I couldn't help myself

So I really was working on an order and I finished the components and I had one more package of PMC sitting there and just over my shoulder was my cigar box full of new jewels calling out to me ..."use me, use me", so what's a girl to do?  I had an itch and I just had to scratch, what is it with me and this itching thing lately.
Anyway, this was my inspiration ...

side one of my brother's cross

 and side two of the same cross

He found this cross in an old junk store on Malta in the late 60's.  There's an amazing story about it, but that's not my tale to tell.  But, I have been absolutely fascinated by this object for all these years.  I showed it to a psychic once and she was kind of bowled over by the power she got just from scanned images.  We don't know anything specific of its origins, but guess it to have been made around 700a.d. ... maybe.  It's old, very old.

So yesterday afternoon, I decided to use the shape of this amazing object as inspiration for a couple of jeweled crosses.  I do love jeweled crosses.  It's that whole medieval obsession of mine ... jewel encrusted objects especially.  They still need to be fired, but here's what came of the inspiration ...

The one on the left has faceted white topaz and tanzanite and dark blue raw sapphires and, before firing is about 2 1/2" x 1 3/4".  The one on the right is all raw rubies and is about 1 3/4" x 1 1/2".  The kiln is currently cooling from firing the work I'm supposed to be doing.  I'm mere moments away from loading these lovelies and firing them up.  Can't wait to see the results!

Okay, bye for now - I really am going to get some work done - really.

Except for there is this one annoying thing today ... I use Thunderbird email and went into it this morning and all of my messages - inbox and trash (which I was actually sort of saving), well anything that hadn't been saved into a specific folder, which was most everything ... gone, disappeared, poof - vanished!  So if anyone was waiting for a reply from me, please write again.  As we speak, that is right now I'm trying to export my address book to Outlook and be done with T-Bird, which is taking forever and I'm a wee bit concerned.  So very very frustrating.  Pish posh - dern computers!

ah well, have a lovely rest of your weekend

blessings - kvk

oh, yes ... don't forget!  One more day in my Etsy sale.  After that, I'm pulling everything off and packing it up to send to WA.