Seedlings: Jewelry Because

On Vacation!

2010-08-13T15:03:00.001-04:00

I put my Etsy shop on vacation mode until the first week in October. I'm still working on various projects but they are all for myself or for gifts. I realized that I hardly ever make anything for myself and that's just not right...so I'm correcting that! See y'all when the weather is cooler!

Oh gadgetry...how I lurve you.

2010-06-18T23:32:00.002-04:00

I was mad one day and told a fib to my hubby that I didn't like technology. He laughed and I knew I lost whatever argument was going on. What a huge lie...I lurve technology...it is the magic that continues to fascinate beyond the everyday miracles of existence.

To that end, I just purchased a Pepe Jump Ringer from Otto Frei (they are on sale right now plus they had 5% off during their Las Vegas show, http://www.ottofrei.com/store/product.php?productid=10076) and decided to put it through some quick paces with some Celtic cage earrings.

One thing that had slowed my testing of new chainmaille designs was the need to either create jump rings or buy them. If you've priced jump rings, you know they can get quickly expensive and while I will need to continue to purchase them for things like anodized aluminum, I want to be able to make my own things out of copper and silver (sterling and argentium) as needed.

I had been using knitting needle mandrels and sawing them with a jeweler's saw which is fine for very small batches but it is...so...slow.

After some initial messing about with getting the jump ringer configured correctly (and note to Otto Frei, your instructions included with this product are *very* confusing) I whipped up enough jump rings to do one pair of these fun earrings.

So next I am tackling a Jens Pind chain and have promised hubby a helm of some sort...

Work finished! My version of steampunk...

2010-06-06T00:39:00.003-04:00

Last night at the bookstore, I thumbed through a book all about Steampunk jewelry. I think all but one of the pieces had a watch part connected to it. I even predicted to my friend Katey, I says to her, I says, "I'll betcha all of the stuff in that book has a watch part or cog on it."

So I had started a freeform copper pendant, riveted and then I made a setting for a prehnite cabochon. I wasn't sure what type of chain I wanted to have it connected to and had been thinking about chainmaille of some type. However, I'm waiting until I get a jump ringer system until I do more serious mailling just due to how tedious it is to do lots of jump rings by hand.

I had seen some different types of chains in Tim McCreight's "The Complete Metalsmith" book and thought of a variant where I took one inch lengths of 12 gauge copper wire, planished and filed the ends, drilled a hole in each end, and then connected with smaller jump rings. The chain has added charm of looking like bones!

I also made a toggle clasp to match and a simple bail for the pendant and then dipped the whole caboodle into some liver of sulfur concoction. After much work with some 0000 steel wool, I am so happy with this necklace. I can't wait to wear it a bit to show it off...perhaps with a top hat, or a steam vent...to declare this is something steampunkery without a cog or a watch part.

To the airship everyone!

Pearlsplosion: where copper meets a gajillion freshwater pearls.

2010-06-03T18:29:00.002-04:00

I've been creating...just not getting very much listed but I'm trying to reverse that during the summer especially for many of my unique pieces. This bracelet, Pearlsplosion, I'm particularly happy with not only because it swam around in my head for a looooong time before I put it together but because it starts out with minutiae and builds into one grand piece of wrist candy.

I used 8 different colors of pearls in clumps of 2 and 3 in sections over hammered, oxidized copper washers. Each pearl was wrap-looped (doubled up for strength) on handmade copper headpins. Clumps of pearls were then attached by a copper jump ring to a crossed set of bright aluminum jump rings. Those jump rings connect the larger copper washers which are all different sizes, slightly!

Just love how every piece is a bit different but it all comes together in the end, don't you think? I went through quite a few of my pearls so need to keep my eyes open for some more lovely colors -- these are all greens, blues, a touch of purple and cream/white.

View more photos on the Etsy listing and thanks for visiting!

Work in progress: Riveting!

2010-06-01T21:13:00.003-04:00

Ever since I borrowed a book on cold connections (metal) from my good friend and metalsmith Melissa Moloney, I've been smitten with rivets. To clarify, the kind made with wee tubing. I tried the kind with just wire and didn't care for it as much but I can see the merit of it so ya know, keep it in the skills arsenal.

For someone who claims to dislike working with small things, tiny slices of tubing aren't exactly the easiest to deal with either. I found myself putting down some paper towels under my workspace because the little bits of tubing kept running off. I need to make a sheet of double-sided tape to stick things like that during the middle of a project.

This freeform copper pendant with prehnite stone needs some polishing up and I will likely play with some oxidization with it as I really love that look with copper. Next part is the chain. Work in progress!

Mother's Day Jewelry Show and Sale at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta, GA

2010-04-14T20:34:00.002-04:00

Come visit Seedlings: Jewelry Because at our shared table with fellow metalsmith/jewelry designer Melissa Moloney at the upcoming event at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta, GA -- details below and at the Callanwolde website!

[From their website if you don't want to click...]
SATURDAY, MAY 8; 9 am to 2 pm
SUNDAY, MAY 9; 10 am TO 4 pm
MOTHER’S DAY JEWELRY SHOW AND SALE
Callanwolde presents its first Jewelry Show and Sale on Mother’s Day weekend. Original, handmade pieces created by the Callanwolde jewelry making instructors and students will be available for sale in all price ranges. Family members will have an opportunity to purchase unique and thoughtful gifts for that special someone. Springtime at Callanwolde is a sight to behold. Bring a loved one and pick out that special gift. The event will be located on the Callanwolde grounds at the Samuel Goldman Retreat. For more information call 404-872-5338.

March, in like a lamb.

2010-03-01T18:46:00.002-05:00

So I've been taking quite an extended leave of absence from my previous very active online presence. I think it has been important to take the time I need to let my brain get used to how things are now with my Dad gone. I still don't feel 100% awesome most days...just less pained lately, more introspective.

I have been keeping busy though through no fault of my own! I've done a handful of custom orders as well as working on some random projects such as a chainmail purse (as modeled by Mauricio!). Orders have been steady through the Etsy shop and my brain is starting to wake up for new projects I want to tackle this year. My Etsyversary, if you will, is March 29 so it might be fun to do something with that...not sure yet.

This post is more of an 'I'm still here' post and a 'kick-start my booty' post so more as it comes to me, just like always.

Memories from the Front Row

2010-01-22T04:34:00.003-05:00

My Dad loved movies, maybe not quite as much as he loved books, but enough so that one of my favorite memories involves when VHS/VCR rental really took off and we would go to the Aardvark Video in town, he would let my sister and I pick out a movie and he would get a couple, we might get a pizza and then the whole family would watch movies practically all weekend.

My Dad passed away last week, on the 14th of January, and to keep busy and to capture some of the memories that our family and friends had I wanted to make some memory books to take to his memorial.

I remembered that my friend Rebecca Salcedo made bound journals for her Etsy shop Outward Bound from recycled movie and TV placards. I sent her email to see if she had any sci-fi, fantasy, western, action covers that might be cool for this project and she said, 'come on over and let's look.'

We found some cool covers and Rebecca dipped into her older movies stash and we found some of Dad's favorites too. After much slicing, dicing and stacking everything was assembled and I'm so excited to share them when I get home.

Click here to view an electronic version of the inside of the memory book. I didn't change the formatting so it shows the left and right sides together -- hope it's not too confusing!

Thank you Rebecca for helping make some memories about my Dad even more special.

Links:
CaringBridge Site for John Turner

Outward Bound, handmade notebooks journals sketchbooks from recycled and re-purposed materials on Etsy

John Turner Memory Book, PDF

Accidental Nesting

2010-01-14T22:26:00.003-05:00

I had a recent sale of my leaf shaped hoop earrings in argentium sterling silver to someone in Australia. I sent her a conversation to see if they were for a gift or if she needed special packaging etc.

She replied: "Thank you for your note-great service! These earrings are so pretty. I had a similar pair that I bought in Australia, by a Melbourne designer, that had a little silver bird cutout dangling from them but I lost one one night. I can't afford to replace the pair entirely so I'm finding bits and pieces so that I can make a similar pair. I've salvaged the bird and bought a swallow bird cutout charm on etsy to complement it. But I haven't been able to find the right shape hoops until now. I think yours will be perfect."

She had found some silver bird charms from a different Etsy seller so just needed the leaf shaped hoop style earrings to recreate her earrings.

I had made some wee versions of the regular round hoop earrings and included a pair because I like to get new designs tested by folks. I had email from her with attached photos with this note: "I'm mailing you to this address because I forgot to attach an appreciation pic to my feedback on etsy and I don't think that the convo system has a provision for sending attachments. I just wanted to say thanks again for your great service. I love the earrings and wore them all day yesterday. But the charms I was going to put on them actually look better on the smaller pair! I was so chuffed that you sent me an extra pair anyway but even more so now that my little birdies look good on them."

I also love her feedback: "I wish there was another button next to the green + sign that had two plusses on it! This seller was a great communicator and extraordinarily thoughtful. And I wore my earrings as soon as they came out of the mail box. Thank you!"

This made me so happy and I posted the photos on the Facebook page as well. I love hearing about and seeing photos of people enjoying their jewelry!

Handmade Artists' Forum Blogtastic: Heather's Haven

2010-01-13T17:14:00.003-05:00

You'll notice one thing about my jewelry -- I don't work with the tiny beads. Those wee, willy nilly seed ones that make me squint and send my fingers sprawling trying to keep up with them. I have a HUGE amount of respect and admiration for crafty folks who not only work with these tiny wonders but create amazing jewelry. Although Heather creates in other media, it's the teensy bead aspect I'm focusing on for my blogtastic feature.

Take this beaded cuff with Russian serpentine, just lurve this!

Heather is extremely active and supportive on the Handmade Artists' Forum. I love that she takes the time to comment on other posts and keep the Share the Love program going.

Links for Heather's Haven:
Blog -- http://heathershaven2.blogspot.com/
Etsy -- http://www.etsy.com/shop/heathershaven
Artfire -- http://www.artfire.com/users/heathershaven
Twitter -- http://www.twitter.com/heathershaven
Facebook -- http://www.facebook.com/HeathersHaven2

Year in Review: Part 5, Life Lessons and the Important Miscellaneous Stuff

2010-01-09T20:54:00.002-05:00

I realized after looking at my short sheet of things I wanted to talk about in a year-end review that I could probably stretch on indefinitely...I do like to get rambly. However, one of my 2010 blog goals is to get back to my Start-to-Finish series and also join in with the new Handmade Artists' Forum blog ring so that will start this upcoming week.

Now, to bring this series to a lurvely, bow-wrapped finish with part 5...Life Lessons and the Important Miscellaneous Stuff.

Be Generous
Be generous when possible, and product appropriate. Depending on what someone has ordered I may include a small pair of earrings so they can try out a different material or color. I had a lot of earrings in a particular style I made at the beginning of 2009 that for whatever reason were not as popular as I thought they would be but when I include them with orders I get feedback that they get the most compliments. It has been a sideways lesson to me in what I think will be popular and that I prefer to do made-to-order jewelry but that also if you give people a sample then they will understand your vision better.

A large part of what Seedlings: Jewelry Because is based on generosity especially our connection to Heifer International (20% of all regular sales go straight to the cow to speak). I do that because I'm in this for the love of what I do and feel strongly about giving that back how I can. I am so blessed in so many ways and where I can, I have to share it.

Try New Things
I started out offering one kind of earring. I branched out by offering multiple colors of that same earring. I branched again and used some different beads and charms. I got curious about chainmaille and hammering metals. I took a metalsmithing class (well, most of it). I took a plunge and made necklaces. I tried new metals and fell in love with copper. There are so many things still that I want to do and try (and yes I'm keeping a notebook so I don't lose track) and that keeps me excited for 2010 and beyond.

You never know what you'll find out about yourself until you let yourself take risks. Be bold, be brave and forge ahead in your adventures!

Make Friends
Hello other OCD control freaks out there who like to reinvent the wheel...we have a secret group that meets frequently to remind us we don't have to do everything alone. Join as many teams, guilds, groups as are appropriate and active to what is specific to you -- don't be afraid to get involved and then get uninvolved if things fall apart (it happens).

One group I highly recommend for all crafty folks is the Handmade Artists' Forum. Additionally check out the various Etsy Teams to find some good fits.

The online folks I have met have transformed my experience from something I did to share with co-workers into something deeply meaningful that is shared regardless of geographic boundaries. I was also lucky to find a regional Etsy team (Team NorGa) filled with fantastic crafty folk who have become real life friends (as we like to say in the online world).

Share What You Know
I like to say that everything I learn these days is from the Internets (or for you purists, the Webbernets). I praise the folks who have been out there reinventing wheels and take the time to post their successes and failures. Here is a short list of my favorite tutorial sites or blogs where people make a point of sharing:
http://www.jewelrylessons.com/ [Many lessons here are free, you just have to register.]
http://totallytutorials.blogspot.com/ [All kinds of crafty tutorials and look for exchanges where you can participate and right your own to submit.]
http://creativejewelrymaking.com/ [From Karen Ferrante.]
http://wirejewelrylessons.blogspot.com/ [From author Sharilyn Miller.]

Keep On Going
At a few points this last year I really felt either overwhelmed by projects I took on (getting shop stocked, getting social media going, actually creating stuff) or like doing nothing at all (hello September).

