This will be a short post. I am finding that moving ahead with new projects is challenging. As a designer I have (finally!) realized that unless the parts are available for my design in process, there is little point to spending gobs of time perfecting, photographing, illustrating and writing. I am going to show you something I just made for myself, that inspired a potential new project. I'm calling it "Crazy."
This was a pretty awesome piece of Mexican Crazy Lace Agate from one of my favorite lapidaries. I was looking forward to seeing her at the local Gem and Lapidary Workers Show, but of course, Covid19 cancelled that gathering. Her work is always impeccably calibrated, and that I love, but this piece has a crystalline bit that I think must have been challenging to work with.
I know that is not a great photo, but it does allow you to see the crystalline part. Like it wanted to be a geode. :) It's a substantial piece of stone, and the base row for this peyote bezel was 116 Toho Treasures. So of course, I wanted to echo that crystalline structure in the bezel and yoke. I used some 2.5mm Swarovski bicones at the edge and then, given summer on the way, I wanted a light yoke and needed to scale down to a delicate chain. That I accomplished with a small bail and progressively smaller crystals in a variety of shapes and colors, snugging neatly up to the chain.
This lapidary is local, but has only a PO Box contact. I may try to ask if she is willing to cut for me for a project for you, but in the interim, I am working with a Swarovski crystal as a base. The 2.5mm bicones in the colors I want seem to be hard to locate at a good price and in reasonable quantity, but I have not given up yet.
I just wanted to share that I have not entirely given up on writing tutorials and kitting. But the current circumstances provide challenges.
This was a pretty awesome piece of Mexican Crazy Lace Agate from one of my favorite lapidaries. I was looking forward to seeing her at the local Gem and Lapidary Workers Show, but of course, Covid19 cancelled that gathering. Her work is always impeccably calibrated, and that I love, but this piece has a crystalline bit that I think must have been challenging to work with.
I know that is not a great photo, but it does allow you to see the crystalline part. Like it wanted to be a geode. :) It's a substantial piece of stone, and the base row for this peyote bezel was 116 Toho Treasures. So of course, I wanted to echo that crystalline structure in the bezel and yoke. I used some 2.5mm Swarovski bicones at the edge and then, given summer on the way, I wanted a light yoke and needed to scale down to a delicate chain. That I accomplished with a small bail and progressively smaller crystals in a variety of shapes and colors, snugging neatly up to the chain.
This lapidary is local, but has only a PO Box contact. I may try to ask if she is willing to cut for me for a project for you, but in the interim, I am working with a Swarovski crystal as a base. The 2.5mm bicones in the colors I want seem to be hard to locate at a good price and in reasonable quantity, but I have not given up yet.
I just wanted to share that I have not entirely given up on writing tutorials and kitting. But the current circumstances provide challenges.
