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...

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!

Molecule Necklace

I'm trying to be better about listing new items in my Etsy shop. Really. (I'm just lazy about taking pictures is all.) So, here's my stunning, sterling Molecule Necklace. I like bib style necklaces and want to make more of them. With the right outfit, they can be real showstoppers.

For this necklace, each circle is individually made, then arranged and the whole thing is meticulously soldered. While I do recreate this design, each combination of circles and layout is different, making each necklace unique and one-of-a-kind.

Simple Spinner

I finally did it. I wanted to make a spinner ring and here is my first go at it. Back to a very simple, almost stark, design. It has a very Scandinavian quality to me with plain band and the squared spinner. Sometime I think things just don't need anymore.



Basic, simple, strong, modern. The band is .25" wide and of heavier gauge so it has a really nice feel. The Simple Spinner Ring (catchy name huh?) is available in my Etsy shop.

Sproing Ring

Talk about evolution! The original design for this ring looks nothing like how this turned out. It's sort of a mish-mash of that design and my trying to figure out spinner rings. (A friend had left me her spinner ring to fix, so I got some "huh, how do they do that?....ooooohhhh" time with it.) And no, this isn't my version of a spinner ring though the rings do spin. Sort of looks like a spring that's sprung, hence the name Sproing. It's one-of-a-type and currently available in my Etsy shop. It's cute, huh? Vaguely anthropomorthic or bug-like or robotic. Or Sproingy.

Exclaim Necklace

Kinda says it all. Or most of it anyway. Angry, happy, excited; all expressed in a little symbol. I'm thinking I like the simplicity of punctuation. Might have to do others. The exclamation point I call Exclaim Necklace and it's available in my Etsy shop. Or should I say Exclaim! Necklace!?

Busy

been busy.........
but I made this........
I call it Java Necklace. It's handmade oval chain links of heat-oxidized sterling.

Pursuit Chain Necklace

Maybe with the economic "downturn"*, I've been going back to basics. Here's a simple, elegant design, but a bit heavier/chunkier. Sterling rings linked by 3 lengths of rolo chain. It's long, 32", so it slips right over the head and doesn't have a clasp. It can be worn several ways: just as it is; over one shoulder; looped several times around the wrist for a fab bracelet; and (in the photo) I've tied it up on itself with a bit of ribbon. Called the Pursuit Necklace, it's available in my Etsy shop.

*eu⋅phe⋅mism  /ˈyufəˌmɪzəm/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [yoo-fuh-miz-uhm]
the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt.

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.

Featured on blufuse!

blufuse is a new blog featuring style for men. My Unisex Ring was briefly highlighted on the site.

Man Ring

My first real foray into men's jewelry. I have, in the past made a pendant (on the right), that was based on a more feminine version I was selling, as a custom order. And I recently made leeettle earrings for a male friend. But up to now, nothing in my Etsy shop specifically for men.
So I took it easy on myself and went for the clean, simple band, called Man Ring. Very heavy gauge sterling, hammered square and left with some of the hammering for texture. (Shhhh, I actually have something similar for myself) Although I think it's very masculine, a woman could just as well wear it. Bright and strong - just how I like my men!

Comet Tail Necklace

The links in this chain necklace are based on the links in my Cipher Necklace. Cut short on one side, I solder on an open ring. The ring is fed through the drilled hole in the "tail" of the next link and then the ring is soldered shut.


Filed clean, then hand polished, the whole thing is then tumbled to a bright shine. I thought they looked like leeetle individual comets chasing each other's tails, that's why I call it Comet Tail Necklace. It's my new love and is available for sale in my Etsy shop.

Jewelry: Evolution or Intelligent Design?

Jewelry design ideas are a funny thing. Sometimes they develop from sitting with materials and playing with them until they gradually start taking shape. Sometimes they come to me basically fully formed; concept, materials, color, etc. All at once in a flash. It could be from something I've heard or seen or just out of the blue. Most of the time, these ideas still need to be futzed with to make them work both aesthetically and practically. Recently, I've been working on one of those 'out of the blue' ideas and thought I'd (semi)document the process. This is a necklace I'm currently calling Cascade.

Here is the cut sheet sterling. It's been polished a bit. The holes for the jump rings have been measured, marked and drilled. As part of this concept is about movement, I felt that a bit of an arc in the sheet would work well here. In the photo on the right, I've cut a bunch of jumprings and I'm cleaning them up, making sure the edges meet well and they have a good, round circlosity. The jumprings are then placed in the holes and I cut the lengths of chain. The original chain I picked for this necklace didn't work for me, so I went with this great rectangular cable chain. The shape of the links reflects and echoes the larger rectangular piece. My compositional eye tends to like echoing shapes. Below you see the jumprings in place and the chain strung in them. On the right, the whole piece has been fluxed and is ready for me to solder the tiny rings. Behind the piece on the solder block you can see the leeeettle pieces of cut solder.

So, I'm not quite done with Cascade yet. Here at Curly Girl Glass, we reserve the right to change any jewelry piece we are working on right up to the time it is photographed, so there is still time for me to change several design elements! Check back soon to see the finished piece shown off. Same bat time, same bat station.