My Wall Hanging "Phase"

 I have begun a new hobby... yarn wall hangings.

I watched a bunch of YouTube videos, bought a loom

and went for it.  I really enjoy the process, although

picking out the yarn and coming up with patterns

can cause creative blocks.  It is a nice hobby,

and can sometimes be done while watching TV.  This

is one of my first projects.

Topaz Mining

This past weekend, we did some mining on a topaz claim. Very interesting and amazing day. Hot with searing sun, but I was covered from head to toe except for hands. I don’t want to think about the sunburn that others in the group of 25 had, who walked around without a hat or long sleeves.

We saw antelope, wild horses and of course the mine. VERY steep climb up the mountain to get to the mine. I closed my eyes while sister drove the big Ram truck up the rocky 45º grade.

We found some topaz samples,

most contained in rhyolite or cassiterite.

Labradorite Cabachon

 

This week, I went to a jewelry making class in Cedar City,

taught by Lexi Smith.  She is excellent, and managed to teach

a group of mixed skill students with ease.

I selected a rather large Labradorite cabachon for my

project.  I used dead soft copper wire with smaller gage

square wire for the wrapping.  It was a delightful class!

Geodes and Chippy Necklaces

 I'm working on items for an upcoming sale.

I made eternity findings for the geodes, because the

larger opening allows for use of stone chip necklaces.

I've used Fluorite, Labradorite and Turquoise chips

to create these "chippy necklaces."

Geodes!

Geodes are a stunning mineral, formed through volcanic action. As rocks, they are pretty non-descript. However, they are hollow inside and contain masses of sparkling mineral material.

I have a little collection of geodes and decided to

attempt some jewelry making. Some geodes are too

brittle to drill, so are more appropriate for wire wrapping.

Whether you drill them or wrap, they make a

wonderful jewelry statement.

Metaphysically, geodes are said to produce energy,

and thus help to calm mind and spirit.

Wrapped Pendant

 I made this for my sister.  She provided

the beautiful stone!

Eagle Blessing

 

My Mom lives in a beautiful assisted living place, overlooking the mountains and a golf course.  After meals, you can walk out on to a patio to watch the golfers.

This evening, we spotted a golden eagle.  It perched in front of us and then moved closer, dropping something out of it's talons.  After it flew off, I picked it up and it was a bit of bark.  What a blessing to share those moments with that lovely animal.

Loving Utah

 

Rock and Wire Tree on Maple Slice

 Here's another rock and wire tree.  This one is kind of

special to me.  The wood slab comes from a maple tree

that I had cut down because it was dying and I wanted to

put in my fruit trees.  I kept one small log from the maple.

I used my miter saw cut out a couple of slices.  They are beautiful.

Even without any finishing they have lovely grain.

My only frustration is that the log is not straight, so it is

VERY card to cut without it wanting to fling itself

across the room.

Rock and Wire Wish Upon a Star

Here's another tree.  I tore this one apart 2 times because

I was not happy with it.  It's a bonsai style, but I did not like the leaves.   I finally took them off and

added the silver star.  The rock is a bit oversized for this

tree, but I didn't decide that til all of the wrapping and

shaping was done, so they are now a pair!

 

Rock and Wire Tree with Pearlized Enamel

 

This is another rock and wire tree.  They are soooo hard 

to take a picture of!!  

I used the soft Benecreat aluminum wire to make little 

curly cues that look a bit like hearts.  I added some 

Pearlized Enamel Effects Basic (from Stampin' Up!)

to the curly cues.  This product does a great job

adhering to the wire and not dripping.  It also saves

time because you can do multiple curls without worrying

about dealing with beads.

I wound the roots around the rock and put some hot

glue on the underside of the rock to hold things in place.

I love this rock because in person, it matches 

the copper wire beautifully.

Rock and Wire Arrowhead Necklace

 I'm back today with another Rock and Wire necklace.

I purchased this arrowhead years ago and had it sitting in

my wire crafting box.   I think I hesitate on some of my

creative projects for two reasons: 1) I don't want to use

"my pretty" stone, or 2) I can't decide on the project.

In this example, I used some Benecreat soft aluminum

craft wire to wrap the stone, add a bead and create a loop.  

I finished it off with a faux suede cord, 

knotted so that I can change the material as needed.

I had previously made a pair of beaded earrings, which

go perfectly with the arrowhead.

Rock and Wire Tree

 The other wire and rock art form that I'm attracted to

is armatures, featuring trees or people.  I wrapped beads

on the end of wires, creating several curls around the bead.

I then twisted all of the copper lengths together,

in order to create the tree trunk.  The ends were wrapped

around a piece of lava, found on a property that I used

to own in CA.  I just love the combination of wire and rock!

Rocks and Wire Necklace

 I am a bit of a rock enthusiast, although I don't know my rock

names or features.  I just enjoy finding pretty pebbles by the lake,

or desert path.   My sweet sister Julie is a little more serious

about her rocks and tumbles them for sale in her store.

Once in a while, I try creating jewelry out of found 

or purchased stones.  This is a stone that Julie 

found and tumbled.

I wrapped the stone with copper wire, formed the loop, and

added the faux leather cord.  I had some stone beads that

went well with the necklace, so made the earrings to match,

using copper findings. 

Kindest Gnomes with Inspired Thoughts

I like gnomes.  They resemble my mixed feelings about

Christmas preparations.  Some of the efforts and activities 

make me grumpy, but I end up being inspired.

This gnome comes from the Kindest Gnomes bundle,

colored with Stampin' Blends.  The sentiment from 

Inspired Thoughts was cut out with a die from the 

Hippo and Friends collection.

Happy Forest with Inspired Thoughts

 The Happy Forest dies are wonderful because

they span several seasons.  The little Charlie Brown trees

provide a great backdrop, or focal point.

In this example, I added the sentiment from Inspired 

Thoughts, which is lovely for Christmas cards.   I like 

making bows out of embroidery floss, because it does

not add much bulk to a card.

Amazing Silhouettes

 Amazing Silhouettes is one of those sets that can be used

in a jam to created a quick elegant card.  For this card,

I just added several layers and some accessories.

Santa's Sleigh Christmas Cards

 I've been busy making Christmas cards, digging into my

stash of retired dies and papers. These two cards make use of the 

Santa's Sleigh Thinlits (R) from 2017-18.  I like products that

facilitate mass production, especially around Christmas time!

The sentiment for the reindeer card comes from the Sunshine

Wishes Thinlits (R).  I used some suede cardstock to

give it a nice texture.  Can you guess what cardstock that is?

If you said Mellow Moss, you would be correct!

 

Heron Habitat on Tailor Made Tags

 Heron Habitat keeps popping up on my posts, because

it is so darn easy to create a serene card.  In this example,

I simply layered it on some retired DSP.  I then added a tag

from the Tailor Made Tags dies, run through the 

Timeworn Type 3D Embossing Folder.

Word Wishes So Many Snowflakes Dies

 I'm always trying to put together Christmas cards that

allow for mass production.  Design takes time, so I want

to be able to bang out those cards once I've created a sample.

For this card, I used the following products.  R denotes

retired items.

Word Wishes Dies (R)

So Many Snowflakes Dies (R)

Timber Embossing Folder

Time Worn Type Embossing Folder (R)

Orchid Oasis cardstock

Starry Sky cardstock

Soft Succulent cardstock

Pearlized Effects Basics White