I met Tela on the Rock Tumbling Forum,  where I have hung out with other rockhounds for the past 6 years. She just recently joined, to pursue her love of jewelry and has already proven herself a talented lapidarist.

She is also a jeweler, and does those clean, gorgeous lines, that I wish I could do!
Our work is so different, that she asked to interview me.

You'll find the interview here. 

Rings in Blue. Chryscolla, azurite, sodalite, and a bit of quartz.

I'm loving working with silver and copper! I hope to have these as rings and pendants at the end of this year listed on my Etsy.

In there is Ocean Jasper, Chrysoprase,  obsidian, Hells Canyon Petrified Wood, Mexican Crazy Lace, Rhodocrosite, Plume Agate, and Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper. 

Also playing with metal forming and hammering. And stamps! In copper.  Look for things like this soon in my Etsy too!

The problem with ebay is that you can make an offer less than the 'buy' price, and I saw this rock, and made an offer 1/3 less than his price. I didn't think I would win. I DO that. I bid on items, sort of knowing that I'll be outbid. Sort of. 

Oops.

Pretty rock!! I have a saw to feed, right?

Gorgeous, right?? 

My new 12" slab saw is here!!!! Settled in it's new home, I made my first cuts today, with a easy to clamp block of Rainforest Jasper. 

I'm amazed how quietly and cleanly it cuts. My last homemade monster saw was NOISY and messy to boot. This is divine.

Tomorrow I may cut into the crazy lace and some Tiffany Stone.

Yes, I purchased this rough of Ocean Jasper. 

Resistance is futile.

I promise to make a couple of silver rings from this.

And I AM having a blast forging copper.  Bezeled cabs will find there way here too.

You'd think I don't have enough time on my hands??

But, besides http://last3rdofmylife.blogspot.com/ where I share my hoard of hobbies and misadventures, I now have started a year long blog where I've pledged to create one of these for every day of the year, starting today.

http://anticlasticdaily.blogspot.com

I love wirewrap. I never, ever, thought I would be interested in metalsmithing. Until now.

I signed up for a class at the UCD Craft Center, and had my first class this past Wednesday. We are to make a silver ring, which he demonstrated. Then we're on our own. I had ideas, and just by chance, while googling about after class, I came upon a youtube video on a technique that doesn't require sawing, soldering, nothing but a piece of copper and a hammer. 

It's called form folding. 

Here is my first attempt.
 

I am fascinated. Hence my blog. And my goal. 

After a year, I will have 365 pieces of anticlastic units, to  explore. My goal is to integrate wire wrapping with these, as well as cabochons.  Here's what happened after playing with the piece above. Let's see where I am in 365 days!

This gorgeous stuff is Tiffany Stone. It's an opalized flourite, also known as Bertrandite. I have loved the look of this for years, but never secured any to work with. That's been changed!!

This is very recently purchased rough, that's headed my way. It's only mined in Utah, and is actually mostly crushed to procure 2% Beryllium, which is a lightweight, strong, heat resistant material used in aerospace applications like rocket nozzles! 

The company no longer allows regular folks to remove any Bertrandite off the site, and even have guards to insure this. What a shame! The story among rockhounds is that they used to let the public come in and carry some away until one shameless guy went in with heavy equipment and took tons! Understandably, made the mine management  pissed, and that along with insurance worries, they closed it off completely. 

I'm so excited. It has a few fractures, but I should get some amazing cabs from this!