I rarely work with Swarovski™ crystals, partly because I prefer more primitive looks, but also because Swarovski's™ marketing efforts rival those of the diamond industry, to much the same effect: a flood of undistinguished crystal jewelry. (Though at least it comes without a bloody provenance.)

Despite that, Renelde Napoli's "Chocolate and Roses Pendant" (Beadwork, August–September 2007) caught my eye. I liked her juxtaposition of glitz and leather and her clever color scheme of "chocolate and roses" (actually bronze and various shades of rose), which made use of the back of the rivoli to create a reversible pendant.

When I saw my sister-in-law at Thanksgiving, she was wearing an outfit that combined off-white, pale gold, aqua and olive, so I knew this color scheme would be perfect for her. As a bonus, it allowed me to make use of the back of the rivoli, too, so she gets two necklaces in one.

Children delight in and get away with wearing colors that adults might think twice about. This necklace will be a Christmas present for an 8-year-old niece, so I took the opportunity to indulge in the sparkle and candy colors one might find in Santa's workshop.

The necklace was inspired by the right-angle weave rosettes in Martha Aleo's "Tokoyo Rows" bracelet in the current (January–February 2008) Step-by-Step Beads. Right-angle weave is one of my favorite stitches. This was the first time I've used the three-sided version of it, though it won't be the last: These hexagonal wheels evoke myriad possibilities.

This necklace will be a Christmas present for an adult niece. One delight in making something for someone else is the freedom to play with colors that I love but can't wear. The rich golds and ochres which dominate this piece will look great on Emily.

The stone, called mookaite (or mookite or Mook jasper), is one of my favorites. Although commonly referred to as a jasper, it isn't. It's a siltstone made up mostly of the skeletal remains of radiolaria. Its name is a derivative of its place of origin, Mooka (sheep) Station in western Australia. (Read more about mookaite.)

The only thing more satisfying than a project that turns out the way you want is one that turns out better, though in this case it's more accurate to say that one aspect of it turned out better—specifically, the color scheme.

I had never worked tubular netting before, so I stuck fairly close to the instructions. The pattern is "Slinky Wrist Wrap" by Lynne Soto, published in the current (August, 2007) issue of Bead & Button. I enjoyed learning the stitch, and the resulting tube is very flexible and offers an excellent canvas for embellishment. I'll definitely use the stitch again.

The only change I made to the design was to the closure, which appears to be a ball of seedbeads in the original. The bead I used was from a set of polymer clay beads I made some time ago. When I saw how much they resembled small planets, I changed my mind about their intended use and put them aside until I could come up with a way to use them to better advantage. It seemed to suit this bracelet well.

Unfortunately, I misjudged the length—my chronic downfall when making bracelets. (I know I'm supposed to stop ½-inch short of my wrist measurement, but do I? Noooo.) Given that, and the fact that I've thought of a better way to work the loop end of the closure, I'll probably rework it at some point, perhaps double the length so that I can wrap it twice around my wrist.

While I agree with several other reviewers who felt that the explanation of the murderer's opportunity to commit the crime was weak, I enjoyed this George novel more than any since the first, primarily because I find Barbara Havers a more interesting character than Lynley, who doesn't appear in the novel. (He's off on his honeymoon—a mere formality, one must think, since he and Helen have been sharing sheets for the last two books.)

Deception gives Barbara a chance to come into her own, and she does, though at a steep personal price. Despite this, I enjoyed watching her manage some of the things that she's learned about herself and grow a bit more. She may end up disgraced in the eyes of the Yard, but not in the eyes of the reader.

I finished the beading a few weeks ago but had to order the clasp and wait for it to arrive. This piece is a keeper. It's subtle, lush and beautiful on the wrist.

The design is my variation on the "Cubed Loops" bracelet by Carole Rodgers in Jewelry Crafts (June 2007), but it departs so radically from the original that I doubt anyone would recognize the connection. About the only thing it shares with the original pattern is the use of the square stitched cubes.