A Glass Focal that Rocks...

A couple of weeks ago I was the lucky recipient of a great Patty Lakinsmith lampworked glass bead. It's been nudging at me from the side of my worktable and finally, the other day, I ended up with a wonderfully rock-y piece that, in my opinion, honors this bead perfectly!

When I packed up my workshop in Virginia for the move to Alabama, I had a big container filled with "Projects that need to be Finished." With the help of one of my beading friends, Elisabeth, I took a fresh look at those projects. In amidst them, I found some great green garnet nuggets. The original unfinished masterpiece got finished without them because when I laid them out next to this glass bead I just had to use them! I started digging through my "cool" color drawers of beads looking for more to mix and was pleased and surprised with the results.

So from this gorgeous Patty Lakinsmith bead...

I added the green garnets--including a big nugget--some sodalite to accent the dark blue of the focal's swirls, smoky quartz in a neat bean shape, and finally, kyanite rounds that have an awesome blue/grey tone.

This is one of those necklaces that I'd be tempted to keep, but will put it out for sale in a couple of weeks at the Spinners' Pumpkin Patch Arts & Crafts show on 24 and 25 October...come out and see me!!