Fab new stones!

I see that it is now two months since I have written anything. In between that time I have been to the UK, visited the family, and spent a week in France, near Le Gers, taking time out to explore Bordeaux for the first time properly (it's a World Heritage Site - never knew that! Although not of very long standing, I don't think.)

Anyway, I am now busily back at work, increasing and diversifying my stock in my Etsy gems shop. Last week I added some gorgeous rhodolite - smooth and rose cut cabs and lots of blue topaz and this week it is amethyst and beautiful green-gold quartz. The majority of the cabochons I stock are 6mm and 8mm, as they seem to be most in demand - a few 10mm and one 9mm but not a lot. I am thinking of stocking some rose cut cabochons in a 5mm size - I think that that is the smallest they can go. However, I am not sure, so I've set up a little survey just to the right of this text- I'd be really grateful if you could let me know if this is something that would be of interest? And if so, perhaps you could send me a comment telling me which kinds of stones and colours you'd like? Thanks!

Moonstone Special Offer!!!

I'm running a special offer on Moonstone in my Etsy gems shop for a whole week from Saturday 19th-26th June! All Moonstone is up to 20% off, and these are beautiful stones, so grab them while you can! If you want to take a look, go to

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JoopyAndSmithGems

Don't miss out!!

Storm Pendant - Black and Silver

I love these; they go with just about everything and they're so interesting to look at that I often find myself just turning the thing round and round and staring at it. Although, I do have a slight tendency towards distractedness, so maybe it's more to do with that...! Anyway, they are fun to make; a simple twisty, a bit of silver foil, and the bead built up in layers, so you can see through in parts to the core of the bead. It's properly 3-D. This was the first style of bead that I felt I 'created' myself. I mean, it's probably been done before, but I came up with it without reading about it in someone else's book or blog or whatever. I think that's called 'second order originality'. Anyway, I think it's great, and if you want it, you can find it in my Etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JoopyAndSmith

Or on my website of course.

Storm Pendant

I'm showcasing these pendants this week. I love these; they're so fascinating and the colours captured are just amazing. A myriad selection of deep indigo, copper blue and a soft pink encased in a thick layer of pale lavender. I won't say how I made it - but it's actually very simple and contains only two colours of glass. Here's a clue; one of them is reactive!

I call this collection 'Storm' because this looks to me like the whirling vortex of a tornado, with the colours swirling around and then captured in mid-flight. I've made this up into a simple pendant with silver beads to accent and a tiny indigo spacer to complement the bead. If you are interested in buying, you can find these on my website and also in my Etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JoopyAndSmith

Monday Madness!

Just because it's Monday, and everyone needs a little extra something on a Monday, I'm running a 24 hour 15% off offer in my Etsy gemstone shop. Every order placed between 12 midnight EST (US Eastern Standard Time) on Sunday 6th June and Monday 7th June will receive a fab 15% discount. To participate in this, all you have to do is go to my Etsy gemstone shop - www.etsy.com/shop/JoopyAndSmithGems - decide what you would like and convo me with your order. I will then set up a custom order with the 15% discount included!

Little fluffy clouds

That's a song by the Orb, which probably dates me a bit. Anyway, that's what this heart makes me think of, being a mix of blue and creamy-silvery-white frit encased in really pale blue glass. Bullseye pale blue which is a lot paler than Moretti's palest effort. I've got these hearts as pendants in my website shop but this is a bead set so you can let your imagination run wild. So, what we have here is a 2cm heart, nice and plump and even. The centre is rolled in frit and then encased which means there is a really cool paper-weight type effect as you turn the heart in different directions. There are six spacers, 1cm from hole to hole; three frit encased and three in plain, matt pale blue glass (these are Moretti because I find Bullseye does not etch well) decorated with silver nail-heads.

If you want to own this, you can find it in my Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/JoopyAndSmith

Rainbow Layered Bead

This is another layered bead; a nice round sphere. I love the colours in this; it's got a rainbow coloured core, then is built up with layers of very pale pink and lilac glass. Buried within is a streak of dichroic which gives it a lovely bit of sparkle. There are also some delicate plunged flowers and a series of bubble dots on the outside. I do love layered beads; they have so much depth. I think the photo looks great, but the bead in real-life is even more interesting.

This one has now sold but you can find others in my Etsy shop:

www.etsy.com/shop/JoopyAndSmith