I recall one of the most important lessons I ever learned from my dad when he taught me how to catch a softball -- at one point I missed the catch and the ball hit me in the jaw. It surprised me and hurt and as a little kid, it made me cry. We paused and he told me that I needed to get the mitt in front of my face if that's where the ball was going and that sometimes I might get hit no matter what but that I couldn't let it stop me.

I think back on all the crazy jobs he tackled to keep our family going through the years and all the crazy jobs I've been willing to do to keep mine going. One of the last significant conversations we had was about a moldy wall I found in my house and how I was annoyed to deal with it. He said, "It's the moldy walls that keep us going, give us a reason."

My reason for creating jewelry has been because it's a spot of beautiful that comes from the real me, the true me, beyond any facade I have to wear at my real life pays the bills job. Find your reason and make it your passion and don't let it go -- put it in bold letters on your wall, do whatever you need to do to remind yourself why.

Important Miscellaneous Stuff
Many other fine blogs have written about the importance of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), pricing and product research, branding and packaging, and to a lesser extent customer service so I am putting some links on those topics here because all of those things were very important to me in 2009 (and areas where I will continue to learn and explore in 2010):

Crafting your Etsy shop (Purple Lemon Designs): http://purplelemondesigns.com/blog/2009/09/08/my-etsy-journey-crafting-my-shop-part-1/

Pricing Handmade Artisan Jewelry (Jewelry by Jules): http://www.online-wire-wrapping-instructions.com/pricing-handmade-artisan-jewelry/

Strands of Thought [all sorts of great topics from Susan Sheehan's blog]: http://susanasheehan.blogspot.com/

Year in Review: Part 4, Search Engine Optimization

2010-01-04T17:29:00.003-05:00

SEO, or search engine optimization, with all its talk of keywords and their relevance can at least be daunting and at most feel like the emperor's new clothes with what it can promise. For Etsy shops, the veil was lifted a bit last year with the release of an in-depth guide to how the bits of our listings relate to what shows up specifically on Google, http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/etsy-guide-to-seo-5224/. Be sure to download the PDF guide from the link about halfway down the page.

Traffic from search engines is consistently number three for me beyond direct Etsy traffic and social media sites (Twitter and Facebook). It is an ongoing project to tweak my shop and listings so that I'm compliant with the current best practices in this area but I consider it worth it for the exposure in search engines. Googling information has become commonplace and a verb to most people.

At a minimum you should set your shop up to use Google Analytics so you can monitor your shop traffic, referring sites, keywords and more. This tool can track more than just your Etsy shop (I use it for my blog and regular site) and is it's own beast that I won't cover here. Click here to view a video from Handmadeology.com on setting up Google Analytics in your Etsy shop.

Using the info gleaned from Google analytics can help determine shop weak points or trends to products you hadn't considered. The other thing it helps with is figuring out how real world people look for your products. I hadn't considered this when I was listing my chainmaille jewelry pieces because as someone who crafts, I have a different vocabulary then someone who is looking for the same thing (unless they are also someone who crafts). Click here to read an article on Handmade Marketing about how to get more out of your Google Analytic reports.

My hubby pointed this out when he said, "why do you call it chainmaille with the extra letters at the end? If I was looking for the same thing I wouldn't call it that." Keyword searches confirmed that.

After thoroughly reviewing the Etsy SEO guide, the first listing I experimented with for a variety of keywords was for a chainmaille keychain. In the title I gave it a few common synonyms such as keyfob and I also just called it chain mail in addition to the particular chain weave I used. I may have gone a bit overboard with the length of the title but I immediately started to see traffic using some of the keywords I had put into the title and description.

In the past I had just been putting fun names in the title and giving whimsical descriptions. I still name quite a few of my creations and enjoy spicing up my descriptions but in order to maximize how people can find me through search engines I do the regular details first.

One thing I am working on is finding a good balance to the length of my descriptions. I know from reading in the Etsy forums that many people find very lengthy titles a turn off. Apart from Etsy sellers who for the most part aren't the folks buying my jewelry, the only technical reason to keep titles fairly short is that after a certain character description they don't show up in search results. Click here to read more on Etsy's The Storque blog about tags, titles and relevant search.

While you are making a listing Etsy has provided a tool to show you how your title and the first part of your description will show up in search results. I use this to make sure that what I've put in doesn't look odd and gets the most important information first.

An area that Etsy is in the process of opening up to all sellers is inclusion in the Google Product Search Syndication. There are very specific guidelines about how products can be inserted (see more at http://www.etsy.com/storque/etsy-news/tech-update-google-product-search-syndication-6258/ and
http://www.gotogreatpanes.com/blog/2009/12/06/faqs-about-the-etsy-gm-feed/. I had been putting the phrase 'Free Shipping to the US' in my titles but will be taking this out and just putting it in my policies and shop appearance information so that my listings won't be excluded.

Making some simple changes to listings as you move forward can make a big difference without overwhelming you to what you already have listed. If you decide to renew or relist an item that is a good time to review the information you have and how it might affect search engine results if you don't want to do a massive overhaul at once.

Not sure what "regular" people are calling what you create? Give Google AdWords: Keyword Tool a try or ask your friends or Facebook fans for some feedback.

Year in Review: Part 3, Product Photography

2010-01-03T11:31:00.004-05:00

My photographs were terrible when I started. I had no clue about macro settings, light sources…anything really. I had a digital camera and tried to get clear photos but the flash was just really harshing everything up. Here’s an early example (28 January, 2009):

My friend Katey Jackson of Snarky Design (http://kateyj.etsy.com) says to me, “build a lightbox and find the macro setting on your camera.”

So, I did. I even wrote a tutorial on how to make your own cardboard lightbox based on my research and experience, http://www.seedlingsjewelry.com/pdf/cardboard-lightbox.pdf.

The change was dramatic and turned me into a macro photography nut for a bit (lots of photos of all the small things around the house in my Flickr feed somewhere...). Beyond all the things you can do with your descriptions or keywords having clear, beautiful photographs of your creations is one of the most important things you can do to improve your shop.

I still continue to experiment with how I like to show my jewelry but other things I have improved during 2009 would be to add at least one shot showing scale (I typically hold the item in my hand) and to have a model wearing the item (myself usually or if it’s a unisex or men’s piece, my hubby). I would like to do a professional photo shoot at some point and had one planned in late 2009 but had to cancel it due to timing and money.

I’m in the process of creating a new lightbox that is a bit more flexible than my early cardboard one. I also found I liked the darker look of taking shots from my workbench as opposed to the very bright white backgrounds of the lightbox. I know this is something I can switch out once I have a new lightbox so it’s an area that I continue to enjoy learning new things with.

Switching up your product photos doesn't have to be super expensive but it can be time consuming. Do your research on what you can do within your budget and comfort level and set a goal to do a little bit at a time. One tip I learned late in the year was to take new photos of items that you relist. That way if you have been really unhappy with the photos it will give you a reason to get everything set up and make the photos better while you are going through the process anyway.

What have you done during the year to improve your photos? Comment with links on your before and after photos (I think I deleted most of my before shots...) or other tips.

Year in Review: Part 2, Daily Listing or Renewal on Etsy

2010-01-02T12:01:00.002-05:00

I'm a sucker for anything where secrets are revealed. I think marketers know that but most of the time once you get to the magical unfurling, its information you already knew! My curiosity still ends up making me click though and during this year my inquisitiveness has led me to some activities that helped sales in my shop.

This installment of my Year in Review covers daily listings or renewals on Etsy.

When I started my Etsy shop in March I used to list everything I had made all at one time. What I would notice would be a rush of traffic for the next day or so and then nothing until I put up more listings. Since your new listings start at the top of the area (in my case jewelry) and then go further back in the pages, that visitor behavior only makes sense.

Some folks keep their product higher in the pages by daily renewal which at a twenty cent fee is the same as a new listing. Since I tend to create in multiples I prefer to do new listings but have sometimes done a renewal especially if I have products that are expiring.

When I started to do a daily listing not only did I decrease the amount of stress of photographing and writing descriptions for my jewelry but I noticed a change in my traffic and where it was coming from. My Google analytics switched from top traffic as Twitter and Facebook (primarily from me posting links) to being direct within Etsy or from keyword searches in search engines.

I break up the week by days into “creating” and “marketing” with the middle of the week for the actual doing i.e. crafting whatever pops into my head (and taking photos right then is possible) and the weekend for promoting. By having a stash of ready to go photographs I can easily do my daily listing when I have time typically very early in the morning or right when I get home from work.

Whether you set a renewal budget or have the type of product that will benefit from new listings, I recommend you try doing something daily and see if it helps your views and sales. Try different times of the day on different days as well. This also makes a difference with Twitter traffic especially.

More on search engine optimization, product photography and social marketing in the next few days!

Year in Review, Part One

2009-12-31T19:15:00.003-05:00

On this last day of 2009 I pause to reflect on two particular goals. First, I think back to March when my first goal for Heifer International was to be able to purchase a trio of rabbits. That came and went so quickly it made my head spin. (Have to love the progress graphic I kept updating...)

I know that people are always skeptical when a project is much more successful than they anticipate but I attribute at least two factors here in that I'm very passionate about both jewelry and my causes and also what I'm creating reflects my true self and it is liked. Now it's time to stand in front of mirror and get my brain to believe the truth!

So when I totaled up all the regular sales for December and made the Heifer donation, it was enough for almost three sets of honeybees, US$80 for December! That puts us at US$345 for 2009 which is way way way beyond everything I anticipated. I am honored that my jewelry is out in the world being enjoyed and that it is helping empower families with sustainable food.

A secondary goal that surfaced in late October was for the Prostate Cancer Foundation in celebration of Movember. For all the Mo-Stache necklaces bought in the month of November we donated US$5 each. It was such a popular item that we kept making them through December (although I changed the donation to US$3 per necklace to help cover the cost of materials and shipping).

We were able to have all our donations matched per dollar through the Safeway Foundation. In two months we raised US$180 and plan on continuing the Mo-Stache in our Etsy shop.

Thank you to everyone who made 2009 a phenomenal year -- here's to continued success in 2010.

Sea Change -- or how I need winter to be done already, thanks.

2009-12-23T22:56:00.003-05:00

Actually, the more I look at this necklace it is rather evocative of a stormy ocean, oh well. But I've had these freshwater pearl beads since September when we were able to go to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The little green shells I picked up a couple weeks ago and something just clicked in my head with the satin ribbon.

It's a piece that makes me wish it smelled like the ocean too...

Everything I learn is from the Internets.

2009-12-13T15:53:00.004-05:00

I said that yesterday to Rebecca aka Smelly Rhino and it took her fancy. It was true when it came to craft shows though and I participated in my first one yesterday with the Etsy North Georgia street team. We had a holiday bazaar at Jan aka Pamper Pantry's house and I thought it was fantastic. I definitely want to do more and I learned a lot from the experience.

Katey aka Snarky Design shared a table with me and our minds work brilliantly together I must say. She had the purple fabric and boxes for giving everything different height on the table. The Friday night before we were randomly talking about holiday decorations and she told me to bring my wee lil tree and we ended up putting earrings on it.

I had also seen a blog post by Galleria Linda on custom earring cards. She had a photo from a friend who had made some tent cards so they would be able to write on the back, etc. I picked up some of the same cardstock I've been using with the eco-friendly theme (it is also 70% recycled content) and that's what I used for the flat part of the table.

These were a great idea and really worked well for people. They were able to pick up the whole card and touch the earrings and easily take them out to try them on, read the back for the materials etc. without a lot of hassle. I will definitely do that again and would recommend it to anyone who likes to do their own packaging.

Although the tree with earrings for ornaments was a cool idea, in practice it didn't turn out to be as effective. The way people would scan our table was to start at the left with the pyramid bags that Katey had made and then down to the earring display cards. I would have to point out the smaller pyramid bags under the tree and the earrings on the tree. I think the reason was that people are used to seeing trees as decoration and we were using it out of that element so it was a disconnect. Once people were shown how the tree was being used though then they had no problems with it.

Janine from Girl Sew Pretty had a really lovely way of displaying her bracelets and necklaces with what looked like willow branches in a large glass jar (and forgive me because I should have snagged a photo) so something to keep in mind for the next show!

I felt very prepared from having read some other online info about what to bring to a show including a mirror which got borrowed by quite a few other people at the show. The traffic wasn't overwhelming and it was good to be able to talk to the other team members as well. We are definitely going to do these more often!

The Ethical Jewelry Handbook: a Resource Guide for Jewelers Wishing to Adopt Exceptional Standards -- free e-book by Marc Choyt

2009-12-09T19:12:00.003-05:00

I first read Marc Choyt's e-book on the jewelry industry's current best practices in regards to fair trade, eco-friendly and ethically sourced materials about six months ago. When I was first researching how and where to find sources to use in my own work, his website and this information was like a pot of green gold.

He just e-mailed me an updated copy and you can get a copy by simply e-mailing him a request. Please see his website http://www.fairjewelry.org/ for more information. The e-book is 140 pages and filled with articles of interest from mining practices to how to implement simple practices in your business to make positive steps.

Start to Finish: Pentaloops earrings

2009-12-03T17:44:00.002-05:00

If I haven't been posting much it's because I've been busy -- some of it the not so great busy but a large portion has been working on orders including one for a Greek Orthodox church in Wisconsin who wanted a plethora of Pentaloop earrings for upcoming festivals.

The Pentaloop earrings use beads made from Mykonos Greek clay made by Linden Avenue Designs. I first found MaryAnn's fantastic beads when she posted some of her listings on Twitter. Her prices are great and she has wonderful customer service. She also likes to feature how her creations get used on her blog so please do check out her beads!

