you’re invited!

mark your calendars! save the date! plan to join me!

the grand opening of crafted is coming up at the end of this month on the 29th of june. that’s just two and a half weeks! i’m moving in on saturday, then spending the next two weeks getting everything in tip-top shape. i’ll have new and exciting jewelry to share with you, and i know you’ll want to check out all the other amazing vendors. and get this: parking and admission are free, free, free.

and for those of you who have turned your nose up at san pedro in the past {guilty!} come give it another sniff. it’s super cute.

what i learned

holy cow, i had so much fun taking that class last weekend. i learned so much, but i’m really glad that i had already been playing around with soldering because there is so much to learn that i’m sure a weekend wouldn’t have been enough. it was nice to already have some of the basics down {anneal, quench, pickle, work, repeat} so that i could practice honing my skills. having one on one instruction from a great teacher is invaluable.

working with a proper torch and bench set up {as well as amazing tools that i can’t yet afford} i was able to do some pretty fun stuff. it’s inspired me to build my tool collection. my friend gave me a new torch head that i’m itching to try out {just need to pick up the right gas} and this week i took the financial plunge and bought a jewelers flex shaft, complete with foot pedal for maximum fun. vroom, vroom! {this will allow me to drill, sand, and polish pieces.}

probably the most valuable thing that i learned is that i can do this, given enough patience, some sleep, and a few sips of caffeine. i’m hoping to be able to bring rings like these, which both started from a flat piece of sterling silver sheet metal, to my etsy shop soon.

just as soon as those tools arrive…

 

evenings in the garage

bamboo inspired ring, coming soon

sounds fancy, doesn’t it? spending the few hours between dinner in bed in the garage? it’s been lovely, though. almost heaven.

new necklace coming soon!

i’ve been delving back into metalsmithing. well soldering and hammering at any rate. i even tried switching up my creative methods {my usual technique is to craft on the fly, but i sat down and drew up some imaginings and then made them. i know, right?*}

hoops inspired by rose petals

i’m looking forward to my classes {this weekend!} so that i can get better. faster at least. and maybe a little less messy.

*sorry lindsey

new things: rings!

a garden for your fingers

 

at the urging of lovely ali of amarilo, i’ve put my adjustable garden rose resin rings in the shop. {thanks ali!} these are resin roses that i hand cast, drill, and place on an adjustable sterling silver band that i’ve hammered for texture and strength. just in time for summer, they’re available in ocean blue, avocado green, and cloud {ivory}.

 

weekend wrap up

hey there! did you have a great weekend? i hope so.

i mostly ended up working, but the hubby and i made time for a date night saturday night. we went to the drive-in and watched the hunger games. i’d never been to a drive-in before: it was fun! {also the movie was pretty good. now i have to read the books.} sunday i cleared away the mess in my studio and made a few new pieces. the doggies got a much needed bath and i topped off the weekend with a nice hot bath for myself. {with junior mints and a good book.}

those pieces will be up in the store soon. and just in time for mother’s day i’m offering a deal on my key to my heart necklaces in sterling silver and bronze & gold-fill. they’re $10 less than usual but still include free gift wrap and shipping. let me know what you want to say and i’ll include a note, too!

lint & buttons: my personal stash

viola, modeling my favorite two pieces

because lisa & justin are always making something insanely cool, i have quite a few lovely items from lint & buttons.

belt details

the infinity scarf and this belt are definitely my two faves. the belt is made from an old saddle strap, and i can’t wait to wear it with dresses as it starts to warm up.

infinity scarf close-up

i got a lot of mileage {and compliments} out of the infinity scarf this winter. it’s warm, it’s lovely, and the leather button on it is so unique.

what a lovely gift

here’s that hat i told you about that lisa just gave me. i love the scalloped edge and the removable leather flower. i’m telling you, these two make a great team.

wood grain cuff

i’ve been getting a lot of use out of this sweet wood grain cuff. it’s the most perfect shade of red.

pretty leather necklace

and you know i snatched this necklace up as soon as i saw it! it comes on a nice long leather cord and looks great with jeans and a t-shirt. pretty much like everything lint & buttons makes: effortless, casual, and oh-so-cool.

