Friday, March 26, 2010

New Bows



Also, just finished up a pair of monstrous bow earrings, this time made out of heavy beaded wire! I am in love. I guess I'm also conceited?


Pretty things




I just finished this custom engagement ring - white gold with diamonds, isn't it glorious? I want to make it with all different colored stones.


Thursday, March 25, 2010

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Funny indeed.



I let out a chuckle when I saw this on FFFFOUND.

Presents!



Whenever Ben goes *anywhere*, I semi-jokingly tell him to get me a present. Today I was talking about how badly I want pretty plates, and he came back today with these two gems! What a mensch.

Better view


A slightly better picture of the jewelry bird house. I want a wall covered in them! (And jewelry to fill them all) In case you missed the tutorial post, scroll down a bit!

New Drusy



I love how colorful this new necklace is! It's a bright pink drusy in a handmade sterling silver bezel that hangs on an "amethyst by the yard" silver chain! The colors!!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Birdhouse Jewelry Tutorial!


For the past few days I've been jonesing to make a jewelry holder out of a bird house. So off I went to Home Depot. They didn't have anything that fit the bill, so the next day I went to Micheals. And that's where I found the perfect bird house! Now, obviously you could make your own if you are handy with tools and wood, but I needed instant gratification.

So, without further ado, a tutorial!

MATERIALS: One bird house with an open front (either without a wall, or just a big door, like the one I used. Mine is technically a dog house, it came with a little puppy stuffed animal.) acrylic paint, paint brushes, thumb tacks, power drill, drill bit.


STEP ONE: Paint! The most fun part. You can leave it plain, decorate it with stickers, collage it with picture from magazines or pretty papers, anything you want. I spent about 4 hours painting and re-painting until it ended up being a kind of thick gooey messy looking collection of colors. Not my best move. I also used the same honeycomb stencil from my coat rack for the roof!

This became this!

Step Two: I drilled little holes along the front lip of the floor, to hang dangly earrings from.

And while I was drilling, put a hole in the back to hang it on the wall.

Step three: Push in the pushpins! I bought a multi color pack of the metal headed thumb tacks, and only used the yellow to match the color on the roof. Easy cheesy. (You'll be able to hang necklace and rings from these!)

bing

bang

boom.

Step four: Hang it on the wall and put all of your pretties in it! Put rings and studs inside, hang things from the roof and hang your earrings through the holes you drilled!











Ta-Da! Thoughts? Suggestions? Comments? Awards? Lay it on me.





Sunday, March 21, 2010

Manicures!


I was recently featured on a website called Regretsy (well, their facebook page), for my unkempt nails. Yada yada yada, I walked across the street and got a manicure.

And I. Am. In. Love. Even if it is already chipping from making jewelry after 2 days.

It's a sort of dark purple/blue with a subtle sparkle. And I absolutely love how the color goes with this giant pyrite ring!

Bathtubs?


Driving home from the Book Mill, I made Noah pull over so I could take pictures of these weird painted bath rubs with branches in them. What is going on? I want to live there.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon


Today is just one of those Sundays. We took our weekend guests to the Montague Book Mill, whose slogan "Books you don't need in a place you can't find" will forever be my favorite bumper sticker. It's a big old used book that is in an old mill, so it's next to a beautiful running river. It also has a great cafe and music store! What could be better? I took this picture of Ben and our friend Noah after two little boys who kind of looked like their younger selves walked over to the railing. I can't stop laughing at it.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Happy Spring!


Today was the absolute best weather for the first day of Spring! To celebrate, I finished up this lightning storm cloud necklace. The clouds are made from old silver coins from the 40's that I've flattened in a roller. I love the brushed finish, it gives them a stormy feel.


Thursday, March 18, 2010

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Eureka!


A found an amazing piece of iron pyrite the other day in a funny little store and knew it would make the perfect gigantic ring for someone!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

More things?


I just realized my last post is titled "so many things" when really there was only one thing.

But here are more!


