Welcome to opalholicsanonymous.com where opal season lasts forever.

I'd have to go look at the rules, but if they say your design stays yours, then no big deal.... It's the contests rules that say all submitions become the property of the sponsor is when I call B.S. That is when they are just using everyone that enters as cheap designers and give a token prize out. 600$ may SOUND nice, but not when they then own the rights to your design and can mass produce it, etc... Be aware.

ON Amazon anything you list becomes Amazons intellectual property to use as they like. The terms and conditions are not to be ignored.

That does make it a lot easier for some challenged people about accounting and it does not matter if they steal stolen intellectual, or too common to trademark, property or designs. The taxes thing is a constant wonder. Needs to be state based from point of sale not national all going away.

As usual your work is beautiful, the agate is too

it's wonderful to see that your health issues have not impaired your work, which is impeccable, Chris. Kudos, and may everything you make sell for what you want before Christmas.

Wow! Chris, you do fantastic work!! I took a class a few years ago from a woman I met at the mall. I must say her technique was no where near as creative and beautiful as yours! Here are a few of my attempts (nothing to write home about, I know, but I'm hoping to begin again and improve). All of these are wrapped with .925 half-hard square wire. (I have since learned that I should try using dead-soft wire for better results.)

Malachite:




Pietersite:



Lake Superior agate:

Nice looking wraps. Aren't you suppose to harden dead soft when finished? I've always used 1/2 hard, but have had some breakage towards the end before.

Very nice work, MoDo!

Thank you all; you're truly being too generous . Chris, your work is what I aspire to!! A while back I purchased a book, "Wire Wrapping: The Basics and Beyond" by Jim McIntosh. He recommends dead-soft wire so I ordered it in Argentium Sterling Silver and plan to follow his instructions to see if I can improve my wrapping. Of course, this will have to wait until I finally get my website up and running again . Then my life can get back on schedule.

Okay, looks as though the post I made Monday (or was it Tuesday? Hmm) has been lost . I just wanted to show an attempt at following the instructions in the book. Unfortunately, the instructions had me leaving a bit too much space between the top binding wires and the bail wraps. To compensate, I tried "hiding" the space with some decorative wire-work. Didn't work out as nice as I was hoping, but at least I know what to watch out for next time. This particular pendant will be taken apart and the wire put into the "recycle" bottle. The dead-soft wire was much easier to work with, but the way the author finishes the bail wraps and bail wires leaves a lot to be desired. You can see the results in the side view. I am certainly open to any suggestions for a way to finish the bail that would look better than this!