An entire month's worth...

Egads! Has it been a month since my last post? Why, that's 4 new brooches! 

A month ago I had a small window of opportunity wedged between house guests going and coming. It was clearly the moment to cut up the old cookie tin I had stashed away for just such an emergency...

Don't let the heart fool you, those "ruffles" could put an eye out... Brooch #31

Pretty rudimentary, but quick!

These next three brooches took a bit more time...

Fordite set in sterling silver with 14kt gold balls dancing around the edges. Brooch #32. I have some other interesting fordite jewelry in the shop as well... For some reason I always think of The Jetson's when I see fordite...

Brooch #33 is a variation on brooch #10. Here I've added a pink tourmaline and a few more gold balls to dress it up.

Finally, brooch #34, a nice piece of fossil coral from Indonesia, and an extra lustrous coin pearl.

I'm thinking about this week's brooch and am not ashamed to admit that I have no clue yet...

Brooches 8 & 9

In the continuing brooch saga there have been a couple of heartbreaks recently...

Brooch # 8, is a very lovely piece of malachite/chrysocola with a wonderful undulating surface. Paired with a very pretty south sea pearl and fabricated in sterling and 14kt gold...

love that movement!

took the time to pierce the back...

measures just over 2"

This week's brooch, brooch # 9, I've been working on all weekend, about 15 hours worth.

It features a piece of Sonoran dendritic rhyolite with a little amethyst up top and a baroque pearl drop. The metal is sterling, 14kt and 18kt gold.

I designed a little converter that slips onto the pin stem and allows it to be worn as a pendant. 

pretty cool!

So the heartbreak in the story is the fact that both stones developed a crack after they were finished, or at least I only noticed them after they were finished...

I spent a little bit of time wallowing in self pity, took a walk and listened to my husband remind me that 99 out of 100 pieces end up unbroken! Maybe I don't have to go find a job at the local grocery store bagging canned goods.

Well, the first brooch had a very happy ending. I offered it in my etsy shop at a reduced price an it went to a very good customer who will love it and wear it.

I haven't decided what will become of brooch # 9. It could go as a second, the crack is hairline, but I don't want to be offering seconds in my shop on a regular basis, I mean, how would that look? She can't be trusted not to break her own jewelry??

I could use it as some kind of prize for a drawing to get more facebook likes, or what?? What should I do with it? All suggestions would be appreciated, and considered with proper gravity...