Huzzah! I'm A Celebrity At Two Dog Pond!

I didn't win last week at Two Dog Pond's pendant contest (and not because I took umbrage at a TEA PARTY comment--I won't go into it except to say that conservatives don't have a lock on patriotism) but I loved the vintage Lady Liberty image and the winning caption so I purchased two pendants.  Rachel has made several personalized pendants for me and she also makes some really beautiful necklaces and bracelets.

I bought two pendants since I am going to give one to my very dear friend Nana Anna who is about as conservative as I am liberal but amazingly, we're the best of friends!  We just don't talk about politics or religion and we're good.  Last weekend we went to a bead show in Slidell and I bought some beautiful dark blue and dark red faceted crystals--and yesterday I strung them, along with cultured pearls and silverplated beads, into this necklace:

Here's a closeup of the amazing pendant she made:

I sent these pictures to Rachel to show her what I'd done and she posted them on her blog!  I'm famous!!

Since I'm showing jewelry, what the hell, here are some other necklaces I've made.

Turquoise nuggets and gold beads.  I get a lot of compliments on this necklace undoubtedly due to the fact that people are impressed to see all the turquoise.  Then stupid me immediately says, "Oh, it's fake.  It's 'reconstituted' turquoise."  Except I don't correct some people who are acting all like they're turquoise experts.  Dolts.  (PS--reconstituted turquoise, like reconstituted amber, isn't really fake.  The material is real, it's just been fashioned into beads or nuggets from chips and powder).

This one is aventurine and faceted copper beads.  The pendant is from a deconstructed Mississippi-themed bracelet given to me several years ago.  It's our state flower, the magnolia.  The bracelet was made by an amazing artisan, Michel Milleur.  Some of the other charms were a catfish, a pelican (which is actually Louisiana's state bird but they sneak over to Mississippi occasionally), a cotton boll, the Biloxi lighthouse, etc. 

Even before THE SAINTS WON THE SUPER BOWL I was making Saints jewelry.  You put a fleur de lis on just about anything down here and people start gettin' da vapahs.

I love the combination of amber and pearls.  The sterling and amber pendant is handmade and signed by the artist.  (The little shell is great lagniappe).

And of course I made a pair of matching earrings to go with all the necklaces.  And then I wear them with a t-shirt and jeans since I never get dressed up any more.  Sigh.