Updates of Pixieprincess.com

Well, if you know me well, have heard the story, read the article, or just know my entertaining use of language, you can fill in the blank.  Otherwise, make up your own entertaining title and swear you know it’s true.
I’ve been off the blog map for a bit, mostly due to moving. The studio is mostly back up and running.  I hope to have plenty of new pieces/stories/pics to share soon! 
My most recent pieces are opal.  The first is a simple set of rectangular cobalt enamel on copper earrings bezel set in sterling silver.  I fused a bezel for the opal into the enamel and set the opal over the enamel.  The slight translucency of the opal allows the cobalt to show through as well as act as a mirrorback for the opals’ fire. Oooooooo!

The second opal I cut back in Ohio in the summer of 2005.  It’s a brown boulder opal which is seriously messy to cut, but, Boy-o!, is it fun!  Through the wet brown muck on your hands suddenly flashes of color from the exposed precious opal come into view. Each second it changes shape and more or less peeks its way through.  The fabulous “crack”* of precious opal that heads straight towards the point only showed itself in the final sanding and polishing steps. Score.
I decided to set it with a piece of silver scribble and do a sparkly (but sort of matte) Mizzy wheel texture.
 
~margarita

*You know how punny I am. It had to be done:)

I got a new set of pliers! *does the new tool dance* :)  I needed ‘em too, can’t cha tell?
My next big tool purchase I think will be a pixie. Apropos, right? I’ve been holding off due to the price, but the longer I wait the longer I’ll need to feed the tool cravings with pliers and other small tools.
I would use it to grind down my enamels mostly.  I did hand grinding on the sea critter earrings I’ve been working on and, boy howdy, am I ready for this tool to live in my studio.  There’s also the bonus feature of using it for what it was built to do!  It sure would b swank to have a little lapidary station at my beck and call…  though not as fun as hanging out with John Cushing, lapidarist extrodinaire, to borrrow his;)
~margarita