New!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24388625

THIS has been added to the shop.


It was an accident that started several months ago. I was just going to make a simple stacking ring, but was having one hell of a time with getting the ends to meet. So I played around with it, determined to make ANY kind of ring at that point, and somehow the bezel ended up there. And it was way better than a plain, "normal" ring.

Setting the stone caused me further difficulty so I threw the thing aside and planned on taking it apart in the future.

I do that with jewelry.

Ultimately, I come back to it and usually, 99.9% of the time, I fix it. I just can't bear to scrap something I've spent time on when the composition is there and it has potential. I just have to wait (sometimes months, as you can see) until I'm not mad at the piece anymore and I'm ready for a new plan of attack.

Jewelry is
silly.

Panic!

Yesterday went something like this:

Put CF card from digital camera in sister's computer, upload photos.

Take CF card out, put in camera, take some more photos.

Put CF card back in computer...when trying to access the message "Not formatted, would you like to format?" pops up. When I click NO, it ends there. I can't access anything.

I have over 800 photos on this card. New York, New Orleans, jewelry, the horses...

Slightly panicked. Very panicked.

In other news, new stuff listed in the shop...hopefully I can plump it back up (but even more hopeful sell some stuff!)

Afternoon Tea Ring, size 5.25

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24343795

Cyan Sunday, turquoise with handmade sterling square chain.

And a few others...

OH HI

New Orleans, 2009
Just checking in - not much to report.

I'm working on a little pile (ok, it's a BIG pile to me) of custom orders and I'm going to try and squeeze in a project for the shop as well.

I am really pleased with what I've been making lately...and a bit sad it hasn't all made it to the shop. At some point today there will be an update with a couple of rings & the best necklace yet. Finally!

The open house was very successful yesterday and hopefully will be today as well! It's really fun to watch people hold your work, overhear comments to others, compliment you, etc. It's nice when you can see that someone is excited about what you've made.

Earrings have been a big hit as I expected. Everyone loves earrings. Everyone can justify another pair!

The fun continues today, so I need to go set a few stones to some more pieces I wanted to bring.

I'm hoping things will
slow
down
soon.

I have commissions spilling out of everywhere and will have at least one more after this show.

Maybe I could see doing this full time-like. Or maybe half time-like because full time is scary when you've got 2 beasties to feed.

Quick!

Today will be the last day to purchase items from my shop before I bring them all to my first "show!"

Everything that is not sold will of course be relisted Saturday night.

I have an amazing amount of stuff to finish up before tomorrow and not very many hours to do so.

I also have 4? 5? custom orders to be working on? (yeah, no slowing down since things picked up.)

I also have at least 15 designs from my time spent on planes that I want to get started on. And came home to several pretty stones delivered to my door that don't have designs yet! The days need more hours.

So, that's my quick update, sans photos! I have some lovely pictures of New Orleans but those will have to wait, as the camera is sitting pretty at home.

A few more

Before I leave for beautiful humid sticky sweet New Orleans tomorrow morning.

These, again, will not be posted to etsy. I feel that my work is improving LEAPS and BOUNDS and I'm a bit saddened that I am unable to pop these on there.

However, it just means that when I return and the open house is said and done my shop will be that much BETTER.

Sterling & Jade (the stone is not so dark...it's a very nice green). This reminds me of a sea creature, or something. I was told it was "totemic."

Dainty little pearl. I looove this shiny thing. I also made it in a size that doesn't fit me...for a reason.

Blue Goldstone & Sterling. Everytime I make something with blue goldstone it seems to give the overall piece a spacey feel. Space pods. Area 51 earrings. I'm not even so interested in such things, but that's what I see.

Picture time!

All of my stuff has been in various stages of incompletion due to the fact that I'm saving them for the open house.

BUT.

I finished a necklace and polished up some other little guys, so here they are!

Earrings made with my square chain:

Twiggy ring:

"Digging for Gold"
Sterling, Chinese turquoise, 14k gold nugget


I am loathing pricing now. That is all.

I have decided to take a day off this week to work on jewelry before I leave for wonderful, fabulous, humid NOLA.

A whole day?

For jewelry?

Whatever will I do? I've never had the luxury of waking up and doing jewelry first thing in the morning.

I better have a plan in order before I start, otherwise I foresee a lot of sitting and staring at my bench, overwhelmed by the possibilities. 8, 10, 12, however many hours I can manage to sit for a day can easily be wasted away with thoughts of "What should I MAKE?! Think of all of this TIME I have! I could finish anything!" And suddenly it's 10pm and I've done nothing.

