Luna's Baublebilities

It is January 6, 2010 and it just keeps on snowing in Upstate NY.  The more it snows and the cold creeps further into houses and bones, the more apparent it becomes that The Beorningstead will not be move-in ready before March or April. 

Alas.  I will be asking Bry to move one of my large counter tops destined for my new studio into the livingroom here this weekend and will set up a dyeing area right here.  I've wasted enough time waiting for my new studio (curse you, banks and housing council!) and with both kids back in school, I'm ready to start really working here at home. 

Another thing I'm ready to work on are some more Mary Harding pandant necklaces.  I mentioned earlier that I had purchased a beautiful ceramic pendant from Mary at the Beading Party in October and that I had created a lovely beaded strand to attach it to - well here it is!    (Sorry about the poor photo quality, there's a lot of glare on my pendant.  My new studio will have a better photography set up, too!)

I used gold colored beadalon, copper colored toggles, some of my favorite Czech Glass beads, several interesting brass filigree components and created a big bail with a large brass filigree.  When I finished, I realized that the necklace was the perfect length for the plain turtleneck I was wearing while designing it, but a bit short for my favorite draped cowl neck shirt so I made a matching extension that allows the necklace to drape deeper OR that can wrap around twice so that I can wear it as a choker length bauble with tee shirts or open necked sweaters.  The bail I created is very wide and can slide off the necklace entirely so I can wear the bead strand alone or trade it out for a wide ribbon if I want to wear the pendant with a slightly more feminine style.

It is very versatile and I've had lots of compliments on it so I want to make several more to offer in my shops.  Mary has a very nice wholesale policy and I will be purchasing several of her pendants when my Christmas commission check come in.  You can find Mary's work on her blog, in her Etsy Shop or on her independent website.  She's a wonderful woman and her gorgeous work has been featured in beadstyle and a few other publications - stop by and take a look at all the amazing things she does with glass and clay!

Now - I'm off to work. Today I plan to finish a project that got stalled months ago.  I picked it back up yesterday and was re-inspired!  It may even turn out to be worthy of an article to submit to Beadwork.  Photos coming soon.



 . . . .