The coiled earwires used in these earrings are handmade. Surprised? I was too at how great they turned out. Please visit JewelryLessons.com for the fantastic free tutorial by Abby Hook on how to make them. You'll need to register but its worth it and they also have other tutorials worth checking out.

For these earrings, while you can substitute beads and metals as desired, you'll want to be sure the beads have quite a large hole, almost a donut, otherwise your jump rings will fight for space and you won't get the dangly motion that is so attractive with these earrings.

I used 19 gauge pure copper wire for the jump rings. I hand wound the wire on a 9mm knitting needle and then cut the rings with a jeweler's saw. You can use a flush cutter -- I just had a lot of jump rings to make and the saw goes more quickly.

I have found that when cutting jump rings with a jeweler's saw if you use short coils, less than an inch in length and wrap them in masking tape you'll get a cleaner cut and the tape keeps most of the metal bits from scattering about.

Especially because the jump rings are on the big side, I recommend conditioning them by opening and closing them flush, and smacking them a few times with a rubber or nylon mallet. Although most books will tell you not to tumble your jump rings with your shot or tumbling media because you'll be picking out jump rings forever, I had so many jump rings I decided to go ahead. I wasn't picking them out for too long...

Because the finished earrings have a clay bead component I didn't want to chance tumbling them at the end. Tumbling did a nice job of getting most of the errant burrs out of the jump rings but I still kept a small file handy for ones I found while I was putting the chains together.

Once you have at least 10 jump rings you can start to make the chains for your earrings. Open one jump ring and add two of your beads -- close the jump ring. Open another jump ring and pass it through the second bead you added to the first ring and then add another bead. Repeat until you have used 5 beads and 5 jump rings. Set this chain aside and make another with your remaining 5 beads and jump rings. You should have two lengths of bead/jump ring chain when complete.

I made coiled earwires using the method described in the tutorial from JewelryLessons.com mentioned at the beginning. To complete the earrings I opened the last jump ring from my bead/jump ring chains and added the earwire.

During this process I made twelve pairs of Pentaloops!

Resources:
Mykonos Greek Ceramic Beads by Linden Avenue Designs

Coiled Earwires Tutorial by Abby Hook on JewelryLessons.com (free with registration)

Pentaloops Earrings at Seedlings: Jewelry Because on Etsy.com

Start to Finish: Lariat Necklace in Steel with Vintage Music Paper Beads

2009-11-23T23:33:00.007-05:00

Click here to view the entire tutorial!

Introduction

Working with materials found around the house or at the hardware store to make jewelry for yourself or friends is a lot of fun. You can substitute the materials used for really anything, it is the technique that can be used again and again for a variety of necklaces.

I have a deep background in music – I started playing the piano at age five and have a bachelor’s degree in music composition. I spent a semester in Ghana studying the role of women musicians in traditional groups throughout the country. It is only fairly recently that I was given a chance to combine all these factors into this necklace.

The vintage music paper beads are from Tanith’s Odds and Ends at http://www.etsy.com/shop/tanithsoddsandends which were provided for use in this tutorial.

Some fantastic tips about working with steel wire can be found in a past Beading Daily blog post by Jean Campbell, http://www.beadingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2009/05/20/7-tips-for-using-steel-wire-in-your-jewelry-designs.aspx but here are some quick points:

Don’t use your nice jewelry tools i.e. round-nose pliers, flush cutters etc. – keep a separate set for working with base metal wire. I had an old set from when I first started working with wire but also purchased a basic wire cutter from the hardware store just for steel wire.

Expect to get dirty. Wash your hands well after handling wire and don’t eat or drink or keep open containers in your work area.

Consider sealing your finished piece with clear acrylic sealer or spray to guard against rust and to keep any stray coating off your clothes.

Goal

This tutorial will guide you through making a lariat length (anywhere from 30 to 50-inches typically) necklace with vintage music paper beads and steel wire.

I used some recycled glass beads from Ghana, krobo beads, for a touch of color at the bottom.

Click here to view the entire tutorial!

Offline for a bit.

2009-11-08T12:34:00.000-05:00

Due to a family emergency my Etsy shop will be in vacation mode and I will have limited online access for at least a week. Thank you for your understanding!

Do you have your Mo-Stache for Movember?

2009-10-29T19:34:00.003-04:00

My hubby is the most precious being in the universe to me. I know that cancer runs in his family. He has told me several times that he is very worried about it so when he came to me and asked me if we were doing anything for Movember, I said, 'what's Movember?'

He directed me to the section of the Prostate Cancer Foundation website with a bit of info and an excellent video.

He had an idea for some earrings so that ladies could participate by showing support and raising awareness. I agreed to make a prototype and also thought it would be cool to make a necklace so I started researching moustaches.

I was drawn to the handlebar moustache (or sometimes spelled mustache) and decided to work with copper sheet due to the color. Using pretty much the same technique described in the previous Start to Finish post on the hammered copper disc earrings, I sawed out some tiny staches.

Although the finished earrings photographed fairly well, they just didn't have the same eye-catching appeal as the necklace. When I showed hubby when he got home from work he described the necklace as "B-A" which translates to 'badass.'

As I said, I love my hubby dearly and would sport a jaunty mustache to help raise money for Movember, so that's what I'm doing.

You can purchase your own Mo-Stache, lovingly crafted, from the Seedlings shop on Etsy or from http://www.seedlingsjewelry.com -- US$5 of each sale goes to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Start to Finish: Hammered Copper Earrings

2009-10-25T18:36:00.002-04:00

After a mopey month, the last couple of days have been creative storms. With hubby Jim agreeing to take up more of the marketing activities I suddenly don't feel so overwhelmed and ideas are just pouring out in a good way.

One of the activities I want to focus on with my blog is to show work that I'm doing from start to finish as well as tutorials when those make sense. I learn mostly by reading books and finding information online and I love folks who do share their information in return.

This afternoon I tackled a project that I bought materials for two months ago: 24 gauge copper sheet, blue rubber Dremel polishing tips, tripoli and rouge buffing compounds. I had seen these hammered copper earrings in the Chic Metal jewelry book by Victoria Tillotson and felt they would be a good next step from the metalsmithing class I wasn't able to finish earlier this year.

[Safety seal says, 'arf arf' which translates to put your dust mask on, eye protection, and when you get to hammering to put your earplugs in!]

I started by cutting two identical circle shapes out of the copper sheet. I used the base of my earplug carrier for the size and first put them on tracing paper, glued to the copper sheet with gluestick. Because the copper sheet was a bit thin, sawing went rather quickly although wasn't as smooth as I've gotten used to with my new method for sawing jump rings.

Once the circles were cut out, I filed down the edges and rough spots starting with a large file and then switching to a smaller one to try to get the edges as round and smooth as possible. I probably could have done more filing but I like a bit of an organic circle and knew that the hammering process around the edge would wiggle things out too so I wasn't overly concerned with perfection, just wanted to make sure there weren't any really sharp or odd bits.

Using the ball end of the hammer I started gently hammering starting at the edge and moving in concentric circles, overlapping where needed so that the entire surface would get bonked. Doing this caused the copper sheet to curve up gently at the edges but again, a nice organic touch and will help catch the light along with the hammered texture.

Once I was happy with the hammered texture it was time to add a hole for the earwire. I have a new center punch that went right through the copper sheet although I was only going to use it to mark where to drill. Oh well, it worked so no worries.

Next, time to work with the Dremel tool (as I didn't have to load up the drill bits this time). I loaded up a blue rubber polishing tip, put one of the hammered discs into the wooden hand vise (because I have found it helps my stability and also because copper heats up quickly) and smoothed out the outside edges some more.

Next I switched to a felt head and used some tripoli polishing compound on both sides of the copper rounds. I know the backside of the earring isn't going to see a lot of action but if you wear your hair up a lot like I do, having a funky side to an earring that you don't want anybody to see isn't great fun.

I had no idea how shiny this process would make the copper. I've been using my tumbler for chains and earwires and it does a fabulous job but for large surfaces using the Dremel really makes a difference.

The last step was to whip up some earwires so I used some 19 gauge copper wire and used a new set of mandrel pliers to make a matched pair to work with the discs.

The end result is a very classy pair of hammered copper earrings, not too big and not too small.

Chicks, man...

2009-10-05T04:31:00.002-04:00

Thank you to everyone who purchased jewelry during September! Twenty percent of the proceeds went to purchase chicks from Heifer International. This puts our overall year-to-date donations at $220. Unbelievable from March when the initial goal was to be able to do one beehive by the end of the year.

The funk is over (I'm folding my arms on it anyway...)

2009-09-30T18:48:00.003-04:00

Apparently when I've made up my mind in certain areas I can be quite stubborn. Hubby teased me one day when I declared, "I've folded my arms," but he has a point. To that end, I've folded my arms on my creative funk by making a pair of earrings for my friend Justa.

She stopped to visit today at work and had on a beautiful necklace with a deep green and silver focal pendant strung with brown and green beads (yes, I should have snapped a picture with my phone). She said she needed a pair of earrings to match when I realized she was already wearing her pair of The Leaves I made for her many months ago. I chuckled a bit but said okay.

When I got home I looked through my stash and realized the brown carved bone beads I recently acquired along with some dyed green shell beads would be perfect. I put them on a pair of handforged argentium sterling silver earwires I made about a month ago so I hope she'll love this creation.

Nature puts green and brown together a lot and I love the combination! If you've got an idea for some jewelry you'd like to see from Seedlings, please let me know - I love doing custom pieces.

Creative funktopia.

2009-09-25T04:23:00.003-04:00

I keep having great ideas - I keep writing them down - I keep trying to execute them and end up scrapping everything (except the beads when I use those).

I am in a creative funktopia, solid now for what feels like a month?

I know it is because I have diverted all my brain energies to working on my professional portfolio (web design) and I'm using jewelry creation as a procrastination device.

To that end, I plan on getting the portfolio to a state where I can live with it and be satisfied with what it is by this weekend.

And no, this blog post is not the equivalent of telling someone you are going to workout and then not doing it...

I did post some stitch markers to the Etsy shop. The design was tested by some friends and they gave them the thumbs up which made me happy.

Embrace the power of the sun.

2009-09-13T01:42:00.004-04:00

I've been working on several fall-related ideas themed around what I consider the four main elements - earth, wind, fire, and water. My plan is to roll out particular jewelry pieces pertaining to those elements for the next four months starting with earth.

I identify most closely with earthy things which may be why this necklace jumped out of my head first. When sketching out general notes for pieces in the earth line, the word embrace kept coming to mind. I did some experiments in August with some earrings, wrapping some pearls around argentium silver wire in what hubby called a "messy wrap" but to me it looked beautiful. The earth is messy, you can't embrace it without getting your hands dirty.

I also associate particular metals and stones with earth especially copper, amber, turquoise and howlite. I think of terms like hibernate, heavy, and enclosed. I don't want the earth element to be something that is stagnant though, it's a positive embrace...a time to reflect and draw stability from that reflection.

This necklace uses seven sunstones which are the official gemstone of Oregon. They were a gift from fellow Handmade Artists' Forum member Dragonclaw as part of a purchase from his Etsy shop earlier this year. I love the gentle color in the sunstones and how they take to their copper embrace without fuss.

I used seven stones, one for each day of the week, so every day during the winter you could have a bit of light. I also connected each stone with a mobius or flower link to keep the energy going. Up the side, seven double rings connect a mobius link to the handforged clasp which ends in a small mobius link. Each link was hand coiled and cut.

This necklace made me happy to work on and happy to finish. I feel the strength of the sun gently radiating through the stones and through the links. I'm not so worried about the winter now.

Related Links:
Embrace - necklace in copper, Oregon sunstones on Etsy.

Recycling good memories.

2009-09-06T14:39:00.004-04:00

I'm not exactly a hoarder but I do have several boxes of keepsakes (the ones that survived the unfortunate flooding incident in college anyway) including jewelry that I no longer wear for whatever reason. I recently went through those boxes in order to consolidate and move them out of cardboard into more easily toted plastic boxes. I found some great memories in those boxes including a pair of simple earrings made from a single flat malachite bead on each side.

I remember having these earrings made at a booth at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival when I was in my early twenties so likely over fifteen years ago, way before I was making jewelry or had any interest in making it even. I do remember being amazed at the ease in which the artisan made the earrings and I wore them every day for a long time.

My favorite assistant professor in college commented on the earrings, telling me that malachite was known for absorbing bad energy and that you should have them cleansed from time to time. Those earrings did their job well I think over the years but I eventually stopped wearing them and they went into a box to be rediscovered.

I think the earwires must have been base metal of some sort but they were completely blacked over, well sort of a greenish black...a color you didn't want to put into your ear that's for sure. The style wasn't really appealing any longer but as a lone bead they didn't really make for good earrings.

I had the idea of making a ring version of the wire-wrapped cuffs I had recently made but was going to use a recycled glass bead from Ghana. I told hubby about the idea and he said, "a round bead might irritate your finger, do you have any flat beads?" I immediately thought about the flat malachite beads and I'm thrilled with the way it fit into the design.

I made this ring for myself as an experiment to see how it would turn out and also because I wanted to recycle that good memory now that I found it again. The ring was fun to make (as were the cuffs) and I have one more of those flat malachite beads. Perhaps I'll share that memory with another ring in my shop soon!

New hat from ElephunksTrunk!

