Show Time

Gem Fest in Canandaigua

Show time has arrived.  Happy to showcase my skill and teach class at the Wayne County Gem Fest this weekend.   Class is 12:30 each day.  If needed a second class in the afternoon will be announced at the event. 

We will be exhibiting the beautiful Geodes, thundereggs, and slabs we have with the public at the event.  As a lapidary, I seems to have acquired a ton of rocks, literally.  There will be a few cabochons for those who do not like stone cutting, also. 

As a wire artist, how could I exclude my creations?  There will be some of my small wearable works of art available. 

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

 Free the People ROC

 

We need to support our brothers and sisters.

#blm

#bekind
#blacklivesmatter
#lovewins

#ally

Buy Local from the Maker

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community

My Shop:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram 

What is a Lapidary

What is a lapidary

 I am a lapidary which means I hand cut my own gemstones.  Having enjoyed cutting gemstones for many years, I have crystal and cabochons to sell.  Also rough stone - which is the rocks before they are cut into cabochons. do you know any  friends whom are jewelry designers or jewelry store owner?  I work with rock lovers al over the world. 

definition  Lapidary

 

Here is a Unakite boulder in the quarry where I have collected some rough in NY state.  The travel mug in this pic is about 10" tall to show perspective. The boulders are over 3 feet tall.  The blue rocks on the left side are mostly calcite.
 

 7 Steps to make a cabochon

1. select a rock
2. cut a slab form the rock
3. decide  the shape of the cabochon & draw it
4. trim the slice around the lines
5.  dop the trimmed piece
6. start cutting the cab
7. polish the cab

Michigan Kona dolomite slab.  This is a piece of the selected rock cut into a slice.  This is a slab or a slice from the rock.(step 2)   Imagine the rock as a home made loaf of bread cut into slices.  They can be cut whatever thickness I desire.

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.   FB page  Free the People ROC

 

Join me:stand up, listen to others, be kind and to support our sisters and brothers.  

#bekind #blacklivesmatter  

#stopasianhate #standup

#listen

Being involved is more that attending a march, make phone calls, VOTE, talk about these rights we have,  help friends VOTE! 

Cabochon (step 7)

On the right, a piece of the Unakite I collected as a finished cabochon.  I went through all 7 steps  to create this cabochon..

My cabochons are free form which meas they are not round, or oval like most of the ones I see for sale.  This makes them unique and OOAK.
OOAK means One of a Kind. Cabochons are also called cabs.

What to do with all these cot gemstones? I sell them to other jewelry designers & collectors.  My focus is on my gemstones and showcasing the beauty in them with my wire designs. 

  Buy Local from the Artist

My shop:  Panda Wear Website
Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram

For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community.  

 

June is ending, summer is here

 Lapidary and the garden

Happy Monday all. heat wave and summer is here in ROC  As a lapidary it is almost impossible to slice or slab any rocks because of this heat.  On the other hand, good part is I can cut cabochons because that equipment is inside in my basement. 

 

This is a snowflake obsidian cabs.  Obsidian is a volcanic natural glass  there are several varieties of it that I have as rough and cabochons.   

 

The heat might be stressing the plants though we are keeping them well watered.   We use recycled rubber soaker hoses to water the vegetables and most of the pants in our gardens.  They conserve moisture by placing the water where it is needed at the roots of the plants,  none is wasted as with sprinklers.  As in the past years of drought, the soaker hoses allow us a harvest and not having to remove dead plants. Fingers crossed this short term heat wave and dry does not turn into an all season event for the summer. 

 

This is yellow turquoise that I cut and set in sterling silver. I love the play of colors on the stone and the final design to show off the shape of the cabochon.   

 

 

Black Lives Still Matter

 

 

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  FB page  Free the People ROC

I invite everyone to stand up, listen to others, be kind and to support our sisters and brothers.  

#bekind

#blacklivesmatter 

#stopasianhate

#standup

#listen

 

 

 

 

 

  

Buy Local from the Maker

My shop:  Panda Wear Website
Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram

 

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community.

 

 

This is a natural Aquamarine from a mine in New Hampshire.  I did not cut this beauty but the fact is is a USA gem made me purchase several cabs in a few different gemstones from the mine owner.  

http://bit.ly/Panda_aqua

Jewelry Safety and Precious Metals

Since February 2009 the Federal government in the USA has required manufactures to have their products for sale to children tested for lead. 

I am often asked why I use gemstones and precious metals in my work.  Why not go the the local craft store and by the cheap stuff on sale?  I use precious metals gemstones in the creations of the jewelry because I make a quality product.  I want my work to last, not be disposable & throw out after wearing once or twice.   Precious metals do not need certification at this point.  The materials used to create them are known.  For complete safety I do not sell or market my work as children's jewelry. 

