craftgrrl | My Week After The Gem Faire

I went to the Gem Faire last weekend and found a lot of wonderful things. I have ideas for everything I scored there (the luscious peridot, the haunting freeform amber, the jasper with a moon scene that looks as though it has been painted there by Mother Nature), and wish that I could instantaneously create everything I have in my mind, but I only have so many hours to play in a week so this is what I have come up with so far:

Sun & Moon

I have been looking around for just the right bead to use as the sun, and I think I found it with this gorgeous citrine. I actually bought an entire strand of mixed coin beads just to have two of these gorgeous sun-like stones. Now to figure out what to do with all of these amethyst, prehnite,rose quartz, and sub-par citrine coins I have left over. Ideas?

Lapis Tree

At my favorite fossil and mineral vendor, I found a gorgeous strand of matte polished lapis coin beads. I love lapis, but am often wary of buying it because so much of it is dyed. The last time I purchased a strand of lapis at a gem show the beads ran dye all over the place once I tested them at home. Grrr. I didn't know that vendor. Best to stick to vendors you know and trust at gem shows.

Free leaf Necklace

Because I purchased the somewhat pricy lapis beads, the vendor gave me the moss agate leaf that I was admiring. I quickly rushed home and turned it into a necklace. Here is what it looks like when you hold it up to the light. I could look at it all day:

Super Ecofriendly Local Jade Tree

I made this tree not only with recycled sterling silver wire, but with California botryoidal nepherite jade that was gathered (not mined) by a local family who takes a biodiesel-fueled helicopter up mountains to find this rare jade. After collecting, they cut the stones in the most environmentally conscious way possible. I love this jade, and wish I could buy all of my stones from these people. The last time I was able to purchase a strand from them was 3 years ago. I have to wait for them to have enough scrap material to even think about making chip beads.

Hopefully this week I'll have a chance to play with the rest of my Gem Faire loot, but I think I may be too busy doing other life stuff. I wish I could just craft all day every day. I know you know how it is...

Have a beautiful day!