2009-09-02T15:54:00.003-04:00

I was a fairly big hat person in college (well, they weren't big hats...cept maybe that one with the jaunty feather) but knew that I was in trouble when last year at the Paradiso family reunion I was scrambling to find a good sunhat. I settled, and that's a generous use of the word, for a really bad piece of work from Wal-mart.

I first took notice of ElephunksTrunk's (ElephunksTrunk.etsy.com), Celeste's hats during this year's Etsy YART sale. Something about the vivid orange of her reversible sunhat really pulled me in and I ordered one for hubby's mom. That was a huge success and I thought, 'now, it's just silly that you don't have one.'

So I was very lucky and saved my pennies and ordered my own. Working with Celeste was fantastic - she sent me convos all along the way showing me fabrics she had found that she thought would work well and letting me know the status of my order.

I wasn't even expecting it to be reversible because I had requested a wider brim but she went out of her way to figure it out so it's like I have two hats in one!

These are great customer service lessons for any type of shop but especially important when you are doing a custom order.

Protecting your face from the sun is very important to me as skin cancer runs in my family. Now I can get extra protection and do it in swirly luscious style.

Related Links:
Custom Sunhat from ElephunksTrunk on Etsy
ElephunksTrunk Blog
ElephunksTrunk on Facebook
Follow ElephunksTrunk on Twitter

Getting back into the swing of things...

2009-09-01T17:42:00.004-04:00

I've not been handling stress well the last few weeks and have felt pretty much like I'm stumbling around (sometimes literally) a lot. I've dealt with a few sick days, a few of hubby's banged up elbows (he's teaching himself to skateboard but that's been fun) and just an overwhelming sense of too much to do even if it's stuff that I want to do. I tend to shut down completely when that happens.

But not today, no sirree, I got back up on that horse and got some neat photos taken of a couple new pieces including Moops (moderate hoop earrings) in copper and a necklace-length Mmm, Mobius.

Tomorrow I start work on learning Full Persian chainmaille weave in a bracelet for hubby so will post photos on that work in progress.

Listings on Etsy:
Mmm, Mobius - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30243130
Moops in copper - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30243515

Cuffstravaganza complete...hope it fits...

2009-08-22T00:11:00.003-04:00

The last bit to work on was the connector piece of chainmaille (used European 4 in 1) and I finished it tonight. I had estimated on the number of jump rings and as my little pile got smaller I sighed heavily thinking about the sawing I had done a few days earlier. However, I was able to finish with even some to spare so hoorah for that!

I made some hooks with simple swirls for the connector piece to attach to the cuffs but since this is an experiment and I'm not even sure if it will look the way I mean it to, I made them easily detachable so that if all else fails Erica will at least have a couple different neat cuffs to work with.

The connector chainmaille could also be converted into a choker necklace without too much trouble...again, that's for if all else fails! Let's be optimistic.

I took some photos with a rolling pin to try an approximate Erica's slim arms. I took one with my apparently ye olde blacksmith beefy forearms but didn't want to bend the cuffs so it looks a bit funny.

It was a challenge and I loved it and I learned several new things in the process so all is well in the world. Going to ship it out either tomorrow or Monday and also going to put up a listing in my Etsy shop for custom cuffstravanza (without the chainmaille connector and with just one cuff) for anyone who is interested!

Put me to work crafting something for you!

In the Studio on Cafe Handmade!

2009-08-19T11:46:00.002-04:00

The lovely folks at Cafe Handmade are running a feature right now on Seedlings Jewelry as part of their In The Studio series! Click here to read the full story.

To say thank you, if you put CAFEHANDMADE in the instructions to seller as part of the check-out process you'll receive 20% off your full order (refunded by PayPal, includes custom orders). Offer good through Sunday, 23 August, 2009.

Put me to work making something unique for you!

All that and a box of rocks!

2009-08-17T16:01:00.003-04:00

Oh but it is so much more...and I also understand now why people do "haul" videos on You-Tube. I want to show off how cool everything is!!!

I blew some of my state tax refund on a set of 200 small polished rocks from Etsy seller Dragonclaw (who I met on the Handmade Artists Forum and loved reading about his rock-hounding trips). Matt told me he thought most of the stones would be too small for jewelry but I have a project in mind where the stones are completely captured in wire but for larger wire-wrapped pendants, I can see his point.

He put in some crazy extras including petrified wood, jasper, an amethyst, quartz, a whole bag of sun stones (the official gem of Oregon), a whole mess of sea glass (I drool)...well just take a look:

There are more, I have them all up on the Seedling's Flickr feed if you want to peruse in more detail.

All I have to say is it was a purchase well worth it and will keep me busy for months and I highly recommend Matt from dragonclaw.etsy.com and please go buy more rocks from this man and keep him in business! Also, his jewelry is amazing too.

Cuffstravaganza - almost done!

2009-08-15T20:30:00.002-04:00

Made significant progress on the cuffstravaganza for Erica from Worthy Soy Candle and Crochet and got the bottom cuff done as well as a bunch of jump rings (hand-sawed with love) for the chainmaille portion.

I'm planning on making the chainmaille portion detachable (with small s-clasps) so that if Erica wants to wear the cuffs independently she'll have that option. This way she'll have three pieces of wearable jewelry out of one creation.

So next update should be the finished piece! Hooray!

Update on work in progress for Team NorGa winner.

2009-08-09T21:33:00.003-04:00

As you may recall, I started sketching the cuffstravaganza for Erica of Worthy Soy Candle and Crochet about a week ago. I started work on the top cuff late last week but had to scrap what I had on Saturday. I started the wire-wrapping with too small gauge wire and got a wild hair to try using jingle bells...

I didn't take any pictures but trust me, it was good to put that out of existence.

I'm really happy with how the top cuff turned out and am moving on to the bottom cuff tomorrow night and the chainmaille portion for Wednesday. I had meant to get everything completed this weekend but I really want this to be fantastic so hope that Erica will be understanding considering I saved her from jingle bells.

Hooray for honeybees!

2009-08-08T18:37:00.002-04:00

Thank you to everyone who purchased Seedlings Jewelry during July we were able to buy honeybees from Heifer International! You can check our progress on our Team Heifer page here: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=178641&lis=0&kntae178641=CDCA2333C7554BB38C09D08B9DFB1187&supId=249504257

What sound does your heart make?

2009-08-01T22:10:00.004-04:00

I've always been intrigued by sound. When I was five I guess I declared my intentions to my family that I wanted to play the piano. My grandmother and parents tracked down an old upright and both my sister and I began a musical education that would last for me until I graduated with a degree in music composition.

One of my favorite aspects of working with sound in college were the electronic ways sounds could be manipulated. The fact that you could see the waves that sound consisted of always fascinated me. Recently I began thinking about sound again and whether or not it could be accurately translated into jewelry.

I found some amazing artisans who are using lasers to cut intricate soundwaves into metal such as Sakurako Shimizu (http://sakurakoshimizu.blogspot.com/) as well as the Sound Advice Project (http://www.thesoundadviceproject.com/) which translates positive messages into plastic beaded bracelets.

I just wanted something simple though, a heartbeat. I found a good example from an EKG and then got busy with the wire and hammer.

My heart is more important to me than it was ten years ago when I went to the doctor complaining that it was "fluttering." Her advice was to find a way to be less stressed and to cut out caffeine. A lot changes in a decade but I think my heart is better off in many ways.

One thing I'm excited about with this necklace is that it can be customized to any heartbeat as long as you could provide an EKG. I would love to make a necklace based on a baby's heartbeat.

What do you think? What sound does your heart make?

Click here to read more about the Heart Sound necklace.

Do you want some ice cream?

2009-07-31T23:22:00.002-04:00

I've always had a really strong emotional connection to ice cream. As one of my traditional trigger foods, I had to stop keeping it in the house or I would just obsess about it until I would eat it. Mint chocolate chip is my absolute favorite.

When I first saw these chunky stones at a recent bead show my first thought went to mint chocolate chip ice cream. My second thought was that I don't normally care for chunky stones. My third thought had something to do with the room was abnormally hot and wow did I wish I had brought a handkerchief.

I ended up buying them and stuck them in the back of an organizer not really sure what I would do with them.

Sifting through the Handmade Artists Forum yesterday I noticed they were organizing the first of many challenges (I do love a good challenge) called Summer Memories. My mind began noodling and those chunky stones caught my eye again. I happened to have some nice black and silver color aluminum jump rings from a previous project so just did a simple double jump ring thing as the chain.

Here is my summer memory:

One of my favorite summer memories was taking a car ride into town with the whole family and getting an ice cream cone. There were a few different places we would go but my favorite was a small local dairy that had the most delicious sugar cones and ice cream flavors.

For awhile I was hooked on bubblegum ice cream because it actually had pieces of gum in it but eventually I settled on my all-time favorite, mint chocolate chip. I've had such an obsession with this flavor that I had to put it on my list of trigger foods that aren't allowed in the house.

My first husband even dubbed me 'she-who-ate-all-the-mint-chocolate-chip-ice-cream' at one point.

Once the Handmade Artists Forum challenge is up I'll make another post. Until then, feel free to peruse the listing on Etsy.

What are your favorite summer memories and do you have any of your creations that tell that story?

Work in progress, bio contest winner armlet.

2009-07-30T23:16:00.002-04:00

Y'all may have heard that Erica (WorthySoyCandle.etsy.com) won the 'give me something crazy to make' contest.

If you recall, here is what she said:
"So I have really been thinking about this & I am having trouble. But I think I am going to go with a spiral wrap bracelet. A bracelet that wraps around your wrists several times (at least 4) but is done with a type of wire that will stretch easily so you can put it on & off. So it will be kind of fitting like a cuff. Then just put all of your talent on the wire in between. Your awesome beads, your wire wrapping skills or your newly discovered metal working skills & lots of color & texture."

I've been thinking about this a lot and there are a few ready-made wire mesh type products you can work with but straight wire-wrapping doesn't have a lot of give to it.

HOWEVER, chainmaille is our friend.

So I'm thinking a fancy wire-wrapped cuff to start the armlet close to the elbow and another smaller one near the wrist to frame it.

Connecting the cuffs and wrapping around the arm (I will try to get in 4 but thinking about it in my head it may end up being 3...) will be a swath of flat chainmaille (what is known as the European 4-in-1 because that's what I'm most familiar with and is also what is mostly used for armor because it lays flat) with a line of probably some sort of crystal at intervals.

I don't think this sketch translates what I see in my head but oh well. I'm going to start this weekend getting all the jump rings cut out.

Hammer goes ting-ting!

2009-07-30T17:44:00.002-04:00

I've been drawn to copper a lot lately and this week my Mom sent me a fabulous book call Chic Metal by Victoria Tillotson. It picks up a lot where the metalsmithing class I tried to take (that's another story entirely) left off. Among all my other projects I've decided to go through every single project for fun and practice.

The first project are some hammered wire earrings designed to look like long twigs. I started with copper and really the only problem I had were that mine are more curvy (but then, that fits me) and that the technique of using a brad to make a small hole wasn't the easiest thing in the world.

Next on my list of things I need is a dremel tool with some fun attachments including tiny drill bits. That would have been in the budget too except no overtime this week at ye olde day job. However, I am undaunted! It just makes me want to work on some of my other fun projects until my pennies are saved up for mmmm power tools.

I'm also sketching out the contest prize for Erica of Worthy Soy Candle and Crochet and will post that a bit later. Me thinks she's gonna lurve it.

Feature on Jewels by Jules blog!

2009-07-21T17:32:00.002-04:00

I've been a fan of Jodi Bombardier since I stumbled across her helpful jewelry blog a few months ago. I was pleasantly surprised when she said she wanted to do a feature of Seedlings Jewelry on her blog! Jodi has amazing wire wrapped creations and shared her knowledge of some good wire sources, etc.

I'm always so happy to find artisans who are willing to share their knowledge with us relative new folks. I hope that I am always able to do the same!

Please read the blog feature here: http://www.online-wire-wrapping-instructions.com/

Go read, make crazy suggestions, win custom jewelry! What could possibly go wrong?

2009-07-20T18:27:00.003-04:00

Team NorGa has posted a lurvely bio about Seedlings Jewelry which I encourage you to read for jolly fun. Also, leave a comment letting me know something crazy you'd like to see me create and a winner will be picked at random. So you could win custom Seedlings Jewelry, how cool???

Get to clicking! http://etsynorthgeorgia.com/2009/07/20/seller-bio-seedlings-jewelry-because/

Custom seed packs for custom orders!

2009-07-19T19:38:00.005-04:00

You may recall I made a prototype of a seed pack to add to my marketing and packaging materials but I wanted to find paper embedded with seeds to work with. I was able to find computer safe paper from Of the Earth to work with that is fantastic:

"This handmade lotka paper is made in the highlands of Nepal by rural craftspeople in an environmentally friendly process with 50% recycled content. The raw material for our paper is the Daphne bush."

It is also embedded with a combination of tiny wildflower seeds with 15 annual species that tolerate partial shade. I'm going to test this theory by planting some around my house!

For now, I designed a very gardeny seed pack and will be using them to package custom orders. What do you think?

Here's another view to show the text on the back:

Seedlings featured on The Grand Design blog!

2009-07-18T12:26:00.002-04:00

I got a note today from Etsian and Handmade Artist Forum member CJ Grand that she thought Seedlings jewelry was beautiful and had featured it on her blog, The Grand Design: The Handmade Tweet!

Thank you so much for the feature and talk to you on the HAF boards soon!

