Happy New Year!

And so we start another year! 2010 just zipped right by.

So let me show you all the new soaps, jewelry, and crocheting I have done since my last post. :)

For new soaps, I have Christmas Tree

(Note: Click on any photo to enlarge)


Winter's Night



Sahara Sandalwood




Red Hot Cinnamon



Snow Spice



And Orange Blossom



For jewelry, I made this really pretty necklace using Bali sterling silver beads and spacers, and a bit of lapis.





And a couple of pairs of matching earrings





I've also been keeping busy crocheting. I made, for myself, a winter ensemble. A hat, a pair of fingerless gloves, a pair of leg warmers, and a cowl (because cowls are the big rage now and I wanted to see if I like them! )



I like the hat because it doesn't squash my glasses against the side of my head.



Fingerless gloves are nice up to a point. But for when it's really cold, they are kind of useless. These are nice for my morning walk, but I need full gloves when bird watching.



Woolen leggins. :) Snug around the ankles, and flare out a bit at the foot and at the calf. These go more than half way up my calf. The sides are not sewn together, the buttons hold them together so they are adjustable.



And a cowl. I've never worn a cowl before, and wasn't sure what size I would want it. This one is rather large, and I haven't used it yet. It just goes over my head and sets around my neck and shoulders.



Ray and I have been having fun birdwatching. This past weekend we went down to Whitewater Draw to check out the Sandhill Cranes. To see pics, check out Ray's blog - well worth it! We saw THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of cranes!!!!

Sonoran Connection





And I must not forget a gratuitous Dakota picture. :)

Statement Piece - Work in Progress Sept 16

*To read the beginning of this project, scroll down to Sept. 8th entry.

I managed to do quite a bit of work on my necklace yesterday. And I'm really liking it!!

Since I will be utilizing 2 four-strand-reducers on each side of the necklace, I am thinking in terms of 2 groups of strands. The bottom group and the top group. I completed the bottom group by adding a bold strand of lapis lazuli. Take a look .....

(Click on any photo to enlarge)


I was very careful to make this strand a good 2 inches shorter than the strand below it to make sure the large lapis beads didn't intrude. The silver spacers between each of the smaller lapis beads adds a bit of weight. Whoever wears this necklace is going to have to have a strong neck!!

Here's a close up



I also completed the lowest strand of the top group. This I really like! Blue blue blue blue Nacozari Turquoise!



Yeah, I like that!! Here's a couple of close ups





Those are 4mm sterling silver round beads in between the tear drop turquoise beads.

Now I'm thinking of the next strand to put in. My next strand is going to be a plain strand of green turquoise heishi beads, from the Kingman mine, put in fairly close to the blue Nacozari, sort of like this





And here's a few pics of some other arrangements I am thinking of for the rest of it

That top strand of turquoise is definitely going to be used!! With lots of silver! Those beads are from the Kingman mine. The other strand is Nacozari Turquoise heishi.



Or maybe some more green. This is green Kingman turquoise.



I also have a very pretty strand of iolite that would look nice.



And of course, I could go a completely different way, and use some carnelian, or some fancy jasper. We shall see!!! :)

Don't forget, I'm having a contest to name the necklace! Winner gets their choice of earrings or soap!

http://sonoransoap.blogspot.com/2010/09/contest-name-that-necklace.html