Aqua Blue

I have been working my fingers to the bones this week, pumping out all kinds of pretty shiny things. Without even realizing it until today, I saw some color favoritism. Can you guess what color my eyes and heart love? Turquoise blue and/or aqua blue. I hope you like it too!

I have been trying some new fun designs. The top left photo is a pair of sterling silver rectangle shaped earrings. They are adorned with clear baroque crystals and amazonite rondelles. $23

The earrings in the top right are also sterling silver domed, hammered and oxidized and adorned with beautiful aqua blue chalcedony. $30

On the bottom row on the left and are really fun and sassy pair of fine silver triangular earrings. They are long, sassy and sexy. $20

Last but not least is the bottom right. It's a beautiful sterling silver, hammered and texturized bangle bracelet with a sterling silver sparrow and a aqua blue chalcedony briolette. So pretty and dainty. $38

I hope you can find something in my shop this holiday season for someone you love.

Now that I have plenty of time to make jewelry and the holidays are upon us, I am gearing up for the season! I'm mixing metal and gemstones for a beautiful look. I will primarily be using sterling silver but occasionally I will be making some pieces with copper to help keep the cost down.

This sterling silver bracelet is one of my favorite new pieces. It started out as a simple piece of wire and has been transformed into a pretty nature-inspired bracelet. I texturized both sides of the bracelet and then soldered on the sterling silver flying sparrow. I then wirewrapped a beautiful faceted teardrop Chalcedony briolette. Check out my Etsy shop to see my other new creations!

Making Progress

It's been a good week. I've had a busy week networking, studying and going to class. I have networked with a number of individuals this week and receive some awesome information. My class also started this week. I'm taking "How to start your own Wedding Consultant Business." Tamera Davis of Cherished Moments is the instructor. She is funny and seems to know her stuff. I think this is going to be a really good class giving me some really good experience. We have to plan a wedding from beginning to end. Each person in the class will have a different wedding with its own budget. We have to do a storyboard. It's going to be so fun!

I also found out today my scores on my first three exams for ABC. I made a 94, 96 and 96. YAY! Two more to go and then the project. So you see, I've been really busy. Now I need to make some more new pieces of jewelry....and I will.

What's new?

A lot of exciting things happened last week. I finally took the step to move forward in my new career. I joined the Association of Bridal Consultants and signed up for their core home study program. It is a 5-part education program and final exam. So I'm now a member. Not certified yet mind you, but hopefully I can finish and get certified within the next couple of months. I will also be attending a seminar with the local chapter in North Carolina in December.

As for jewelry, I have made a number of new pieces in the last week.

Top left, these are a pair of sterling silver pomegranite garnet wirewrapped earrings. These were so fun to make. I hope to make more of these soon. I especially want to make a pair with amazonite.

Top right, this pretty necklace is turquoise with inlaid sterling silver. I purchased the cabachone last year at a beadshow. I finally set it in a bezel last week. It is really pretty and dainty.

Bottom left, this piece is actually sold sheet silver on the base with sterling silver wire wrapped around the tiny freshwater pearls. Makes a beautiful little bird's nest. It is hanging from a 16" sterling silver chain.

Bottom right, the focal on this bracelet is of course the butterfly. It is made of copper that was given a natural patina with ammonia, vinegar and salt. It was then beaded with carnelian and turquoise on one side and the other is black leather and suede cord. It's very comfortable.

Back to the books. Have a great day!

Lots of changes in my life

Beautiful
Originally uploaded by luvmypups

I have had lots of changes in my life in the last year. I've had a death in the family, gotten married for the first time and the loss of my job of 21 years. So two of the changes have not been good. The marriage was wonderful...and still is. We are still newlyweds. Although we both are unemployed at the moment. We both were let go because of attrition at the companies where we worked.

I have decided I no longer want to be in the BIG corporate world. So, after a lot of thinking the past month, I have decided I want to start my own wedding planning company. My husband may join me, but he's not 100% sure yet.

