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Can I not think about how much time this took? It was little by little over a period of... a long time. A really long time.  I'm very pleased with how it came out, though!

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Rouge Tempest

It all just kinda came together. Found these gorgeous faceted freshwater peals that are impossible to describe. They glow and they shimmer and they remind me of pomegranates. The cubic zirconia drops are actually red and not orange as the camera kept trying to decide that they were, bringing out the brighter reds in the pearls. It was a totally separate idea to make the chain; I'd been wanting to do that one for quite a while and finally gave in... then combined them. I also had two pearls left at the end, so... I made earrings.

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Dragonfly

Something I was working on while I was waiting for my neck to stop aching. Fun times. It turned out just like I'd imagined it, though! That's... kind of amazing. Relatively simple but "dense", with a good weight to it. Two dragonfly charms and a few little bitty silver beads. We'll just say it was a learning experience.

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Atlantis' Treasure

I can't explain it, really. I've had the blue-green beads for a very long time. Then happened to come across the exact same bead in straight blue and straight green a few months back. And, for no explainable reason... this happened.

I rather like the way it moves. I was considering joining all of the strings with chain, but I just don't think it would look as nice while worn.

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Submerging

Merfolk think human stories about mermaids wanting to live above the sea are silly. Clearly humans would prefer to live below, and not the other way around. The artwork of the merfolk is interwoven with their mythology; this one tells the tale of a young woman who caught a glimpse of a merman and fell deeply in love with him. For years she tried, sometimes with great hope and sometimes with great desperation, to hold her breath longer and longer, getting closer and closer to him until one day, finally, she swam deep enough to see him and reach for his hand. Scholars would have you believe that she merely drowned herself and her dying illusion was that of the merman's hand reaching back, but any artisan will tell you that the story ends in the strength of the heart, and the magic of true love.

I had wondered some time ago if I would ever rival Atlantis' Treasure. I suppose it's a matter of personal preference. 131 (that is, ladies and gentlemen, one hundred and thirty-one) Swarovski crystals combined with a number of glass beads that I refuse to count make this massively sparkly. So of course it barely shows in pictures. ARGH. I've been trying to get video of it. Failures, thus far--but I'll keep trying.

(For Sale)

Midnight Serpent

There's an old tale passed down by the Serpent Clan that parents tell their children, of a little lost girl in the woods. She was alone and frightened and came upon a clearing that she didn't recognize--but she could see the stars above. "Midnight Serpent, Midnight Serpent, wrap the night around me and keep me safe until I get home." She said, over and over as she walked until she was too exhausted to go on. She woke up the next morning to find herself just outside of her village, a small diamond mark on her neck... maybe from the Midnight Serpent.

Of course Charlie here (of unidentified gender... don't ask) isn't quite as serious as all that. He's a sweet and friendly, fun-loving midnight serpent with a penchant for sparkling and the night life.

Charlie is a maaaaajor accomplishment for me. The serpent is enormous in terms of my dragon bracelets, and took some days. How many days? I don't want to know. I really don't even come close to wanting to estimate. Many. Lots and lots and lots of time and beads, with a Swarovski crystal tongue and eyes. And some tail accents. Of course my camera and I fought over trying to get the incredible colors right... and this is pretty close. There's nothing like seeing it in person, though.

(For Sale)

Harlequin

A mischievous smile that doesn't show up in the eyes, that's what you have to look for. There's a little something beneath that laugh which you should be careful of. Luckily a little sparkle is just the distraction you need to get past without a second thought.

The color combination of black, red and purple was given to me as a possibility. This is actually the second idea that came to mind, as the first only caused much ARGH since black-coated wire strips when you so much as breathe on it and I'll just suffer that aggravation later. So the aggravation I ultimately put up with took me two days to figure out how to put together. The solution was deceptively simple... but time-consuming. Go figure. I just wanted to do a little something different with the netting idea. Swarovski crystals were an obvious accent choice.

As for the clasp, currently there's just a little hook in the back that hooks to the netting of the opposite side, as I have a scrawny little neck. It's designed so that I can easily add an extension chain, though, so it's very versatile.

(For Sale)

Fuck Cancer Take 2

1,120 beads, 12 sterling silver jump rings, one sterling silver clasp, and an enduring message. You may recall my first bracelet/choker, given to my friend Zellie Blake.

Apologies for the sad news, but she recently passed away. To me, that was even more reason to make another bracelet. Seriously, cancer, fuck you. And so I like to this charity auction in memory of Zellie Blake. May we carry the light that shines so brightly that not even death can hope to dim it. Going to the winner are this little beauty and a brand new copy of Zellie's book, Lightning Spliced. All proceeds go directly to the American Cancer Society. And if you just want to check out Zellie's book, please do. All proceeds from that go directly to the American Cancer Society, as well.