More Rose Colored Glasses!

Time off for snow!

Well, you all must have been praying a lot last night after my post because, while I did go into work in the morning, it was snowing so much noon they had to send everyone home due to deteriorating conditions on the roads.

It was unexpected and quite welcome for a change in the work week, and did allow me to get a lot work done on bringing up the new Jewelry galleries on the new web site.  I was able to organize the 2007 jewelry pictures, split them into galleries, set up the new jewelry navigation and pages and import a few of the galleries.

I have one more page that needs to be added to the site before I can bring up the inaugural jewelry galleries.  I haven't posted the changes yet, but they will be coming shortly.

Spray Of Roses Set

The third and final installment in the Rose orders that I've created for one of my clients is called "Spray Of Roses" and features a large lentil pendant and matching earrings.

The large lentil that is the focal of the pendant is adorned with green leaves with delicate striping detail.  Across these leaves, the three red roses are in full bloom and migrate in the opposite direction of the leaves creating a sort of "X".  This pattern is repeated on other side of the pendant as well.

The set of earrings is a shrunken down version of this pendant in that the same patterns on those lentil beads is also represented on a smaller scale.  Actually, the pendant was a blow-up of the earrings rather than the earrings being a shrunk down version because I made the earrings first and then designed the larger version for the pendant.

As with the other two sets, the pendant and earrings are strung on sterling silver wire and sterling lever-back earring findings.  Black onyx beads and zinc flower spacers finish the design of these pieces.

The challenges of these sets was a bit daunting to me initially, but I'm so glad I accepted the challenge and worked through the design issues to create these pieces.  Not only does it give me another design to add to my skill set, but also the confidence to tackle other challenges.

I  hope you're all coping with the horrible weather that is ravaging the country and that you and yours are all warm, safe and sound.

Have a great night!

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden...

But I created one anyway with this pendant and earring set entitled "Rose Garden".

The second in my series of three custom orders that I designed, it has deep red roses and purple hyacinth flowers blooming against a background of black which makes the colors really pop and seem electric.

Sterling silver lever-back earrings each have a medium lentil bead with a hyacinth and rose flower on each side.

Both the pendant and earrings use sterling silver wire, and small zinc bicones for some added pizazz.  

As I worked on the various rose beads, I have noticed that the control over the flowers is getting better and each bead gets a little more uniform. 

This amazes me every time I see something that I couldn't do before become closer and close to how I imagined the set to come out.  Practice, especially in lampwork, does make a huge difference.

On The Web Front

Tomorrow, I will not be going to the gym, so I will get a chance to work on the new web site and start pulling in the jewelry galleries which are still absent at the moment.   I've had to wait until I procured the actual web hosting space, since I was using the trial subscription to see how the new software would interact with the service.

Now, I'm pleased to report that the .Mac (pronounced Dot-Mac) service and its integration with the software, is really going to make maintaining my web site easier and give you much more features to view and enjoy and hopefully keep you coming back for more!

We're expecting snow tonight and tomorrow, so if I get a snow day from work, then I might get some torch time too!  However, the predictions of lots of snow tonight are now being restated for lots of snow during tomorrow, so I'll probably have to work afterall.  

Pray for snow everyone!

Bunches Of Roses Parade!

I was quite productive last night and got a lot of jewelry made from the beads that I'd created on Saturday and a couple weeks back.

A customer of mine wanted some jewelry designed around a red rose theme, so I worked up a few designs, and should ordered all three pendants with matching earrings!

Tonight, you get to see the first of the three rose jewelry sets.

The pendant in this set is the largest of the three, but with its bright red roses encircling the bead, it really commands attentions.

The earrings are round with four roses on each bead and leaf flourish to match the original bead.  

The pendant and earrings are strung on sterling silver wire with black onyx stones and zinc accents to give a little zing to the set.  The lever back findings are also sterling silver.

This set came out a lot better than I had hoped since roses aren't really one of my strong suits, but I do like the canes I've designed for them better than the traditional rose canes.

What to you think?

The Wire Is Found, Culprit Masquerades As Tablecloth!

For those of you who've been wondering where my florist wire could possibly have gotten to from last night's posting, you can rest easy that the mystery has now been solved.

Just as I predicted, after good nights sleep and rational thought I decided to go back down to my studio and look again.  While moving the items around, as I had last night, proved to not turn up the wire, this time I rested my hand on the tablecloth that was folded  on the table.

"What's this?",  I thought as my hand rested on a lump in one of the folds on the fabric.  Sure enough, it was my wire that had somehow been shuffled under the tablecloth.

I was then able to finish stringing my newly made set of lentils and head off to work.  Crisis a

averted!

Rose Focal Coming To Etsy

The "Sunrise Merlot" bead that I featured here last night sold this morning after just a few hours in my Etsy shop.  I was so surprised that it sold so quickly, but very happy too.  I love it when something I post is popular and someone picks it up right away.  As an artist, it's just a terrific feeling.

For my next new posting in my shop, this lovely rose focal will be loaded up tomorrow morning.  It's brilliant red colors are prefect for your Valentine, while the green leaves add a very nice accent against the solid black background of this bicone.

The roses on this bead were created from custom canes of pastel and transparent red along with white striping to give the petals some distinction and depth.    It will certainly get noticed as a pendant or in necklace.

Until next time, have great night, and a perfect day tomorrow!