Relaxing on Jamaica Beach (Galveston)

Jamaica Beach, Galveston at Sunrise

I am not a sun worshiper, I hate sweating. Our first visit to Galveston was in the middle of the summer just after hormone-altering surgery and I hated it.

However, our second time on the beach was wonderful – in October, just last year.

We have a wonderful friend who has this terrific beach house in the middle of the island that has been in her family since she was a child. She has offered it to us all three of the times we have visited the Gulf Coast. This year feels like the best of the three because we are really relaxing – all four of us (doggies included).

Hubby and his "Huckleberry"

Last year we had a visit from Nan Emmett (read here), but this year it just me and my sweet husband with our two mini-schnauzers Windsor and Lindisfarne (Lindi for short).

couch taters

wet dogs

I have been working on some jewelry for my brother’s fiancé and their wedding party. Not exactly "my" style, but exactly what they wanted.

They just got the news she has her visa and will be able to emigrate from Russia to the US before Christmas. Anyway, here is what I have been up to since the Bead Soup Blog Party.

When we return to “civilization,” I will post again, but until then . . . . aaah, reeelaaaax.

An Experiment

I have been experimenting with the lovely pewter pieces I have accumulated recently. Nan Emmett and I talked for a long time about what I could and should do with them.

Remember this set of necklace and earrings I made while on vacation?

The silver finish is beautiful, but I have access to a process that will allow me to add color to the finish. Also, I am thinking about offering these as components in my Etsy Shop, so you can add them to your creations.

This is a a spooky, scary Halloween bat pendant I started while on vacation too.

Would you like to finish it? How would you use it?

Should I 1) make it available as a component

or

should I 2) finish it and post it on Etsy?

I finished the bat-wing earrings with blood-red coral tear-drop beads.

And here's another design of bat-wings as earrings.

I just love these small wings. Either as blackbird wings . . .

Or humming bird wings. These two pairs of wings are from the same mold, but they have a completely different feel because of the colors used.

While I was working on the wings below, I was reminded me of Hummingbird Wings and the blog Deryn Mentock wrote ( Something Sublime ) last Wednesday about a poor little hummer that died flying into her closed window. These wings are about the right size for a Hummingbird too. The same colors on a larger wing remind me of a parrot's wing. This design has hole on the tips of the separate feathers for dangling tiny jewels or to create an asymmetrical design.

So here are some questions for you:

.

How would you use these pieces?

Would you want to buy them as components?

or as finished pieces (necklaces, earrings, etc)?

Would you want to be able to specify coloration?

Would you want to have them available with stones/beads/crystals?

Or without?

.

I feel as though I am on the very edge of a new direction and I value your opinions.

Please leave a comment.

My Friend Nan

So here I am on vacation in Galveston. Nan Emmett lives in Houston. We have never met until yesterday. She drove down to enjoy a day at the beach.

Okay, so this isn't the MOST flattering photo of us.

But it was a gorgeous breezy day, what do you expect?

Here we are exchanging goodies.
Yumm-O! (I will post better photos later, but click the "Yumm-o" to Nan's Etsy shop.) We spent a couple hours walking along the beach collecting shells and watching the sea life.
We had the beach to ourselves (along with my sweet hubby)!

. . . and this mighty fisherman, dancing with a Black Drumfish.

The fish was HUGE!

Nan and I had a great discussion about our jewelry businesses and how to improve and diversify our individual product. You will be seeing some results of this discussion in the future.

Have you ever had a heart-to-heart with someone you respect that changed your direction?

I'm on Vacation!

To quote Billy Crystal in City Slickers, "I'm on VACATION!!"
We have escaped for almost two weeks to Jamaica Beach on Galveston Island. We are a couple of minutes walk from the beach and have enjoyed many hours wading through the surf and beachcombing.
.
When we are not on the beach, we relax with a good spy novel and quiet hours with our dogs. While my husband reads aloud to me (Daniel Silva's novels are very engaging!) I make jewelry. I brought a few beads and crystals along with my peweter pieces from Reaper Miniature. Here are a couple of things I put together:

And this:

And this -- I ran out of earring findings, so imagine these with lever-back finding. Spooky, huh? I am thinking about Halloween.

Tomorrow Nan Emmett from Spirited Earth and Spirit Rattles is coming down from Houston for lunch, a walk on the beach and some "serious" jewelry talk. I cannot wait!

Do you take your jewerly stuff with you on vacation?