New Etsy Listings

It's been a busy time lately; I had a big copyediting job, with a tight deadline, and lots of odds and ends of family business to see to. Now we're planning to have the grungy, worn-out wall-to-wall carpeting removed in a few days and hope to see a nice hardwood floor underneath!

But there has been a bit of a lull in the chaos, which gave me enough time to do another article on Handmade Spark (see the post prior to this one) and to start adding some new listings to my Etsy shop. Some of the new items are earrings on sterling silver and goldfilled wires that are made with special beads -- handmade, unusual, or vintage. The following is a good example of this category.

These Montana Blue Crystal and Openwork Sterling Earrings have a number of interesting features.

Montana blue is a very special color. It's not too dark and not too light. It has some hints of grey in it. It's very cool as a color, I would say. Why the name is "Montana," I don't know ... But the crystals in these earrings are lovely in any case. They are beautifully faceted vintage crystals with AB (aurora borealis) rainbow finish. The openwork sterling silver is special too. It comes from Bali, in Indonesia, where making sterling silver beads with soldered silver decorations is a tradition passed down through families. The openwork nature of these beads is a bit unusual and makes these stunning earrings a great conversation point. Earwires and accent rounds are sterling silver.