Happy Birthday Discount! And Some New Pendants :)

Today is my birthday! To celebrate, I want to share some birthday fun by giving you a coupon code for 25% off of anything in my Etsy shop for the rest of this month (good through midnight, Sun. Sept. 30.)

Use Code:  happybday

I have already enjoyed some birthday bead shopping and am looking forward to a nice dinner out and some dessert from my favorite pizza place in town (Silvio's Organic Pizza, if you are ever in Ann Arbor. They do a fantastic dessert pizza with nutella and sweet marscapone cheese on their thin crust. It's addictive!!)

I also wanted to give you some details on the new pendants I have been creating. You may have seen these popping up in the shop as I add them. I created a number of new pendants for the BookFest and sold several of them (yeah!) I was really pleased at the response to my local stones - particularly the Kona Dolomite pendants.

I have some terrific stones on hand again and am looking forward to creating more!

Petoskey Stone

I received a shipment of some more beautiful, large Petoskey stone nuggets and have 3 pendants made so far. One of them is listed in the shop. The Hexagonaria fossil pattern is just gorgeous on these:

 

Dogtooth Amethyst

I found this fantastic variation of amethyst with angled bands of calcite, giving it a chevron pattern. It is, in fact, also known as chevron amethyst. I sold one pendant with this stone on a purple cord at BookFest. This pendant is on a black, waxed cotton cord and is currently listed in the shop. I have some more stones, so look for more of these soon!

Kona Dolomite (oval and rectangle)

I received a sample of these Michigan Kona dolomite ovals and rectangles with another package of beads from one of my favorite shops, Nawbin Beads, in Traverse City, MI. I created two pendants and sold both of them at my booth. I'll be creating more variations with this great, local stone soon!

These photos are not the best as I took them quickly the night before BookFest to have some record of what I made.

However, the rectangle Kona pendant is on the far left. There is an epidote pendant second from the right. That is another local stone. This particular pendant sold at BookFest, also.

The oval Kona pendant is on the far left of this photo and the two dogtooth amethyst are next to it. The dogtooth on the far right is on a medium purple waxed cotton cord, a nice combination.

It was really interesting to see what people responded to and were interested in. It definitely gives me some great feedback and ideas on what to do moving forward.





Brecciated Jasper

This fantastic deep red stone with some dark pink variations is perfect for fall. I made one of these for myself and wear it all the time! I added this one to the shop yesterday:

Which stone of these is your favorite? Why? I would love to hear your feedback. Have a great day!

New Pendants!

Gemstones - I just love 'em. The natural colors and patterns that the earth creates and that people shape and polish grab my attention every time.

What is your favorite semi-precious gemstone? Do you have a "thing" for a particular natural object that inspires your art or jewelry? Let me know!

For me, I really enjoy the small rounds that I have been using to create my bracelets. I tend to use the 4mm (which are fairly small) and the 6mm stones. Recently, however, I ordered some larger stones that caught my attention - some Mookaite jasper nuggets and some fossil coral puff squares. I ordered them thinking I might use them in my bookmarks. But when they arrived and were actually a bit larger than I thought and it started the creative juices flowing...rather than use them for bookmarks, I thought they would make fantastic pendants!

One thing I love about a chunk of gemstone is the simple beauty of the stone itself. I strive to use only natural stones that have been cut and polished, but otherwise not enhanced. I want to emphasize that naturalness and simplicity in my pendants whenever possible. Also, my personal wardrobe is pretty simple these days as I have young children, so I love a simple necklace or pendant to add some interest to a solid-color shirt or other casual outfit.

For my first pendant, I used black leather cord (1.5mm) and a beautifully patterned fossil coral square (approx. 3/4 inches square.)

Instead of metal pins and jump rings, I preferred to attach the stone using some matching S-Lon thread, looped through, knotted and carefully glued so that the pendant can still be moved on the cord. It turned out very well. 

I made the next few pendants with various Mookaite jasper nuggets, which come in a gorgeous, earthy range of deep maroon, dark red, pink, pearly white, and goldenrod yellow, some of those all on the same stone! This time, I experimented with some 1mm waxed cotton cord. Although I am sure I will make more with leather, the waxed cotton offers a nice alternative for those who do not care for leather, and I really like the lighter weight and drape of the waxed cotton. I used both dark brown and black waxed cotton cord, but also a lovely light yellow that went very nicely with the goldenrod Mookaite nugget.

Dark goldenrod stone with dark brown markings. 

Pink and goldenrod stone - already sold! :)

Toffee-colored stone with some dark gold markings on the bottom.

Another Mookaite nugget - this one with beautiful deep maroon, red, and cream colored markings.

As you can see, I paired some of these stones with some complimentary Czech glass beads, which add a little sparkle to the design without overshadowing the stone.






I purposely made the pendants longer and with an adjustable closure so that the wearer could easily slip them over the head and choose the length.

Finally, here is one that I did with a gorgeous malachite teardrop-shaped bead and a 4mm malachite round. With the silver Czech beads and black cord, it makes for a striking pendant. 

I have some great ideas from my bead stash and some new waxed cotton cord colors that should arrive this week, so definitely stay-tuned to the Etsy shop for more beautiful pendants! 