Related Links:
CJGrand on Etsy
Handmade Artists Forum

Thank you Nana Lou!

2009-07-12T11:36:00.004-04:00

Hubby's grandma Louise (everyone calls her Nana) gifted me with an extraordinary present this week. She'd given me an entire tub full of watches to explode for my tiara project but I was not expecting this latest surprise. When hubby told me that she had left some jewelry stuff for me to pick up I really had no idea what was in store.

I was driving and we had the dog with us so I didn't even get to open the bag until we got home but wow! Inside were four plastic sleeves similar to what you'd find in a toolbox storage container filled with a variety of mostly bead caps. Now, at first you may think, 'oh, bead caps,' but let me tell you, I have been looking for bead caps and they are expensive.

The ironic thing is that earlier in the day I had just received a package from Singapore from Etsian Artfaerie's shop whom I had bought some bead caps from!

It was obvious that one of the sleeves of bead caps were sterling silver because of the way they had tarnished. I used one of my polishing cloths to give it a shine and wow, dazzling! I knew I had a laborious but fun project ahead of me. I was going to buy some Tarn-x but after reading the label I went for the silver polish instead.

I spent about 3 hours cleaning and polishing the bead caps by hand. I wish I had picked up some disposable gloves but made some temporary protection with some plastic wrap. At one point during the process I had an entire Sham-wow cloth covered in drying bead caps, that's how many there are. (Yes, I got a box of Sham-wows for my birthday...I've said wow a couple times.)

What are pictured are only a tiny sliver of what Nana Lou gave me. In the daylight I notice that I need to go back over some of the caps with the polishing cloth before use but they really did clean up nicely. I'm going to make Nana Lou a pair of beautiful earrings as a thank you. It really is an overwhelming gift and one that I'll really make the most of for a long time to come.

Take time today to say thank you to someone who has helped you in your journey to better art!

A good day with the hammer.

2009-07-10T23:24:00.002-04:00

I get crazy ideas all the time. Some stay in my head longer than others I think because I want to have a small taste of success in other areas before I let the new ideas exist. Making my own chain has been on that list. I've dabbled with some chainmaille and also with making my own jump rings but never just dove in until now...

I was spurred by the amazing chains from fellow Etsian and Handmade Artists' Forum member AmongTheRuins (visit her shop right now on Etsy for examples of what I'm talking about). I had also read a great blog post on beadingdaily.com talking about a phenomenon known as the 100th monkey as it related to using steel wire in jewelry.

Now I don't have any problems following that 100th monkey. After chatting a bit with AmongTheRuins who shared with me the amazing Ace Hardware tips, I marched right down to ours and proceeded to pester the nice man who was very helpful with all sorts of info about steel wire. I marched out with enough wire for a long time and various gauges, some copper-aluminum-galvanized steel-dark annealed steel...I think that's it!

No wait, that's not it...you know how I know this trip was destined? On the way out they had a 20% off sale on night lights including this sock monkey.

I went out later in the day and picked up some clear acrylic sealer (to use with the steel) and some earplugs because the last time I spent any length of time hammering, I regretted not having any. I had an old set of tools that I planned to use with the steel after reading that it would likely bust up my good set.

I also picked up some 6 gauge copper wire from another nice gent at the Home Depot. I asked him if there was any difference between a couple of the bare wire types and he said, 'well this one can handle 200 volts.' I laughed and said that if there was electricity going through my jewelry of that nature that something had gone horribly wrong. He also told me to check their trash bucket from time to time because they would toss short lengths of wire in there that I could just have so nice tip for upcycling. I have no qualms about bucket diving for materials.

So now, it was hammering time. I used a wooden dowel to wind a long length of 20 gauge galvanized steel on to make links. I wasn't really sure if I needed to work harden the wire similar to how I would with silver but I decided it couldn't hurt (laugh now or leave a comment if I can skip that step in the future...). I plugged in my earplugs and commenced to hammer. I love the look of the hammered links with the galvanized steel, like it's built-in rustic.

I pause here to mention that my Dad was a structural ironworker for my whole life. He just recently retired and the whole time I was working with the steel wire I kept thinking about how he spent his whole life twisting wire around rebar and that he would likely chuckle if he saw how I was working with it.

I had purchased some lava beads at a recent show but hadn't done anything solid with them yet. I had toyed pairing them with pearls but the wax coating on the lava beads wasn't holding up that well...if you touched the beads your fingers would turn black. Because I had planned on using a clear acrylic seal on the steel I thought about the lava beads again and my brain went 'ping' and pairing the two became a natural outpouring of feeling and being earthy.

I used smaller gauge galvanized steel for the lava beads and made them wrapped loop links. I really liked the tensile strength of the steel. It wasn't as stiff as I thought it would be and as long as I moved it firmly and a bit slowly, it would go where I wanted it to go. I bought spools of 20, 22, 24, 28 and 32 gauge just to see what the various sizes would be like to work with.

Anyway, the outcome was a lariat length necklace (this one is just over 36 inches) that I simply love.

I'm going to do some more chains with the steel including dark annealed which has a grungy quality that is wonderfully appealing and I'll have to bust out some of the upcycled watch bits from my tiara project.

I also played around with the 6 gauge copper wire and hammered out this rustic copper cuff bracelet.

What do you think? I think I'm addicted to steel and hammering...

Oops, I did it again! (Oh Britney...)

2009-07-08T17:24:00.002-04:00

I did it on purpose because the power of the tiara compelled me! All this and more may be true but the fact is that I had a ton of fun in this last Team NorGa challenge and I'm overwhelmed that folks voted for me and I'd like to thank the academy and do some twirls in my whimsy ring.

Be sure to visit the Team NorGa blog (put them in your Google reader or RSS feed) for upcoming team bios, articles, and next month's challenge!

Spinoff store - Seedlings Bits!

2009-07-07T22:51:00.002-04:00

I'm launching a spinoff store, Seedlings Bits.

http://seedlingsbits.etsy.com

Inside you'll find great deals on handforged findings, earwires, and beads and bits that for whatever reason I've decided to part with...

Enjoy!

Friday Front and Center: Favorites!

2009-07-03T11:27:00.002-04:00

Since it's a holiday my brain is taking a slight vacation so I thought I would just feature some of my Etsy favorites from the last couple of weeks. I always like looking at other people's favorites because you get to see into their mind a bit. My mind is pretty simple really and likes bright colors paired with geometric or natural shapes and the occasional sock monkey or ridiculously cute animal.

What do you think? If you like my favorites, do these Etsy sellers a favor by hearting their item or shop or making a purchase!

Work in progress, Seedling Drops.

2009-07-02T21:50:00.002-04:00

I'm taking a jewelry focused metalsmithing class at the Callanwolde Center in Atlanta with Cat Goolsby. The project this class is a pierced cuff bracelet in our choice of metals: copper, bronze or sterling silver.

I'm a copper fan but have a slight sensitivity to it so went with what I know I like, sterling silver. We started the class by coming up with a design for the bracelet and at first I wasn't sure what I would do.

While learning how to use an acetylene torch to solder (which was fun as all get out I tell ya what) I was noodling around ideas on what I thought might look cool. The example bracelet was an abstract zebra print but I knew I was more drawn to geometric shapes and repeating patterns.

I thought about the teardrop or water droplet shape and how on a simple level it isn't that interesting but when you start to intersect the shapes you begin to feel the complexity. I wanted the piece to have almost a 3-D effect beyond just how it was going to be cut out, almost an optical illusion, so I just started playing with shapes in photoshop.

Here is the current design that we'll start sawing out next Wednesday. I revised the design slightly as it had a bunch of super tiny cuts that I wasn't sure I would be able to make effectively. Also, this design doesn't show the wavy sides the finished bracelet will have but I'll get a shot of the metal before I start piercing.

What do you think? Does it have an organic dimensional feel or does it just look like some crazy trilobites?

Ahhhh, all better now.

2009-07-02T18:00:00.004-04:00

It feels like my blog has been broken for a couple of weeks now. I had put a snazzy new template on it but then decided it was too busy so tried a simpler one but then all of a sudden everything was broken and I was so busy with projects and work that I had to put it on the back burner.

So not going to try and do a billion posts to catch up but starting now, things are back to normal!

That being said, I discovered that I'm suddenly featured in 3 treasuries! I've gotten into the habit of taking a screenshot for every treasury. I think that's a neat way to remember them.

Okay, big news though, the June Team NorGa fireworks challenge is up and the steampunk fireworks machine pretty lady set is available for voting! Go now, leave a comment and vote!!

Featured Artist on Handmade Artists' Forum Blog

2009-06-24T05:53:00.002-04:00

Swing on over to the Handmade Artists' Forum Blog for a quick read on Seedlings. The Handmade Artists' Forum is a great place to share ideas and get critiqued and they've just started an Etsy team of which I'm a member as well.

Thank you all HAF members for being so supportive!

Friday Front and Center: Foxy G. Knits

2009-06-22T19:37:00.003-04:00

Do you ever meet someone regardless of the environment and know immediately that you were cut of the same skein, so to speak? Lois Stifel has been just such a person. I've been astounded by the number of folks I've met recently who are both insanely talented and outrageously giving, and I'm not talking about giveaways or promotions.

Lois is always thinking about what she can do for you which in my book is the epitome of everything I aspire to be. Not a day goes by that she hasn't pointed out a site of help for someone or forwarded a useful tip to the rest of us newbs. All this and she consistently updates her blog (Foxy G's Den of i-KNIT-quity) with witty, insightful articles about whatever strikes her fancy (from sherbet to the solstice to sock monkeys) along with in-depth features on other artisans who give back in various ways.

So I want to take a few moments and just bask in the glow of a few of my favorite items from her Etsy shop because behind everything is a deeply talented fiber artist, or Foxy G. Knits.

The first piece from her shop that really stunned me was her entry in the Team NorGa June challenge, the Goddess Shawl Wrap - Summer Solstice. Believe me, I'm saving my pennies for this one (and some cooler weather which Lois and I are both anxiously awaiting).

Lois works with a variety of fibers and yarns but I was really smitten by this new listing of her Oooh La La Ribbon Scarf which is full of funky textures and colors and looks like my neck would be in lurve.

A huge proponent of Pay It Forward, or PIF, Lois maintains a large number of gorgeous items in her shop as recently featured (like today) on Etsy Item of the Day.

So scarves ready in a salute, to you, Lois aka Foxy G. Knits!

Packaging prototype!

2009-06-18T23:12:00.003-04:00

It's been a few weeks now but I saw an article about a craft show booth that really caught my attention (and I should have bookmarked). They were a paper goods company and they had clothespinned their smaller items to wire strung from tree branches. It just looked amazing so of course I began to think about how would I display my jewelry for the inevitable craft show? And because I like to make life difficult for myself, I began to think of ways that I could adapt the display for my own purposes.

I like to store finished pieces in resealable plastic baggies because they keep air and dirt out but on their own they are plain-looking. I started thinking about small envelopes that had an open window so that the envelope could be clipped to something but still show what was inside.

On twitter one night, one of the vintage shops linked their 1920s era seed packets and immediately I connected the small envelopes I needed with that idea. I did some research and there are companies that will actually do custom seed packets, very fancy ones, complete with seeds. However, like all customized big volume printing projects, a bit beyond my price range for now.

I found a DIY wedding blog at stylemepretty.com that offered some tips on making custom seed packets complete with a pdf template to get started. I fiddled around with the template in photoshop and came up with a prototype:

So next step is to work on the design more, find some sweet paper, find some volunteers to help cut out the templates....ya know, another project!

Work in progress update (steampunk tiara) almost done!

2009-06-16T22:34:00.004-04:00

So there isn't a whole lot left on this tiara that I'm going to do...clean up some ends, fill in some holes, tighten up some spots...that sort of thing. I have learned a lot from this project including some ways to make wire-wrapping go easier and that I also would love to buy one of those dealies that helps with making the wire wraps around a wire mandrel (the bits that look like tubing).

Top-down view:

Front detail:

You can view the rest of the photos on my Flickr photostream! I do plan on putting this doozy to bed by the end of the weekend and will post final photos then.

Friday Front and Center: Purified Art

2009-06-12T21:32:00.002-04:00

A couple weeks back I clicked on a random link in a twitter feed (click to recreate the moment) and lo the sky opened and down tumbled some Purified Art. It was a ring, described as future-primitive on the Flickr feed, but I knew it was unique and I liked it. Isn't that enough?

The gent behind the purification is Bill Martin, who maintains a blog called "Here there be Monsters" and I highly recommend putting it on your reading list. One of the things I like about how Bill approaches blogging or twitter or facebook, is that he is himself, it's not constant, "I listed twenty things, go look, go now, buy buy buy." So when he does post a link to a new creation, I'm excited about it and want to go look (and buy, but more on that next).

Bill does a fantastic job of keeping his Facebook fans up to date and keeping the flow of comments going as well. If you aren't a fan, go be a fan by clicking here and doing your being a fan thing.

So on Wednesday, June 10, 2009, at precisely 6:55 pm, Bill posted a photo of his new creation which utilized omg-yummeh-fantastical-you know that was tree sap once-AMBER and my brain melted. I mean, I'm a sucker for a few things in this world (honey, sock monkeys, fresh paper mmm) and amber is right at the top of the list. The absolute ONLY thing that saved my pennies was the size and as soon as my pennies are equal to the amount that would behoove not saving them, I will contact Bill about making a precious for me.

