metamorphosis

this is the "metamorphosis" necklace,

with what is perhaps my very favorite cab that teresa has ever made.

it somehow manages to look like a caterpillar and a butterfly wing at the same time. it holds the potential and the process and the outcome, all at once.

the colors and detail are amazing

"time does not change us, it just unfolds us"

~max frisch

and this here is a custom "bloom" necklace, made for the fantastic linda, with another one of teresa's amazing cabs.

a "pure as snow" ring,

with rainbow moonstone

it has such a beautiful, soft flash.

a "resolve" ring,

with a gorgeous rectangular rose cut labradorite

oh dear.

a prehnite stack

(incidentally, "re:stacks" is my favorite bon iver song.)

a custom labradorite stack for alice

just look at that flash!

and glenn and i had a fantastic ski date today.

afterwards, we went to telluride and had lunch. we stopped in this little shop, picaya, and the owner asked if they could carry some of my work there as well! i think it is a good fit. there are some VERY hoity toity shops in telluride, but this is not one of them. very exciting!

a "child of the universe" necklace,

with the last of my enormous prehnite cabs from lost sierra

and a handmade, wire-wrapped prehnite chain

the stone is remarkable!

i LOVE it!

this necklace is a tribute to the fabulous jen payette and her

nightlight beads.

sadly, jen is having to take a break from making her incredible beads.

the colors and swirls in this one are so awesome.

luckily i still have a few of her beads...

the chain is wire-wrapped with prehnite, chrysoprase, aquamarine, kyanite, and apatite.

jen, i can't wait until you're back in business!

(and i hope we actually get to see each other when i stay with you next month!)

and... patty saves the day again!

yes, you guessed it, she's taking simon! her husband, larry, has agreed to keep him "until we can find him another home". simon loves patty and larry. he often stays with them when we travel. they live on a ranch, with tons of open space, and no close neighbors. i will be able to see him often, and june can hang out with him every tuesday. i am so relieved and so happy. there is no better place for him to go. i only hope and pray that they all love each other so much that there is no need to find another home. not only that, but patty leaves for tucson tomorrow and she is going to find the man that i bought all of that beautiful prehnite and chrysoprase from in denver and get me some more!

also, i've finished my super-fast course of antibiotics and am feeling so much better!

and, lastly, (just humor me) i wanted to share this with you. remember this? and remember that i ended up throwing the pick up onto the stage in denver? well, i never really knew if he got it. well, i once met a woman at another decemberists show and i made her a guitar pick necklace with (you guessed it) decemberists lyrics on it. yesterday, i got this message from her:

Hey! I just wanted to let you know that I went to The King Is Dead signing last week. I was wearing the necklace that you made me, and when I was talking to Colin, he noticed it and said, "Hey! I have one of those! I keep it on my amp!" And then we talked about how awesome they are! Haha... thought you would want to know! Hope you're doing well! Going to any Decemberists shows?

bloom where you are planted

this piece is a custom order for the dearest emily.

"bloom where you are planted",

with pink peruvian opal, chrysoprase, and artisan glass

little accent lanterns with beads made by teresa! (tajones1463.etsy.com)

i liked it so much, i made a sister piece. (hope you don't mind, emily!)

with faceted amethyst and puffy prehnite

so, apparently i have pneumonia. i've been absolutely completely totally exhausted for about a week, and had some nasty coughing happening in the mornings, but just figured it would pass. it didn't, and i finally went to urgent care yesterday. got me some antibiotics, which i've taken exactly twice in the last ten years. so, the doctor told me to take a few days off, asked me if he needed to write me a note. i told him yes, please. write a note to me, telling me to give myself a few days off! i tried today, but it's hard! so i had a bunch of pieces and parts of lanterns and i brought them inside and constructed them whilst lounging on the couch. does that count?

yes, the fabulous teresa is now making beads for me as well!

aren't they gorgeous?

with aquamarine drops

aquamarine and prehnite lanterns

also, i have some very exciting news! i packed up a whole bunch of jewelry in my lovely case and went to an "interview" with a gallery in durango yesterday. up until now, i've pretty much done my business in such a way that i make 100% of my sales. etsy, the co-op, and art shows. it seems weird to now be seeking gallery representation, like i am taking a step backward. but it also seems like a very logical next step at the same time.

well, everything went very well, i LOVE the owners, and i am pleased as punch to announce that the azul gallery will now be carrying my work!

to celebrate, hazel threw me a party...

hope everyone had a great weekend!