One More Before The Show Goes On The Road

Alrighty – yay, me!  I am hereby managing to get a couple more pieces posted before the baby arrives – whee!!

Going back to my traditional silver theme here, we’ve got some minor metalsmithing going on.  Let’s start with Orrery…

Orrery: hand-domed silver discs align their orbits gracefully at the end of a handmade silver chain

The center disc is shiny, the others satin/matte.    It adjusts from 17-19″ long and the drop is 3.25″ from there.  (In case you’re wondering about the name, an orrery is a model of the solar system.)  I am particularly proud of this one as I slogged through the making of the chain as well!

From there we move to Swoop!  Hand-hammered curves cradle a rutilated quartz round.  This is a lonnnnnnggg baby!  22″ plus another nearly 5″ in the drop.  It’d be great over a bulky sweater for fall!

Swoop: hammered sterling silver with rutilated quartz

I think this will probably be it before the baby comes and, as it turns out, the hospital I’ll be at doesn’t have wifi SO you probably won’t be hearing from me for a while.  I am hoping to make some jewelry while I’m there though – the repetitive things that I don’t usually have time for.  I owe a cousin a rosary (which are incredibly, time-consumingly tedious to make – no wonder they have to bless them afterward) and there’s a chain maille pattern I want to try.  See?  This is how you can tell a c-section veteran… we know the cable in the hospital is lousy and we plan for it!  Also, we know this is as close to a vacation as we’re likely to get for months so we’d better enjoy it!

Cheers all!

K2

Back to the Beach

At least briefly before the summer’s over!

We used to get to our favorite beach at least 2-3 times a year before the little ones came along making such trips more hazardous (and expensive!).  Maybe that’s why I was inspired to combine these little blue and cream shaded opal rondelles with a mother-of-pearl backdrop!  It just seems like an early morning sky at the shore to me.

The pendant drop is about 2 1/4" and the chain adjusts from 16.5 - 19.5".

Blue and cream opal buttons against mother-of-pearl: necklace

And because we all need to be coordinated in our beachwear…  matching earrings!

Earrings have sterling silver earwires and hang a mere 3/4" from the top of the curve

Pretty soon, it will be time to back to the warm tones of fall.  I’m having a hard time letting go of the cool summer colors though (probably because it’s SO flippin’ hot and muggy out) so you may see more summery stuff before I reluctantly move to fall.  I know, I should’ve gone to fall already.  The business aspects of jewelry design seldom occur to my creative side.  Unfortunately.  Still, let’s enjoy what’s left of the summer.  Before I know it, I’ll have a newborn in the house again and life will be crazy (well, crazier!).

Cheers all!

K2

Gardening… Jewelry Style

Ok, first up today,  we have the Cassie Rings… Cassie’s in the Garden and Cassie at Work.  Why Cassie?  Well, Cassie Donlen, a very talented lampwork bead artist and jewelry designer, developed the design for these rings to show off cool lampwork beads.   She then taught the technique in a jewelry making magazine and even sells the little brass screws in her online shop.  So, yes, with time, patience, and the right tools, you too could make these!  But, honestly, it’s easier to get someone else to do it… I promise!   The band on these is a bit heavier than in Cassie’s version – mostly based on what I had on hand.

Sterling silver bands, cool lampwork beads, and brass screws make for fun rings!

In putting my own touch on these, the bands of the floral rings are stamped with leaves and the plain bead has a plain band.  Theoretically, the screws can be removed and the beads changed out.  Frankly, this would be a royal pain in the bahooty so I’d suggest against trying it unless you have the patience of a saint!

Ok, and now back to one of my own designs… also floral themed.  This is Garden Volunteer… featuring hand-stamped leaves in copper riveted to sterling silver hand-stamped with dragonflies.  (Why, yes, it is the same leaf stamp as in the Cassie rings!)

copper stamped with leaves meets sterling silver stamped with dragonflies via copper rivets and dangles on a sterling chain.

I’m getting more and more used to working with copper.  It has a great organic quality to it that I’m liking more and more.  It will never replace sterling for me – because I can’t wear copper without looking sickly – but I’m definitely enjoying it.

Hope y’all enjoyed these!

Cheers,

K2

If I Talk (Er, Type) Fast Enough…

Will you realize I’m not posting a new piece?

I’m working on a riveted bangle which I’m quite excited about as riveting is new to me but it does involve using power tools which I’m reluctant to do when I’m solely responsible for my young ‘uns – all that noise and silver dust about, you know.  So, basically, it’s not finished.

