What would you call this ear wire?

Click here to view listing on Etsy"

The shape of this ear wire is unusual in comparison to the typical fish hook or french ear wires you see on most jewelry. I'm having trouble deciding exactly what shape to call it. I settled on leaf shape.

There are only so many ways to bend a wire into a shape that can be called an ear wire. It is inevitable that there is going to be someone who already came up with a design that you thought was unique.

I have seen similar ear wires to this one on Etsy. One seller calls it "Elfin". Really cute name. I like it. They do resemble what we have come to think of as elf shaped ears. I also can see a leaf shape in them.

I am a bit of a Star Trek fan. Not a fanatic, but a fan. I have seen all of the television series, (except the original) and most of the movies. I have never been to a convention, nor do I plan on going to one. I haven't tried to learn how to speak Klingon, or dressed up like a Borg for Halloween. I did go see the latest Star Trek movie though, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially the young Spock played by Zachary Quinto. I have seen some of his other work, and photos, but he doesn't quite do anything for me unless he has those pointy ears!

Now can you see it? Shall I call them Vulcan ear wires? I think it is fun and a little nerdy, but I'm afraid most people wouldn't appreciate Vulcan ear wires, so I have settled on leaf shaped.

At any rate, they are a great ear wire. The shape is interesting and adds to the earring itself. The slight point at the top helps keep the ear wire right where it is supposed to stay. In the ear!

Where Ruby Mountain Beads Got Their Name

I'm sure you've been lying awake at night wondering, "Where did that name come from? Ruby Mountain Beads. Hmmmm......." Yeah right! At any rate, in today's post you will learn the answer to that question.

Those that know me from where I currently live will surely be scratching their heads trying to figure out where the Ruby Mountains are. Those who have known me from my youth immediately know the answer.

I grew up in Elko, Nevada. Close to there you will find a glorious mountain range. I can only assume that the mountain range got it's name from the way the peaks light up to a ruby red glow at sunset. There was many a night I drove up Lamoille Highway just to behold the beauty of the sunset. Amazing.

The first incarnation using the name Ruby Mountain was for a short lived stint my sister Katie and I had as candle makers. Ruby Mountain Candleworks. :) When I started making jewelry again, I needed a name. Ruby Mountain Beads came to mind with absolutely no thought and I just went with it.

My other Etsy shop, named Humboldt Supplies was named after a river that runs through Nevada. This one didn't require a lot of thought either, but seems to work.

The photo above is of a lake in the Ruby Mountains that is only accessible by foot. Isn't it beautiful? Think twice before jumping in though. The water is sourced by melting snow and is extremely cold!

Cleaning and Organizing

Two things I hate, and it shows! I have beads and wire and bottle cap stuff spread out over at least 4 rooms in my house. It is time to organize and clean! Maybe I won't have to spend as much time searching for things now!

The coolest thing about organizing is finding things that I forgot I had. So, today's post is not exciting at all. I have to stop getting distracted! I want everything organized in hopes that it will streamline my creative process.

Bottle Caps

Bottle caps, bottle caps, bottle caps. This picture has a lot of reflections from the lights in the room, but you get the idea.

A friend of mine made a bottle cap necklace for her little girl. I thought it was the cutest thing, and decided to make some for my girls too. Luckily my friend willingly shares her crafting secrets and told me exactly how to do it and where to go to get the supplies.

Shortly after I started making bottle cap necklaces, I discovered Etsy. www.etsy.com LOVE, LOVE, LOVE , Etsy. I can spend hours just browsing all of the brilliant art work. But, I digress. During one of my marathon Etsy browsing sessions, I discovered graphics already formatted to the size I needed for the bottle caps! Yay!!!

I quickly discovered that I was addicted to buying graphics on-line. It was too easy. I pick what I want, I pay for it, and the graphics are e-mailed to me usually within a couple of hours. No shipping fees, almost instantaneous gratification, relatively cheap, I was totally hooked! Each cute little image makes me want to own it. Just like each bead I run across.

That brings me to the subject of today's post. Bottle caps! I do enjoy making them for my girls, but as usual I have taken it to an extreme, and have more than they could possibly ever wear.

There is a local artists market in the town I live in. There was a lady there selling bottle caps on ball chains for $ 12.00 a piece. $ 12.00!!!!????? So, I listed some on Etsy for $ 4 to $ 5 a piece. I've sold 3. Oh well, at least the girls have a wide variety of bottle caps to choose from.

The other plus (or is it a plus?), all the unused bottle caps I purchased will be listed in Humboldt Supplies. I hope they can find a home and a use.