It's Election Day...and here's my new jewels for the week so far

It's election day here in the USA. I hope whoever wins will focus on the American people, and focus on promoting the talents and products created by us HERE in the USA and stop the focus on all of the imported, cheap, low quality stuff. Sorry, but as an independent artisan and jewelry designer for the past 10 years, I have watched people pass up the work of real, live, US working artisans and instead hop into the discount stores and buy cheap, imported, mass produced items.

When that happens, the people in the US who are working their butts off to create, market, and sell their products are overlooked, and fall into dire straits. I, for one, never thought I'd end up having to be on food stamps. It was incomprehensible to me that could happen - after all, I have a college degree, am intelligent enough to run an online business for over 10 years, and work 12-16 hours a day. It just doesn't make sense that I would not be able to earn enough money from all that I do each week to put food on our table. However, I have watched people come in the local art gallery here (now out of business) where paintings and other beautiful artistic work was on display and for sale at VERY reasonable prices. Then I would watch those same people walk out without making a purchase of say...a $200 painting that they expressed a like for while they were there. Instead, they'd go into a local "decor" store that has prints/reproductions that cost as much or MORE in many cases, and they'd walk out with one of those. Thank you....you have just chosen to support imported crap mass produced by machines or people who are way underpaid in adverse working conditions. You may have just advanced slave labor. And then you look shocked when the local artist down the street is on food stamps and having her utilities cut off.

So I hope whoever wins this critical election will do something - ANYTHING - to help those who are here in the USA working and trying everything they can to make it in this country. Now don't get me wrong - I know there are those who don't try and who just sit on their butts. I'm not one of them though, and I honestly think this and this and this and this and this and this and this deserves something for my efforts.

So - that probably unpopular opinion now put aside...let's get one with the new jewels I've created in the past few days! All of these can be purchased here, if you're interested. And just think how cool it will be to be wearing a pendant different from the lady sitting across from you at work or church or dinner...since each IS a one of a kind creation. :)

The first pendant here is a Peace Stone Jasper oblong shaped pendant. It has a nice, soft, pleasing sage green color, with soft white and darker inclusions in the stone. The bezel frame is silver colored solder, and was created using my original freeform solder art technique. (By the way, just in case you're wondering, the solder I use is 100% environmentally safe, is made right here in the USA and all of my stones and art cabochons I use are also from the USA.)


This next stone is called a Sun Rock Jasper. It's a cool rectangular shape, and has deep brick red, khaki and black swirls of color.


This is a fancy jasper cabochon with again, deep brick red, purple, and a deep sage green mixture of color in a large oval shape.

And my final piece for the day...a pair of lovely parrots for my bird lover customers! We have a blue and gold Macaw and a Scarlet Macaw on this porcelain china cabochon.