Happy Valentine's Day from Alone Star Jewelry

Working with Cold Connections

Well here we are in a brand new year! It's hard to believe that Christmas went by so fast and Valentine's Day is just around the corner! I must admit that I've had a harder time this year getting back into the swing of things after the holidays. It would seem that I didn't get enough R&R time or maybe I realize the importance of having time to yourself to just piddle around or sneak in some more quality time with your family. It always goes by much too fast! But, having said that, it is the new year so move forward we must. I've never been good at forcing myself to sit down and just produce something new and fabulous (written with a smile!). No, I'm more the type that thinks on designs and then runs to grab my sketchbook to draw something down before I forget it! It's the inspiration in me and I can feel when it's waning and when it's kicking into high gear. It's a great feeling when it kicks into high gear because when that happens, I normally spit out several pieces all at once. I'm right in the middle of a high gear period and wanted to share a few new creations.

Shauna has previously talked about cold connections in our blog and it must have had a subconscious effect on me because that's the direction I have gone! I really like mixing media and have done so again with three of these new pieces. For example, the Corset brooch (shown above) is cinched up with blue Tenara (Gore-Tex) thread and adorned with tiny freshwater pearls.

The In Stitches brooch (below at far left) connects Argentium silver wire with waxed linen, and finally, the Laced Up brooch features braided gold Strinth cord. It's also new for us as these are our first brooches! I also tossed in a couple of other pieces to round things out. The Silver Band is a simple but classic wrapped ring that is held snugly together with a piece of Argentium wire that has been balled up on each end. The ring didn't need anything else, in my opinion. In this case, less is more! The Just Fun earrings are a work in textures where the design flows from one earring to the next, making each earring unique. These earrings are made up of independent pieces - domed discs, flower and heart, which spin freely on the handmade earwires that connect them altogether.

Well, that's going to wrap up this newsletter for this season. Stay tuned for more new pieces coming your way! May you all have a blessed 2010!

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Leaf Drop Earrings

As promised earlier, here is a picture of the shorter Leaf Drop earrings, made from a bronze leaf disk that was formed from my own design mold. We sold several pair of the longer version at the recent Galveston show, but many asked about making them shorter, so here is what that looks like. My mother-in-law, at about 5' in height, never wears earrings that dip even 1/2-inch below her lobe! Lisa will make one of her professional-looking shots very soon and these will be placed on the site aside the long version, seen below. The wire is sterling, as is the connecting bead and earwire.


Here is another something new, Longhorn earrings. I had 2 pair at the Mary Queen bazaar and sold both; one to a woman who owns a longhorn ranch in the hill country. I have only a drawing to post here, since I foolishly failed to photograph them--which tells you how hot off the bench they were. I am going to make more very soon. They measure just over an inch at the widest, and the longhorn diamond shape swings freely inside. The design on the outside diamond is oxidized. It may seem hokey to put up a drawing, but I have ulterior motives. I will always remember the wise words of an old friend: "If you want to get something done, tell someone you are going to do it." Thus you are bound to the task! I wouldn't like waiting too much longer to get my new plans completed and on the website. It is not easy to get cranked up again after Christmas, hard as it is just to get back into the regular routines of working and caring for house & home, much less a "second job".

Here, too, are a couple of shots from the Bazaar, since we always like to publicize our shows. We had a great show here this year, best ever for us at MQ. Very happy about that.

Take care & Ciao!

Shauna

Settling down in 2K10

Yes, the Longhorn game is behind us, the Christmas decor is packed away and routine is slowly reasserting itself. Last night I got my workroom organized once again so that the drawings in my sketchbook have a chance to morph into the real thing.

This year I will continue making earrings, seemingly my favorite item, but will push into making rings. Rings have been on the back burner for a long while and it's time to try my hand at them.

I had not made a new necklace in a while until coming up with this new one, seen above: Lisa is photographing it to put on the site but here is my amateur effort so you can see it. I sold the first one of these, fresh off the bench, at the Christmas bazaar in December, and have one more. It's assembled with cold connections except at the clasp where jump rings are soldered. I could have soldered the jumps at the pendant, but I didn't want to risk heating the bronze (cool gel might have worked) because it would have turned the color of copper. The customer who bought the necklace said she liked cold connections better, however, thinking they are stronger. I can't argue that point. See the website soon for pricing and more details.

The necklace does match the Leaf Drop Earrings already at the online store, but I made a shorter version of these earrings. I will comment on those and post a photo in my next blog entry. For now, though, Lisa will put up a photo of a new pair of earrings to complement the necklace, seen at right. I wanted something that matched but didn't repeat the strong pattern of the leaf disk on the necklace, so toned it down with plain bronze disks and repeated the necklace's silver leaf. Topped with a beaded earwire, I think these earrings are very pretty and feminine.

Another Project on the Bench: Quick Fire Copper Clay

Bronze clay has been a quirky material with which to work. I have only used the commercial BronzClay, but am going to try Hadar Jacobson's new Quick Fire bronze and copper clays next. I am going to start with copper clay, which I have yet to do: Lisa's already used Hadar's older copper version. I will rework a pair of earrings sold a year ago at MQ; they resembled spoons although the design was taken from an African tribal rattle. The original pair was made with copper sheet cut and domed (left), with silver clay for the shafts, to which earwires were soldered.

