Sonoran Dendritic Rhyolite Necklace

This wire woven necklace is made using copper and Sonoran Dendritic Rhyolite. I found matching earring stones so stay tuned and I'll post them next!

Sonora Dendritic Rhyolite gets it's name because of the beautiful, feather-like dendritic patterns found on different colored backgrounds. The gemstone is found in the Mexican state of Sonora which is directly south of Arizona and California. The gemstone usually has a blue-gray or yellowish background color with pinkish maroon colored dendrites growing off sealed fracture lines. The dendrites are surrounded by milky white halos. This opaque stone is most likely a dolomite that has been heated, cracked, and resealed by volcanic activity over thousands of years.

Kingman Turquoise Wire Weave Necklace

Kingman Turquoise

I have a beautiful Kingman Turquoise necklace to share with you today! I've had this stone for quite some time, because of its unusual shape I hadn't done anything with it. I'm very happy with the way it turned out and the color of this one is so pretty!

Cherry Creek Jasper Earrings

Cherry Creek Jasper Earrings-

I'm always amazed at all the beautiful

colors Cherry Creek Jasper comes in.

Cherry Creek Jasper is also known as Chinese Picasso 

and Red Creek Jasper.  These stunning semiprecious 

stones offer wonderful patterns and colors in various 

earthy shades.

Their unique mixture of warm and cool tones go well 

with copper.  Red Creek Jasper is believed to be named 

after a stream that runs through the area of China 

where these semiprecious gemstones were first discovered.

 If you are in Arizona this weekend come see 

me Saturday at the La Paz County Swap Meet upriver in Parker, Az and/or Sunday at the London Bridge Swap Meet in 

Lake Havasu City, Az.  

Royston Turquoise - Special Order

Royston Turquoise -

I've had this cabochon for several weeks now, it's a commissioned piece for one of my customers that I see out at the La Paz County Swap Meet in Parker, Az. 

She purchased the cab and I agreed to create a necklace, I'm so happy I have it ready for her now. The shape has given me a hard time trying to figure out how/what to do with it.

It's done, I'm happy with it and I hope she is too!

Update:  She loves it!

Cherry Creek Jasoer Earrings

Cherry Creek Jasper Earrings

I have a pair of Cherry Creek Jasper Earrings to share today. I made them up to go with a pendant, they sold quickly and I still have the pendant. You just never know...

Purple Spiny Oyster Shell Necklace

Purple Spiny Oyster Shell

I met a silversmith at the La Paz County Swap Meet a few weeks ago and was able to purchase some of her Spiny Oyster Shell cabochons. This one is Purple Spiny Oyster all wrapped up in copper wire.

Burro Creek Agate

Burro Creek Agate Pendant

Burro Creek Agate/Jasper Necklace.

This stone is local to our area here in Arizona, it comes from the Burro Creek Wilderness Area between Kingman & Prescott.

Orange Spiny Oyster Shell

Orange Spiny Oyster Shell Necklace & Earring Set

Spiny Oyster Shell, this one is my favorite! I've really liked orange for awhile now and just couldn't part with this one yet, so I've been wearing it.

A little info I've learned about Spiny Oyster: As the name implies, Spiny Oysters are covered with menacing spines but despite its name, these creatures are not true oysters but are more closely related to scallops. In the American Oceans, they occur along the North American coasts, the Atlantic Coast, and northwestern Mexico, on the Pacific Coast. They are also found in waters all the way to South America.

The collection of Spiny Oyster Shells I've acquired I was told come from Ecuador. 

They are prized for their brilliant colors (purple, orange, red & yellow). The color of the shell is deponent on the depth these creatures are found in - at 0 to 60 feet the shells ae purple; at 60 to 90 feet the shell is white, at 90 feet and deeper the shells are red and orange. The most commonly used shell colors include orange, reds, and purples and may include distinct striations and color variations.

Rainbow Moonstone Wire Wrap Necklace

Rainbow Moonstone

I had a special request for a pendant made with Rainbow Moonstone recently. These never stay on my table very long and this one was no exception. Luckily I have a few more I can wrap up. I really like the contrast of the bright Rainbow Moonstone with the antiqued copper.

Weaving Copper Wire Bracelets

Weaving Copper Wire Bracelets

I'm working on making wire woven bracelets this week and have a couple pictures of the process for you. The last photo shows two different yet very much the same bracelets that are finished. I've antiqued and polished them to bring out the beauty of the copper and it also helps bring out the detail of the weaving.

My weave is coming along, almost there...

I think I'll call this pattern Sedona since I live in Arizona.

Lapis Lace Onyx Heart Necklace

Lapis Lace Onyx

Week by week I'm working on different projects for shows I'll be in this winter.

