Gift Certificate Goodies from the Bead Browsery

I received a Gift Certificate to The Bead Browsery, a local bead shop in my hometown. It's owned and operated by my friend Brenda MacLellan. She is an awesome designer, beader and an amazing wire artist so visiting her shop is always a drool fest!. 

 Anyway...my awesome husband took the time to find the shop and buy the gift certificate.  It was a real surprise because a bead shop is not where he would normally shop :) For numerous reasons I will not expound on today, it has taken over a month  to go shopping with my free money. Oh My Gosh!, it was so hard to choose what I wanted AND stay within my budget.  But, I did pretty darn good and I love my new goodies so I wanted to share them with you.

She carries "Miner's Dollars", an item I've been lusting over for a long, long, long time.  When I saw she had a new shipment of them in I just knew that was definitely one of the items I was going to put in my basket.  Here it is...

This fellow is quite large and heavy as well so instead of trying to create a piece of jewelry with it I've decided to display it in a mini-plate rack for all to see and enjoy.  It's quite a conversation piece! This isn't the best photo but it is covered in Pyrite and sparkles beautifully.  For more information on Miner's Dollars or Pyrite Suns as they are also called just go here: http://www.zeigleril.com/pages/CoalMinersDollars.htm

The rest of my goodies can be seen here...

I've been working for a while on my Viking Weave and needed a Draw Plate. Then I found a wonderful selection of beautiful blue Kyanite Tear Drop beads so I picked out a couple of sets to make earrings.  One set for me, the other to sell ;)  I'm also getting ready to work on a gift for friends and needed 26 gauge tarnish resistant Brass Wire and of course I knew Brenda would have that item in stock! 

The last item I chose was a strand of Kyanite beads. Actually, I had no idea what they were! I purchased a pretty focal bead when the Gem and Mineral Show was in town back in the fall but the vendor couldn't tell me what kind of stone it was. I just hate that, don't you? Vendors should know what they are selling don'cha think?

Here's a photo of that focal bead...

When I asked around, none of my local friends could identify it.  I even posted it on Face book and hoped for an answer but didn't received a single response! I just decided it really didn't matter as long as I liked it.  Well I found a similar stone pendant at Brenda's shop and I asked her what kind of stone it was. It is Kyanite! Now when I think of Kyanite I think Blue or Green...certainly not Black!  But yes, this is indeed Kyanite and if you get it in just the right light you can see the blues and greens deep inside the stone.  Brenda just happened to have a marvelous strand of  "Rough" or Black Kyanite beads that would look just scrumptious with my focal bead so they promptly found their way into my basket. Be sure to look at the photo below for a closer look.  Won't they look just gorgeous wire wrapped into a chain for my focal bead?!

  And then, sadly, I had to add up my purchases and I was just a tad over my gift certificate limit....but what the heck! I had cash on hand and went home feeling guilt free and satisfied with my new treasures :)  I just love a good visit to my favorite bead shop.  I should go more often! How often do you visit your local bead shop?  I'd love to hear from you :)



The Black (Rough) Kyanite Beads I purchased!