are a challenge too. 

So, without further ado, here are the last 8 focal beads for the Grape colorway.

 I love the diagonal lightning bolt inclusion in focal A.  

It has a crystalline structure almost like a geode.

 Focal B is a nicely mottled pattern with some dark and some light color.

Among the lighter focal beads, C is slim and flat, and will show off the bezel shape nicely.

 Focal D is dramatic, with some typical agate markings. 

Slightly out of oval, (slightly smaller on one side) but will sit nicely in the bezel.

 Focal E has nice dark color with a little rusty coloration, and some minor pitting.

Focal F has some nice pinky coloration and an interesting fracture line.

 G is the most simply patterned of the group, with deep rich purple color.
Just slightly smaller on one side than the other, but will work in the bezel.

Dramatic agate markings for Focal H, and deep purple color,

with some steely gray beneath the purple. Minor pitting.

So, there they are, the last of the grapes!

And outside my window, some serious inspiration for my winter project!  

And a sneak peak at some of the material I am working with...

Blue Sage Caramel's Claws

When I was at Dakota Stones shopping for focals, the Red Creek Jasper had a very different look than previously, with very little copper, ochre or olive, but I did find some nice pieces that work well with the Sage colorway.  I am sharing those focals here, because I can provide larger, clearer images than in my Etsy listings.

These particular stone beads are mostly usable on both sides and some are completely different on each side, a bonus for you.  You can choose your preference, based on your own wardrobe needs, or just fall in love with one side or the other.  I show you both sides of each piece below!  There are just 8 of these kits.

Here goes:

A lighter side (with a few silvery clouds in the sky) and a darker side!

In this case, both sides are very similar.

The first side mostly dark (nice bezel contrast), with a second side that has interesting landscape color and markings.

These two sides are totally different.  The first is similar in color to my sample, kind of khaki,
and the second side is deep teal and midnight dark.

Both sides have a little patterning, the first more, and the second a little less, It has a small, flat spot on the upper right edge at the back side, but im my experience, it would not affect the bezel shape.

Both sides have a little fiery patterning, and remind me of the sky above a forest fire at night.

Beautiful patterning on both sides of this bead, the first bold and the second more soft.

This final focal bead is soft and pale, very sky-like to me.  An almost perfect match for the bezel beads.

I really like the range of options here.  Choosing a dark or contrasting focal means the bezel is a featured bit in your composition. Selecting a lighter bead means the piece becomes more an organic whole.  Both can be lovely!

Available in my Etsy Shop on Saturday, October 13th, around noon CST.