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Monday, June 21, 2010

New Amethyst Earrings and New Sterling Silver Pins

 

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Today I took these pictures and added these Tiny Amethyst Sterling Silver Wirewrapped Bead Earrings.

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I also these two new Sterling Silver shawl pins.

Circle With A Twist Sterling Silver Shawl Pin or Brooch

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Double Crossed Loops Sterling Silver Shawl Pin or Brooch

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I also decided to add a photo of my small chubby man hand (a “Sienfeld” reference to those who know what I mean by “man hand”) holding the pin to get more of a sense of scale with these sweet little pins. These two pins used a little less silver wire than the others and take a little less time to make so they are a little less expensive than the first 5 ones I put in our shop.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

New Sterling Silver Shawl Pins


Celtic Infinity Loops Sterling Silver Shawl Pin or Brooch
Well I finally took the plunge and invested in 12 gauge sterling silver so I could start making my shawl pins in sterling silver along with super awesome aluminum. It's dramatically more expensive than aluminum. The 9 gauge aluminum costs about $.15 a foot and 12 gauge sterling silver costs about $7 a foot. That doesn't leave a lot of room for mistakes.Hence the significantly higher price for them.The silver is also a lot harder and more difficult to bend and hammer.

Looping Celtic Crossed Knots Sterling Silver Shawl Pin or Brooch
So I've started out by making the most popular aluminum shawl pin designs.

Celtic Heart and Swirls Sterling Silver Shawl Pin or Brooch
They've been tricky to photograph too.I think it's because they are shinier than the aluminum.

Celtic Budding Spiral Sterling Silver Shawl Pin or Brooch


Fleur De Lis Sterling Silver Shawl Pin or Brooch


Celtic Knot Infinite Swirl Cross Sterling Silver Shawl Pin or Brooch
This is one of my most difficult and complex designs and uses a little more wire than the others.Although not uncomfortably heavy, it is amazing the weight difference between aluminum and sterling silver. The silver has a different look and feel than the aluminum that I hope will appeal to some knitters looking for something a little special. But I really appreciate and love my aluminum.

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

First Grade trip to the Portland Zoo


Last Friday I chaperoned Henry's First Grade class trip to the zoo. It was a crazy 2 hour bus ride. Luckily we had lots and lots of parents who came on the trip to help.About a half hour before we arrived Henry started to feel sick and it started raining.I was not in the best of moods. But once we got off the bus he felt better. Must have been car sickness.And miraculously the rain stopped after a little while.We spent the day with his 3 best friends and another set of parents.

We all brought our own lunch and found a great spot inside the lion viewing area. And then suddenly from cross the field this large and lovely lioness spotted us and came trotting intensely over to the window like she was ready to eat us for lunch.

It was pretty exciting and terrifying. I'm so glad that glass was strong.
This polar bear was hilarious. He was really enjoying himself and showing off for us while the one in the background was having some sort of OCD weird caged animal moment. He kept walking backwards about 3 steps and then forwards 3 steps like he was doing the cha cha cha. The picture below the video of the bears is of Max and his super awesome preschool teacher Sara Melahnik.(I couldn't figure out how to move the picture below on blogger. Anyway...) It was the next to last day of preschool for him. We'll really miss her and I can't believe my baby will be starting kindergarten in the Fall.


Saturday, May 22, 2010

Time for new pictures and things


Things have slowed down a little in our Etsy shop. Rather than freak out and panic which is my usual response to the fluctuations of self employment income I've tried to use this extra time to add some products I've been meaning to add for a long time and improve some pictures.
Like the long overdue Treble Clef G Clef Sterling Silver Stamped Pendant.


Pretty Little Rose Quartz and Amethyst Swirl Sterling Silver Pendant
These three stone pendants all have matching earrings in our shop. Figured it was time to make a nice set.They are also very inexpensive ($8.50).

This is a new bar pin design. It works kind of like a safety pin.
I just ordered some thick gauge sterling silver wire so that I can start making the shawl pins in sterling silver. I'm excited to try them in silver but a little nervous about the overhead costs. Silver is significantly more expensive than aluminum.
I have been meaning to get more creative and take some better pictures of our Cup O Joe stampings. Here are the new pictures.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

I'm back!


Well it's been a ridiculously long time since I blogged. Just busy and not that into it. Facebook just seems so much easier.(Give in to it all you reluctant facebookers. Join the herd. It's fun and easy and everyones doing it.)
I just got back from spending 4 days in Albuquerque with my parents while my Mom was going through surgery for Colon cancer. It went very well. They were able to do it all laparoscopically. She is strong tough lady and was just released from the hospital today. The surgery was on Monday!. She is expected to fully recover.
It was hard to leave my family. I had never been away from Henry before and he was initially very upset. But he resigned himself to it and bribery helped .Nothing like a bunch of new legos and wii games to get over Mom being away. Max took it like a man. Nick was super dad.
I may be a freak but I love airports and airplane travel. Yeah there are some scary, high anxiety moments but I still find it so amazing and exciting.I think the picture above is Mt Hood outside of Portland.

The Desert.

Approaching Albuquerque.

Mom and dad in their backyard (pre surgery).

Me and Mom squinting in the harsh bright sun.

The guest room/office I stayed in.Note the ancient PC with windows 98 on dial up and the half broken roller ball mouse they insist on using that drove me insane and tv with converter box. I was satellite dish deprived but did get to see 5 different religious channels and mexican soap operas.

My Dad is an arteest. That is one of my favorite paintings of his.

One of his statues in the back yard.

His sculpture garden on the side of their home.

I think it looks like he's giving the finger. He says it's just pointing.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Circus and pin


Life and the business have been busy which is great.I took the kids to the circus last week with our friends. They come to town once a year (the circus that is- not our friends)and the kids love it. It's quite the show.

And of course you have to have cotton candy.


This is my newest shawl / hair pin design.


Celtic Open Eye Aluminum Shawl Pin / Hair Pin or Brooch
I sold the first one today. Hooray!
We are also now selling our geeky nerdy jewelry at The Makers Market.

Saturday, March 06, 2010

Henry's Apple Jewelry


Our son Henry saw our red glass marble pendants and said "You should put a leaf on it and make it an apple pendant." I poo pooed him but did it anyway just to please him and put it on our display and the Holiday Market last December. Well it sold! Then he begged me to make more and put them on Etsy. So I finally had time and the perfect photography weather and did it. These are Ruby Red Cherry Apple Glass Marble Earrings.

This is the Ruby Red Cherry Apple Glass Pendant.
I was thinking of Snow White's apple when I took the picture. So I posted about them on our facebook fanpage and we sold TWO in a day!
I hadn't even thought of the brilliant teacher's gift idea for them that our lovely and clever customers told us about. So now Henry get's a cut on very one that sells. He's quickly supplementing his allowance income.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day!


We took a hike with our friends today.It was a lovely mild day,cloudy but no rain in a place we've never been before.


A nice view of our town-Philomath.


Clouds are low.


Max running.



Lauren and Max study the big worm.




More low clouds.


Aidan, Henry and Max