EtsyMetal Team Blog Carnival ~ My Jewelry Box
March 5, 2015
The EtsyMetal Team Blog Carnival theme this month is “What’s In Your Jewelry Box?”.
Well, just so happens I love this subject! My jewelry box is an ever-changing thing. I’ll show you some of what I am currently wearing along with a bit of meaning behind it. Of course this is not everything in my jewel collection, but just a few things that have made it to the front of the box at this moment.
These are a few things made by my dear and extremely talented friends Letitia Hill of Raven Hill Designs and David Lloyd Stewart. The three of us are all born on the 12th day of our birthday months. We are known as Club-12. !!
This colorful necklace was made and given to my by my sister-in-law. It contains silver charms which were part of a charm bracelet belonging to my late mother-in-law. Each and every charm represents a special event in her life. This has a ton of meaning to me and will be passed to my children when I am gone.
Around ten years ago I found jewelry made by Kim Wheeling, an artist in Utah. I fell in love with his Edwardian reproductions and bought as many as I could afford at the time. He has since passed away. These are 18K gold settings with super high quality stones. I LOVE these!
When I was a girl my mother would buy me rings with black onyx and small diamonds. Those rings I lost in my irresponsibly as a youth. I have a very special place in my heart for these old rings. They are usually set in 10K gold, sometimes 14K. I have a small collection and keep adding to it each year. This is one of my absolute favorite styles of jewelry!
I have several pieces that were left to my by relatives, some I have owned since I was a girl and some I have purchased over the years. These pieces fall into one of those categories. I wear these often and love them dearly.
See what other EtsyMetal Team members have to say:
EtsyMetal Team Blog Carnival ~ Jewelry Industry Changes
February 2, 2015
The Blog subject of the month is a discussion on what changes have occurred in the time we have been in the jewelry business. Even in the short time I have been selling my wearables I have seen some changes. I’ll bullet point a few:
* From the Brick-And-Morter to the World-Wide-Web. I do remember when there were a lot more shops around town selling jewelry and, for that matter, everything else. So many of them closing the doors in recent years. Buying and selling on the web has become more convenient for both buyers and sellers. The internet has changed so much about our lives and relationships.
* Digital Photography. It has become much more affordable to own a decent digital macro camera. Thus, better ability to see the nitty gritty detail of the jewelry (this goes hand in hand with selling online). People are more likely to shop online when they can see the very close details of the product. That having been said, there are still a lot of people who like to touch and feel a piece of jewelry before making a purchase.
* Art/Craft Shows. One upon a time you could throw down your tapestry, lay out your jewelry and accept cash or check. The show was a place to mingle with old friends, meet some new ones, leave with a pocket full of dollar bills, happy customers and a few new friends. Today there is a lot of red-tape and high cost of booth space. We can be much more productive in accepting credit cards with the smart phones, better lighting and display methods. Generally (not all) the shows have become larger.
In summary a lot has changed but many jewelers use traditional, old fashioned techniques in their designs. Perhaps there in lies that special thing that we call handmade.
I do like change. However ,I am drawn to things of the past. The good ole days, really were.
Enjoy reading what other EtsyMetal Team members have to say:
New Work ~ Carved Ivory Rose Necklace
June 25, 2013
Working at the bench in the last few days. I have been using carved ivory roses in my designs. These are so feminine and lovely! Here is my latest pendant, currently available in my Etsy-Shop handmade with fine and sterling silver. Oxidized (darkened) to bring out the creamy color of the ivory. A super high quality fresh water pearl adorns the end of the chain:
Brooch A Week #23 ~ sea Glass and Ivory
June 11, 2013
Brooch # 23! Yay… Feels so good to be past the half-way point.
The pale colors in this one are accentuated by the oxidized sterling silver! This one wears very comfortably.
A one of a kind pin featuring pale blue sea glass and a vintage carved bone rose. Nestled in a hand fabricated textured sterling silver bezel setting.
Brooch A Week #22 ~ Ivory Rose
May 31, 2013
My true calling in the art of making jewelry is to find ways to make old things new and wearable. This pin features a pre-ban (1960s) carved ivory rose (just like grandma used to wear). I’ve made an oxidized sterling silver setting to create a complete rose. The darkened silver accentuates the pale ivory where old meets new in a heavy-metal sense! A “Heavy-Metal Rose” (that is what I will call this one). Just listed in my Adobe Sol Designs Shop.
Heavy Metal Rose
Brooch A Week #21 ~ Fisher-Body Badge Pin
May 30, 2013
I think this one may be my favorites so far.
I found a few of these vintage employee badges from Fisher Body. They were an automobile coach builder founded in 1908 in Detroit. These badges were made by Superior Seal & Stamp Co. This badge is in really great condition and built super strong. Fisher Body (no longer in business) punched a hole in this badge. I have read that after they closed the plant, they punched holes in the badges. I made a sterling silver grommet for the hole and added a beautiful vintage crystal button set in a handmade sterling silver bezel setting.
Fisher Body has got quite a history. This particular badge is from the Hamilton/Fairfield, Ohio plant which was closed in 1988.
BAW52 # 15 is a lovely little copper “Vector” pin. I’ve placed a sterling silver rivet at “True North”. Always follow your heart to your own True-North!
I’m giving this one away with the purchase of any of my other BAW52 Brooches. All available pins are listed at Adobe Sol Designs.
Brooch A Week #14
March 28, 2013
One of my favorites so far! This pin features a fabulous piece of glass coral handmade by Lori Lochner. She is one of my favorite glass artists. All set in sterling silver, I used a sage-green Prehnite cabochon to set off the deep red in the coral. What a great way to wear coral without having to kill it!!
This pin along with all other Brooch-A-Week pins are listed on my website.
The Clymb
March 23, 2013
I have recently made several purchases form The Clymb and I want to share. First off, I only recommend sites that I have personal experience with and am extremely happy with the products, prices, service and speed of delivery. The Clymb has different products on sale every day (REALLY good prices!). They often get new products and feature top-shelf brands. They carry everthing from casual shoes, snow-sports, Yoga apparel, towels and mats to Crossfit apparel and footwear. I must admit that I am somewhat addicted to the site!
My most recent purchase for CrossFit:
I have used Inov-8s before and really like them for CrossFit. The fit well, are confy for running, great for box jumps and have very little raise from heel to toe. I will let you know how I like this model once I use ’em for a few weeks!
Brooch A Week #10
March 15, 2013
This week, for the Brooch A Week Flickr Challenge, I made a little sterling silver “shapes” pin. The circle and square spin freely. The white topaz is nice and has a lot of fire!
Adobe Sol Designs ~ The Blog 