AND NOW FOR SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. . .

For a change of pace, I've started experimenting with glass beads. Not that they are less expensive than gemstones and pearls. Actually, they can be quite pricey. However, they are fascinating to me because of the myriad colors, shapes and intensity of what is available out there. There are glass beads that look very much like their gemstone counterparts. And then there are glass beads that are quirky and interesting,, cut into shapes and patterns not available to gemstone beads. I especially like the lampwork beads -- cats, flowers, iridescent pillows, candycanes -- with colors so intense, you can see them from miles away.