Finished with some projects

My dear friend of many years asked me several months ago to create a necklace for her based on one I made for my mother. My mom's necklace is comprised of a photo of her mother taken in the mid 1940's, set in a bezel and nestled in resin. It has a poem on the back I wrote and was appropriate for the piece. My friend, an artist in advanced age, was taken with it and asked me to do one up for her with her mother's picture, highlighted with silver chain and blue stones of my choice. This is what I came up with:

As an afterthought, she also asked me to do a different one for her daughter featuring her own picture from her youth. This is it:


I was to have travelled to the Eastern Shore of Virginia this weekend to deliver them and visit my parents but the flu derailed my plans, so it will be next week after the bug is long gone, I hope.

For anyone so inclined, I create custom memory necklaces based on a photo you provide and your color preferences, and go from there.  For more information or requests, contact me at my email jennifer@jenniferstumpf.com.  Prices start at $130 and as you can see, I use fine stones and I don't skimp!

I didn't feel quite right last Friday evening and by Saturday morning, boy, I knew I was in for it. However, the Northern Virginia Bead Society Bead Show was that day and Sunday. What to do, what to do.... Why, go anyway, of course! Michael didn't want to go (I can't imagine why) so I went it alone, all 109 miles one way up 95. It was no trouble to find the Vienna Community Center. Here's what I got:AD Adornments was there with a jackpot of lovely things. As my budget was limited, I actually made a list of beads to look for instead of my usual MO-- scoop, pay, and run to the next booth. AD Adornments had tons of interesting base metal chain but good heavens it was so expensive it made sterling chain look like an incredible deal. So I didn't get any. These are faceted blue labradorite teardrops, and faceted freshwater pearl in a deep blue.
Natural Golden Coral and again, faceted freshwater pearl, in a color I wouldn't normally buy but it was such a pretty shade of pink, it called my name. This bead show was four rooms in all, and many more artisan dealers than I have ever seen before at a bead show. Nice to see. Also, I am always on the lookout for faceted pearls but never could find them at shows until this one. Always before I had to order online. Wonder what the deal was? Seemed everyone had them for the first time ever.
I bought these faceted crystal and prehnite from a very patient Indian man who let me handle all his fabulously expensive beads, explained the cuts and origin of many different stones, before finally ringing me up some of his less expensive wares, these two strands. As it was, they were the most expensive items I bought, but aren't they beautiful? A beautifully cut stone with gorgeous color can just make a piece of jewelry pop with a single bead.

I got lost on the way home, after chasing cheap gas promised at a WaWa from a sign on 95. Once I got into Potomac Mills area, turned here, turned here, turned here, etc., got gas, I could not remember at all where I should go, so 15 miles later I found myself in the middle of Prince William county cow country. Oh dear. Finally, after several calls to my husband, I made my way back to 95 and home. Then I spent the next four days in bed with the flu. Now that is dedication to craft, folks.