Anyway, I am extremely excited! I have been researching the field and have signed up for a class and also a seminar on becoming a wedding consultant. I will probably begin the Association of Bridal Consultants certification program within the next month. So exciting. I'm going to turn something negative into something VERY positive for me and for my upcoming clients/brides :) Change is not always bad!

So with my career change in mind, I will be creating a new line of wedding jewelry. Some of you may have seen the earrings I made to wear in my wedding on June 7. They were so special to me. Everyone loved them. I also recreated a pair and they are for sale in my Etsy shop.

This is going to be fun! Please keep visiting my blog and my Etsy shop for what's going on in my life and career.

In love with pearls

White coin pearl ring
Originally uploaded by luvmypups

I first made this ring last fall and it was an immediate hit. It is a real beauty. It is all sterling silver. The beautiful pearl is actually a coin pearl that has been bezel fitted and adorned with daisy wire. Rings are a lot of work so I really am proud of the rings that I make. This one is for sale in my Etsy shop. Don't forget about the upcoming holidays! Hope you like the new ring.

Blue Beauties

Sterling silver sparrows and blue kyanite
Originally uploaded by luvmypups

Ok, so I have a weakness for birds and ever since I've seen these flying sparrows (sterling silver) I have loved them and wanted some to work with. I have them in brass that I purchased from Vintaj. I finally found them in sterling silver. I also recently acquired the beautiful blue kyanite marquis shaped briolettes. They are real beauties. I love the richness of the blue. These are my favorite earrings this week. They are really light and dainty. Visit my Esty shop to purchase. And feel free to contact me if you would like a pair of these with another color or type of gemstone.

Laboratory experiments

Copper butterflies that were given a patina
Originally uploaded by luvmypups

I have tried a couple of times to achieve the nature patina that nature gives copper. I recently bought the Summer 2008 issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry. There was an article on Patina'd Metal by Diane Russell-Horn. As you can see from the picture, I have achieve the blue patina, but I have yet to figure out how to achieve the greener patina.

You have to mix a combination of ammonia, white vinegar and salt. But after "trying" to be patient for days on end, I FINALLY achieved the blue. This is truly a process that has no recipe.

I plan to make the bright blue butterfly possibly into a bracelet. Check my etsy shop soon to see the finished product.

Got Hitched

Ahhh...wedded bliss. I finally found the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. We were married on June 7, 2008 (6-7-8) on the beach at North Topsail Beach, NC. It was a beautiful day. It was a beautiful weekend! We had lots of family and friends in town to help us celebrate. On Friday night we had the rehearsal on the beach in front of my parents' beachhouse. Immediately following the rehearsal we had a Laua. We had a big tent put up in the backyard and my brother cooked a pig. We had lots of decorations, music, food and drinks. My niece made a wonderful pineapple martini!

Our wedding day was perfect. The weather was hot but at least it was sunny. There was a nice ocean breeze but not too much. I love looking at the pictures and video. Makes me want to put on my wedding dress again.

And they lived happily ever after.

I've been very bad

I have been very bad. I haven't posted to my blog in months! Christmas and New Year's were very busy for me this year. But that is a very good thing. Thanks to everyone on Etsy and Rubylane who purchased my jewelry! You made it a wonderful season.

The end of 2007 was a special occasion for me. I got engaged on New Year's eve on the beach at sunset to the very wonderful man I have been dating for the last 5 1/2 years. I was a surprise but yet we had talked about it and I kinda suspected he might ask me....but not on New Year's eve at sunset on the beach! What a surprise. A very nice surprise. We are planning a June wedding. We both love the beach so we decided we wanted to get married on the beach. We are looking forward to our wedding and the celebration with all our friends and family.

So that is why I haven't made a lot of jewelry lately. I've been planning our wedding. But it has been so much fun and everything is going great. So now I can start to concentrate more on my jewelry again. I hope to get back into more classes in July to keep increasing my knowledge and also keep the creative juices flowing.

So, don't give up on me. I haven't gone anywhere. I've just been really busy planning the most important day of my life. Look for new pieces very soon...like in the next couple of days!