and the winners are ..........

Firstly, accept my apologies for the delay in announcing the winners.  My computer's been unplugged a good bit of the afternoon and early evening as we've had a series of severe thunderstorms blowing through our area ... impressive amounts of rain and wind and, thankfully, lightening strikes not terribly close.

Now, back to the business at hand ...
I am enormously grateful for all the comments both here and on Facebook.  I'm thrilled to say, I had 21 responses to my query.  The verdict is unanimous ... durability, which is looking like nylon.  But more on that in a minute ...

Here's a big congratulations and thank you to Kim, who has won the petite petal earrings ...

and Ruth via Facebook, who has won the raw pebble necklace ...

Kim and Ruth, use my email link in the sidebar and send me your snail mail addresses, and I'll get your treasures in the mail right away. 

I got so many excellent responses, some perfectly succinct, some more lengthy with much food for thought.  Each one agreeing, durability is paramount. 

Sourcing materials in this business is always a challenge.  In my daily life, I'm very mindful about how my dollars are spent.  Trying to translate and sustain that in my work is not easy ... metals, gemstones, threads and leathers, packaging and shipping materials ... weighing the usually increased costs for the green/sustainable/ethically sourced options vs. less expensive, "easier" options.   

As many of you very eloquently stated, even though at first glance the nylon seems like a less "green" option, ultimately, it's durability combined with it's "made in the USA" pedigree, make it the better option.  Your comments have addressed all of my concerns and I feel confident moving forward with the switch.

And the universe has been listening as well ... while waiting for today to arrive, I've had two stories of pieces breaking, one piece lost (a sad story that one), one on its way back for repair ... further fueling my decision to move away from using silk in my production work. 

Now I just have to decide which nylon.  Over the weekend, I ran into an old friend who gave me the name of another online source for materials - Beadshop.com.  They carry the Beadsmith line of materials and their Superlon-D sounds very promising.  It's a bit more expensive than the bobbins of Bonded Nylon #69 through Marion's, so I'll have to do some comparing.  Another consideration is I can get bigger spools of the bonded nylon for a really good price from Superior Threads ... just not as many colors as offered in the bobbins.

Working alone in my little bubble is not always an optimum situation.  Not doing shows and infrequent contact with humanity makes this blog an invaluable resource.  I've still got much to consider, but the biggest decision has been made. 

Once again, a heartfelt thank you to each of you who took the time to respond to my plea for feedback. 

And once again, congratulations to the pair of winners.

with deep gratitude ...
l i g a - kvk