This is a Lapis Lace Onyx Heart by Lapidary Artist Jerry Howard that I've wrapped in copper.

Montana Agate

Montana Agate -

A few weeks ago I had a Lapidary Artist stop by my space at the London Bridge Swap Meet and he had some of his cut and polished Montana Agate cabochons to show me. My daughter had fun talking with him while I waited on customers, she picked out several cabs for me to purchase and wrap. This is the first one I've worked with so far & I like the way it came out.

Etched Copper Bracelets

Etched Copper Bracelets

I had a special order for an etched DragonFly bracelet recently. Since I needed to break out the etching solution I thought I'd make up a nice selection to have at my upcoming events.  I'll be in Parker, Az at the La Paz County Swap Meet every Saturday (almost) through March 2019 and the London Bridge Swap Meet in Lake Havasu City, Az every Sunday through April 2019.  Both venues are open from 8 - 2.

Wire Weaving

Donuts!

A few weeks ago I was working on making pendants from the "donut stones" I'd acquired. The design for these was inspired by Julie Hulick.

Bullhead City Farmer's Market Holiday Extravaganza

I thought I'd share some pictures from my weekend out of town at the Bullhead City Farmer's Market Holiday Extravaganza.  I took off on Friday morning to go to Bullhead City, they scheduled the vendors to be there at appointed times to load their products in as it was a bit crowded in there.

The Mary Kay folks were across from me Saturday.

It was a two hour drive for me so I decided to get a room at one of the hotels in Laughlin which is just across the river from Bullhead City and stay over instead of driving back home then getting up at 4 AM and driving back.  

My neighbors right beside me at this show are Cyndi & Jaimee, they have a small business called Cornerstone Bakery and they've just begun their adventure out selling at different events.  They were a huge hit!

Across from me is this fabulous body products booth.  Unfortunately we were all too busy to visit amongst ourselves much.  I thought they had the best looking display out of all of us!

This little gal has the best smile and I think she sold out.

These two ladies had a fun set up and looked like they were going to have a good time.

I walked around and took photos before the doors were opened and I didn't see anyone around this display but thought their stuff was pretty neat.

These are my friends Steve & Marie's booth, we are at a lot of events together.

A little before the show chit chat going on here at the all handmade towels and goodies stop.

And a couple more before the show photos.  I didn't get to meet everyone but I did get around to take pictures before we got underway.  

When the doors opened at 9 AM there was a line up of people waiting to get in and the crowd lasted until about 2 PM.  It was hard to get around in there so I was happy to stay behind my tables. 

All in all a good day out of town.  We closed up at 3 PM, loaded it all back in my truck and headed back to Parker, Az.  The following morning the alarm went off at 4:30 AM and I was up and gone again for Lake Havasu City, Az to set up and spend the day out at the London Bridge Swap Meet.

It's been a busy holiday weekend!  Hope yours was fabulous =) 

Labradorite Wire Weave Pendant

Labradorite Pendant

This was my first Labradorite pendant in copper! Love the way it turned out -

Bullhead City Farmers Market Holiday Extravaganza

Bullhead City Farmers Market Holiday Extravaganza!

1251 HWY 95. Bullhead City, AZ 86442

9 AM - 3 PM

I'll be out of town for a few days!  

Today is the set up/load in day for the Bullhead City Farmers Market Holiday Extravaganza in Bullhead City, Az. about an hour and a half from my home town.  I like the day before set ups for shows so you can just walk in the next morning and get with it.  The shows are usually two or three days though and this is a six hour event.  No worries, I booked a room at one of the hotels in Laughlin, NV and will just stay over so I don't have to get up so early and travel back.  Mini working vacation...

So, if you are in the Bullhead City/Laughlin area tomorrow, Saturday, November 24, 2018 come visit the show!

I hope your Thanksgiving was amazing, have a great weekend -

Larimar Wire Wrap Necklace

Larimar Wire Weave Necklace

I've been going through my stash of Cabochons and found this little beauty to wrap. This stone is Larimar.

Scientifically, Larimar is a truly unique gemstone, in it's mineral content as well as it's chemical make up. The coloring of this stone is due to copper, much like Turquoise, but this is where that connection ends.

After it's discovery in 1974, it was analyzed by geologists as well as the Smithsonian Institute, and all agreed that the Larimar stone had volcanic origins and therefore belongs to the family of Pectolite. Larimar being the only blue or teal colored Pectolite to this day.

Boulder Opal

Boulder Opal

This is a Boulder Opal that I was asked to make into a pendant for a couple I met at the La Paz County Swap Meet in Parker, Arizona recently. I hope they are happy with the way it turned out, they requested something simple.