Yay! Agate Slice Necklaces!

I've been working on putting these together for about a year! I bought my drumel (sp?)... broke countless agate slices drilling... burned through diamond bits... worked in my father-in-laws garage with a vice... all to no avail... that is, until I figured out I had to drill through the agate under water! As a result... I can finally drill through these gorgeous dyed brazilian agate slices. I just picked up two dozen different colored slices at Ed's House of Gems in Northeast Portland. It's a fabulous rock shop... where I also picked up gorgeous faceted, tear-drop shaped rose quartz pieces to make pendants... and a fabulous new business-card holder... a giant chunk of beautiful quartz crystals. I absolutely love the natural beauty of stone. Most of my jewelry is made with stones... and the more natural, the better. I've loved amethyst and other natural geodes since I was young, too. I remember going on a field trip in elementary school and coming home with a big chunk of raw amethyst on a rock for my mom, (her birthday was in February and amethyst is the birthstone for that month). It's been nine months since mom passed away... actually, exactly nine months tomorrow. I had a mini-breakdown this weekend as a result. I feel quite stressed and overwhelmed by everything... Dad and his Alzheimer's, my grandma freaking out about moving to Portland, Mike being worried about losing his job... and all the while studying for teaching licensure tests. Making jewelry is such a great outlet for me. My grandfather used to make jewelry, too, and I have quite a few of his pieces, many of which came from my mom's jewelry when my sister, nieces and grandma and I split it up last summer. I like to think I take after him. Also, the very last hour I spent with my mom we went shopping on Hawthorne and stopped into the first store where I started selling jewelry. She checked out everything I had in the store and asked if she should buy something. It was very sweet... and I told her of course not... she gets it for free from me! I got all the jewelry I made her back, as it turns out, and now anything I have that reminds me of her is more precious than I ever imagined. :)