I'm beginning a little meteorological jewelry series, and the first two pieces are cloud studs and a cloud and pink drusy rain drop necklace! Studs coming soon.

So many things.


I woke up this morning to a bazillion hits on my Etsy.

Google Analytics told me they were from Facebook.

Confused, I did a wee little research, and saw that yours truly made it onto Regrety's Facebook page!

And not for my jewelry (thank god) but for MY THUMB.

AGAIN.
This time for my Honeycomb Knuckle Ring.
That darn thumb. It's out to get me!

So if you feel like seeing all of the mean (and nice!) things people have to say about my dirty thumb, check out the link above and scroll down a few posts. They obviously have a point, I shouldn't be modeling jewelry with a cuticle that makes people barf. Even though I didn't even notice it!

I've got big manicure plans tomorrow... that'll show them!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Barbapapas!!!




A million thanks to Millie, a reader who told me who that funny little character was!! A member of the Barbapapa family! I remember reading one of the books, even though nobody else in my family knows anything about it. They are a species created by Annette Tison and Talus Taylor, who lived in Paris. I found a page out of the book, The Barbapapa's New house, which is the book I remember. http://www.ouvre.com/wp-content/barbapapa-maison.jpg


They made the rooms by covering the papa Barbapapa (the big pink one) in cement, and then when it dried he would move and they'd do it again! I love it.

Images from someone else who had the same epiphany a few years ago.

Bag Breakdown.


I just ordered this bag from RuME online.



Necessary? Probably not. But look at all of those zippers and pockets! So many POCKETS. I can put everything in it! Receipts! Delivery Confirmation slips! Boxes! BOXES.

Two things.

One.

I was in Essentials in Northampton yesterday (great, overwhelming, expensive store that I want to live in.) And I saw this little guy.



Please, please PLEASE WHAT IS HE FROM?? I remember reading a picture book about them, where they live in weird undergound cave like things, and were doing construction on it with a tractor. Please, internet, help! Balbos? Bobabos? Blobolosbls? Something like that.

2. Check out T's World! It's a fun blog, and she recently featured my bike necklace in Spring Etsy Picks feature!

Coat Hanger Complete.



Also, I finally hung up the coat hanger on the wall! And guess what?

It holds coats!!

*shakes fists above head triumphantly*

Wannabe



Last night we went to this bar in Turners Falls and were pleasantly surprised to see it was karaoke night.

I sang wannabe by the spice girls, (after help from a couple of beers).

Needless to say it was one of the best nights of my life.

Maybe that's an exaggeration. But it was empowering!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

The decadence, the decadence!



I recently sold two custom made pearl caviar rings (one with a black pearl!! Stunning.) Everytime I made one of these pearl rings, I thought to myself, "why don't I use a gem stome instead of a pearl for a change?"

So, here's the newest addition to the Caviar Ring world! Sterling silver band, 14k gold bezel, and beautiful bright pink sapphire. I reckon I like it.

Here are the two pearl rings going out Monday to some fine gentlemen.


Dew Covered Disco Ball Ring?



I recently made a purchase of three bright pink drusies from Etsy! I immediately made a delicate looking little ring with a frosted silver band and bezel. It's so hard to take good pictures of these stones!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Good evening all.

Just wanted to post a link to An Alliteration, where I was featured tonight as a successful Etsy seller!!! I was just tickled pink to be asked!

Hm. What else, what else. I really want to take a quick trip down to NYC with Ben for a night and run around and have fun, any suggestions for great/cheap hotels??

Turquoise Nest Ring


Meet the newest nest and eggs ring!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Oh. My. God.



Words can't express how wonderful an idea this is. Found at Swiss Miss. Buy it here.

Blog friends!


I sure do love being mentioned in blogs! And thanks to a recent Etsy front page appearance, I made it into a few beautiful ones. Go explore.











Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Love in the shadows


This morning I saw the sun light streaming through the saw cuts of my "love" ring, and had to take a picture.