Thursday, October 29, 2009

Tidal Wave is now listed...

Size 9!


http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33461075

Mookaite is one of my favorite stones ever. As with any of my favorite stones though, I'm mighty picky about patterns. It took me forever to buy my first piece of ocean jasper because I was very specific about what I wanted in the pattern.

This ring also has me on the hunt for a gigantic cocktail ring of my own. I might buy one, I might make one...depends on whether or not I find THE stone. They are just fun to wear. When I test drove this one I found myself trying to subtly show my hand to everyone.

-----

I made my first piece of jewelry for horses the other day. Zeus needed a new halter tag so I decided to make it! I used copper as the back plate and made a sterling horse shoe for the back, stamped his name on the front. There has been a fair amount of interest in them since, so I ordered a handful of pre-cut copper discs and some split rings to make it easy to put them on the halters/bridles/etc.

I don't have any pictures yet, but I'll get some soon!

Question for anyone at all who can answer:
I wanted to buy brass and nickel silver for these tags, since many of the halters at my barn spend a good bit of time outside in the rain/snow I don't think sterling is really the best choice of metal. Can I pickle brass and nickel silver? I think I remember pickling nickel silver back in the day, and I assume you can do both of these, but I don't want to ruin my pickle :P If it helps, I use the chemical pickle from Rio. I think I'll switch to the vinegar one eventually, but I have a whole bag of this stuff so I may as well use this up.

Monday, October 26, 2009

omg!!

I made the front page today!
I only know this because people convo'd me about it!

wheee!

Also, I made a sale today! AFTER my giganto successful open house weekend.

Whew.

Now to gear up for a trunk show on the 7th!!!111

Exclamation point!


ETA: Oh my goodness, I'm also featured on a blog today!

Ms. Modern

Friday, October 23, 2009

New Stuff!

These are pieces I started on Sunday and finished last night. Only one pair of earrings had to go back to the soldering board (sometimes the 3mm bezels like to trick me) but other than that I was a machine!

I'm very happy with all of these - and remember, whatever doesn't sell will be in the shop :) (I could likely be persuaded to make another of whatever DOES sell, too!)

Berry Earrings - Carnelian & Sterling
Drop earrings with blue topaz -


Elphaba Earrings - Amethyst & sterling (I've been planning to make these for over 6 months...)

Over the Moon Necklace - turquoise & sterling (I love this and I want to keep it with my rustic poppy necklace to layer together ommgggg)


(I've been drawing those suckers on everything...those and funny shaped circles. Everything.)

Drop earrings with serpentine beads -

(I actually made a pair of these several months ago and decided to keep them. This pair sold quickly!)

Copper & sterling I don't have a name for these yet earrings -

Turquoise and Sterling I don't know what to call these yet earrings -

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

And one more...


Fordite & sterling
mmm-hmmm.
I have been on a very simple kick lately. Any embellishment seems like too much.
Sadly, I'm not going to get everything listed before the open house. The rhodochrosite necklace sold already, straight off of facebook, (!) so I think I'm going to make another. There has been a lot of interest in that one...funny that a piece I wasn't even going to make because the stone is dyed is one that's most popular. Sales are such a mystery to me.
I have 5 pairs of earrings, a small pendant, and 2 pairs of Megan Earrings to go in the polisher. Three chains to make for finished pendants. From here it's finishing details, setting stones (oh the stones I have to set...), price-tagging, etc! And next week the creating process starts all over for a trunk show on the 7th.
Exciting!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Neeewww Work!

I've been busy. Yes.

Took a few photos of the latest finished pieces. My light was going fast so I didn't get very many in, but hopefully I'll get them all photographed and listed tomorrow.

The shop closes from the 23-25 for an open house I've been invited to attend with my jewelry. Exciting!

All served up, sushi-style:

from L to R:
lil pops poppy necklace, rhodochrosite necklace, agate bracelet, lumplings rings/pops posts/rustic poppy ring, j is for jasper JOHNS ring.

