Portland Saturday Market Video Featuring ME!

The Saturday Market did a series of videos featuring several of the vendors. I was featured in one! Here it is:

Sun Flower Necklace

Another new item in my Etsy shop! A swirly, curly sterling Sun Flower Necklace. This largish pendant is super eye-catching. A little bit spirally, a little bit asymmetrical, it lets you carry a bit of summer with you all year round.

7/7 update: sold!

Loopy Shoulder Dusters

New earrings! Loads of sterling circles woven together to create 4" long bold shoulder dusters. Loopy Dusters are available in my Etsy shop and in my booth at the Portland Saturday Market - while they last...

6/22 update: Sold!

Dotted Leaf Earrings

 New(!) listing in my Etsy shop. These lovelies are riveted sterling dangles that I've sold at the Portland Saturday Market for a while, but have just now listed online.

I'm making an effort to list more of the new(ish) items I have on Etsy and not just keep them for the Market.*


*read: lazy is as lazy does (or doesn't)

Dotted Hoop Earrings

Well, to say I haven't posted new items to my Etsy shop in a long time is an understatement. It's not for a lack of new designs. It's more pure, unadulterated laziness. Really. Photoing, writing a clever description, getting it together; it hasn't been happening. Not that these items haven't been for sale, on the contrary. They've just been available in my booth at the Portland Saturday Market.

Late last week I finally put it together for a couple of new designs. Here's one: Dotted Hoop Earrings. Sweet hammered sterling hoops adorned with heat-formed rivets, now in my Etsy shop. They are actually part of a small line; I also have dotted leaf shapes and dotted bars. Maybe someday I'll get around to photoing them too...

Delft Clay Casting

Inspired by my friend Shannon's (rubygirl) sand casting, and wanting to try something new, I bought myself a delft clay casting kit. While it has some different properties, the process is similar. I spent some time watching how-to videos on youtube - and was therefore an expert! The kit came with written instructions and possibly the worse instructional DVD I've ever seen. I was ready to go! Below are pictures of my first successful casting. This after a couple of "learning moment" attempts (fortunately you can just melt those down). The actual process goes very quickly so there's a large portion of instant gratification, a big positive for those of us lacking a large portion of patience. I can see why Shannon loves this technique and I can't wait to do more.

The clay, instructions and a small
crucible for melting metal.

The mold together. This is just
after I've poured the silver.

The mold pieces separated. You can barely
see any metal peeking through. A beginner's
mistake: I almost didn't use enough silver.

Here I've turned over the top of the mold
and you can see the casting and the burned
clay in the bottom.

The shell I used as a model with the casting.

Removed from the mold. This shell casting
is almost a full ounce of silver!

Day At The Beach Necklace

Another new item available in my Etsy shop. (This could get to be a habit!) A one-of-a-kind stunner: the Day at the Beach Necklace. Sterling, lapis lazuli, and red aventurine. The combination just reminded me of a warm summer day. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking because it's currently snowing out!...

Large Spiral Earrings

Another earring design that I've been making for quite a while (yes, I tell people *I* invented the spiral - and, yes, some people believe me), but have never listed in my Etsy shop. That is until now. Sterling silver Large Spiral Earrings: big, bold, spirally. A popular seller for me at the Portland Saturday Market, now available online.

Sun Flower Necklace

I've been making this necklace design for a while and often have one for sale in the Portland Saturday Market booth, but (I don't think...) I've never listed it in my Etsy shop. Well, the wait is over. Now available for online purchase, my sterling silver Sun Flower Necklace. Many people like it because, while it's bold and larger - over 2" across - it also has a delicate feel. It's also not too fancy so it's suitable for casual wear, but can still dress up that LBD. I like the way it floats between the chains  - something you'll find in a lot of my work. Bring a little sunshine with you everywhere!

Four's Good

 

Quite frankly, I hardly ever look at who or how many have "favorited" my Etsy shop.

Today, for some reason, I did and I had 4444. I like numbers like that, don't know why.
I like catching numbers like that too. Something transient about it,

like I glimpsed a moment. 