For more information about safety in Jewelry and there hazards in our home. Made Safe. 

their blog on jewelry jewelry blog

I have often written about my process and the materials I use.  My precious metals blog Metals 101

Honesty and discourse of what someone is buying is a integral part of my business.  the earring have have surgical steel earwires; as the copper patinas(turns green), your ears do not. I always tell people jewelry is a body decoration and do not swim or sleep in it.  

For Education  Search 
 I Can't Breathe
Black Lives Matter
and read from fact checked news sources.  As a supporter I need to speak up.  Please join me. 

Just finished reading this last week &  I am humbled.

when they call you a terrorist

a black lives matter memoir

Black Lives Still Matter!

Seeds of Kambaba in Sterling silver below.  One of my gavotte gemstones to cut.  

  Buy Local from the Maker 

My shop:  Panda Wear Website
Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram

For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community.  

We are in this together. Wear a Mask, Stay home, Stay safe, Flatten the curve, Fasts Matter.  

Celebration of Fruits

Happy Garden 

Celebration of Fruits in this happy garden.  The red & black raspberries are doing well.  Watering  them frequently helps.  Most years the first tomatoes are early July.  the wait on them had been LONG this year.  The darkness on the top of the fruit belongs.  these are Indigo Blue tomatoes from Harris Seed.  Surprised they are the first ripe fruits of 2020 on my tomatoes. We are growing 7 varieties of tomatoes this year. 

Add caption

My cucumber vines are extremely happy this years. They climb a trellis which is over four feet tall and they have completely overgrown.  This is necessary here in my Rochester, NY garden to keep mildew away and to keep slugs off my fruits.  Hope to have some to harvest in the next 10 days.  The two recent rains have helped with over 2 inches each in the past two weeks.  We use soaker hoses to keep the vegetable garden alts watered which keeps our water use to a minimum.  It gives a deep soaking on the roots of the plants and helps prevent issues from wet foliage. One of the smartest changes int he garden for us.  in under 2 hours we have the 12" by 35' garden watered.  during the heat wave we do this every other day. 

For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stays in the community. Black Lives Matter!  Flatten the curve. Wear A Mask. Stay Safe.

Sterling Silver Pendant 

       Buy Local from the Maker 

My shop:  Panda Wear Website

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Pinterest: Pinterest 
Instagram: Instagram

For Education  Search 
 I Can't Breathe
Black Lives Matter
and read from fact checked news sources.  As a supporter I need to speak up.  Please join me.

Yes it is Spring

As an avid gardener my spring plants for the veggie garden do not wait for the frost to go away.  They are large enough for transplant but my muddy garden is not ready for them.  There are both plus and minus to  homegrown plants.   My tomatoes are six inches tall right now & they smell fantastic.   We may try to remove & dry some of the soil to help them.


My giveback at this time is hosting an artist chat once a week.  Started last week.  Sure feels good to connect with like minded creatives right now.  Hard to be in isolation as an artist. Making a few new wearable works of wire art.

Working on adding more of my gemstones & finished jewelry to the website.  Time consuming to edit all the pics need to show the detail in the pieces.  Please take a look and let me know what you like.  Have some quarts points on FB and a few pewter beads for you to do your own DIY jewelry.  There are kits from $10 each for earrings.

Find memories of sisterhood from the trip to DC & our Womens' March on Washington 1/21/17.  Met some great ladies and felt a sense of sisterhood and love from the gathering.

Womens' March on Washington 2017

Buy Local from the Maker 

My shop:  Panda Wear Website

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Pinterest: Pinterest 
Instagram: Instagram

Please remember to be kind.  We will get through this difficult time as long as we are together.  PM if interested in the Artist chats.Stay safe & show your love to others via face time, zoom or other social distancing choices.

Gardener with Gemstones

Lapidary beauty and my Gardens

On the left is Spider Agate freeform cabochon.  This is a hand cut gemstone and shows the beauty I find in the rough stones I have.
On the right is Biggs Jsaper a widely recognized form of jasper which is quite popular among jasper collectors.

How is the vegetable garden you ask?  It is doing well.  Mother Nature reminded us we are in
Western New York this week with a bitter cold snap.  was 65 a few days ago and now 38 outside.  We transplanted some hardy Kale yesterday.  The Mustard has given us two harvest sand is terrific in salads.  One snow peas has sprouted.  Is is early April so plenty of time of the rest of they peas to emerge.  some other plants have sprouted in the garden.  A few of the Hyacinth we look forward to each year with the intoxicating scent

As a small business owner I know how difficult it is at this time in NY state and around the US.  As a women owner business it is more difficult to generate the income necessary to keep the business going.  We are counting on the local community to remember to support all local business.  
For every $100 you spend at a local business $68 stay in the community.  
We are in this together. NY Strong.

One of my beach pieces in precious metal to show the beauty in the shell.  I sell wholesale & retail stones, rocks, beads, geodes, jewelry.


My shops:  Panda Wear Website
                 
Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Pinterest: Pinterest 
Instagram: Instagram
Habitat:  My Page Women Build