Bill on twitter is @Billpurifiedart and his Flickr photostream has a lot of really great photos of his current work and past art. See more of his creations for sale in his Etsy shop as well. Take a moment to visit Purified Art and let Bill know what you think!

Work in progress update (steampunk tiara).

2009-06-10T21:23:00.002-04:00

I've been feeling quite ill the last about 48 hours but the storm seemed to break around 5 probably because I had just been handed a large tub of watches. Once home I started to pry them open and found some very nice bits to work with. Tonight is also the last night that I can work on this project until next week and even then, I need to set aside some time for some custom orders.

I had finished the wire-wrapping around the front side and got it framed rather nicely, with the wire bits to help me measure where the mid-point is:

I started building out the "fireworks" as well, the larger ones because I need to get those in place on the base before I can put in all the tubes and rest of the support layer. So the three largest are in place now:

One of the watch parts really stood out and I've got it roughly in place for sizing:

Tune in next week when we get the smaller fireworks in place and the support structure to feed the machine!

A two-fer kind of day!

2009-06-08T17:18:00.003-04:00

Thanks for everyone who voted in the Team NorGa Etsy street team June challenge (Sun, Moon, and Stars) especially if you voted for the Seedlings Jewelry entry Across the Universe...because we won! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (to the power of woo).

I really loved the challenge but more importantly, I really dig this street team. To be sure it's the only one I've been on but sometimes things just work out correctly eh? I'm excited to meet these folks at the end of June.

Later tonight, some updates of the July challenge!

Feature on CheapTweet.com

2009-06-08T16:31:00.002-04:00

CheapTweet.com is running a feature on Seedlings Jewelry! Please read more by going to their blog and feel free to pass out the link!

http://cheaptweet.com/blog/2009/06/08/interviewsharon/

Work in progress, Royal Fireworks (a steampunk tiara).

2009-06-06T23:37:00.003-04:00

When the next Team NorGa theme was announced (fireworks) for some reason my brain whispered, "tiara," and I've been noodling on what to do ever since. The logical part of my brain (yes, there is one) said, "just make some earrings," and the part of my brain that has been having wacky dreams lately said, "you make a lot of earrings, do something vastly and insanely different."

But a tiara? A steampunk tiara? Do I even know what steampunk is or have I made anything steampunk? Who knows to all those questions but ever since I saw the movie Steamboy like 3 years ago, I've been entranced by something I didn't know existed. I've been a secret steampunk fan apparently. All these other folks have had a huge leap on me but it doesn't bother me...I don't need to compete with that, I just want to make a crazy tiara.

I started with a sketch:

I'm tracking down the cogs or may just use washers, or washers and cogs. I also have some spools and bobbins I'm going to use in the base and I'm going to try to allow as much movement as possible on the spools to give the illusion that you actually have to crank the thing up to make the "fireworks" work.

The next step I'm working on is getting the proportions of the base set up and wire-wrapping the outer edges. I'm leaving the ends rough at the moment but will come back to them during clean up.

I'm working on the front frame next and will post the next round of photos in the early part of the week. I'm enjoying taking my time and putting some crazy detail into this one!

Friday Front and Center: Halley Dawn

2009-06-05T21:19:00.004-04:00

One of the things I've really enjoyed from reading other people's blogs are when they turn the spotlight away from their own creations for a bit to let you know what they like about somebody else. I've been a frantic bookmarker and shop hearter and for some of these folks have tried to track down whether they are on Facebook, Twitter etc.

I first came into contact with Halley Dawn's mosaic art either from pounce or a treasury on Etsy, I simply can't recall, but I was immediately drawn to the organic nature of an inorganic medium. Her piece "It's Still Me," pictured below is available in her Etsy shop.

I wish my brain could remember how I connected with Halley but I somehow let her know her art was stunning! (At least I hope I did that out loud and it wasn't just my imagination...ya never know eh?)

It was a few weeks later when I saw her link on Twitter (@HalleyDawn) for this new mosaic planter, with a fantastic photo of a flowering dogwood. The flower really pulled me in and made me wish I had a patio covered with these pots, all stuffed with blooms of course! This one, Gray and Blue Planter, is also available in her Etsy Shop.

When I went a' Googling (because my brain thought I had remembered a blog but I couldnae find it) I found her website at halleydawn.com and discovered her paintings! Follow the link on this one but really was pulled in by Double Self Portrait, a contrast to the light of her mosaics.

So please to enjoy one of my new favorite artists and if you see her on Twitter, say hullo (or give her Etsy shop a heart or looksy).

Bzz, bzz, bought a beehive from May sales!

2009-06-05T21:16:00.002-04:00

Thank you to everyone who purchased from Seedlings during the month of May, we were able to buy a beehive with a little bit leftover towards our goal of $500. If you want to keep track of our Team Heifer, just go to seedlingsjewelry.com and click on the Team Heifer tab at the top!

Get out your fingers and toes!

2009-06-04T04:41:00.003-04:00

I keep a big list of things I want to tackle and rings have been on that list for awhile. The interesting thing is of course is that I've never been a huge ring wearer. I have my wedding band and that's pretty much it. I believe it is this lack of knowledge that keeps my designs fresh (good one eh). However, it does force me to test my own designs because I need to know what works!

While I get the hang of things and while I focus my main energy on my parents visiting and the metalsmithing class coming up, still going to be rolling out new pieces during June but just going to be having fun. The first of these is Spelunk in turquoise and copper wire (black). It's a pinky ring and I'm bundling it with earrings and is available in the Etsy shop.

Another one that I worked on last night but didn't finish the earrings I'm going to call Tree Trunk, it's in argentium sterling silver and amber.

I'll also be sending out the June newsletter by this weekend so you still have time to sign up if you'd like to receive that directly to your e-mail inbox. I'll also post a link when it's up if you'd rather not have more e-mail.

Vote in the Sun, Moon and Stars Challenge!

2009-06-01T16:28:00.003-04:00

The new Team NorGa Sun, Moon and Stars challenge is up and ready for you to vote (by commenting) for a chance to win some fabulous prize packs from our Etsy team artisans! I continue to be dazzled by the creations coming from my team members and it helps that they are supportive and helpful too! Click here to go to the Team NorGa blog to vote.

(Photo on the right is Lauren from HendricksHearth part of Team NorGa who has been spotted in her Seedlings!)

In other news, I think I've been on Twitter for just over a month now. At first I really had no idea if it would be fun or even worth my time. To my surprise I continue to meet interesting people who get the whole concept and are using it more than just an ad bot. One such person is Danita, or @La_Vida_Dulce on Twitter. Please visit her blog at http://knittingintherealworld.blogspot.com/ and read the fantastic (and unexpected!) feature on Seedlings Jewelry.

Also please click here to visit her Etsy shop for some lovely handmade fiber arts pieces as well as some nifty Swiffer replacements!

My first treasury!

2009-05-30T14:37:00.003-04:00

Thanks to the new treasury clock at Craftopolis, I was able to figure out when something was opening up! Also, the tips from Erica at WorthySoyCandles posted on the Team NorGa forum helped immensely. I kept refreshing the page until I saw her tip that the box would magically appear...and it did! I had the title of the treasury read to go and a vague theme in mind (you know it would be either all green or something with flowers...)

I look forward to making many more treasuries! Click here to view and please make comments and visit the artist shops! You will get hugaroons. Promise.

Keishi pearls, yummeh!

2009-05-29T23:12:00.002-04:00

Katey knows, I was hankering for keishi pearls for awhile and made a point of looking at all of them at the intergalactic bead show (although depending on the quality and size, oh my are they expensive). I read a great primer on pearls recently and learned that keishi pearls are in fact freshwater pearls but they don't have any starter material so they are the purest pearls so to speak because they are whatever the oyster churns out.

I love working with materials that were created in a process like that similar (in my mind anyway) to amber or honey. It came out of something else that may or may not have known we were going to process it so like Tom on Top Chef says, 'you have to honor the protein.' That may not make any sense but what I'm trying to say is that I feel a connection to the material and want what I make from it to be the best I can make it for what I have on hand or my skill level.

I didn't use to like pearls but that's before I knew they came in such crazy colors and shapes. Now I'm pearl crazy! Oh wells. I posted these (Dark Blossom) in the Etsy shop so please to enjoy!

Thursdays are always good...

2009-05-28T21:15:00.003-04:00

Today was a new Art from the Heart from Foxy G. Knits and she featured Seedlings! I feel extremely honored to be featured since previous (and future) features deal with much more serious issues and folks doing hands-on work with cancer survivors.

If you haven't visited Foxy G. Knits blog or Etsy shop, please do so. She has gorgeous creations and does many Pay It Forward items all the time!

********************************************

I had made a list of things I wanted to accomplish today and I hit a few of them. I fixed the chainmaille necklace I made last week so that I can actually wear it. I'm going to road test it tomorrow at work.

I also made two new pairs of earrings that I will post in my Etsy shop early next week. Once the end of the month sale is over I'm reorganizing a bit (again, haha!) and they will be part of that rollout. Please do take advantage of the BUY ONE, GET ONE 50% OFF sale while it lasts through May 31. You won't hurt my feelings!

Coming in June:
Red Planet - earrings in argentium sterling silver and glass

Sustain - earrings in copper, glass, and shell

New Team NorGa member SewCute Shop giveway!

2009-05-27T17:26:00.002-04:00

Welcoming Brandy from SewCute shop to Team NorGa who is running a fantastic giveaway for an Amy Butler Blue Sky hat. Click here for her blog and more info on the giveaway.

From Brandy about SewCute:

"I started sewing last year and fell in love. My grandmother taught me 'old school' so I take my time and do finishing by hand. All my items are hand made and sent out with a smile gurantee.

Earlier this year my sewing took on a new task. My best friend's son (Riley) was diagnosed with a brain disease adrenoleuokodystrophy (ALD) if you have ever seen the movie Lorenzo's Oil you are familiar with this disease.

In early March Teresa, Joel and Riley (teamgreene) were sent to Duke University Hospital for Riley to begin a healing process with the assistance of a bone marrow transplant. It has been 50+ days in the isolation from the outside for Riley.

All proceeds made by SewCute Shop while Riley is in the hospital are dontated to help teamgreene with medical and living expenses.

Thank you in advance for any purchase you make from SewCute Shop it is going to a SewGood Cause.

Visit www.carepages.com/carepages/teamgreene for more information on Teresa, Joel and Riley."

Team NorGa Treasuries!

2009-05-26T05:00:00.002-04:00

Currently there are two Etsy treasuries going featuring lovelies from Team NorGa folks who have also included earrings from my shop!

These will be up for the next three days so please show your support by visiting the treasuries and posting a comment:

All My Clothes Are in Georgia by FARStudios

Georgia Sweetgrass and Sunshine by HendricksHearth

Additionally, Foxy G. Knits has just posted an article on the Team NorGa blog where June is busting out all over (love that song...). Click here to bust it out!

Chainmaille and watermelon...excellent combo!

2009-05-25T14:27:00.003-04:00

Although I won't likely put it up in the shop, a new chainmaille necklace I've been working on the last couple of days was a definite learning experience. It is made up of anodized aluminum rings (7mm) in black and a 4-color blue/green blend. The weave is European 4-1 that is folded over on itself to make the tube. If I do it again, I want the contrasting color to be silver I think.

The new addition to the shop from the last three days though I really love. I saw these coral beads and had to have them. They are squares but top-drilled so have a really unique look. Stuck them on some lightly hammered argentium square earwires (handmade) and dubbed them Melon Bits. Going to wear them today to the in-laws and get some feedback!

A quick note to all the folks expecting a sale...it is coming this week. I just didn't want to do it on Memorial Day because that's not what the memorial is supposed to be about. Please take the opportunity to honor our country's fallen military.

Having fun at Wordle!

2009-05-24T17:33:00.002-04:00

A bit of a wee website scrubaroo.

2009-05-23T07:59:00.002-04:00

Despite the fact that it is about to be all sorts of hot and that brown doesn't exactly come to mind for summer unless you are having a very dry one, I'm in love with a new shade of it and updated the Seedlings look last night with a bigger tagline in a font called Sketch Rockwell. I think the hand-sketched look of the font quickly conveys the handmade aspect but not in a messy way.

I went ahead and updated the Etsy banner (and avatar since I realized it was a bit hard to read), Twitter background, and I'm in the process of snazzing up ye olde blog as well (the header has been updated). It's hard for me to go nuts with the blog because I would rather be able to easily read entries than be distracted by lots of design, however the plain white background is driving me nuts.

I'm taking a small break this weekend from any actual jewelry projects and I'm going to take a bit of time to do some necessary bookkeeping that I've been putting off as well as getting the rest of everything organized from vacation week when I moved everything to the new work table. So far, great work table but because nothing is organized it's all just sitting on top of it!

Across the Universe

2009-05-21T19:02:00.003-04:00

The last few days I've been finishing up a bracelet for the Team NorGa May project; the theme is Sun, Moon & Star. I wanted to do something really over the top not only because I loved the theme but because I wanted a really good challenge for myself. I decided to make a massive charm bracelet where everything would be hand-crafted i.e. the bracelet links, the jump rings, the clasp, any headpins, except for the beads. I did end up using some ready made wire stars but other than that, anything metal is hand-crafted for this bracelet.

Originally I was going to do over 100 charms but after seeing the growing pile when I got to 88, I decided to go with that. I think it's loaded quite nicely so I'm glad I stopped at that nice round number.

