Just the Bee's Knees

New pendant in my shop today!

Another porcelain cabochon from

Magpie Pottery!

Vintage new/old stock buttons

from the 1930s riveted onto

a sterling base with hand pierced

bees.

I Heart Rubies

Rubies are perhaps my favoritest

(not a word, but I'm using it just the same)

precious gem.

Steeped in metaphysical and folk lore, rubies are said to strengthen

the emotional and phsyical heart,

aid heart ailments,

and supply wisdom when needed.

Do I believe all those fantastic claims?

Maybe.

I simply adore ruby for its rich red color.

This new pendant will show up in my shop

sometime this weekend.

Butterflies

My latest creation.

The divine porcelain cabochon

hails from Magpie Pottery.

I will be listing this prettiful

pendant tomorrow morning

in my always sunny and cheerful

Etsy shop.

I'm short on words today.

Too many late nights

at the bench and the endless rain

has zapped the energy right out

of this chica!

Go West, Pretty Jewels!

This collection, plus a few more fine pieces, are heading out west to the very hip, handmade crazy town of Portland, Oregon.

Look for these in the new shop, Salty Teacup, owned and operated by one of my old RISD mates, Karen Urban (a fine jewelry designer as well!)

pssst....2 hours left before the close of the giveaway!

Thinking Summer

Well,

it seems the only thing to chase away a wretched cold is to lock oneself away in a tiny studio and work nine hours a day.

My health has improved, somehow I caught up on my sleep quota, and I produce a many fine item.

This neckpiece, as I mentioned in an earlier post, will be heading to the Salty Teacup in Portland, Oregon for their grand opening on April 2nd.

I really should take some photos of the finished piece as I oxidized (of course!) the necklace before setting the buttons.

It. is. a. killer.

The piece below is for my own inventory.

I included two porcelain cabs from Magpie Pottery.

I LOVE. LOVE LOVE Maggie's work!

I have a lovely selection of her cabs, all waiting patiently for

a new home.

I apologize. The photo does not do the colors justice.

The colors are far richer and more of a minky,

burgandy than the photo suggests.

Lastly, I was juried into the Common Ground Country Fair this coming September! We had a blast last year and made many new friends and customers. I'm thrilled to be

a vendor again this year!

Is it too early to start talking fairs?

I certainly have to think 6 months ahead of now....that puts me in early Septmeber with 3 shows over and done with, happily eating tomatoes straight from the vine, and enjoying the wonder that is late summer.

Barefoot, I may add.

Ah.

Tuesday's Newbies

Here's a preview of two new pieces to join my shop later today. Later after I perform the Mommy Helper duty at my daughter's preshool...later after I struggle to get her to eat her lunch...later after a much needed visit to her pediatrician to look into an ear problem. Perhaps then I can find a good chunk of time to devote to my new pendants.

In other news, I am exhibiting on papernstitch from February 21st to March 22nd. Have not been to papernstitch? You must go NOW! Hand selected and handmade beauties all on one site!

Wanna enter a Quench-tastic Giveaway? Click HERE!

Piece of the Tropics

Here's a new piece that will go into my Etsy shop later this week! This little baby was in the planning during this blog post. I'm pleased with the finished pendant. Gosh, do I have more ideas and designs for this collection!

This pendant is a recycled sterling silver dot with 18k gold jump rings, a sterling chain, and a 22k gold bezel-set apatite stone which is the exact color of the Sea of Abaco in the Bahamas. Apatite supposedly enhances insight, creativity, and confidence. I just see a lovely stone that makes me crave some warm tropical water!

Kid in a Candy Shop

Remember when you were a kid and you got your first real bike? Mine was a hot pink and apricot low rider with a banana seat. When not riding my bike through our small rural town, I dreamed about my bike....all. the. time. I could not wait to get home to get back on it and ride the roads. Ah, I loved that bike.

Lately, I have the same feeling about working at the bench...strange analogy? Perhaps, but the excitement and giddiness to resume designing, tweaking, and creating is identical. Really, it is. Oh, the earrings above are sweet little studs with cognac diamonds. I might have to keep these. Maybe.

I ordered stones last week and got to play with the little sparklers today. This is pure joy or more 'first time on my new bike' happiness. Many sketches and plans for my Dot Collection to include these gemstones will be hatching later this spring.

Back to the bench! I think there are some stones that need new homes!