But I haven’t forgotten that I’m overdue on a post here!  So, if you’re looking for eye candy, try my last post – I’m still very happy with my little topaz necklace!  But, if you’d like something new, let’s talk a little bit about classes and lessons and learning new things.

I’m kind of a contradiction.  In many ways, I’m a plunge right in and see what happens kind of person.  And, often, that works really well for me.  But, for some things, I’d really prefer some official education.  Like these rivets, for example, I really have the feeling that I’m making this harder than it needs to be – reinventing the wheel, to use a rather cliched but apt phrase – and that there’s a trick to it that I have not yet discovered.  In this sort of case, an instructor would be invaluable.

At this point?  I’ve learned to make beautiful things on my own. And, you know, if the piece of jewelry that emerges is functional and beautiful, it’s my belief that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! I’ve read a bunch of books, looked at a bunch of pictures.  I don’t much like just copying someone else’s patterns so I’ve tried to implement what I liked and leave what I didn’t – leaving designs that are my own.

What I really want to learn right now, though, is soldering.  I have so many ideas in my head that need to become reality but flame scares the bejeebers out of me.  (Sorry, Elizabeth!!)  And this is why:  from the time I was a small child, I’ve had this fear of my house burning down.  Other kids worried about the bogeyman under the bed?  Me, I was asking my parents to check for oily rags in the basement.  Now, I have no problems with campfires; I like campfires.  No problems with candles; I like candles – though I’m obsessive about keeping them away from flammable stuff.  Fires in home fireplaces I tolerate as long as I don’t think about it too much (though I once made my father ripsh*t because I crept back down at night to pour water on the coals – which  made his job of starting the fire the next evening rather, er, difficult – I was an adult by then).  But a torch?  Still, the draw is so high….  Man, there’s just SO much I want to do!!  I figure I’ll start with a butane torch, refills with, you guessed it, lighter fluid.  It just seems to me that how much trouble could I get into with an overgrown lighter?  (Ok, probably lots – fire is fire, after all.)  But, at any rate, I wish I had the time to actually take a class in it – even beyond the fire fear, I just get the feeling that it would be a lot easier to know what the heck I’m doing if someone who knew showed me.  (Being a visual learner and all.)

So, in the meantime, I’m learning to rivet.  Now, these aren’t the machine-applied rivets like you’d find in an aircraft or boat hull; they’re done by hand.  I’m doing tube rivets (wouldn’t work at all on a boat hull – LOL!) and I can’t wait to show you the project.

But for now, please go drool at the topaz – it didn’t garner any comments and it’s feeling quite green with envy (heh) – or the fall bracelet and earrings now on my website   Have a great week everyone!

How Can You Love Another Until You Love Yourself?

When I make necklaces for people I know and love, I try to find stones that not only work with the aesthetic I’m after but ones that help the person in their journey through life.

I have a necklace for a friend – I just finished it and I’m not posting pictures because it’s a surprise for her and, while I don’t think she checks this blog, I don’t want to ruin the surprise in case she does.  This friend doesn’t know how to love herself.  Though she is working on the issues in her past that have caused her self-loathing and a great deal of pain, and she is making progress, she still does not see her great worth and wonderful loving spirit.

So, when I sat down, not only did I say “ok, she’s not a real girly girl so I need something pretty simple”, I said “I want stones that will bolster her efforts to love herself.”  And I thought we could all use some help in that regard (ok, well, there are a few people I know that don’t but I’m dead certain they don’t read this!) so I’m posting a little on the stones I used and on some others that might help that battle.

Rose Quartz
Rose quartz has got to be the most well known “love” stone.  Rose quartz draws love in.  It amplifies our own loving feelings.  It surrounds us with love.  I have a friend who had charged a rose quartz crystal to draw love and it got so intense, she had to move the crystal from her bedroom.  Judy Hall, in her The Crystal Bible, has this to say about rose quartz by way of introduction: “Rose Quartz is the stone of unconditional love and infinite peace…teaching the true essence of love…[It] brings deep inner healing and self-love.”  Later, she describes the use of rose quartz in learning to love oneself, saying it “teaches you how to love yourself, vital if you have thought yourself unlovable…encourages self-forgiveness and acceptance, and invokes self-worth.”  “It…reinstate[s] the loving, gentle forces of self-love,” says Melody in Love Is In The Earth.  You can see why a large rose quartz bead is the centerpiece of the choker.

Rhodonite
Rhodonite is less well known – both metaphysically and in the wider world – it’s an opaque medium pink stone with black inclusions.   Rhodonite is useful for the underlying causes of self-loathing.  Judy Hall, again: “[Rhodonite] is extremely beneficial in cases of emotional self-destruction… and abuse. [It] clears away emotional wounds and scars from the past.”  Melody condenses this to “[It] conveys the resonance of unconditional love to the physical plane.”  The rose quartz centerpiece is flanked by small rhodonite wheels and then 4mm rounds.