Four four four four.

Caught Necklace

Back in my Etsy shop in time for Valentine's Day!
Sterling silver, webbed heart Caught Necklace.

My Ring is on Design Sponge!

Design Sponge did an article about DIY weddings featuring Angie and Tyson's great gig. At the very bottom of the lovely scroll of photos is a picture of the Forget Me Not bow ring (available in my Etsy shop) that Tyson bought for Angie for an engagement ring last December. They got married in July. I'm excited to see the great wedding they put together, and to see my ring on Design Sponge!

Bow Wedding Ring. Yeehaw!

Several months ago, I was commissioned to make my sterling Forget Me Not bow ring in white gold to be a wedding ring. Today I got a great email telling me how much she loves her ring, that they are finally married and sharing some pictures of the big day. She included a link to her blog post about all the things she got for the wedding from Etsy (including, of course, the ring). What a cute wedding! They had a 50s kiddie cowboy theme and went all out. She was able to find a huge amount of items to fit the theme on Etsy. It looks like a good time was had, and I'm happy I could be a small part of their day. Congratulations Julia and Bobby!

Nan Porcelain Necklace

I bought a bunch of these vintage porcelain ovals a while ago and have just started working with them. I have several different designs. This one has a sweet floral motif. Bezel set in sterling with an antique finish, I think it has the feeling of an heirloom. The 6mm moonstone rounds that adorn the chain contrast really nicely with the dark oxidation. I call it Nan Porcelain and it's available in my Etsy shop. Look for more of these ovals to be coming out soon in various designs - although I'm sort of partial to the simpler design that focuses on the porcelain.

Autumnal Flora Necklace

I found these great brass filigree flowers and had to have me a few. The center is a forest-green chrysoprase rondelle. The weight of the stone was causing the flower to hang downward even if I had a device (wire or such) running up the back. It's little technical problems like this that occupy the other side of my brain. I love working through solutions that are both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Riveting the flower to a copper leaf-shape let the piece sit correctly and retained the floral image. I call it Autumnal Flora (clever, I know!) and it's available in my Etsy shop.

New Design: Miller

A new design!
I love the industrial feel and thought it looks like something that would be in a factory. I call them the Miller Necklace and the Miller Earrings. The balance between the chain and the metalwork is really achieved here. The brushed-back oxidation is another key for me, giving the pieces a wonderful pewter-y finish. The necklace can be worn several different ways: the hook in the back, the hook in the front, shorter with a link dangling... I'm very happy with the way the picture of the necklace came out too. Both pieces are available in my Etsy shop.

New Necklaces

I've recently listed several new necklaces. I'd made these over the summer and was tabling with them. Since they didn't sell, I've listed them in my Etsy shop.

On the upper right is Rose Candy. Iridescent-pink, Czech pressed glass make up this asymmetrical necklace.

To the left is Autumn Leaf Necklace a heat-patinaed copper leaf-shape.

And, finally, Sunburst Necklace. A fluted vintage Lucite bead is the center of the sterling silver sun shape.

Make A Wish Earrings

Brand new! These lovely and simply elegant posted earrings are wishbone shaped. When I was a kid, it was considered a privilege at the dinner table to be picked to break the wishbone and make a wish. (no, there weren't like 10 of us, only 3, but I was the littlest) Here is my modern interpretation of my pre-vegetarian-days talisman. Sterling and shiny, the Make A Wish Earrings are available in my Etsy shop.

Portland Craft Mafia

The Craft Mafia has just started up a group here. The Portland Craft Mafia held its kick off show last Saturday night. It was fun, intimate craft fair held at the Secret Society Ballroom. We all look forward to future PCM shows. Here's me and my table. This is a relatively new set-up for me and the first time I set it up on only 4' of space. I think it worked pretty well (and lucky for me, I matched the curtains hanging behind. It's SO important to coordinate!). Thanks to Leah Pellegrini - who was selling her great glass work there - for her documentation skills.

I Love Synchronicity!

It's all about the sevens!