It's that old black magic

Can you just hear ol' blue eyes singing?

"...In a spin, loving the spin I'm in, under that old black magic..."

Finished this up much faster than I thought I would --- even though it's smaller than the Diva necklace, it's heavier and will be more expensive.

This is something that I spend a lot of time explaining to customers when I do a show --- that the price of my pieces is based on two things -- the price of the materials and the time it took to create (okay, it's Econ 101, but folks seem to have a hard time realizing that artists must use that formula too!)

These particular stones were, shall we say, pricey. They are pieces of Pyrited Ammonite. And now you are nodding, yes, yes and thinking "what the heck is pyrited ammonite?"

Ok, ammonites were a little critter that lived here on earth about 65 million years ago, and they looked kind of like chambered nautilus that lives today. As they grow they shed their shells. Like with petrified wood, where the wood is gradually replaced with stone (opals in some cases), the shells that the ammonites shed can also be filled with mineral deposits. In this particular case, the mineral in question is iron pyrite -- aka Fool's Gold.

The iron part is the reason these are heavy. The centuries old part is why they are expensive.

I had been collecting these cabbed pieces for quite a while and decided that it was time to make them into something (before it got too heavy to be able to wear!).

The beads I selected are an AB finished black bead --- that "oil on water" look makes the black less oppressive than it would have been with a flat black bead. These are all fastened to a backing, beading is stitched around them, then the entire piece is backed with a piece of black leather. The chain is graduated right angle weave.

Right now I don't think it needs anything else -- of course I may change my mind later, but for now it has been declared "finished".

The knitting on the giraffe has begun

(actually, I started it Wednesday evening, but I didn't get any pictures taken until this morning)

This is a front leg -- darker yarn is the foot and I've worked my way up to the increases for the knee

Just above the knee I'll be starting the patterning, working from the chart I drew up

Commence with the craziness!

I am working this on that same size 3 needle that I borrowed from my sister -- attempts to locate one I can buy have not been fruitful, so I'm trying to get all of the animals worked up quickly so I can return the needle

The yarn is some of that Vanna's Choice stuff that I got on a sale in three coordinated colors -- I hope there is enough of it to do this entire animal -- I think there will be as the last two animals didn't come close to using 2 skeins, so even though this one has longer legs and a much longer neck, I think 3 skeins (one of each color) will cover it.

And under the catagory of "the more the merrier", this is the beginning of a new quilting project.

Having successfully created the Archangel wall hanging, I'm going to have a go at creating another piece (or pieces) designed specifically to be hung on the wall.

Based on an idea I had while I was picking up leaves last fall, the working idea is to do three pieces -- each of a different leaf from the area -- cottonwood, maple and aspen

Because these will be specifically for hanging, I plan to embellish with metallic threads and beads.

I hadn't planned to buy fabric for this yet, but I went into the fabric store to pick up something for the Unidentified Christmas Project, and the DH just egged me on

what an amazing idea, a man that thinks a trip to the fabric store is as cool as one to the hardware store! -- oh yeah, we had just been there, but I digress

Anyway, after prowling through the baskets and bins and racks of fat quarters, these 6 seemed to be the right grouping

and the plan is to use a deep violet for the backgrounds

stay tuned, there will be pictures of this project as it progresses