The beautiful August days begin to grow shorter now, and the cool nights have me sleeping great and, well, dreaming a lot!  I’ve often ‘dreamt colors’ when in the midst of weaving, but lately I’ve been dreaming of precious metals and design elements that inspire and inform designs I then feel compelled to create.  Often these two processes get me started, but I’ll move in still another direction when I’m at the bench.

So, that’s how I came to complete two new pendants, Ancient Ammonite and Twilight Dendrite, two pieces I’ve had in my stone collection for a few years.

 The Pyritized Ammonite’s cell ridges look metallic, and it is beautiful in lightly oxidized silver, especially when it’s ‘reticulated’, or heated until it begins to take on a texture and warp, just before melting.  It’s fun to do, tricky to control, and not always successful, but it worked here.

I’d also been pondering how to use the pale pinkish Amethyst Dendrite.  Then it came together in an almost vintage looking piece, when a small onyx cabochon was added to it and then mounted on a fine leather choker. These natural markings also attracted me to the pair of grey and white Pinolith stones used in Like Marble, requiring no embellishment beyond a simple sterling setting.

Simultaneously, mixed metals have been emerging in dreams, prompting the geometric ‘constructed’ pieces I’ve just added.  These fun earrings layer a mix of precious metals textured from stamping, oxidizing and sanding, and no soldering — they need to move, and they look terrific when worn.  These combinations are endless, and since I’ve dreamt up a few more versions mixing these colors and textures, stay tuned, they’re coming soon!

you can check out all the new stuff on the New Items page…