laurieopal

Boston was really fine. I got some fascinating commissions. saw lots of people i really like, and the weather and the travel were excellent.
I felt very luck, I'm very intimidated by east coast winter weather. I've lived in California too long.

The photo of a fossilized snail some millions of years old with cinnamon diamonds is a commission I brought to Boskone.

Fogcon is this weekend. It's a good thing my cat loves his cat sitters otherwise he would be very displeased. I'm looking forward to Fogcon, It's one of my favorites. But I'm also looking forward after it to lots of time to just work on my designs.

I’m looking forward to being at Fogcon in 2 weeks. I’ll get to see many people who are local to where I live, that I don’t see often enough. I have a collection for Fogcon that I’m really happy with. And should also have some stunning stones from my lapidaries.

The photo is of vivid yellow art deco spinels (synthetic) with a vintage cut that is typical of the period. They originally belonged to  a jeweler in the thirties and were never set.

I had been using them very sparingly up to here. But these are now going into a necklace that has been a somewhat long term project.

I’m working on a tanzanite ring today that has one large and three small brilliant stones that will be set in leaf and vine setting that will (I think) be backed by a pieced surface. It’s a somewhat different direction for me and, of course, that makes me happy.

The quince in my garden is in steady flower bloom that I love. It lasts a couple of months. It usually blooms in February and our unseasonable cold hasn't discouraged it. I've made lots of plum blossoms over the years. (They also bloom in my garden.)  And I've made cherry blossoms but never quince. I think i need to make something with them given how much i love them.

The spinels below are a far more vivid yellow than the photograph. The large ones are about 1" wide and the little ones 3/16". The necklace will be rather spectacular.

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I have a particularity beautiful collection of stones for Fogcon. I was just packing them and photographed these two. Stones are actually a few inches but the photos of them large are stunning and rather painterly in an abstract way, so I decided to use them.

I'm getting ready for Fogcon and thought I'd post photos of a couple of the designs I'll have with me that are fossils.

Pendant is amber with insect inclusions from 50 - 100 million year ago. Setting is sterling silver.


Close up of bug.

Unfortunately, I booked a vacation so long ago didn't consider Fogcon. So regretfully I have a Fogcon membership to sell for $70. (Currently price online is $85) Let me know if you're interested. I'll definitely be there next year.