One of the other stones I considered (but didn’t including because I didn’t have any at hand) is danburite (aids in “facilitating deep change and leaving the past behind” (Hall)) in the pink variation (“…opens the heart and encourages loving oneself.” (Hall)).  The sample looks very, very pretty but I have not seen it in bead form and I am not (yet) a stone faceter!

All of these stones have other metaphysical properties as well.  If you’re really interested in this, I can highly recommend Judy Hall’s book (I got mine at Amazon.com) or, of course, just keep stopping back here or at Silvery Ever After occasionally!

Don’t forget that I do custom work.  It’s some of the most challenging but most rewarding work I do.

Mother’s Day Jewelry

A two-fold post today, folks. Why? Well, first, having just freshly re-become a mother, I want to make sure that all we children take care of our moms this mother’s day. Yes, some people say “It’s a hallmark holiday” but, for the most part, those people aren’t the ones changing the diapers or lying awake at night until they hear their teenager come in safely. It’s a hard and, usually, thankless job. Then I’m going to talk about some semiprecious stones that relate to motherhood. But, first, here are some ideas that might be good for your mom this mother’s day:

Circle Me with Color

A new take on the “eternity” pendant… why settle for plain white? Mom’s life is full of color; shouldn’t her eternity be?  (This is about 1 1/8″ in diameter.)

And it’s the time for flowers, so why not permanent flowers?

Blooming Riot

Beautiful millefiori-style glass beads dangle from a sterling silver chain bracelet. A cha-cha to remember!

Ok, one more, then I’ll move on to the stone properties… Maybe your mom is more of a mod type of gal…

Sherbet Bracelet

Fun, sherbet-y colors fill these resin beads in fun shapes – perfect for brightening any day! (There are earrings to match as well!)

Ok, now on to some stones… I’m fascinated by the metaphysical properties of stones. I know, I know – there are plenty of people that say “Hogwash!” – I’m not one of them.  Science has shown us that everything has an electromagnetic field; it seems logical to me that EM fields can impact other EM fields.  So there.

Mothering Instinct – Chalcedony – Chalcedony is also said to increase lactation.  (Hmmm… I’m thinking I need to start wearing my chalcedony necklace again, given my current position as Chief Moo…)

Patience – Amber, Howlite (particularly good because it also aids in controlling the temper – and I haven’t met a mother yet that couldn’t use some help in that regard), Green Tourmaline (also helpful because it enhances compassion and tenderness).

Headaches – Caused your mom another headache?  Amethyst may help.

And let’s not forget the women who are not yet mothers yet long to be.  I was in that camp for many years as we struggled with fertility issues.  Some stones that are good for fertility are carnelian, rhodonite, zoisite, and rose quartz.

If you’re already expecting, helpful stones include unakite (healthy pregnancy) and azurite (fetal development).  My own pregnancy support necklace included azurite, moonstone, and chalcedony (as I’m prone to edema).  I also carried a pocket talisman of unakite for much of my pregnancy.

Only a small part of my jewelry is on my website.  If you’re looking for a piece that incorporates any of these stones, please email me!  Remember that I do custom work and would be happy to put together a piece from various stones to support you or yours.

Ok, one last note, not to be a downer but if you know someone who has suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth or loss of a child, please do not forget them on mother’s day.  This can be one of the very hardest days of the year.  Reach out to them.  Let them know you’ve not forgotten their child existed (and, yes, even miscarried children existed) and that you want to be there for them during this annual reminder of their loss.

My best wishes to all the mothers out there!

~ Kelley

A word on my resources:

The Crystal Bible: A Definitive Guide to Crystals, by Judy Hall, Godsfield Press, 2004

Crystal Therapy, by Doreen Virtue, Ph.D. and Judith Lukomski, Hay House, Inc., 2005

Catch A Wave

Hi everyone!

I’ve got a new one to show off…

As I was making the earrings in the last post, I got curious – what would happen if I wove thin wire around pieces of thicker wire?  Well, I got my answer – and I’m pretty pleased with it! It’s amazingly light and very comfortable and has about a gazillion feet of 28 ga wire in it. (That darned 28 ga wire sliced a decent sized cut in my index finger from pulling it tight – yow!)

I find it really fascinating how creating one thing so often leads to the next – the never-ending search for “what if?” Probably makes me a bit weird but oh well!

Until next time, cheers and a belated happy Easter from me and mine!