This Never Gets Old!

I seem to have a real appetite for apatite lately! The beautiful aqua colored stone is definitely a favorite of mine, and I love the name: apatite. (Reminds me it's time for a snack!) I made the bracelet on the left the other day and oxidized all the sterling silver components because I just love the contrast of the dark, gun metal gray with the bright aqua of the apatite.


Another huge favorite of mine is sapphire. The earrings on the right (also made with oxidized sterling silver) fade from light to dark, and are more heavily clustered at the top than at the bottom, so they fade visually in both respects. Sapphire is a little more costly than some other gemstones, and having just a small supply to work with makes the process of creating even more of a joy.

The sapphires in these earrings are tiny, too, only about 2.5m. They are like little droplets of water in my hands while I'm wrapping the wire on each one.

Unearthing Inspiration

This past weekend I've thought a lot about inspiration. I've been away for a short vacation to the scenic Sierra Nevada's near Yosemite, an absolutely gorgeous area of California, and one that is, fortunately, not battling wildfires right now.

I know that some people purposely set out to "get inspired". They take walks through the woods or a park, stroll along the shore, go to museums and galleries, garden, meditate, go to Paris.... So, before I left for my mini-vacation I thought, oh good, time away from my usual surroundings to spend contemplating among the pines and redwoods, get my creative juices flowing again.

Hm. Didn't happen. I guess I can't purposely set out to get inspired. My problem is that I over-think everything. But tomorrow morning, when I open my industrial-looking, gray metal drawers to paw through all the ziplock baggies containing all of my beautiful gemstones and beads, my mind will reel with design ideas that will tumble over each other in a torrent. I'll have to force myself to slow down and focus, breath deeply and relax. Otherwise the excitement, and, yes, the inspiration that I will feel when I come face-to-face with these raw materials will overwhelm me. How unpoetic.

Think of all the money I'll save on vacations that I can spend on beads!