Santa Barbara Gem Faire

This weekend my friend Vicki Greene and I took a drive to Santa Barbara to view the gem and mineral show. Oh my what an adventure! Have you ever been? We were absolutely just over taken by the display of so many beads and gems . We didn't know where to start! So, so much to see! So many like minded people.

Reams and reams of beads,wire,findings,tools,jewels and stones.Gorgeous beads simple to exotic,I had never seen so much. So tempting , all of it!

We were exhausted by the time we left with our bags of fabulous do-da's and have to haves that we knew we couldn't live with out! This was our chance to purchase and see everything we needed to pursue our plans of jewelry making.

A drive past the house I used to live in, another past my gramma and grampa's house. The memories that came flooding back of family.An over night stay in beautiful Montecito, lot's of talking about our day , out to dinner at "Cava" a delightful dinner house. Up the next morning for one more turn through the show!! We couldn't resist!The weather stayed lovely the whole time we were there only to rain on the way home.

This show is not to be missed if you love beads and gems of any sort imaginable!! It will return again next year! We will be there to do it all over again!

SILVER ADORNMENTS

1"x1 1/2" pure silver medallion. The inspiration for this piece was an antique French medal.

Loving silver as I do I am enthralled with the process of making jewelry. All the adornments will be one of a kind designs with special embellishments. This can be worn with a cord or a chain. (not included with purchase). This piece is 75.

Jewlery Making

Yesterday we had an impromptu get together to make jewelry out of silver clay. We had planned a big get together but because of weather and our instructor, Elaine Apsit, being available right now we had it at my house on the spur of the moment! It was just going to be an understanding of the silver clay and some light instruction but instead our gracious teacher brought along what seemed to us her entire studio! It started at 11:00am and went to 10:00 pm when every bead and adornment was fired with a chefs torch! We did not expect this!
We learned the in's and out's of the silver clay, how it works, how to make jewelry, molds for it and I don't think there is anything she didn't teach us! We will be having another get together soon at Vicki Greene's home in the incredible setting of her back yard as soon as the weather clears and warms up. There ,the rest of the girls who want to come will join us.
Elaine is one of the artists at the Chambers Gallery http://chambersgallerycambria.com/ in Cambria,California. I hope you can visit the gallery and see her fabulous handmade silver pieces on display.
Thankyou Elaine for your generous spirit, time and talent ,we can hardly wait for the "next time"!