Wear Desert Landscape on Your Shoulder

Picture or Landscape Jasper creates scenes which resemble desert landscapes.

Esoteric meaning of the stone:
Picture Jasper is useful in retrieving hidden messages or a “picture” from the past. It is also a stone of harmony and proportion. Creativity and understanding of other cultures is encouraged through Picture Jasper. Business pursuits and activities leading to increase are affected.
Picture Jasper is also helpful in bringing hidden thoughts, grievances, fears, and hopes to the surface. It stimulates proper functioning of the immune system and treats disorders of the kidneys and skin.

Landscape Jasper brooch:

Pink Ice Brooch

This lovely Rose Quartz cabochon with the flat back and its contrastingly uneven surface has  inspired me to imagine pink ice - so the source of my design idea for this brooch:

Money, Money, Money...

It must be funny - making a one dollar coin into a pendant.

But it was so pretty and shiny, I just could not resist.

And it only cost me... one dollar !

Precious Stones - Or Vase Fillers?

This triple cabochon necklace I have made for the big birthday party a couple of weeks ago. Worn with the small black dress and complimented with the black onyx earrings, they drew a number of compliments, both from men and women.

Though it did make my smile mysteriously while accepting compliments.

It does look good, and makes you think that those three yellow, black and clear stone cabochones,  graduated in size and surrounded with bronze and black Delica beads, are really Citrine, Onyx and Quartz.

 What do YOU think they are?

What Stone Was That Again?

One of the latest pendants that I have made got me confused.
When it arrived from my supplier along with the other new cabochons, I was quite disappointed. I usually buy oval-shaped 30 X 40 cabochons, and this one came as a replacement for a Malachite one, which they have run out of.
I even did not plan to work with it. It was square, too thick, and that sandy colour was not my favourite at all. Besides, I even did not know its name.

But one day it came to me that I can embellish it heavily and see what will happen.

Well, after the piece was finished, I looked it up on my supplier's catalogue.

It is called Picture Jasper:

Cameos - My New Lovely Darlings

Cameos are carvings traditionally done on shell or stone. Modern technologies allow for a perfect plastic molding which gives almost the same effect ( and yes, few dollars cheaper, too).

My first couple of cameos came out quite nicely. I will continue trying for better results.

Some Like It Pink

The pink stone in this cabochon is Roze Quartz - which is  a pink quartz that is often called the "Love Stone", and is associated with the heart chakra.
In the psychic and spiritual realms, rose quartz is often used to attract love, and for love spells.
This one has definitely touched my heart - so I have adorned it with some extras: twisted spiral all round, hanging faceted bead and rich beaded bail.
Unfortunately, I had to part with it too soon - luckily I took a picture before it was gone. 
Bye-bye my sweetie!

Vintage Czech Glass Button

When I saw these beautiful buttons for the first time, I immediately fell in love.
Dragonfly design in particular touched me a lot - may be because I used to chase and catch them as a girl.
It also reminded me Art-Deco jewelery and glass designs - apparently, dragonflies were immensely popular  in  first decades of 20th century.
So all I did was to remove the shank from the back, attach it to backing and work out some bronze delicas around. My favorite now:

Crystal Mandala Rings

Following on the theme of the crystal mandalas, suddenly had an idea to use the middle part of my crystal mandala pendants.
It was quick and more fun making these - once I got the ring bases from the supplier, all I had to do is to attach the mandalas with the strong adhesive - what do you think?

Gemstone Brooch

This brooch was not planned at all. It was a piece of tumbled Stichtite & Serpentine stone I bought in our local new age shop "Equilibrium" few years ago.
The shape was not suitable for a pendant, as the thickness and the sides were not even, so it was stashed away along with other unused bits and pieces.
My new book about bead embroidery gave me the idea of using it for a brooch.

Gemstone Cabochons

Since I got into beads about 5 years ago, my knowledge and love of gemstones is growing day by day.
It does no cease to amaze me how nature creates the varieties of colours and  textures
Magic surrounds everything related to gemstones like their mysterious birth deep in the guts of our planet, like legends and believes about them, like their use in medicine and science.

Cabochons are my favorite way to show the beauty of the semiprecious stone.

I surround them with the matching or contrasting Japanese Delica beads, using a  "nimo" thread and a size 12' needle.

Crystal Mandalas

These have been my favorites to make for the last year.

In the middle is 14mm Swarovsky "rivoli" crystal, which is then is worked around with Japanese delica seed beads (the tiny ones), 4mm Swarovsky bicones and glass pearls.

All is held together by a ... length of fishing line! (Thanks to my brother-in-low - the fisherman, who presented me with a huge roll)

Then the  bail is made and the whole piece is strung on a matching cord'n'ribbon neclace.   Voilà!

Lisa Pavelka

She is into polymer clay and producimng her own materials like glaze etc

www.lisapavelka.com

Cameos & Cabachons

I plan to buy some of the cameos and cabochons and make new pieces:

http://www.beadsonline.com.au/shop/home.php?cat=464