Turquoise in it's many forms

I was doing a little research tonight on a shopping site, and I did a search for Turquoise beads.

2290 items.... well that's too many. So I put in 'Natural Turquoise beads not Howlite', 2160 items returned. Sigh, so as I shuffled through the listings I noticed, Orange, Pink, White, Yellow, Purple, Bright Blue, Lime Green... awful ugly beads, crosses, skulls. Nothing like what I was looking for, which was natural, real turquoise beads in traditional turquoise color. I flagged a few, then realized that was fruitless, there were just too many.

Do people buy this stuff? Now I will be the first one to admit, I have purchased some dyed howlite or magnesite beads. But I knew what they were. And I certainly didn't try to pass them off as "real turquoise" to anyone. I bought a few of the carved skulls, in black and white, these wild orange, yellow and hot pink skulls are awful.

But what really yanks my chain are the listings for beads that look like turquoise, almost. You know they are not, but the seller merrily describes them as Turquoise, they don't say where it's from or what mine. How can they? They came from China.

to be continued....

Rum Raisin?

So...... I thought Rum Raisin would be a good name for a Bead Mix I thought up... A nice dark red mix sprinkled with black. Huh? How did I think that up? Bead mix colors often just come to me when my muse strikes, ( or hits me over the head with a rock). So I googled "Rum Raisin", and what did I get? Ice Cream! and Cake! Not RED at all.... I like confirmation that my name choice is appropriate for the colors.

Then I tried "Red Rum Raisin"..... Well that was a little better, I got Red lipsticks, a reddish brown horse, various food stuffs (none of which reminded me of rum raisin, and a brown goat! And this guy >>>>>

Although what he has to do with "Rum Raisin" I have yet to figure out! But he is kinda "wickedly handsome" isn't he?

I will post a picture of my Red Rum Raisin mix shortly and hope ya'll like it enough to buy some. I have been in a really creative mood lately with my bead mixes... several new ones have come to life as well as re-creating some of my old ones in the tiny size 11/0. Here are a few.....

Witch's Brew

Azurite-Malachite mix

how about Firey Sunset?

You can see them all at either of my online stores;

http://spiritbearbeads.etsy.com

or

http://Spiritbearbeads.artfire.com

Thanks for coming by!

Of Tools and Rocks...

Not Cabbages and Kings... I'm afraid.













So continuing from my last delinquent posting. Why did I build a 2 car garage and dub it the Flying Pig ?





I have acquired, besides a considerably quantity of BEADS, a CONSIDERABLE amount of tools, jewelry and lapidary tools, and I needed someplace to put them. The tack shed was a temporary site, but it did not begin to provide the space needed. Then I considered the old shed where we keep lawnmowers, tires and the ATV's, but then where would they live? Aside from the fact that it has a dirt floor, all the windows are broken and it is full of bugs and other nasty critters. Quite as 'sheds' often do....





So I decided to build a new one. Just for my and my beads and my tools and my growing collection of ROCKS. "Rocks?" you say? "Why do you have rocks?" Well, you use the tools to make Big rocks into little rocks. Pretty little polished rocks that you put into jewelry and other things.





Taa Daa!

OH Dear.... I am a bad bad blogger. It has been almost a year since I posted here.

Soooo busy. I have built a studio, it is called the Flying Pig Studio at Devils Den. Now isn't that pretentious. But there is a reason.... I kept saying it would be built, 'when pigs fly'. Then for Christmas my Brother and Sis sent me a metal pig, with wings! So it is, the Flying Pig Studio.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Lewis Carroll