leather flower

and then there’s this sweet leather flower, which comes on a cord long enough to wear it around my waist, my head, my wrist…and lately i’ve noticed that they’re making clips out of these, too. it may be a while before you can get your own at their upcoming etsy store, but you can visit lint & buttons at their facebook page and pretty much stalk them until then.

read more about our photo shoot yesterday here. i’m hoping someday soon to get to interview them, too, so you can hear their side of the story.

lint & buttons photo shoot

crochet & leather clip

ah, the magic of the crafting community. you do a show, you meet some cool people, you keep seeing them around, you scheme together…and next thing you know you’ve offered to help them get their etsy store up and running. {because that was a steep learning curve and shouldn’t someone else benefit from all that?!}

crochet bracelets

fast forward to today: i’m pleased as punch to call lisa & justin of lint & buttons my friends. of course they make the most beautiful things, as you can see here, but they are also lovely people.

leather feather bracelet

today we spent several pleasant hours doing a photo shoot so that they can set up their etsy store with pretty photos. they’ve been doing fabulously at local craft fairs and at our town’s art walk, but i’m so glad that the rest of the world will get to know them now, too. their stuff is really just that good.

leaf earrings

lisa is the woman behind the fibers, crocheting any number of beautiful items. she makes hair bands, she makes bracelets, she made me the most wonderful infinity scarf. {and generous? she gave me a hat. just because.}

crochet bracelets

justin is the man behind the leather work; carving, cutting, and stitching together some serious finery. he’s got a background in saddle repair, so not only is the stuff he makes gorgeous, it’s also really well made. {he’s quite a catch, too.}

leather earrings and bracelet

they’ve got their aesthetic down, using mainly mainly natural materials {leather, cotton, wool} and a carefully chosen color palette of natural hues. for our backdrops, we used the containers they brought their lovelies in: a vintage cigar box, a wooden box with a lovely detail, and an old briefcase. they so have their act together.

earring detail

in other words, it was a pleasure to sweat away under the halogen lamps that power my light box on a saturday afternoon. if you met them, you would understand. {they even bought me some yummy thai food for lunch!}

{customizable} tag necklace

tomorrow i’ll show you my personal stash of lint & button goodies. there’s that scarf i told you about, as well as a great belt by justin. and then there’s the cuff, the necklace, the hat, the flower…seriously, i’m addicted. stay tuned and prepare to be jealous. but don’t worry, you’ll be able to get  your hands on your own goodies soon. until then, visit their facebook page and become a fan for updates.

crochet bracelet

whatcha doin’ tomorrow?

i’ll be at the riverside marriott from 9:30 to 3:00, selling my goodies, as will a host of other wonderful crafters. look for your favorites as well as some newbies!

{p.s., tomorrow’s a big day downtown: there’s the farmer’s market as well as two awesome activities at noon: the easter egg-stravaganza and the peep show, involving real live peeps. wish i could be there for that one! so come and stay a while. breakfast at simple simon’s too?}

 

my favorite hoops

meet my new favorite earrings. i wear them almost every day. a little bit boho, a little bit chic, they go with everything {which is a huge bonus in the mornings}, making earring choice one less thing to worry about. {can’t help you with where are the car keys? what’s for lunch? or for the last time, who took my purse?! but i can make one thing a little simpler.}

the best part about these earrings isn’t the fact that they’re lightweight {personally i can’t stand it when earrings drag down my ear lobes and make me want to take them off after a few hours because they’re giving me brain pain} or that everyone else loves them oodles and bunches. it’s not even that each rock crystal rondelle is individually wire-wrapped {by yours truly}, lending sparkle and interest to your every move. nope, the best part is that the hoops themselves are handmade in thailand by women who are paid a living wage. {yay! right?} i’m proud to support the women-friendly company that makes these stunners.

want your own? go get ‘em now at my etsy store. as always, they will arrive inside one of my pretty handmade {reusable} boxes, meaning that if you don’t keep them for yourself {you have such willpower, you}, you will have everything all wrapped up. {don’t worry, everything ships safely within a sturdy usps priority mail box, arriving within a few short days!}

sale!

join me in celebrating my birthday with a sale in my shop. just enter the coupon code “CAKECAKE” for 15% off your purchase! {and remember: buy any 3 items of jewelry, get a free sunshine polishing cloth to keep it shiny. no need to do anything, it will just arrive with the rest of your goodies.} enjoy!