I'm having a DRAWING..come throw your name in the hat

I'm having so much fun playing with silk cord that it's time to share...

Yes, It's been a looong time since I've given something away--a drawing is long overdue. Since I've been having so much fun with my knotting, I thought I should give away one of my single strand bracelets. This one is constructed a little differently than the ones I have for sale. This was one of my 'experiments', so the clasp is attached a little differently and the silk cord is a little finer than most. I still think it is sturdy and wearable and I do love the drape and lightness of these little treasures, so I hope you'll want join in the fun.

I've used some amazonite ovals from my stash and cushioned them with tiny crystal bicone swarovski's. Knotted on fine silk thread and finished off with a sterling silver clasp, it's about 7 3/4" length for a nice draping fit on your wrist.

So, how do you enter---just comment in my blog sometime in the next two weeks. I'll draw a winner from the comment section November 13. Please do check back and if you're the lucky winner, email me your NAME and MAILING ADDRESS to rspv@aol.com --if I don't have that, I can't send you your bracelet! I'm planning on posting often the next two weeks...now I need to get busy and figure out something interesting to talk about!!! Send your friends over too...the more the merrier!

...and Back Again....

Back to silk cord that is....I'm still having fun knotting and this is my newest attempt--a looooong necklace---36" long to wear as is or doubled.

Yummy fancy cut nuggets of grossular green garnets cushioned between tiny swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls in dark luminescent olive green...knotted on silk cord.

This is just as beautiful with blue jeans as it is out dancing the night away. I do love the way these silk cord pieces drape and lay on the skin--totally effortlessly! New in my esty store today--- www.rickitic.etsy.com

from Silk Cord to Silk Ribbons....

I had so much fun with my silk cord that there was nothing to do but try my hand at a couple of designs with silk ribbons and strings...so after digging thru my stash I tried my hand with this elegant 22k gold over copper pendant with ocher and amber jade...I added a lovely smoky quartz marquise charm and attached it to the perfectly yummy silk string and ribbon I had knotted for a little interest. The colors compliment one another just as I'd hoped and it suited my fancy.
Close up of the pendant--yummy 22k matte gold plating makes an elegant statement and I love the colors of the jade stones with the verigated ribbon.

You might recognize this beautiful agate stone as a left-over from the rich brown agate slab necklace I made last week. Yes, I saved out this beautiful translucent slab for just this purpose. Combined with a stunning lampwork shell by Tiffany McCoy and oxidized sterling silver it is rich and warm.

I found just the silk ribbon I was looking for to finish this piece without detracting from the agate slab or artisan lampwork.

Just having a little fun with silk these days...this one's got a little sterling silver slider bead so you can adjust the length as you like.

One Knot, Two Knots, Three Knots, Four......

A funny thing happened last night while watching tv with my hubby--my fingers got itchy. It had to be something simple, because otherwise I would be so distracted I wouldn't be good company. So, I started knotting, and couldn't stop. There is something very soothing about doing a little knotting now and then. I'm sure I wouldn't think that if I had to do it all the time, but sometimes it's just the relaxing thing that fills the bill. I scrambled for some odds and ends I had around the house and once I started I couldn't stop. These ended up to be the most comfortable, and delightful bracelets. I'm happy to say they made my itchy fingers sing!

This one is my favorite, although the pictures don't show it off as well as I like. If you've been around very long, you know matchy-matchy isn't my favorite, so I loved the color combo--yummy olive greens and dark aqua/peacock blues and the occasional round pearl among the coins. I also love the sterling and brass clasp from Pegasus--there's something very bohemian

..and very me about this one.

Well, I really liked this one too...I made this with leftovers of one of my favorite strands of carved mossy pink amethyst ovals. They were hand cut, which makes them just enough different from one another to please me. Combined with this delicious Saki Silver gold vermeil flower toggle, it puts a smile on my face.

Whoa, these lush rich wine colored mother of pearl ovals aren't too shabby either....and I love this exotic matte gold vermeil clasp to add a little warmth.

This bracelet with some fancy smancy larimar ovals was where I started, these have some yummy color variations and I used a very cool gold filled clasp that slips together for a lovely finish. These beads came in an exchange/bead swap with Lori Anderson---so thanks Lori, here's how I used your lovelies.

Knotting is easy, knotting is fun....once you start you'll never be done!

Slabs are Fab....

Have you seen any slabs that you you think are fab??? Here's what I did with mine!

I seem to have developed a love affair with slabs...not sure what sent me off in this direction, but I'm guessing it was a shopping trip where I casually looked at the jewelry cases. Several designers are using agate slabs this fall and so I had to try my hand at a couple of designs of my own. Love the size, love the shapes and love the variety--of color, veining and the edges of some of the stones....so at the Intergem show I had to try some....on etsy I had to buy some more. I'm not really into the dyed pieces I've seen in fuschia's and purples and turquoise, but I do love the natural colors and this set was just irresistable. Deep brown translucent slabs that look like really rich brown smokey quartz with gorgeous veining and even more wonderful edges---copper colored green crystals, iron combined with other minerals--diopside crystals that make these simply gorgeous.

Here's the stone I chose for the centerpiece of my necklace, wirewrapped together with nicely sized 12mm 18k electroplated gold on copper chain for an elegant compliment.

Since I wanted the length to be a bit adjustable and wanted to preserve the symmetry of the design, I used goldfilled lobster claw clasps on two sides of the last slab, so that depending on how you connect them the necklace goes from 21" to 23" for your perfect length.

All that glitters...

A couple of weeks ago I was at an Intergem show and I always love to stop by the India vendors booths to admire their beautiful and intricate gold jewelry and findings. I absolutely fell in love with a necklace I saw with turquoise and angel skin coral set in gorgeous 18k gold. Alas, it was beyond my budget. There was nothing to do but make my own little treasure with that fabulous color combination. So here's my simple interpretation in a charm bracelet with the coral and turquoise on a nice sized gold chain with 12mm links. I wish I was a good hand model and you'd see how very delightful this little treasure is on the wrist--light and ary, elegant but casual. It pleases me...

GOLDEN SUNSET

Last night we had another glorious sunset. The clouds were building up for a rainstorm, but it cleared up just enough to give us a spectacular showstopping sunset over the pacific ocean. As the evening progressed we snuggled in front of our cozy fireplace to watch and listen as the rain came down in buckets. There's a chill in the air this morning, but a song in my heart.

This lovely agate and quartz slab necklace is my homage to the glorious golden sunsets that have been setting my heart a flutter recently. Held together with goldfilled wirewrapped gold plated chain and a simple vermeil clasp, it makes quite a statement . I love the golden edges on the stones--just like the sunsets drench the clouds in golden lining.

Here's the flip side of my lovely agate slabs with even more of the golden 'lining' showing thru--wear it either way--it's a beauty however you look at it!

Endless Summer

Well, with warm sunshiny days and beautiful sunsets like this, it did seem like summer was endless last week at our cozy little beach cottage! We woke up to a drizzly rain and foamy surf this morning, so maybe we will have a little autumn after all.

Inspired by my 'window to the sea' I just had to put together a little homage to the beach with one of my delightful lampwork beads by Vickie Miller, some turquoise stones and a little bit of silver. More coming sooon...my workbench is calling.....