Nature's Wonders - Moths!

I find new and amazing things every day in the yard. Lately I've found all kinds of beautiful moths I've never seen before and wanted to share :)

This pretty little guy was unfortunatly attacked by a bird, and lost one of his wings. I've never seen such a colorful moth before, and was such a cute little guy. I watched him wander around the porch for awhile before he tottered off.

I thought this was was pretty neat looking, with his browns, greens, and cream colors, he definitely blended in with the plants!

Another pretty moth, with black and white colors, with an orange face.  He spent the morning resting on the trash can lid before flying off.

These two pretty moths were found on top of the air conditioning unit one morning after a cold snap.  I feared they had died, and brought them in to show mum, when to my surprise they began wiggling around!  I placed them in a pot with one of my plants, and let them warm up for awhile. When they started walking around a bit and it had warmed up outside, I took them both back out where they hung out with the plants for awhile enjoying the sun.

In the works...

Just a sneak peak of some of the things I'm working on this weekend...

First off here's a quick snapshot of my indoor work area (I have a separate one out in the shed for metal smithing stuff).  Most of my beads and findings are in those labeled drawers, with excess stuff in other containers.  For a limited space, it works pretty well.

Here's some of the jewelry I'm currently working on. I have a bracelet of pink (dyed) quartz and gray pearls, which is almost finished, the ends just need to be done.  In front are several pairs of earrings I'm working on, of fire opal, amethyst, and tourmaline.

A closer look at the earrings, and what they'll eventually look like. I'm doing a color scheme with these fire opals, from white to red.  The amethyst will be all purple, and the tourmaline will be in pink, green, and black.

I'll edit this later with the links to my shop once they're available!  However if you're interested in a pair, just contact me to reserve some!  The fire opals will especially be limited in this particular color scheme!

Friday Favorites - HelpTheGulfCoast

This weeks Friday Favorite features an Etsy store with a cause - HelpTheGulfCoast.  This store was started as a collective Etsy shop to raise money to help with the Gulf Coast recovery from the oil spill.  Many Etsy sellers are donating items for the shop, and 100% of proceeds will be donated!





Check out all the great items available and help out! And don't forget to follow the progress of the shop on their social networking sites!
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/helpthegulfcoastetsy
Blog - http://www.helpthegulfcoastetsy.blogspot.com
Twitter - http://twitter.com/HelpGulfCoast

Friday Favorites - The Fabulous Glass Lampwork Beads by Gardanne

Friday favorites returns with this feature of Etsy seller Gardanne and her gorgeous lampwork beads!

What really draws me to Gardanne's beads is how natural they look, and their wonderful organic feel.  The colors are vibrant and rich, such as in this focal bead called "Meditation".

I also enjoy her style, all of her beads are eye-catching.  These "Ecko Bubble" beads are pretty, interesting, and fun!

In addition to glass lampwork beads,Gardanne offers enameled beads and components, and a selection of findings.  Check out Gardanne's work at her shop on Etsy at GardanneBeads.etsy.com