J is for Jasper Johns:

Lil pops poppy necklace:
lumplings rings:
(tender lumplings EV-ERY-WHERE.)

rhodo necklace:
(le stone is dyed. I do not usually use dyed stones but it was so PINK and I know of lots of pink loving girls who do not mind!)

Rustic poppy ring:

This is just the stuff I had finished at the time...there are several more stones to set and several more projects on the soldering board to finish before Friday!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

oh.my.BUFFALOOO!!!

If I could afford it, I would buy heaps of jewelry from all of the talented people in etsy-land.

For now it will just have to be a treat here and there...

I have been eying this sucker for a long time. It's a buffalo.
I love buffalos.

Like the giant buffalo in Jamestown, ND. It is love.

SO IS THIS.
That is a buffalo on my scarf, courtesy of TheNoisyPlume. YES.

ps Bloodstone Amulet will be in the shop before I sleep tonight. Remember?

Monday, October 12, 2009

10 things that I like right now...

1. Big mugs full of tea or coffee.
2. Pumpkin anything.
3. Crisp air & crunchy leaves (fall can still make a comeback out of this snow nonsense!)
4. Fuzzy ponies.

5. Cold weather accessories!!! Scarves and cloches and mittens and knitted hoods and MORE.
6. Art Cars:
7. Bud vases.
8. Halloweeeeeen!
9. lady gaga
10. BROOCHES.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

and the frenzy begins...

Let me tell you something: I have known about this fall open house since April. It's always been in the back of my mind...it takes me awhile to build up any sort of inventory so I figured it was never too early to start.

And now we're at 2 1/2 weeks?!!

I just got my flyer in the mail. With my name on it next to all the others. It's gonna be big.

Let
the
soldering
begin.

(psst, I'll let you in on a little secret: I work better under pressure. Procrastination is my biggest vice.)

I'm making:


bunches of lil pops poppies (posts, pendants, rings! - possibly the beginning of made to order in the shop? note to self: MAKE AN EXTRA PAIR TO SASS YOURSELF UP!
bunches of earrings of all shapes and sizes (a girl can always use another pair of earrings, I've found...)
Rings! Finishing cast rings, simply set stone rings, varieties of stacking rings, lots and lots of rings)
Pendants/Necklaces! --While I usually don't make chains until a pendant is purchased, I pretty much have to for this show. SO...I believe I'm going to experiment a bit with adjustable chains. I haven't really decided how I'll do this because most of my clasps are handmade and I don't really want to make a 3" chain out of jump rings for each one (I won't have any wire left by the time I'm done!! Maybe a chain that could be worn at 16" OR 18" but not anything in between? Hmm.)

This may be a touch ambitious of me...but I am determined to be a MACHINE until October 23rd. I have around 30 pieces on the list to finish in that time period...oi!

Oh, and then I have a trunk show on November 7th! Dear etsy, I love you, but you may have to take a back seat for just a wee bit longer. :o

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

!!!

OH DEAR.

I fear I have ignored this blog for a very, very long time. Life has been a little crazy and a little in the way.

Please do know that if I had been blogging, it wouldn't have been pretty.

Things I HAVE done:
1. My friend Angie's engagement photos, which are not on this computer or I might post some.
2. A quick and dirty photo manip for a friend's album cover (see below).
3. Made lots of lists
4. Started to assault said lists! Jewelry is slowly (I just typed slowling, new word?) creeping along, I'm working in a kind of assembly-line fashion to get ready for this show at the end of the month. I don't really know that it's any more productive or a better use of my time, but I feel like it is so maybe that's enough.

I still have to list my 2 most recently completed pieces, but it's been raining for what seems like eternity and I've yet to retake the photos for them!

And so, I'm getting my head back together and will be back to regular posting asap.

THANKS for sticking with me! There will be something good for it coming up in the near future...I've made 50 etsy sales and I think that's worth celebrating!