Here is a photo of the base bracelet, sterling silver s-links connected by sterling jump rings:

Here is a shot of all the charms and bead dangles before I started connecting them to the bracelet base:

And here is a shot of the finished bracelet:

I have posted it to the Etsy shop but it's marked reserve for the Team NorGa May challenge. Once everyone's submissions are up, they will post them on the Team NorGa blog to vote on and you can win prizes for voting!

Time to eat your veggies!

2009-05-20T16:14:00.003-04:00

Peas and Carrot earrings are currently featured in an Etsy Treasury all themed around peas and carrots! It will be viewable through Saturday.

Oddly enough, it was one month ago today the amber grapes were featured in a treasury. We'll see if our luck holds true on June 20...stay tuned!

Freebies, testaroos and lots of bead dangles.

2009-05-20T00:25:00.003-04:00

Tonight I packed up two regular orders to ship out. One was for an Etsy shop seller that I first met through Twitter and bought some of her fantastic thank you notes...so if you order from me, you'll be getting a thank you note from LazyLightningArt's shop!

The second was for another Etsy shop seller who is also part of the North Georgia Etsy street team (Team NorGa) who found the Deep Ocean earrings and pendant in the new sale section of the shop. HendricksHearth has a variety of handcrafted and also donates 10% of her sales to Heifer International!

I like to include something fun with orders that go out so whipped up a test pair of classic "Grapes" but with a twist, putting them on blue niobium earwires.

Hubby said it made them look more like flowers that way but I think once you had them on that earwire as the stem illusion would disappear. I just really like how simple the earwires are, how comfortable they feel and how architectural they look.

I spent the rest of the evening working on my entry for the Team NorGa May theme which is space. I'm doing a bracelet that is 100% handmade except for the beads that are involved. The base of the bracelet is hammered sterling silver and I even made the jump rings! I had to stop for the night though because the 100 or so dangles and charms that are going on it started to wear me out. I will finish it up tomorrow night and get some photos posted.

Custom Order Craziness!

2009-05-18T17:41:00.002-04:00

I've decided I love doing custom orders. I've done two necklaces this week for folks who basically said, 'just make it match my earrings.' To clarify, these folks are also dear friends or friends of dear friends which to me makes it that much better to create for them.

The first is for my Aunt Mary Ann who is one of the most energetic, upbeat people I've ever met. I would describe her as magical, plus she works at a toy company! How cool is that? This necklace is to match her Crazy Moon earrings.

The second is for a friend of my crafty friend Katey who just had a birthday. Katey knew her friend would love the new Peas and Carrot earrings and wanted a necklace to match.

So all that being said, if you have an idea for a handmade jewelry piece you would love see translated into reality, please let me know!

A little Etsy shop cleaning.

2009-05-17T20:19:00.002-04:00

I decided during the organization of my office and work area and subsequent cleaning out of my jewelry case that I didn't want to carry around so much stuff and I also think it has been in there awhile! I created a sale section in the Etsy shop and deactivated quite a few listings that I think I put in there when getting the shop going but since sold those pieces offline so no use having them in there at this point if I'm not going to make another set, etc.

So get in there and take advantage of my compulsive nature to store things for awhile and then resulting need to have them gone right away!

Click here to view the new sale section in the Seedlings Etsy shop.

Haul from the bead show!

2009-05-16T19:12:00.002-04:00

I think I have enough raw materials to keep me busy for months at this point but couldn't resist the Intergalactic Bead Show in Atlanta this weekend. Here's a sneak at some lovely beads you'll be seeing in my work:

My favorite of everything, some very funky amber that looks like tree trunks. I'm a sucker for amber but I love finding little bits of things in it too:

Carved jade:

Yellow glass chunky beads:

Click here to see the rest of the photos on Flickr!

Wedding Anniversary Weekend Sale in my shop!

2009-05-16T01:05:00.001-04:00

Hubby and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary this weekend so to share the love on May 16-17 everything in the shop is BUY ONE, GET 50% OFF the price of the second item! (Discount is given on equal or lesser priced item, excludes custom orders).

To receive discount, you can complete payment through PayPal and I will refund the sale amount or I can revise the invoice. Sale counts for multiple items too (for example you want to buy four pairs of earrings; two would be at normal price and the other 2 of equal or lesser price would be discounted).

Please contact me with any questions!

Night off from jewelry? Sort of.

2009-05-14T23:31:00.002-04:00

I spent some time tonight getting the house straightened and cleaned. I really neglected it during the week of vacation but I can't get too mad at myself right? It was a vacation.

I promised myself yesterday that I would take a break from any actual jewelry creation tonight and just write down any ideas that came to me or work on something completely different. I got online briefly and checked the Team NorGa forum and realized the deadline for entries for the current flier contest was tomorrow.

When thinking about what I wanted to include, I didn't really want to showcase my jewelry nor did I want to randomly grab stuff from other team members' shops. I went around my work room and picked up some items to photograph, hoping that would give me some inspiration. I started with some wire and hammers but had a difficult time getting a good set-up. When I started working with the yarn, that's when the idea hit me.

The materials we work with may be fantastic in their own state but what sets them apart are the people who take them and meld them into art. Click here to view the four variants I submitted. I hope at least one of them gets picked!

Staying busy is the best remedy.

2009-05-13T22:44:00.004-04:00

My moods vary greatly, always have. I find that I enjoy when I'm feeling a bit more manic more than when I'm feeling down but according to the laws of Sharon's universe, it is a cycle and therefore I follow it. Having projects really helps, usually! I do have projects that continue to go undone because I replace them with other projects (finishing putting up photos on the wall comes to mind...)

I've been trying for the last two days to make my own bead caps out of wire that somewhat resembled a flower to no avail. I've given that a rest to let my mind mull over some solutions and decided to at least have a small taste of success with some simple, fun earrings. The amber beads were a gift from my friend Katey so I've made her a pair of Tree Candy (pictured) and I'm sending my sister a pair because I've owed her a necklace for almost two years now but she loves amber. (Hmm, unfinished projects keep popping up.)

Tomorrow I'm going to take a small break and focus on cleaning the house. It is amazing to me how dusty things get when you are focused on making jewelry!

This weekend I'm snagging aforementioned Katey to go to the Intergalactic Bead & Jewelry Show in Atlanta. We are going to set some spending limits before we step inside but I think it will be great to meet some vendors. Someone from Kazuri (fair trade beads from Kenya) will be there too; would love to see their beads up close.

Also, posted a secret Pay It Forward item to my Etsy shop. I mean, it's not really secret but with all the back and forth lately about whether PIF is for fun or for marketing, I just wanted to tuck it in there for some person who was surfing around and found it by accident. To me, its more like a scavenger hunt.

For anyone who knows me, if you compliment me on something I'm likely to just give it away...bad business practice I know, but the joy to me is creating and sharing. I'm thrilled to learn new things every day and love, be loved...all the good things. Hooray, my good mood is back!

Now, get out there, create and share.

Soul of Somanya, Ghanaian Beads and Artisans

2009-05-10T03:35:00.003-04:00

I first found Soul of Somanya when searching for Ghanaian krobo beads, a recycled glass bead. I was thrilled to find out that their artisans are compensated at market rates for their work and that they are working to develop sustainable employment opportunities in Somanya-Krobo in Ghana.

You can read more about their artisans and products at their website.

I was inspired to make a necklace from the beads I purchased and tried to use as many color combinations as I could. I used brown hemp for the strands and held the bead charms in place with simple knots. The bead charms are made from 18-gauge sterling silver filled wire as is the handcrafted necklace closure.

Click here to read more details about this necklace.

Announcing addition of fine jewelry to Etsy shop!

2009-05-07T05:04:00.003-04:00

Announcing addition of fine silver jewelry in our Etsy shop! Please be sure to check out the new earrings made almost entirely by hand (can't make my own pearls...) in argentium and fine silver. Will be rolling out new pieces all throughout May!

Fair trade, ethically sourced, recycled, green, eco-friendly...the list goes on!

2009-05-03T11:21:00.002-04:00

With all the growing buzz surrounding being green, and for some folks I realize it is a way of life and not just a trend, I thought that when I started looking into how I could make my jewelry better from an environmental (and ethical) standpoint that I would instantly find tons of resources and people willing to share their information. I started the process how I usually do, just asking questions.

I sent e-mail to the company where I buy many of my jewelry making supplies, including metal wire, asking if any was recycled or if not, where it was sourced from.

When I would find sellers on Etsy and other shops stating that their metals were from ethical refiners or that it was 100% recycled, I would send them e-mail or a convo asking if they would share their source.

When nobody responded, I started to feel like I had suddenly stumbled upon some sort of secret, that using these types of materials in my jewelry was taboo or that if I went this route, I would be doing it for marketing reasons.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I am not a 100% green person but I try within my circle of influence in ways that I can and how better than with what I create? So it was very frustrating for me to feel this way...

But then I started to find other folks through Etsy forums or through Twitter who were sharing their information and I now feel like having improved green goals for my jewelry is entirely possible.

What are your green goals?

To use 100% recycled or ethically sourced metals. I discovered that the company I buy wire from (Rio Grande) is currently using 100% recycled sterling silver so that was a nice find. They also buy scrap so don't through your tiny bits away!
To use fair trade or recycled beads when possible. When shopping online, if a company uses fair trade practices, they will have information on their site about their processes. If your sources don't have any information, I would ask them what their policies are. I've also found several companies that specialize in recycled beads (glass).
To be mindful about toxic chemicals and replace them with less harmful ones where possible. I'm just starting to get into silversmithing and as I don't want to expose myself to toxic chemicals, I don't really want to pass that around either.

Ask and Tell!
While it may seem like folks are touting their jewelry as organic, eco-friendly, etc. what you can do as a consumer is just ask them for their sources of materials. If they can tell you or volunteer the information, then it's not just for marketing purposes (my opinion).

Just the same, it is good customer service to let your customers know what is special about your products. Ask them to tell their friends that your jewelry uses fair trade materials or was created with 100% recycled materials.

If everyone starts asking, then we'll all start doing and will have less to worry about perhaps in terms of whether our products will harm folks or contribute to environmental concerns or that beads we're using were created in a factory with workers in substandard conditions or wages.

Links and Resources (just the tip of the iceberg!)
fairjewelry.org Trade/Consumer Resources -- http://www.fairjewelry.org/links
Ethical Metalsmiths -- http://www.ethicalmetalsmiths.org/
Society of American Silversmiths Safer Alternatives -- http://www.silversmithing.com /1altern.htm
Happy Mango Beads -- http://www.happymangobeads.com
Soul of Somanya -- http://www.soulofsomanya.net/

I will continue to post updated links and twitter about what I find and would love to hear about your green goals and activities too.

Free Tutorial on How to Make a Quick and Cheap Cardboard Lightbox for Macro Photography

2009-04-30T20:05:00.005-04:00

Introduction
Let me start by saying I am not a photography expert and I didn’t invent cardboard lightboxes. I had started to take photos of my jewelry and was frustrated by the quality. A dear crafty friend told me I needed to make a lightbox.

I did a Google search for PVC lightbox and decided I didn’t want to put that much work into it. Clicking around while looking at various DIY lightboxes, I found this blog post: http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html

I recommend reading the post because it has a lot of great information about light sources but to me it was more than I wanted to get into, as you’ll see below.

One thing that the Strobist’s blog didn’t give me was enough step-by-step photographic detail on how to cut my box etc. That I did by a bit of trial and error as well as carefully studying their final shot.

Click here to continue to tutorial (PDF)!

Take me everywhere!

2009-04-29T23:52:00.002-04:00

I'm not exactly sure where I got this idea but I know the idea of a promotional keychain isn't anything new. However, I just received all these lovely Moo mini cards and the thought of making them into keychains with one of the beads that I use for the grapes earrings seemed rather inspired.

I'm going to send them out (or give them to folks who I see often) in May after Mother's Day with a discount that they can use on any purchase during that month. Will keep you updated on how it goes and any feedback I get on these keychains.

Random experiment in juicy colors.

2009-04-29T23:48:00.002-04:00

I found some great dyed shell beads in a variety of colors and shapes and immediately thought "juicy" when I saw the orange variety. I've never been a fan of orange (despite my love of it's juice and candy slices) but the green "leaf" shapes caught my eye too and decided to dance together.

They even kept wiggling when I tried to take photos!

I also found some great petite teardrop shaped freshwater pearls but I'm waiting on some finer gauge headpins before I start on that project. Won't be long though and then will have some new grapes variations that will be 100% handmade and with sterling silver!

3 Simple Customer Service Rules

2009-04-28T18:01:00.006-04:00

Over the past decade in roles from retail to consulting in industries as varied as baking to web design, I’ve experienced a range of customer service. I’ve heard a lot about it too but mostly from executive types who loved charts and graphs. I’m sure there were nuggets of wisdom in their countless slides but the folks who deal with people every day will tell you they have a few simple rules to keep their customers happy.

Keep your customers informed. Whether this is an e-mail letting them know you’ve received their order or a verbal acknowledgment to someone in your shop, “I’ll be with you right away,” you can stave off so many difficult situations if you just keep the lines of communication open.

Why wait until something is a problem when you can get your customers involved early and work out a solution quickly? For example, I recently ordered a custom item from an online retailer. We e-mailed back and forth over all the details and I was assured it would be shipping out the next couple of days but after that initial flurry of information, nothing. I sent them a message to find out what had happened and got a quick, “sorry for the delay, I had some difficulties getting everything together.”

