Welcome to my gallery of things that only exist for their own purpose...

.... What do I mean on this title? Well, I truly enjoy coming up with exciting class projects and kits. It's a challenge to make up a design that can be recreated over and over, taught to a great number of beady people in a workshop format. A project that features interesting elements, techniques, stuff people haven't done before.

To me, that's about ten times as hard as sitting down with my own stash featuring one of a kind components, like semi precious stones I hoard, or a vintage purse frame, and then just letting loose and not ever thinking about the future of this piece as a project.

And as I was saying in my previous post, I oftentimes get reprimanded for not making everything, every part of my creativity accessible to everyone's needs. Because somehow my creativity has become public property. I don't resent this fact. At all. I love my life, sharing my creativity pays my bills and feeds my pups.

And not only are they well fed, they get to have a wonderful life. So do I and my husband Paul. And that's why I have no regrets and in general, I am happy as a clam.

But there will always be things that I just make for the fun of it. Just to experiment, to play, to learn new things, to breath inbetween all my trips, all my responsibilities, and I decided that from here on, I will stop apologizing for not making this little section, this tiny part of me not available for public consumption. Without me making these things for the sheer joy of just creating, the rest won't happen.

Without further ado, I give you all the things that are only available for your viewing pleasure and to serve as inspiration and beyond that they just exist because why not. Some of these I will keep, some I will give away to the right person, and that has little to do why they exist in the first place. They exist because making them pleases me.

 From top: andamooka opal bracelet, wooden carved Buddha bracelet and a bracelet with eyes. Eyes are by Wayne Robbins, the bronze components are by Wayne's wife Judie Mountain, andamooka opal by Althea Rose Duffy.

 Three opal bracelets. On top a boulder opal, then a synthetic opal surrounded by Ethiopian opals, then on the bottom another boulder opal with Ethiopian opals. Varying sources of materials, do not recall the sources.

 A Colombian amber focal surrounded by watch bittsies and Ethiopian opals.

 

This sterling silver focal came from my friend, Marcia Balonis. It was a gift.

 This piece features a Russian enameled Virgin Mary with a homunculus Baby Jesus. I called it "For a Catacomb Saint" and it was featured in the summer edition of Perlen Poesie.

 Here we have the bracelet with the eyes again.

 Closeups of some of the pieces I introduced before.

 This wrap bracelet also features one of Althea Rose Duffy's opals. It's quite magical. But then, as you might have figured out, I do have an opal habit.

 This vintage Judith Lieber purse frame came from Beads by Blanche. I wanted to make something for myself that was suitable for occasions when dragging my 15lbs bottomless black hole of a "purse" was simply not the way to go. Since opals are not the only thing I stash like a dragon and I have a veritable arsenal of ammolites as well, I figured I would bedeck the whole thing in ammolite cabochons. It is satisfyingly heavy and wonderful from every angle. I am very pleased with myself.

 Look at them shine. Since this is my latest creation, I am particularly fond of it for the time being.

 And it's pretty on the inside too. I lined it with pewter lambskin.

 And here we have two more pictures of my synthetic opal bracelet. It fits so well. Paul got me the opal at the Rocky Mountain Bead Society's bazaar last year, and I stashed it, called it precious and fondled it a lot before I gave up on the infinite possibilities of what it could have become and picked a linear path for it. It has become my favorite piece to wear this year.

And that's the end of it. I think the lesson is that I am happy to share everything I make even if it's just show and tell. May it serve as some sort of inspiration.