Friday, May 29, 2015

Local Boutique Items!

I'm so excited - I will have a few of my pendants on display in a local boutique called The Collective by June 1st!  The shop is for locally made artisan crafts only, and your work is juried to get in - I got in! 

I've been busy getting more equipment for my studio (a kiln!), filling custom bookmark orders, designing displays, and getting packaging and tags ready for the store, so I haven't made a lot of jewelry lately, but here are a couple pieces that I finished last week:

Mariposite set in sterling silver and yellow gold-filled wire.

Petrified wood set in sterling silver and rose gold-filled wire.

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Creating,
SSS

Friday, May 22, 2015

May's Custom Orders

This month I had a couple of really fun custom orders!  One was for a set of purple kingman turquoise cabochons and the other was for a pair of matched Australian lightning ridge opals!

This turquoise pendant features 2 of the 4 cabochons the customer had - we drew up many designs and she found this one.  We're both happy with the end result!

Purple Kingman Turquoise set in sterling silver - handmade setting.

The next order was for cufflinks for my customer's father's birthday - he buys jewelry for his wife quite often but never for himself.  I thought it was a nice gift and was excited to work with these gorgeous opals!  I didn't photograph the fire very well - they flash blue, green, and red!

Australian Lightning Ridge Opal set in sterling silver - handmade setting.

I'm hoping my next post will finally show the serpent wall piece I've been working on, on and off, for over 6 months!  I'm down to the finishing details!

Thanks for stopping in and happy creating!
SSS

Friday, May 15, 2015

One of my custom pieces and some newly acquired cabochons that I've set!   The custom piece has a porcelain pendant strung on a handmade, beaded copper chain with a matching magnetic clasp.  The beads are agates and Czech fire polished glass.

The two cabochons were purchased from a local rock hound at the local Rock and Mineral Show - I love the way he cuts and polished his cabs and the fact that he usually mines his own rough, too.  They are very fun to design around!  I've wire wrapped the first one in a viking knit with rose gold-filled wire and the second in sterling silver.


Custom Piece - features a porcelain pendant from Ireland.

Peruvian Turquoise Pendant in Rose Gold-fill and Sterling.

Painted Rhyolite Pendant in Sterling Silver.

More custom pieces on the way - hopefully I'll have photos next week.

Thanks for visiting and happy creating!
SSS

Friday, May 8, 2015

Busy Busy Busy! Newest Designs

I've been busy with custom orders and haven't had a lot of time to work on my own designs, but here are a few that I've managed to squeeze in!

Amethyst chunks and sterling silver - handmade earwires.

Quartz beads and drops, sterling silver wire - handmade hoops.

Green picasso jasper and sterling silver beads, handmade clasp.


I'll have photos of the custom pieces to show soon! 

Happy Creating!
SSS

Friday, May 1, 2015

Custom Bookmarks II - Copper Treatments

I've been so busy that I've missed a couple weeks!  Here are just a couple things I was working on - more custom bookmarks!

Copper Bookmarks - shiny finish (middle) and rainbow finishes!

This set shows how I can finish the copper bookmarks - shiny or with a rainbow patina!  I love the rainbow effect but it is nearly completely random what I'll end up with - differences in the flame, the density of the copper, the size of the cutouts - it all changes the boundaries of what the flame patina will result in!

Enjoy and happy creating!
SSS