Must have more inventory.

You just have to laugh at how things work out, sometimes.

The week before last I made a trip to see the jeweler who has invited me to show my work at his open house.

"Make lots of stuff!" echoed in my mind after leaving. I returned and stuck myself in the garage for several hours. I had plans. Big ones. I would have at least 50 items, several of the new ones big (some in size, all in TIME). Sales were fairly non-existant, save for a few little items every once and awhile. I was actually feeling a bit thankful for this since I knew that having a lot of stuff for the open house was the most important.

And then a pair of earrings sold.

Followed by another.

And a bracelet.

And a custom order.

2 pendants.

A ring.

Another ring.

...

Another person interested in a pair of earrings. My shop plumped up at a whopping 34 items (it certainly felt like a lot more than what was in there) and has fizzled into 29...28 by the time I leave for my trip?

I'm not complaining, mind you. It is wonderful that my shop is picking up. That as more people hear and see, the more sales I have. While I long for a following like some of these shops have, where their adoring fans wait on pins and needles to see their new creations and sweep them up as fast as they're listed, I'm quite content with how things are going right now. And I'll have another little show at a friend's house in the summer!

I have several "big" (again, some size but most of all TIME) items patiently waiting to receive patinas and a long roll in the tumbler. Stones to set. Things to start. I've made the tough decision of NOT listing any of these items in the shop until after the open house. I want to have a nice selection for the people there, and if everything keeps selling faster than I can keep up with that won't happen!

Repeat after me.

I will not buy anymore stones.

I will not buy anymore stones.

(until next paycheck)

I will not buy anymore stones.

I think (know) I have enough on the way to keep me busy for awhile.

I am heading to the local jewelry supply store this afternoon for 16g round wire that cannot wait for shipping.

They usually have a delicious supply of cabochons.

Bruneau Canyon Jasper.
Carved amethyst.
Jade and CARNELIAN and drawers and drawers of every kind of cab.

I will not buy anymore stones.

I will not buy anymore stones.

don't.look.back.

I bought more silver. That's what savings accounts are for, right?

It was pointed out to me that I began this endeavor in order to not be so stressed about money. To have money to save. To be able to pay my bills without having some horrible 3rd part time job that I loathe.

Instead I'm working in overdrive. I've been exhausted for the past week because I spend every waking moment I'm free on my jewelry. My hands can't work fast enough, I have designs spilling out all over the place. I keep wondering if it will slow down enough to ever be able to make it all.

All of my spending money is put into stones and silver. At least it still satisfies some of the urge to shop (though I still want new springy clothes and shoes!).

Some pictures of the recent loot:

Petite tadpole post earrings with jade (for sale on etsy):
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23317881



Carnelian Ring, spoken for -

This will be posted later today, I can't for the life of me remember what size it is. I THINK 6.5 but obviously want to be sure before listing. SS & Carnelian and so cute!

This is the biggest project I've taken on since the beginning of all of this. I love the feeling of finishing a piece like this! SS, turquoise, handmade chain. It still needs oxidizing, polishing, and stone setting, but all of the forging is done!

oh, come on

Everytime I try to think of THE design for this

My brain does this

A little is better than nothing?

My silver is disappearing before my very eyes. Most of what I've been using is left over from college...and now I'm in such a frenzy of makingmakingmaking that I have enough for one big stone and one smaller stone.

Sigh.

BIG sigh.

This, of course, is terrible timing. I'm trying to make as much stuff as possible for the open house. I can't make anything if I don't have metal, though. At least I have SOME pieces?

The solution, of course, is to buy some more. However, gotta sell some more before I can make any hefty purchases. Any purchases, period, actually.

I was working on my various pieces last night (this weekend will boast 2 big turquoise necklaces, 1 cute lil pair of post earrings - my first!, and 2 rings I'm smitten with) and became quite discouraged when I realized I may have not used tall enough bezel wire for one of the ring's stones. It has a higher dome than I'm used to worked with, and while the bezel is most perfectly sized for the stone and it sat in it's little throne QUITE lovely-like before I started messing with the bezel...it won't stop rocking now. Grr. Grr.

I'll be honest, I have the least amount of patience when it comes to stone setting. If it goes smoothly (which it NEVER EVER DOES FOR ME) then I'm fine. If it takes me longer than 10 minutes I get annoyed and start ruining things.

The ring in question is on the right. The left ring is spoken for. I keep calling it "my little carnie ring." I talk to my jewelry.