What's On My Workbench?

We have new winners and ALL the prizes should be going out tomorrow!! Everyone who didn’t win first prize won a pair of earrings!!! When you email me to enter a contest, be sure and send me your address so that I can have it to send you your prize.


The grand prize winner of the last contest is in this post somewhere along with a new contest.


But for now, let’s get back to the blog – what’s on my workbench right now?

This is now done and totally reconfigured. It is genuine amethyst briolettes, sterling silver beads and spacers. There are also tanzanite Swarovski crystals and clear Swarovski aurora borealis crystals.

This is a good opportunity to talk about how I design a piece. You will notice that there is a short wire strand with a round toggle end that the beads are strung on. This is not permanent, but only to see what the pattern will look like.


I have used the design boards, but these small flannel panels that keep the beads from rolling help me lay the pattern out. Then I use an old short piece of wire to ‘try’ out my design on. No matter how well you lay out your piece on the mat it never looks the same, or is spaced the same as it is once it is wired.


A short piece of wire is easy to string small portions on to see that they will indeed look and hang correctly. I left this lying on my workbench for a long time before finishing it. I moved it around considerably before I decided on the final design.


Here is the finished product.

Then on my other workbench I have a ton of new stones and beads that I purchased at a gem show a couple of months ago.

Again I have started this on two pieces of scrap wire just to get a feel for how it will look. The larger stones are faceted fire dyed agate. They are so beautiful! They have purple and teal colors in all shades running through them.


They are capped with sterling silver bead caps with pale green Swarovski crystal beads in between. The large focal piece is completely sterling silver. I haven't chosen a clasp yet, but it will also be sterling silver.


Here are some other stones lying on my bench. I like to leave them out to inspire creative ideas. Plus they are new and I can’t wait to get my hands on them!!

There are more fire dyed agate in lots of different colors, regular agate in various colors and some beautiful new cultured pearls. The dark red round stones in the center are genuine garnet beads.

These were my most expensive purchase of the day. They are kesha pearls and are oh so beautiful. See the tiny little bag of green ones? See the $35 marking on the bag? Yes that is what I paid for them! But they are worth it!!! I can’t wait to do something grand with them and show you!

Here are more agate beads in various colors, treatments and styles. The blue are faceted agates polished that look almost like crystal. The tribal looking beads are also agate and have the designs bunished in with heat. There are clear areas that are almost translucent. Then there are various brown and white mottled agate beads that are so unique and pretty.

Another overview of the work table.


I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you the grand prize winner of the last give-a-way was Kit Davis from The Woodlands, TX. Everyone else will be receiving a pair of earrings. I am making the earrings new and unique for the give-a-ways so they are like nothing you have ever seen on the website before. And if you entered more than one contest, you will receive more than one prize! So enter as many contests as you want.


Now for this blogs give-a-way…


Can you email me and tell me why I have clear fingernail polish on my workbench and what I use it for?


Remember – email me. You don’t want to give the answer away to everyone on FB or in the comment section! Send me your address when you send me your answer so I’ll have it to send your prize.


Yeah! I just love give-a-ways!!!


Oh, what will the grand prize winner get this time? How about this great bracelet and a matching pair of earrings?

I think you will like it! It has clear and silver lampwork beads, dark silver/gray faceted crystals and clear crystals. Its neutral color will go with so many things!


I look forward to your replies. Email me at Designer@DragonflyInAmberDesigns.com





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