How simple it would have been to send that message two weeks ago instead of inspiring me to write an article about good customer service. Even at the beginning of the relationship with your customer, make sure you have enough information about your products or services that they can get the basics before coming to you for help. How you frame that information i.e. marketing and promotions is part of it...

Be consistent with your message. This includes your branding, your packaging, your pricing across shops – anything that is your product identity needs to face the same way. The next time you are at a cold beverage display, pay attention and if some of the bottles are facing with the label off-center; see if it makes you skip that bottle or give the impression the store is messy. It’s subtle but important.

When I first created the look for Seedlings: Jewelry Because, I had so many people ask me if it was a brand I was reselling because everything was so coordinated. Everything from the little cards to hold earrings to the colors of the links on my blog were in essence facing forward in the display.

In the latest A List Apart, Stephen Anderson has a great article about the importance of aesthetics in design, how it conveys confidence in your product. I feel this carries over into everything that is part of the message I’m trying to convey with my jewelry and they are easy things to do. Even if you aren’t a pro with graphics or printed materials, make some friends who are and do a trade!

Beyond creating an experience for your customers, being consistent solves potential problems with your shipping policies or pricing between online shops. If you do market differently depending on the shop, see rule number one and state up front why there is a difference (i.e. these are my fashion earrings versus the ones made entirely from rubies and butterfly kisses.)

As you reach out to your customers in various ways with consistency they will look forward to your updates, to your new creations, to weekly blog posts, to tutorials and contests. They will be ready to reach for a second bottle from your forward facing display and share it with others...

Follow-up or “make new friends but keep the old.” If you are keeping everyone informed and being consistent with your message, you will have repeat customers. These folks appreciate you and your product and are now fans. How fantastic do you feel when someone remembers your name or sends you a note thanking you, puts a little something extra in your package or even just a coupon for a friend?

From a communication view, a quick e-mail a month after a sale asking if they are still happy can be an opportunity to turn them into a permanent fan with recruits. One popular feature for my recent customers has been to get Spotted in their Seedlings. I ask people to take photos with their new jewelry so I can feature them on my website and Facebook fan page. Another easy follow-up would be to give your previous customers a special discount on new items.

Customer service can mean many things to many people. To me, it’s about consistent communication on all levels of your relationship with your customers. With handmade items, you really are putting yourself into everything you do – why not make the entire experience a true representation of the best of yourself?

I challenge you all to examine one aspect of your current customer service and find an area where you want to make some changes. Use the upcoming month to create a plan to move the business side of your creations forward. I’d love to hear about your ideas and if you feel the same way (or not) about customer service!

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Rejuvenating weekend.

2009-04-26T20:54:00.004-04:00

I was fairly focused on only accomplishing a few things this weekend but everything I was able to do I feel good about. It was a nice change of pace from either feeling very manic or just plain down. I spent a few hours on a copper wire project on Saturday night that I didn't finish but am not giving up on, it just involved a lot of bending and hammering so my wrists and hands needed a break today. I want it to be 100% handmade so I did all the jump rings etc. so it's taking a bit. Right now it's a mess...from that mess will come order! Well, enough to enjoy it.

I also joined the Etsy North Georgia Street Team and I'm excited about being more involved with crafty folks in my area.

As far as successful weekend projects go, I whipped up three pairs of earrings that turned out so well I put them up on my shop. I also made myself a pair of the Water Gears ones with smooth washers and a non-matte glass bead.

All earrings in the shop are buy two pairs, get one free!

Law of equivalent exchange.

2009-04-24T20:43:00.004-04:00

So I'm no alchemist but as I upgrade my wire and take the plunge into making my own findings (I love that I'm starting to make pieces where I can say I made everything) I find that I have more questions sometimes than I can find answers for. At every step along the way I have found people willing to share their knowledge and not only does that make me happy it makes me want to do the same in return except I know I'm not there yet.

An extraordinarily wonderful co-worker gifted me this week through a little deceit. She had overheard me talking with my main cohort in craftiness, Katey, about the latest catalog from Fire Mountain Gems. So co-worker "J" sends me an e-mail telling me she has a cousin who is starting to get into jewelry and what online shops would I recommend. Me, getting all chatty, goes on for like 3 e-mails about my favorite places, etc. so later that day I get an e-mail letting me know despite her best efforts, those particular shops don't make gift certificates easy but here's a gift to your PayPal account!

I did a happy dance! The story about the cousin was a complete fabrication but what a nifty way to say thank you. I immediately wanted to make her something very unique but I have noticed she is nary a jewelry wearing person so I offered to make something for her mother knowing that her mom is recovering from surgery and Mother's Day is coming up. Again, co-worker "J" demured but I had something up my sleeve...peonies.

My grandmother on my father's side died last year of a sudden heart attack. She was always an inspiration to me in all things botanical. I always loved going to gardens with her because she knew all the plants, knew what made them special, what would make them grow. She was also a beekeeper at times and had a shock of white hair she always kept tucked behind her ears. Some of my favorite memories of visiting her farm (in Missouri) are of the peonies she always had.

I love those flowers, especially the double peonies. Such big flowers and bright colors and there would usually be a big black ant crawling around enjoying them just as much as I did.

So when my mom called me and asked me if I wanted some peonies of course I said yes. I had heard they were a bit difficult to get them to thrive in the south (north of Atlanta) but it was possible. Co-worker "J" is very into gardening and I knew this so I knew giving her one of the peonies would be perfect and hooray, she couldn't resist!

The other thing I did was do my research on metals and decided I wanted argentium wire. I used her gift to buy some from riogrande.com after looking around at several places on pricing. Thank you to all the crafty folks out there who have posted their knowledge online about various wires and what has worked best for them.

The flower in the photo is not a peony but is a photo I took on a recent hike through Cloudland Canyon State Park in northern Georgia. I saw so many tiny flowers and knew my grandma was there.

Stitchy McStitchelton.

2009-04-22T22:03:00.003-04:00

So my knitting peeps who do the super tiny knitting (socks amaze me) have put the word in my ear to do some stitch markers. I did knitting way back in the day (think 4-H in high school but still, I think I had something go to the MO state fair!) and more recently crochet but I never follow patterns and just sort of do what feels/looks right so this whole counting stitches thing is akin to flip-flips to my genteel feet...just never happened.

I did some of that there webbernet research, saw about a billionty different ways to make them, got some inspiration and then spent a couple hours jamming various bits of wire into various bits of beads. In the end, I learned a few things:

Stitch markers are fun to make! They remind me of tiny graphics on websites that really pull you in.
I need some size-mo-trons as I was just guessing really. The very tiny ones have a 6mm jump ring but the wire ones I just cut even lengths to work with and sized them on a smooth pencil.

I'm going to take the two sets I made into work on Friday to distribute for testing. I believe these stitch markers to be snag free! We'll see eh...

Big photos on Flickr!

And I'm not even a water person!

2009-04-21T22:48:00.005-04:00

Ever since the Paradiso family started our annual trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina, I've realized that some part of me loves a certain kind of beach. I'm not a fan of the heat-baked white sands of say Florida, but the moody tides of the Eastern coasts (and mind you, I go once a year so allow me my romanticism) are wonderful.

So I've been hoarding bits of shells for awhile now (some cowrie shells since 1995 I brought back from Ghana) not really sure what to do with them. I think with shells too it's hard to do something neat and tidy, sort of against their nature at least how they ended up. I started making the wrapped loop charms last night and came up with a first version of the hemp part but didn't care for that so took it all part tonight (not the charms, ye gads, that took me long enough).

The idea to wrap the hemp in wire was a whim (I wanted something to contain the strands mostly) but once it stretched out I realized it looked and acted like the edge of a spiral-bound notebook and that appealed to me immediately. Mind you, this thing is nice and long, just shy of 30 inches so all those shells are front and center. It could definitely be shortened though and would make a very neat choker I think as well.

So I posted photos on flickr and have posted this necklace in the Etsy shop too. Now it's time to do all the things I promised myself I would do instead of what washed up in my head...

The Grapes in green and dark blue are featured in an Etsy treasury!

2009-04-20T12:19:00.003-04:00

This is the second pair of the Grapes earrings to be featured in an Etsy treasury in about a week. The last one featured the amber color ones, this one features the green/dark blue ones. Such a lovely treasury too, please check it out while it's up (through April 23)!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=51078

Sunday for me.

2009-04-19T19:36:00.005-04:00

I go through varying phases of ups and downs, high energy and sluggishness, and sometimes mania and depression. I've learned to cope with all the phases mostly but definitely enjoy the times of high energy as opposed to days like today when I just feel like a lump.

I decided to make myself a pair of earrings in a style I'd done last weekend but much smaller since I'm not a huge hoop person. The green beads at the bottom are aventurine. I really like the subtle variations in the stone. I think they turned out rather nicely and Susan (my mother-in-law) asked for a pair so I'll enjoy making those as well. I want to try a super small pair later this week I think with some bright yellow round shell beads I found.

Going to start on a necklace project but I'm not sure how far I'll get tonight. My energy level is definitely low.

Exposure blitz!

2009-04-19T09:20:00.003-04:00

So I'm working on getting the Seedlings name out there in a number of different ways including posting new photos on Flickr and giving Twitter a go.

If you'd like to keep up with our Twitter feed it is at http://twitter.com/seedlingstweets and the Flickr photostream is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedlingsjewelry.

I do post quite a few photos on Facebook too, to the fan page which all are welcome to join, but I know Facebook doesn't appeal to everyone.

I have been slow to adopt to some of these sites, Twitter especially, but Facebook has been great for being able to stay in touch with people so we'll see with these other tools.

The next couple of weeks I'm going to concentrate on a mixture of getting all my existing pieces updated with the new Moo cards (moo.com mini cards are so neat) and working on some new pieces that have been rumbling around in my head.

Tonight's project: crochet and pearls!

2009-04-18T01:20:00.004-04:00

In the latest Bead Style magazine there is a how-to on making a simple necklace with wrapped-loop pearls and lucite flowers but I'm not a huge fan of lucite preferring to stick with natural materials when possible. For some reason my mind jumped to yarn and I asked my friend Katey if she had any yellow yarn I could work with.

She returned a bountiful bag full of wonderful bits I'm going to have much fun with, I can tell already. I decided to work with one of the purplely hued ones partially for the color and somewhat for the texture. It felt like it had a bit of wool in it and Katey confirmed that earlier in the evening.

The fringe is really what sets this necklace apart I think. I've found with a lot of my ideas, the execution is simple but what really draws me in and makes me spend upwards to an hour pulling each tiny skein apart is that simple plus simple multiplied by simple sometimes makes fantastic.

I think that's why I like repeating patterns so much. They aren't usually very complex but when you start layering them you see larger patterns emerge within the structure and you are never quite sure if you are going to see a glimpse into the inner workings of the universe.

The other thing that really appeals to me about this necklace is that it really reminds me of all the cosmos we had in our garden growing up. When I had my first house, I even went out of my way to plant a big row of cosmos against the side of the house one year. It is a simple flower but because it overwhelms with the sheer number that spring up, it becomes fantastic in the simplicity.

This necklace was fairly labor intensive but I love the result. I'm going to experiment with other yarns and textures but meanwhile this one is now on sale in the Etsy shop.

Little sleep but having fun!

2009-04-17T20:53:00.003-04:00

So this last week I finished up the last batch of wire swirls for the grand vision of Swirlmaille and I have to say I'm very happy with the result. I do consider this version 1.0 though and have several ideas for improvement in the next round. I am itching to work with actual sterling silver and fine silver among other things and plan on getting that going very shortly.

I'm waiting for a few new supplies to come in from folks I found on Etsy including a chainmaille kit for hubby!

I started a flickr account to help keep my photos organized and to get them out into the world a bit more, http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedlingsjewelry and I also post these photos to the Facebook page but apparently not everybody is on Facebook (haha)!

Mother's Day Gift Sets now available

2009-04-10T22:29:00.003-04:00

Please visit our Etsy shop for more details about this incredible offer but here's the rundown:
- available in four styles (The Grapes, Crazy Moon, The Leaves, and Spring Blossom)
- gift set includes earrings and a coordinating pendant with 17-inch silverplated snake chain
- a pair of The Grapes earrings for you!
- FREE shipping in the U.S.
- FREE ribboned gift box

All for US$30...and it's handmade and your mom will love you!

Click here to visit the Etsy shop for more details.

Also, the first monthly e-mail newsletter went out tonight so send us e-mail at seedlingsjewelry@gmail.com if you'd like to be added to the list.

We've got our own Team Heifer!

2009-04-03T20:58:00.002-04:00

Heifer International has started a very cool project where teams or individuals can have their own page called Team Heifer. I will be using this to make the donations for when we hit goals through proceeds from the jewelry and accessories that you buy.

With that, I'm super excited to announce that we were able to donate another $60 to Heifer. That makes a total of $120 to date. I'd like to go for the whole cow, so to speak, and also literally for this next goal. That means $500 total but the way things have been going, that's completely doable by the end of the year, if not sooner.

Click here to visit the Seedlings: Jewelry Because Team Heifer page!

Seedlings now on Etsy.com!

2009-04-03T20:30:00.002-04:00

If you've never been to Etsy, go now. Stop reading and gooooo. It will lure you in with handmade jollies dancing across the screen.

So of course we had to add Seedlings to this - click here to view Seedlings: Jewelry Because shop on Etsy.

As always, items are available from seedlingsjewelry.com but Etsy gives us a window into the rest of the world and a place to post unique items.