Trinket #335 - Petrolated Tourmaline Necklace

I decided today to play "Grab Bag Trinket", meaning that I reached into a supply bag and pulled out two things to use together. In this case, it was a packet of faceted tourmaline beads and a pre-fab necklace. I cut out about six inches of excess length from the chain, wired on the beads in a simple sort of 1920s arrangement, and called it a day.

Not sure if you can see it in the photo, but the colors of this stone are amazing - they look just like the sun shining onto parking lot puddles. You know, the ones with the thin film of oil on the tops? Fascinating!

Did I mention - ONLY 30 DAYS TO GO?!

Trinket #310 - Quartz and Citrine Drop Earrings

I love these little citrine beads because they look just like drops of honey. For this trinket, I paired them with small, faceted clear quartz beads.

On a completely unrelated note, I discovered this evening that my week of fever, aches, and pains may actually be mumps. I know, I know - nobody gets mumps anymore. Still, I may not have had a clue until a salivary glad started showing the signs (which is NO fun, believe me.)

According to the doc and the CDC, you may not have immunity to mumps even though you've been through many series of vaccinations. Makes me wonder why we bother.

Trinket #299 - Quartz and Silver Pendant

Odds and ends from the Junk Box assembled as a deco-inspired pendant. The 1920s and 1930s were definitely great decades for jewelry.

Trinket #297 - Deco Drop Earrings

Today is a blur. I'm not sure really when it started or when it's going to end. Sadly, the rest of this week is going to be much the same, so I can't promise any stellar trinkets for a few more days.

Trinket #263 - Smokey Quartz Earrings

In a strange fit of impulse-buying (remember that catalog mega-sale I mentioned?) I picked up a few faceted stones with my last gem order. Though they are not normally my thing, I think they may be growing on me. Take these smokey quartz for example - they have a strange, irregular cut that reminds me of handmade Art Deco era jewelry. The coolest thing about these stones? No two on the strand are alike!

Trinket #110 - Art Deco Hairpins

Another long day of kids, chores, and work means another quick trinket. This creation was purely selfish because I need something with a little style to help manage my unruly mane as it continues to grow out. The lesson learned from this project? Bending hardened steel with tiny jewelers pliers is not a smart move. Anyway, I look forward to wearing these with lots of flowing skirts and dresses over the next few weeks!

Trinket #105 - Pearl and Silver Lariat Necklace

I think that lariat must be French for "easily tangled" because I succeeded in tying this necklace into knots not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES before capturing a suitable photo of it. The trinket was inspired by my recent trip to the past via family photos and the like. I hope to wear it with lots of 1920's and 1930's inspired dresses in the coming weeks.

Trinket #79 - Art Deco Black-Tie Earrings

As I mentioned yesterday, I lost one of my "all-purpose" earrings, the pair that went with anything from jeans to cocktail dresses. While I am a little sad about it, the beauty of this yearlong project is that none of the creations are particularly pricey or time-consuming, so it's not a huge loss. Since today is a new day, I've decided to make a replacement pair of everyday ear fobs and get on with life.

These dangling darlings are the same design as the lost earring, but the focal bead is a faceted jet instead of a glass cube. While not as sparkly as the last pair, these are certainly every bit as simple and elegant.