Scarabs, Blood Moons, Lapis and Urchins

New Redesigns.

This necklace grew out of a bracelet that was getting really old.

The focal is a double sided terra cotta stoneware piece by Barbara Hanselman.

I used kambamba jasper wavy rectangles, handmade lampwork, Czech glass, and some very old silver "tin" beads.  These beads are getting hard for me to find.  I'd love to acquire some more if anyone has any.

And, here is the old bracelet. 

Next, I redid a multi-wrap bracelet that wasn't really that old, but I never did really like it that well - and apparently, no one else did either.

The stoneware is by Marti Conrad.

So I shortened the strap into a single wrap and now I like it much better.  I don't know why I didn't see it when I first made it.

Much better.

This four-strand lapis lazuli blue (dyed, I'm sure) necklace was pretty enough to me with the offset focal bead, very similar magnet clasp and sterling spacer beads, but it always seemed very heavy to me.  Now, some people like that, but when it wasn't sold after two years, I decided to redo it.

I tried to keep with the original feel of the necklace, but to lighten it up some.

I removed one strand and then softly braided the three strands.  I like it much better now.  We will see if anyone else does.

I made this necklace at a time when my sister was telling me that my jewelry was too "artsy".  She said that some people liked simpler jewelry.  I knew she was right, so I went through a phase of trying to make more simpler jewelry.

I made two versions of this - one had three urchins and this one with the five urchins.  The one with three sold right away, so of course, I knew she was right.  (I knew that anyway.)

I kept looking at this one and just thought it needed something more.  Maybe I just "do my own thang" more now.

So I went to work on it.

Voila la!

I added a hammered brass ring and a Shiva shell.  It is more asymmetric which I prefer.

We'll see.