Gotta love the glass!

What is it about dichroic glass that is so fascinating? Is it the color

play? The depth? The sheer extravagance of both? Whatever it is,

I am in love with dichroic glass!

Not all is created equal, and it takes a certain eye to put combinations

of color, metallics, size and shape to create a really special piece. I am

lucky to have such a person in my dear friend, Sharon 'Harry' Solly,

of Solly Creations! She was 'just playing around' with dichro, and I was

gifted with this amazing peacock patterned piece.

Being the Queen of Procrastination ( it is really how I manage to collect

and ahem, sit on my treasures, so to speak - a la Smaug the Dragon

from The Hobbit- you can imagine that I surprised even myself when

I created both the netting for the glass AND a herringbone-based

bracelet within days of receiving the piece!!

And I adore it!

Hope you enjoy! Click on any photo to make full-size.

Harry Solly's Wonderful Ring Tut Put to Use

Sharon 'Harry' Solly, Queen of all Polymer Clay activities, High Mistress of Cabbing, was kind enough to share her technique for cabbing around her faux dichro and glass cabs, to make rings and other beautiful pieces of jewelry.

Being the High Priestess of Magpieness, myself, having collected bits of shiney rock and other goodies for years, and loath to use any of the exquisite cabs from Harry just yet (they have to be for the PERFECT project!), I pulled out some of my semiprecious gemstones. Sure enough, I had 3 'matching' stones, in 14mm X 18mm pear shape- some lovely black and white quartz in matrix. One, in particular, has what appears to be an eagle flying downward on one side; the other side has a loon swimming under a tiny full moon, with a quarter moon reflected under her. I just love the symbology of both these- the freedom of the eagle and the reflective, inner sense of the loon quietly drifting in contemplation.

So, this ring was born of that- it is totally reversible. I added more 'bling', in the form of SS 13o charlottes, on the eagle side, while the loon is done with soft white 14o Matsunos, to depict the softer light of the Moon.

Now, ain't that just the coolest thing!

Here are also some pics of using the Terrifically Tacky Tape on the sides- Harry's technique- to hold the beads in place while you cab. Click on any pic to make it larger.

If you wish the full tutorial, you will have to join us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/beaddreamz/

It can be found in our Files section!

Thanks so much, Harry!!! You are the Bestest!