Earrings and a Beaded Bead

I got some sample pieces back from one of the shops I teach in, and finally got them listed. First is a pair of Cutie Pie Earrings, these with stud posts. They've got amethyst, tourmaline and tiny peach sapphires, all surrounded by silver seed beads.

The beaded bead is an Infinity Donut that I made for the pattern I wrote. It got my favorite color in it... lime green! And tiny Swarovski crystals. I photographed it with a very old pair of calipers that were my boyfriend's mom's. It also unfolds into a 12 inch ruler. I love groovy old measuring tools. We also got an old 4-function calculator that plugs into the wall. It still lights up, but doesn't calculate anymore.

What I learned: From the earrings, I learned that adding post ear wires makes an earring much shorter than adding a hanging ear wire. From the beaded bead, I learned that those pretty matte gold seed beads don't have a very durable finish to them, and when the paint peels, a clear bead is underneath. The matte silver beads also don't hold their finish, but the paint doesn't seem to completely peal off. Instead, it just loses its luster.