I love a productive week. On a scale from 1 to 100, this was a 83. Not a super score, but work got done even though my dear girl was extra needing of TLC due to her persistent chest cold. I finished 8 pieces or so. How nice to finally start something from scratch. I tend to start too many pieces and work on all at the same time....delaying their completion in the process.

blossom pendant with a sweet little antique button

dot bangle with 18k gold and ceylon sapphire

sterling bubble earrings

18k heart ring with filigree

Now onto the weekend. It's a cold one here in Maine! I plan to stay close to home, read, and enjoy the family (and maybe sneak off to the studio for an hour or two)! Good bye, January 2010!

Amulet

Finished and listed! Check out my Etsy shop for more images of this piece. My head is bursting with designs for a series of these lovelies! More to come!

Gold Leaf

I'm working on a new take on a old collection of mine: amulets. Once constructed of nickel silver and 18k gold, these new pieces are sterling silver. Currently, the price of gold keeps the lovely metal far out of my reach....I type this with a longing sigh. I LOVE to work gold and add this precious element to my jewelry....especially my amulets. After working with cranky sterling (yes, it is cranky) and even more tough and unruly nickel silver, gold is like butt-ah. And that color, ahhh....

Enter 24k gold leaf. I certainly can't hammer, solder, or bend the leaf, but I can apply it where a piece needs a bit of that golden aura. Tricky to use, gold leaf is thin....amazingly thin. A slight air current from a hand movement or exhaling breath will cause a piece to buckle and tear.

I tore small pieces and used tweezers to transport the leaf to the base of this bezel (the oils on my hands caused it to adhere immediately to my fingertips....I quickly switched to the tweezers). I applied the gold leaf to a sticky, slight coating of epoxy. Ages ago, gilders used the fresh oils straight from the garlic clove as a size. I considered this as an option, but the pungent odor would not be a good selling point.

Finished piece!! I set a quartz cabochon into the bezel and got that splash of gold that this amulet needed. I'm experimenting with gold leaf again today!! Wish me luck!

The Brew at the Bench

Somehow between all the motherly duties, dog fiascos, and tax forms, I produced at the bench this past week. An amazing feat, I know. I'm lovin' my Dot Collection. The addition of high karat bezels and precious gemstones provided a much needed kick in the butt to these lumps of recycled sterling. Yup, I'm happy, however my eyes could use some snazzy new 10x magnifiers! Sorry for the poor photo quality.....BAD lighting in my new digs.

Ah yes. Another button cluster creation. Gosh, I love making these pieces. The next direction will be cluster brooches. Wait for it....

New earrings (well, designs are not new, but it is new stock). Strangely enough, I am applying to summer craft shows already! I'm so not ready to think about swelting temps and my craft show checklist, but to avoid that last minute crunch, I am building my inventory.

Finished cluster piece. I listed this yesterday. It is absolutely smashing on the neck. I need to wrangle up my model from her nursing duties to supply you all with proof positive that this is perhaps the loveliest necklace ever made! :)

Pendants

New pendants coming to Quench Metalworks soon!

New Work, Finished

Yes! A new group of work ready to list, but not tonight as this metal mama is t i r e d. But, here's a sneak peek....

brooch with a huge vintage MOP button

rustic heart stackers with cognac band (I might add another ring to this..perhaps one with a teeny tiny gold heart?)

same as above, but with a Ceylon sapphire

big button brooch

heart pendant with 18k gold dots and a Ceylon sapphire

I have 2 pendants almost finished and will post tomorrow! Nighty night!

Hearts in Progress

Hello, my dear friend, the bench.

After a long vacation that consisted of absolutely no bench work, I have returned to the studio (in a new location...yes, I moved, again). I'm thinking hearts and the next holiday that begins with V. However, if I was a marketing extraordinaire, The Valentine's Day pieces would have been made and promoted six months ago. Unfortunately, I'm unable, and outright refuse, to plan, think, and market that far ahead! So, I am creating a handful of heart-themed rings, brooches, and rings for the coming weeks.

The studio's new digs is the old nursery. Our girl has grown out of this little room and we switched rooms during the holiday break. The curtains will be history in a couple of days, but the striped walls WILL stay....a labor of love procured by yours truly and my mum. Taping everything off took forever and shall the stripes stay forever (or until I have a strong yearning for robin's egg blue walls...hmmm).

Soon to be pendants.

The dark hearts will be stacker rings.

Ah! The stacker almost ready for the finish.

And, hello 2010! What will you bring the bench and me this year?