Spring has Sprung... or not.

Spring is funny around here. We don't usually have much of it. It's cold. Then it's hot. This year, it was cold. Then it was hot. Then it was cold again. Then it was hot. Now it's cold again. 

I'm not exaggerating. Yesterday it was 92 degrees. Today it's 50.

Sure makes it hard to plan an outfit very far in advance! 

My parents experienced this very phenomena in the short 10 days they were here. It was HOT for the first few days. And then this: 

 But as you can see, we made the most of it! Mom and Dad have been back in Canada for a week now and while we all miss them terribly, we're settling back into our old routine (sorry kids, nana-and-papa-savings-time is over; back to your regular bedtimes!)

 I managed to squeeze out one piece of new work last week. I'm really proud of this one. I've been wanting to work with labradorite forever, but just hadn't found the right source for the stone yet. Happily, I found a handful of beauties (and some new lapidary contacts) at a gem show not long ago. Here's the result of my first piece with this amazing stone:

This is also the first in a series of rings I want to create with words or messages on the underside of the band. The inspiration for this particular tag came from the stone itself. Taken directly from the listing for this piece, here is the story behind it:

As a teenager growing up in Alberta, I remember standing on a frozen lake one early spring evening watching the Aurora Borealis in awe, thinking, "Who am I, really? How insignificant are my problems in the grand scheme of this fantastic universe?" I felt such relief in that moment. Like all of my worries flew up out of my body and were gathered and swept away by the glorious blue and green dancing lights above. 

I've been wanting to work with labradorite for some time now. Not only because it reminds me of the Northern Lights, which I can no longer see now that I live in Kansas, but also because my family is from Newfoundland and I feel a special connection to this rock from the land of my ancestors. While working with this particular stone I was again overcome with that feeling of awe and realization of the very magnitude of nature. It reminded me once more that my troubles are small and to just... let go. 

As I was working on the "let go" tag for the band of this ring I was listening to my iPod on shuffle (1000+ songs) and what should come on at that very moment? The words already stamped into the piece of metal I was filing: "Let Go" by Frou Frou...

So, let go, let go
Jump in
Oh well, what you waiting for?
It's all right
There's beauty in the breakdown

~~~~

I like that you literally have to let go (open your hand!) to see the words. :) 

This ring is a US size 6.25 (fits tighter because of the width of the band, so more like a 5.75-6) and is in the shop now!

I have a whole slew of new stones that I'm really excited to work with, but probably won't get to them this week. I'm working on some custom pieces and I also have a paper due and an exam this week so I'll be a busy little buffalo! 

I do, however, expect this to be a productive spring in my happy little studio, so stay tuned! 

Bloomingly yours,

Buffy

xo