New in My Ebay Store Baby's First Teddy Bear and Blanket

These are the two colors I currently have made up. These are available in my Ebay store. The first one is White and Mistletoe yarn. The second is Purple, Blue and Cream. The teddy bears are about 8 inches tall, with the matching blanket. Perfect for little hands to hold and drag around with them. Crochet blankets are exceptionally warm and last forever. Check them out in my Ebay store. 

Ruby, Blue Topaz, Amethyst, Citrine and Aquamarine Set In Clear Resin

These are the resin pieces with gemstones in them, that I have done so far. Some have been drilled but others have not. Because, I am still new to resin I do a bit of experimenting. For example I love the purple glitter with the Citrine gemstone. But, as you can see the Citrine moved a bit out of the window so it is not exactly where I intended it to be. The lighter colored stones, do not do well with glitter in the resin. I thought it would enhance them but it did not. The light blue stone, which I think is Aqua but could be a pale Blue Topaz, is really quite nice if you can get a good lighted shot. The pudgy pear Amethyst is a really lovely light purple but it kind of got drowned out in the resin. The two blue Topaz I really liked adding just a touch of white acrylic paint to the resin in the final layer to add some dimension, again I am not sure I like the glitter. I think I will do without it next time. On the other hand, the Ruby is in completely clear resin, with no glitter and it is quite lovely, but there are micro bubbles, that I did not eve know where there until I took it out in the sunlight. I think the micro bubbles don't necessarily take away from the piece, especially if you want to make it look more natural, but customers may not care for it. Some of these have been listed in my Etsy store, Melissa's Menagerie of Stuff, and some have not. This week the kids and I are on Spring Break, so I hope to get some more of these completed and listed. Some I list as cabochons, and others I make into finished pieces.

A Video About Amethyst

Amethyst is the birthstone for February. It is a beautiful stone, that comes in a variety of hues from light purple to the deepest of purples. It can also be found as a green variety, called Prasiolite, which is very light Amethyst that has been heated to a beautiful mint green color. Most Amethyst is very light colored Citrine that has been heat treated.

Day 8 Water Challenge Purple Spotted Swallowtail

For day 8 of my water challenge I decided to paint the very beautiful Purple Spotted Swallowtail. This was a very difficult butterfly to paint. And my water didn't exactly become the focus, so I will try a different approach next time. I love this butterfly and so wished they lived here where we are. They only live in New Guinea. This painting is available in my Etsy store, which you can visit by clicking on the widget above. I might get away from butterflies over water for a bit, but not for too long, because I am going to be a vendor with my mom at the 3rd annual Monarch Butterfly Festival in Sept at the Greathouse Butterfly Farm. I am so excited.

Amethyst The Gemstone Of Royalty, New Sale Promotion

Amethyst, is the purple variety of quartz, and the most sought after and prized. It is said that if you like purple, then you like being in the spotlight. I am not a purple fan, but Amethyst, in the deeper hues of purple, are quite lovely. Amethyst has been around, for hundreds of years, and is a very durable gemstone. Amethyst is the birthstone for February. It has a hardness of 7, on the Mohs Hardness Scale. Amethyst can be found in faceted, cabachon, beads, chips, geodes, and even ornamental carvings. It is a very versatile stone, in the gemstone world. Amethyst can be heat treated, to deepen the purple color. Very light colored Amethyst, when heat treated becomes a soft minty green color called Prasiolite. I will write more about Prasiolite, at another time. Heat treated Amethyst, will also turn a golden yellow color, called Citrine. I read recently, that 90% of the Citrine on the market today, is actually heat treated Amethyst. To get a natural unheated Citrine is extremely rare. Another very rare form of Amethyst is Ametrine. Ametrine, is part Amethyst and part Citrine. It is natural, and untreated and found primarily in Bolivia, and very little in Brazil. Both of these lovely rings are available for sale, in my Etsy store, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6007466

The first ring, is set in sterling silver featuring a Marquis Amethyst surrounded by pink Sapphires. It is a stunning ring. The second one is also set in sterling silver, featuring a deep rich purple Amethyst. My prices are good, I offer a layaway service, and the very first person to spend 25 dollars, gets a free sterling silver black Sapphire ring.

Kunzite From The Spodumene Family

Kunzite is a violet to pink gemstone, first found in 1902, by gemologist G.F. Kunz. Kunzite is a 6 /12 on the Mohs hardness scale, but is very brittle in its internal structure. Extreme care should be taken when setting, and wearing this gemstone. It is a pleochroic gemstone, which means it can exhibit different colors at different angles. Violet, pink, paler shades of violet, clear, and even red can be exhibited. There is a very new find of Kunzite called Patroke Kunzite that comes from Afghanistan. It is the loveliest hottest pink color I have ever seen. I do not own any, as it is very, very expensive. The Kunzite pictured is set in sterling silver, and measures 12mmx10mm, and is oval. Set in a fancy filigree design ring, size 6 1/2. It is a lovely soft lilac color. This is the only piece of Kunzite I have in my inventory. It is available for sale in my Etsy store, missy69. You can view my Etsy mini at the bottom of this blog.