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

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!

travel-inspired jewelry

the necklace

look for jewelry coming to the shop inspired by my recent travels: the rich reds and oranges of the red sandstone, the aqua blue of the water, the faded tones of the desert. i’m pretty excited about these new pieces! {and this new way of taking photos of my gorgeous gemstones to show them in their best light. whaddya think?}

the inspiration

a heart-felt shout out to pugly pixel for her great–free!–digital washi tape. she has solids, too! here and here. {how awesome is she?!}

goody goody gumdrop necklaces!

looking for something fun for summer? how about a fun necklace?! goody goody gumdrop necklaces come in seven juicy colors, so there’s one for everyone. {or everyday.} they come strung on my signature sterling silver cable chain with a secure lobster clasp closure. each one measures 18 inches in length, but just let me know if you want it longer {or shorter} and i’ll be happy to make one just the right size for you.

goody goody colors

goody goody gumdrops in coral

 

goody goody gumdrops in sunshine

goody goody gumdrops in seafoam

goody goody gumdrops in lagoon

goody goody gumdrops in sky

goody goody gumdrops in water

goody goody gumdrops in dolphin

don’t worry, i won’t tell if you wear it after labor day!

key to my heart necklaces

key to my heart necklace in silver

new to my etsy store: key to my heart necklaces in sterling silver & bronze and gold-fill. that’s right, i’m bringing gold and bronze to my store because of special requests! {you’re welcome lisa} look for more bronze and gold to come.

each necklace has an antiqued key at the center and a little heart charm that i’ve attached near the lobster clasp closure. the chain for each is my signature delicate cable chain that i love so much {sterling silver or gold-fill}. i’ve made them 18 inches in length, but will happily make them shorter or longer based on your preference.

key to my heart necklace in bronze

perfect for everyday wear for you, your best friend, or the love of your life. hope ya like em!

meet the princess necklaces

just in time for mother’s day…and graduation…and weddings…and even going to the grocery store in style…let me introduce another new collection: the princess necklaces!

for those times when a tiara is just too much

you may not be walking down the aisle on the arm of a prince anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t sparkle and shine with the best of ‘em. available in three different gemstones–rock crystal, labradorite, and smoky quartz–each necklace is a little different.

rock crystal princess necklace

i made the princess necklace in rock quartz (goes with everything! doesn’t compete with embellish ed necklines!) with pear briolettes and rondelles for a very lady-like necklace. it measures 19 inches in length. just click on the picture for a direct link.

labradorite princess necklace

the labradorite princess necklace has a little spunk because i used rough cut briolettes to give it a more casual feel. this necklace measures 18 inches in length. if you’ve never seen labradorite before, get ready to meet your new best friend: it’s grey with a peacock blue luster (called labradorescence) that glows when light hits the reflective surfaces inside each gemstone. gorgeous!

smoky quartz princess necklace

for the smoky quartz princess necklace, i used briolettes and rondelles in this rich color. oh it just smoulders. sure, you could wear it to the office, but it really wants to go salsa dancing! it measures 18 inches in length.

did i mention that they ship free in the US?! each necklace is designed to last a lifetime, with a sterling silver lobster clasp for a secure finish. store these necklaces with your other crown jewels!

jujyfruit necklace

my favorite candy and now my new favorite necklace!  i love the saturated hues of these tumbled glass pebbles but couldn’t quite figure out what to do with them until recently.  i’m pretty proud of the finishing touches, too, like the knot in the tangerine silk cord:

and the funky button closure:

love it!  just wanted to share.

blue skies sneak peek!

today’s blue skies have made me think of gorgeous blue gemstones, like iolite, which is a beautiful indigo blue.  yummy!  i combined two delicate sterling silver chains of different lengths to get this stunner.  i’ve seen so many multi-chain necklaces this season, and i love them, but they’re so bold and strong; i wanted to create a lighter version.  and i love it!

hope you do, too.

look for it soon at my etsy store.

i heart resin!

i love the look of resin–it’s fun and fresh– so i’ve incorporated these pendants into one of a kind necklaces.  each necklace is a little bit different: some of the pendants are enhanced with charms and beads, some hang from gunmetal chains, some from leather, and one includes grosgrain ribbon and silk.  they’re all available at my etsy store.

she sells sea shells

say that 5 times fast!  sure, i live in the inland empire of california, miles from the ocean and far from the east coast, where i collected these shells myself at okracoke island off the coast of north carolina.  i polished them, drilled holes in the top, and strengthened them with resin.  then i strung them all together with a freshwater pearl on a copper chain that i had antiqued.  i think they look great all together: neutral and nautical!

this necklace is available at my etsy store for $32 USD.

i also recently made another shell necklace, this time with capiz shells in aqua blue and spring green with a tiny mother of pearl bead, all strung on a sterling silver chain.  it’s available at my etsy store for $28 USD.