UFO's Over the High Desert

I found the most awesome Montane Agate on Etsy! I got it from Lapidarious, a wonderful shop!

Here's his description of it because it's perfect!

"This extraordinary example of fine Monatan Agate is as spacy as the picture within. Little scout ships leaving the big mother ship over the high desert of eastern Oregon. A trip waiting to be set in metal and shown off!
NICE nice material.
Definitely for the adventuresome.
18.46ct. and 24mm x 25.5mm x 4mm in size

Calling occupants of interplanetary craft....."

I looked at it for quite a while, wanted it badly, then finally bought it! LOL It is not for sale because I'm keeping it! It's all mine!

It turned out exactly like I pictured it in my mind, which never happens for me. Usually a design mophs and changes while I'm making it.

The stone just begged for the alien face on the back, so I cut out the eyes on the back plate, and cut a tiny spaceship shape to attach the jumpring.

I LOVE how it turned out!

I also got a gorgeous little Oregon Petrified Wood Limb Cast Agate from him. It's going to be a ring, as soon as I have time to finish it! :)

Right now I have to get off this computer and get to work in the shop. Got a few orders to finish. YAY!

The HUGE rock rings!

Well, here they are! These are not something I would have done on my own. It was a custom request from a customer.

Her son found the rocks on the beach in East Sandwich, MA, their favorite vacation spot. The biggest, pinkish one is hers and the green one is her daughters. They were special to her and she wanted them set in a sterling silver ring. So I did it!

The big one is not really practical for everyday wear, but it will make a great conversation starter!

I'm not that good at setting stones, so these were a special challenge for me. It was a little difficult but I figured it out! YAY!

I made the setting with a 20g backplate, and 24g bezel. I've always seen people say they used a hammer on a bezel setting, and I thought it was crazy! Why would you hammer a bezel?! Now I know! That's exactly what I did, and it worked great!

I also tried out my wooden vise that is part of my new workbench. It's perfect for holdng a ring while you set a stone. It doesn't mark the silver at all!

Well, my hubby will be home either tomorrow or Wednesday. Not sure which because of the time difference. Sometimes it doesn't seem like it's been a month since he left, and sometimes it seems longer! Staying busy all the time helps time pass though. I'm always in the shop working, so days kinda run together for me.

I did take yesterday off. I wasn't going to but after eating lunch at my Mom's and visiting with the family, I was too tired and full to do anything. So today I've been playing catch up!

I'm a little more used to my glasses, but they still bug me. It makes me tired to try and focus on what I'm doing, and I catch myself not focusing! The piece I'm working on will be blurry and out of focus, because it's a pain in the patooty to keep moving my head till I find the spot! Lined bifocals would probably have been better for work, and I may get them for that. I can wear these everywhere else. Oh well, live and learn, and get old and fall apart! LOL

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Giant coffee cup!

LOL! I love things that are WAY bigger than normal, or WAY smaller! I found this giant coffee cup plant pot and I could not resist! Now I have to find a plan for it.

I could probably drink that much coffee, if it wouldn't get cold before I could finish it!

Not much going on around here, except work. I still have a few more things that have to be finished, but I think they'll have to wait until tomorrow. I'm POOPED!

My glasses are still driving me nuts, and they're making my right eye hurt. That's the good eye!

I got my stones in for new rings, but I don't have time to play with them right now. :( I have 2 custom order rings that are giving mr fits. They're fairly large rocks that a customer wants made into rings. One is pretty thick, and it's going to be heavy, but hey, it's not my ring! It is a pain to set though!

Well, gotta go watch House!

Etsy Find

I was browsing thru Pounce today (as usual:) and I found the most amazing wire artist!

Her shop is Slc Uniques
and she has different types of things for sale, but I was stunned by her copper wire insects.

I love bugs anyway (Yes, I'm weird!) so I had to share these with you. This is a few of them, but there are more. Check out her shop.




I finally got my glasses yesterday, and I HATE them! I can see really well far off, but finding the right up close spot is aggravating. I'm bobbing my head up and down like an idiot and I can't wear them at all when I'm on the computer. Why can't anything just be simple?!

I got the no line bifocals, and you can only see clearly looking staight ahead. To the side is blurry, and it's hard to find the spot for reading. But, I REFUSE to wear regular, lined bifocals. Damn it! I'm not that old yet! LOL

I got a call from the head of the local art society today. She found my Etsy shop and wants me to join them. It's a juried show where I can sell my jewelry locally every second weekend. I don't have to go to every show, just when I want. There's a $12 membership fee and booth space is free. I'm going to give it a shot, but now I have to really get busy! Or busier!

My youngest is being honored tonight by the school board for making it to State in the Literary Rally. He's not happy about it, but I am. He got an academic scholarship to Louisiana Tech, which is a wonderful college, and it's only about 3 hours from home! YAY! The scholarship is only for $14,500, which will be about a thousand dollars a semester, but every little bit helps. He can't get a grant because of our income, but he's in the TOPS program and they will pay about $2000 a semester, so that leaves us owingabout $8000 a semester. I have no idea how I'm going to pay it, but I will!

Well, that's about all of my news. I'm not a very exciting person! LOL

Feeling down

I don't know what the world is coming to. What is wrong with people that they feel like they have to go out and kill innocent people? They're almost always mad at someone or something, but they don't kill the one that wronged them. They take it out on people that they've never even met. This latest shooting in Binghamton NY is just as stupid and senseless as all the rest! Sometimes I just wonder where it will all end...How long can this kind of violence continue?
Just say a prayer for all of the world, because it really needs it.

I Still Can't Comment! :(

And it's starting to tick me off! Half of the blogs I follow, I can't comment on. If it has that little drop down bar, there's nothing in it, and I can't post. So Gail, thank you for your comments, and I love your fold-formed leaf. I've been thinking about getting CLB's book, too! I bought new Fretz hammers from Otto Frei in the closeout section. Sometimes they have seconds, and they are deeply discounted and wonderful!

I had my second sale at 1000 Markets, so maybe the word's getting out now, and things will pick up.

Nothing much going on today, so I guess I'll go for now.