New Bookmarks and Saline Farmer's Market!

I have been happily plugging away at some new bookmarks for my Etsy shop. I have a few listed there:

 Midnight Sodalite Macrame Bookmark.

 Rhyolite Macrame Bookmark.

Pietersite Macrame Bookmark.

Golden Sunflower with Botswana Agate Macrame Bookmark.

And have created some new ones (with more on the way!) Here's a sneak peek:

Green Enamel Leaf Macrame Bookmark.










 

Black and White Sardonyx Macrame Bookmark.

I am trying to get some extras done this week since I will have the opportunity to sell my wares at the Saline Farmer's Market this Saturday, June 9. An artist friend of mine had an extra spot in her booth and kindly invited me to join her. I am very excited! If you are local, stop by and see us! We will be there from 8:00 a.m. - noon.

Studio Update: What Have I Been Up To Lately?

It's been awhile since I have given an update on what's been going on in my studio this spring...so here it is!

I have been keeping steadily busy adding items to my Etsy shop, including a number of new bracelets and some hand-bound mini journals - here's a sampling of my recent offerings:

Safari Jasper Leather Wrap Bracelet. This quad-wrap bracelet features 4mm safari jasper gemstone beads in warm earth tones of khaki, olive green, and rusty red with beautiful camouflage patterning. The stones are wrapped in a rich 1.8 mm red-brown leather with a wood grain button closure.

Moss Agate Leather Wrap Bracelet. This was a custom bracelet done for a birthday present. It features 4mm moss agate stones with 1.5mm brown leather and a unique matching green and silver dragonfly button closure.

 

Carnelian Leather Wrap Bracelet. Some brighter colors for spring and summer include this double leather wrap bracelet featuring gorgeous 6mm carnelian stone beads ranging from fiery reddish-orange to translucent white. The stones are wrapped in 1.8mm pearly white leather with a simple, round, pearly button closure.

Lapis Lazuli Wrap Bracelet. For something a little more delicate, this double-wrap bracelet features stunning, deep blue 4mm lapis lazuli gemstone beads that contain beautiful flecks of gold pyrite. The stones are wrapped in dark blue S-Lon thread and finished with a matching, translucent blue button. It’s like wearing tiny gemstone globes!  

Sea Shell Mini Journal. A compact 4” x 2 ½”, but full of character this mini journal has a sea shell paper cover with rusty red Italian book cloth, 36 sheets (72 pages) of 70lb acid-free, blank Canson drawing paper, and is hand-sewn with natural-colored waxed linen thread. The simple binding contains a little flair of macramé down the front cover, reminiscent of mariner knot work.

  

Blue Mini Journal With Nautical Button Closure. Another compact journal at 4” x 2 ½”, this one is hand-sewn with natural-colored waxed linen thread in a chain stitch or Coptic style, it is filled with 48 sheets (96 pages) of 70lb acid-free, blank Canson drawing paper and covered in deep blue Italian book cloth. An antiqued gold button and knotted, waxed linen thread rope allow for easy closure. The inside is decorated with beautiful sea shell end papers.

In addition, I have been working on a pen and ink house portrait commission for a friend of mine. It's almost done and will be delivered within the next two weeks. I'll post an update when it is finished.

As always, I have more ideas than I have time, but I have some new things planned for the shop so stay tuned!

What has occupied your creative time this spring? I'd love to hear from you!

Busy with Bracelets!

Happy Spring, everyone!

Are you enjoying the weather lately? We have had unseasonably warm temperatures here in southeast Michigan with a couple of gorgeous weeks in the 70s and 80s. It's back to closer-to-normal today with some rain and temps in the 60s. Very pleasant, actually, especially now that it is officially SPRING!

I absolutely love spring. It is my favorite season. All of the new growth of plants and the world waking up after winter (what there was of it this year, anyway!) Obviously, with an interest in botanical art and illustration, I love seeing the trees bud and flowers bloom. So much material and inspiration!

I am working on the second trillium drawing - the one with the open bud - but just barely started, so no photos yet. 

However, I have been working on more bracelets for my Etsy shop and have completed quite a few. I am also excited to report that I have had 3 more sales! Thanks to all of my customers who have purchased so far. I hope that some of my new items will catch some attention now that we are heading into the short-sleeve time of year!

Some of my most recent creations are listed below. If you want to see more photos, click on the item to get to my Etsy shop and further details!

Dumortierite Single Wrap

 
With a gorgeous silver-colored leaf motif 
button closure.

Dumortierite Macrame

 

Simple and elegant in dark navy s-lon thread. 

Safari Jasper Double Wrap

More great earth tones in this beautifully patterned jasper.

Red Flake Jasper Single Wrap

 

This deep, fiery stone paired wonderfully with dark red leather and an antiqued gold button.

 Rhodonite Triple Wrap

This one was just posted today and uses one of the new buttons I just acquired in my stash. I have many more interesting buttons, so stay tuned for new bracelets!

I have been a busy bee for the last few weeks and am happy to finally announce that my Etsy shop is now open!

I have listed 6 bracelets and will be adding more of those as well as some of my botanical art and hand-bound journals. 

Please stop by and take a look around and feel free to share with your friends. 

I'd love to hear what you think of it and what else you might like to see there - just let me know!