flattery will get you everywhere

when i first put my jewelry on the interweb, i was unsure how it would be received.  sure, family and friends loved it and encouraged me to get out there, but it was still scary to ask total strangers if they liked my work.

just the act of putting myself out there has made me more confident about my jewelry, but compliments from strangers never hurt!  the other day someone said to me that they like my jewelry because they rarely wear any jewelry.  although it may not sound like a compliment to others, i thought it was a great because i strive to create everyday, not-too-fussy pieces. so i was really flattered!

then today, my upcycled red and aqua jewelry storage board was featured in the top picks on cosa verde‘s website!  so cool.  thanks everybody.

more branches!

when i saw this cast sterling silver branch, i knew i had to have it.  when it arrived in the mail, i spent a long time thinking about how to do it justice.  i wanted to highlight it’s delicate nature and organic form but i didn’t want to overwhelm it’s simple elegance.

so i decided to hang some wire-wrapped gemstones from the branch: a single rock crystal and three  peridot drops.  to bring out the beautiful green of the peridot, i added more wire-wrapped peridot to the sterling silver chain all the way around and i finished it with a sterling silver lobster clasp.

it’s available at my etsy store for $42 USD.

wow! who knew?!

march is colorectal cancer awareness month.  american red cross month.  women’s history month (celebrate international women’s day on march 8th) .

it’s got the first day of spring, national reading day (celebrating dr. seuss‘s birthday on march 2nd), and texas independence day (yeehaw! get the day off in texas on march 2nd).  new mexico celebrates pluto planet (?!) day on march 13th, we all celebrate the assassination of julius cesar during the ides of march (march 15th), and–pinch me!  kiss me!–who could forget saint patrick’s day, another excuse for hallmark to make green, on march 17th.  and of course, there’s the annual christian rite of biting the heads off chocolate bunnies.  i mean, easter.

march has its own flower: the narcissus, a pretty little plant that forces it’s way up through the earth around this time of year as it insists that it is, finally, spring.  if you’re in macon, georgia, celebrate the cherry blossom festival march 19-28.  if you’re in japan, watch for “blossom forecasts” and go out and and have a picnic as you engage in hanami, the custom for enjoying the beauty of flowers (also usually cherry blossoms).

and then there’s the beautiful birthstone of march: aquamarine, pictured above in a wire-wrapped pendant with rock crystal, apatite, and a deep blue swarovski crystal.  look for it soon at my etsy store!

and don’t forget to save a spider on march 14th and drink up for world water day on march 22nd.

now maybe i can get some work done!

mom said we were driving her insane (does that mean we get to go for a ride in the car?!), so we went for a spin around the block.  we saw a cat that wanted to play (awesome!), an amber yellow pinto (no lie), and poop.  lots and lots of poop.  trust me, we smelled every single piece.  except for the ones sadie ate.

now we’re at home with our worn out little noses and rawhides to keep us pacified and entertained and–theoretically–quiet.

and the mail man has already come, so we can rest easy.

beachy keen

was it the rain?

i got inspired to make some tumbled beach glass jewelry over the weekend.  being somewhat allergic to matchy-matchy, i made each piece so that it stands on its own; they are united by the materials used, though.  get the whole set for just $100 USD at my etsy store–a $24 savings; like getting the earrings for just $4!–details at each listing, just click on any picture.

the necklace is made of tumbled sea glass and rock crystal, green peridot rounds, and sterling silver.  strung on nylon coated stainless steel wire for durability and a little shape.  it measures 17 inches long and is available at my etsy store for $58 USD.

the bracelet is also made of tumbled sea glass and rock crystal, but i’ve added green peridot drops and aqua blue apatite.  it’s finished with a sterling silver toggle clasp and measures just over 8 inches.  available at my etsy store for $38 USD.

the earrings are made with tumbled sea glass, rock crystal, peridot and apatite, all wire-wrapped with sterling silver wire onto sterling silver earwires.  they measure 1 and 1/2 inches long, including earwires and are available at my etsy store for $28 USD.

wood smoke earrings

it took me a while to get these just right (plus i had to head back out to the garage to fire up the ole butane torch and make some more headpins) but i think i nailed it.

made to pair with the wood smoke necklace, they’re made of rutilated quartz with oxidized sterling silver.  i wire-wrapped each bead to form a cluster and dangle them from sterling silver earwires.  i made the headpins myself and then oxidized and hand-burnished them so they would have a little shine to them.

available at my etsy store for $38 USD as part of the urban prairie collection.

smoky beauty

oooh!  i’m so happy with how this turned out.  it’s glamorous.  it’s fabulous.  it begs to go out on the town or down to the pub.  i love the inclusions in the rutilated quartz and the handmade chain with the burnished, oxidized sterling silver.

i’ve hung the rich, faceted smoky quartz nugget from a chain that is made of rutilated quartz wire-wrapped on oxidized sterling silver. it’s finished it with an oxidized sterling silver lobster clasp; i’ve hand-burnished the metal to give it a little shine.

dress it up or dress it down, this smoky beauty is sure to wow.

available at my etsy store for $72 USD.  it’s part of the urban prairie collection.

matching earrings soon to follow!

smokiness

sneak peek at what i’ve been working on today: a big chunky faceted smoky quartz dangles as a pendant; i’ve wire-wrapped faceted rutilated quartz to make a chain out of oxidized sterling silver wire.  i think the dark grey of the wire compliments the smoky quartz perfectly!  look for it soon at my etsy store.

aww snap!

putting the fun back in functional: here’s the camera bag i made for our new tiny camera.  this camera is much easier to fit into a back pocket than our canon rebel!  but i still wanted to protect it from scratches and other owies.

i used some denim i had in my fabric stash; the lining is repurposed madras fabric from a shirt.  for that jeans-y feel, i used yellow jeans thread to sew it all up.  it closes with a pearl snap!  fun!

hedwig the hedgehog

too cute!

please meet hedwig the hedgehog, the newest addition to my craft family.  this adorable pincushion has been handmade by littlewhimseys and makes me smile every time i see him.  right now he’s sitting on my sewing machine.  i haven’t had the heart to stick any pins him him yet!

i spotted this little guy on etsy and immediately added him to my favorites.  before i could buy him, my husband got him for me for valentine’s day!  sweet, huh?

the base is made out of a bottle cap and felt and–the best part!–hedwig himself is handfelted!  cute little additions include his beaded eyes and stitched quills.  check out other cool handmade creatures made by the same artist at her blog, the fruity salad.