Quote of the week

Have you heard of Clara Rockmore? Chances are good you have. After all there was an interactive Google Doodle in her honor not even two weeks ago. Now I could say that I knew her before that, but that would be a lie. So yes, like probably millions of others I looked her up.
After she had to give up her violin career, Clara Rockmore became a virtuoso performer on the theremin, an electronic instrument invented early in the 20th century by Russian physicist Léon Theremin.
Today's post is in honor of them.

After Sheldon gets fired from a project his three friends are working on, he sets up his theremin and starts playing.

Leonard: "What are you doing?"
Sheldon: "Playing the theremin."
Leonard: "No, I mean what are you doing with a theremin?"
Sheldon: "Playing it. I've loved the theremin from the first moment I've heard the original Star Trek theme. And it's been killing me that it just sits in my closet gathering dust."
He's playing again and the sound makes the others roll their eyes.
Leonard: "Sheldon, we're working here."
Sheldon: "That's all right. I can barely hear you over my theremin."

That's when Leonard pulls the plug and throws Sheldon and his theremin out of the apartment. Doesn't look like he's going to be another Clara Rockmore ;-)


The Big Bang Theory, USA, 2007 -

Tackle that stash - Native Copper and Porcelain Jasper

More than once I told you about the cabs in my little drawer.
Now I am determined, though. I am so determined that I promise I will only use cabs from my stash in the next few weeks. Maybe I shouldn't make promises, but I am willing for sure.

Take a look at this. Not one cab, but two!

Native copper has pure copper in a stone matrix. Can you see the little specks?
Of course it made sense to use copper wire with this, but I didn't want to make another pendant. Instead I came up with this wire knit and crochet bracelet. And guess what, I used up those brown seed beads (that you might remember from last week) now.
I don't know what you see, but I'm almost reminded of a little (asymmetrical) crab here ;-)

Porcelain jasper is such a wonderful stone. I have more than one and I keep sitting on it like a dragon on his hoard. I have always been partial to black and grey and I love this pattern.
Don't you think the pearls are just perfect with it?

Oldies but Goodies - Lapis Lazuli

When I hear lapis lazuli which is often just called lapis (Latin for "stone"), the first thing I think of is Egypt. In ancient Egypt lapis was used to make cosmetics from it, among other things of course. I don't remember if I read that in the sticker book "Adventures of the World" (to be honest, I have no idea if that's really what it was called, but I only had about 4.5 hours of sleep and can't quite think right yet) that we got from the gas station when I was a child and which we sadly could never fill up with photos completely and which had those cool stories about The Silk Road and pharaohs and adventurers of all kind and ... I'm totally digressing here, aren't I?
Cosmetics. Egypt. Oh yes, lapis. Wherever I got it from, it shocked me a little back then how someone could grind up beautiful stones for makeup. I have never been a cosmetics expert, can you tell?

The members of the Jewelry Artisans Community, however, have used lapis in these jewelry designs for the last Oldies but Goodies Challenge.
Enjoy!

1 MC Stoneworks
2 Cat's Wire
3 2 Fab Fristers
4 Violetmoon's Corner
5 The Crafty Chimp
6 RioRita

Zibbet finds of the week - Longing for spring

It was around the same time last year that I asked for spring.
The sun is starting to come out every, now and then, but even I would like the temperatures to climb a little higher. Give me a little sun, some flowers and let me able to take that big winter jacket off!
Maybe I can coax spring out of its hiding hole with these beautiful finds of the week from artisans on Zibbet.

Pink and silver tulips art print by Garden 22 Design Studio

Cute bunny painting by Lighthearted Dreamer

Spring bird nest tags by Dorothy Jane Paper Goods

Beaded pink flower pendant by Galiga

Happy Easter wood blocks by Deanna's Crafts

Green ivy pendant by Zazie

Decorative pillow cover with hand printed leaves by netamente

Crocheted fancy ribbon necklace by Mc Leod Hand Craft Gifts

Tackle that stash - Stone Canyon Jasper pendant

I'm back! And what could be better to get back into blogging than a nice stash tackler?
To be honest there is little stash tackling in this pendant, though.

It's not the first time I am telling you that I am struggling with asymmetry. It's funny because there had been no struggle at all in ordering this interesting brecciated jasper. I came, saw, and bought.
Then I was carrying it around in my coat pocket for two weeks. When there's an order in my mailbox, I can never wait until I am upstairs, you know. I have to rip it open right there and then. As my veggie box arrived that same moment, I just shoved this and another cab into my pocket and kept forgetting to take them out.

Yesterday I finally remembered and just when I was about to bury them in the drawer with my other cabs - that have been waiting for too long to get out of there for good - I decided I'd give this a shot.
I turned the jasper this way and that way hoping it would tell me what it wanted.
The earthy colors called for copper wire and to pick up the browns from the stone I added transparent brown seed beads to the knitted bezel.

Next was the decision which way to turn the cab for the bail. I am always drawn to turn drop like shapes upside down and the fact that I love my dangles usually influences me to follow that urge.
The brown pearl was perfect with it.

Now which cab to choose next? Decisions, decisions!

Oldies but Goodies challenge - Water

Another week has flown by. You might have noticed by now that my blog time out was no joke. It's really about time I get back into gear.
Without at least the weekly Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge to post my blog would look very sad.
It would be a mistake, however, to think the Challenge is just a filler which you will see when you have a look at this week's beautiful entries that are inspired by water.
Do you already feel the urge to jump into the pool or go to the beach?

1 and 6 RioRita
2 and 5 Violetmoon's Corner
3 and 7 MC Stoneworks
4 Cat's Wire

Oldies but goodies - Amethyst again

This post is for my Latin teacher. He didn't like the color purple. He detested it. He said purple was not a color, but a catastrophe.
Too bad that one of my friends loved purple and didn't hesitate to wear it no matter what remarks she got from him. A small group of our class decided we had to give him something purple. It started out with a cake in purple and pink (which was good, no doubt, because said friend's father used to be a baker and passed the talent on to her) and turned into a tradition on Christmas and at the end of the school year. Purple ties, socks, flowers, plates, mugs, I can't even remember everything. When we were out of school, I kept up the tradition for quite a few years. To this day I think "oh, that would be a good one" if I see something purple. For me the color will be connected to him forever.

Of course the topic "Amethyst" wasn't chosen for the Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge because of my Latin teacher, though. Amethyst is the birthstone for February and of course it was still February when the challenge started.
Please enjoy some of our members' beautiful entries.

1 MC Stoneworks
2 Jewelry Art by Dawn
3 Cat's Wire
4 RioRita
5 Violetmoon's Corner