The new pair is similar to the photo on the right. Interestingly it features a switch in construction: the copper will not be sheet but clay, and the shaft will not be clay but sterling wire. In this "sketch" I was unsuccessful drilling the hole at top because I didn't anneal first (had to explain that glitch). I will work the silver wire by hammer & sanding for an organic look--more pounding and working sterling wire, which I love to do. And using clay for the disk removes the need for etching, although that is not an unpleasant or difficult technique. If you look closely at the edges of the copper disk to the right, you can see the etched lines.

See my next blog entry for a picture of the shorter Leaf Drop earrings. Ciao and Happy New Year!

Welcome to the New Year!

We would like to wish everyone a happy new year! It is my warmest wish that 2010 be a good year for us all. I'm not here to talk about resolutions because I haven't made any and I'm not a fan anyway. They tend to make me stress and feel guilty for not following through on them all. I would prefer to say that I will strive to be a better person and work hard at whatever I may do this year.

Shauna and I are both working on new designs and I wish I had something to show you today but the sketches are too rough at this point so that will have to wait until the next post.

For now, my intent was to wish all a happy new year! We'll be talking to you again very soon.

Here Comes Santa Claus!

Christmas will soon be upon us and as we hurry to ready ourselves for this glorious day, we should all take a moment to remember our brave troops who are abroad and unable to celebrate Christmas with their families. May God bless them one and all.

Another thing we should all do this Christmas season is to remember to sit back every now and then to catch our breath and enjoy all that is going on around us with our family and friends. We move at too fast a pace in our normal lives and need to make every effort to appreciate what we have and not take our blessings for granted.

So, to that end, while you're catching your breath and having a "me" moment, remember to visit our site and replenish your supply of Vitamin J (jewelry)! I will once again give credit to one of our customers for coining that catchy phrase. Thank you for letting us use it!

We have lots of new handmade and unique pieces at our online store at prices that are sure to please! Pick something out for yourself, wrap it up and stuff it down into your stocking! I always buy myself a little something at Christmastime...at least that way I know I'll get something I adore! That's not a jab at my children or my husband, who sometimes buy me things that make me go "Huh??".

Shauna and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. You won't be hearing from us again for a while so continue to visit our online store and enjoy reading our stories here at our blog. If you're into it, you can also follow us on Twitter. We haven't jumped into Facebook yet but watch for that coming soon. Merry Christmas and God bless!

Bronzed

Good evening. I have "finished" these earrings, bronze with chrysoprase and moonstones. They are the bronze domes I showed in a recent post, just fired with the three holes in each. I think these earrings are prettier with all three stones green, but these will stay as they are unless something else occurs to me, which is possible since I am not settled with them.

We are going to start making our own earwires, one pair shown with the earrings. We each got a set of cup burs, which work great for quickly filing the ends of the wire for a comfortable fit. Sometimes finishing afterward with a file is necessary, but it's just a few swipes and usually you're done. Needless to say the cup burs will become one of my favorite tools; now I can see myself sitting down and giving an hour to making a bunch of earwires. Before, filing the wire ends to a smooth rounded end was very tedious, at least for me.

I just got some more BronzClay, the only brand I have used. We have some of Hadar Jacobson's bronze powder which I plan to test, but later. I'm going to make more of the leaf disk seen here, seen in earrings on the website, and make some new, shorter earrings with it (by request!), then perhaps play around with making a necklace using the same mold, just manipulated for a different result.

I have another pair of sterling wire earrings on the bench; they also have chrysoprase cabs in them. I love the color of this stone.

Hook 'em Horns!

Make Your Plans! (The holidays are here!)

I would like to talk about the Mary Queen Christmas Bazaar this evening, because it's coming up--before we know it--the first weekend in December! This art, craft, and food festival is held annually in Friendswood, and was first suggested to us in 2005 by my sister-in-law. We learned that the bazaar is a juried arts and crafts event with top-quality goods. We got in that year, and plan to continue our annual streak of participation in this "feel-good" event. The bazaar is held in the parish hall--indoors!--so bad weather can't put a hole in your calendar, so plan to join us December 4th and 5th.

Attending the MQCB will light your holiday mood like a fireworks sparkler! Booths are always appealing to the eye; a wide range of goods is offered from holiday foods and snacks to wood-working, jewelry, hand-made books, drawings, paintings, quilts, pottery, clothing, Christmas decorations and lots more--and all made by the artists/crafters themselves! Holiday music sustains the mood, people are happy, and the sights and smells are nothing but Christmas! It's sparkling, interesting, attractive, and lively.

Lunch can be purchased in the middle hallway, where tables are set up with tableclothes and holiday centerpieces. Elves run around taking orders and delivering plates to diners. To one side of this area is a lengthy buffet filled with endless confections and pastries, along with hot coffee and tea. A lovely decorated Christmas tree stands at the end of this hall, surrounded by door prizes that can be won through the purchase of raffle tickets. Always something going on! And don't forget to visit the extra room across from the big hall! There are two rooms of booths, on opposite sides of the dining hallway, so don't miss out on all of the offerings. Another nice thing about MQCB is that it's small enough that you can see everything without getting entirely worn out, but large enough to offer a wide variety of goods to enjoy and purchase for yourself or for gifts (like Alone Star's jewelry!).

Mary Queen Christmas Bazaar is managed and operated throught the hard work of Alice Malek of MQ Church, and begins Friday, December 4 and runs through Saturday, December 5 (9:30am - 5:00pm both days). Lots of shoppers enjoy visiting Friday while the kids are at school.

The location is Mary Queen Catholic Church at 606 Cedarwood Drive, just off of FM518 (Friendswood Drive); turn south onto Stonesthrow Avenue between the cemetery and the snowcone hut and proceed forward to the church parking lot.