Tuesday, August 23, 2011

More Jewels--Greens and Pinks

It seems as though I was in a green and pink creative frenzy yesterday.  The first inspiration came from some luscious fuchsia agate beads that I ordered just recently and were laying on my work table just begging to be strung.  So as I pulled out my other pink beads to see what I wanted to use with them, I spied some ice flake glass beads in green and pink watermelon colors that had been in my bead stash for a long time.  I guess thinking about how good a slice of watermelon would be on a hot August day put me in the mood to use some of those beads to make something.  No, I didn't add them to the fuchsia agates--those deserved their own grouping of pinks--but I did find some apple green chalk turquoise that I thought looked marvelous with those green and pink beads and I used them in a bracelet that I suppose I could call my fruit salad bracelet.  Anyway, the refreshing fuchsia, almost reminding me of fresh raspberries, along with the watermelon and apple green beads seemed to help make the day a little more bearable.  Hmmm.  Perhaps I should take inspiration from those colors and have a fresh fruit salad for lunch!

Here's pictures and these are all in my Etsy shop.

Fuchsia Agate with Pink Crystals and Fuchsia Ice Flake Glass

Pink Crystals - Pink Lemonade, anyone?

Apple Green Chalk Turquoise with Watermelon Ice Flake Glass and Green Crystals

Watermelon Ice Flake Glass and Green Crystal on Kidney Earwires

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

August Birthstone, the Peridot

I am an August baby, so I am partial to the peridot, as I should be. It wasn't always so, however, since I used to hate that lime green color. But as I matured, my color tastes changed and I began to see peridot not just as a gemstone color in and of itself, but also as a pleasingly complimentary color to other pastels. I never shall forget the first time I saw peridot--lime green--and purple together. It was quite a unique color combination, and now it is one of my favorites, which is a good thing since the amethyst is my husband's and daughter-in-law's birthstone. So many new styles and settings use the peridot now that it has become a fairly popular gemstone.

Here is a little information about the peridot.

Though most peridots are a light lime green in color, they can also occur in yellowish green, olive green or medium dark green hues. In addition to being the birthstone for August, it is also the anniversary stone for the 16th year of marriage.

Peridot has been adored since ancient times and has been valued for centuries. People in the Middle Ages wore peridot to gain foresight and divine inspiration. Legend has it that pirates favored peridot to protect them against evil. Peridot was greatly prized by Egyptian Kings. Some of Cleopatra's emeralds were in fact peridots.
The deposit on Saint Johns Island in the Red Sea, that was mentioned by Pliny in his Natural History (AD 70), still produces fine gems.

The peridot is worn for general healing purposes, since it is believed to increase strength and vitality, protect against being nervous, helps liver and adrenal function, and protects the lungs, sinuses, and wrists from illness or injury. (I guess I'd better pull out my peridot ring and wear it every day since I have been experiencing severe bouts of sinusitis and allergic rhinitis!)

One needs to hope he/she has good dreams while wearing peridot, for it is thought to help bring dreams to reality. It also attracts love, dispels anger and negative feelings, and aids in a good nights sleep when worn to bed.

Although the peridot is a fairly hard stone, 6.5-7 on the Moh's scale, still care should be taken when wearing it to protect it from scratches and hard blows and from extreme temperature changes. (No fear of that in Texas right now!) It should NOT be cleaned in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. I always clean mine with a soft toothbrush and a little toothpaste, and then rinse, rinse, rinse and dry with a soft cloth.

Here are some pieces that I have made using peridot.  These can all be seen in my Etsy shop, on my Facebook page, or in my ArtFire studio.

Peridot with Amethyst and Druzy Pendant

Peridot and Turquoise Earrings

Peridot and Turquoise Bracelet


Another ArtFire Collection

I've had another jewelry creation featured in a collection on ArtFire.  It is the black and white necklace and earring set.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Back from Vacation

Well, after spending a week in the Davis Mountains of west Texas, I am back to the heat of north central Texas.  While it was fairly cool in the mountains and we did see some rain, the terrain looks so bad following all the fires and the drought they have had.  I don't remember ever seeing the mountains so bare and brown looking.

For the month of August, which is my birth month, I have created a treasury on Etsy featuring the color of peridot, the birthstone for the month.  It is titled "August is for Peridot."  Stop in to Etsy and see all the luscious items that are featured there in this treasury.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTE1MDg0OTB8NTI4MzkxNDAz/august-is-for-peridot?ref=pr_treasury

Sweet Pastel Crystals!! by MissPattisAttic on Etsy

Here is another treasury on Etsy featuring a pair of my earrings!

Sweet Pastel Crystals!! by MissPattisAttic on Etsy