Work Table Transformation

What a difference a few days can make.  My last post prompted some great input from my artsy friends Patty and Brandi.  I'll be ready to photograph and list a whole bunch of those interchangeable pendants when I return from my annual trek to Tucson.

 -- I always say that I go to Tucson to buy gems, but this year, it seems equally important to go there for a break from our extremely cold (sub-zero) month of January --

Working on the above mentioned project spurred me into action.  Kind of love when that happens.  I've been working on a series of duet and trio necklaces.  The process of selecting pairs of gemstones and trios of gemstones is really the most fun part of this.  Here's a look at the completed dangles.  Now all they need chains, clasps and prices!

It's always good for me to use a bunch of gems right before I go to Tucson.  That way, I can convince myself that I actually need more.  Right.

I'll close with a great picture of Jet during our walk down to the inlet the other day.  He's the most handsome guy!  He doesn't seem to care that it is -15!!

What's on My Work Table?

I haven't done one of these posts in a very long time!  It's not that I haven't been working on jewelry projects, because I most certainly have.  I just don't seem to think to blog about it as often as I used to.  But this project is a little bit different and was begging to be documented.

I found these interesting pendant bails in Tucson.  They allow the wearer to pick and choose which pendant they want to wear.  A perfect item for those who want versatility in their jewelry!

In the above photo, you can see that I've wire wrapped several briolettes and a few still need to be wrapped.  The above mentioned bails have an opening and secure closure which holds the hanging briolette.  It may be easier to see how this works in the photo below:

These bails rest very nicely on a snake chain or any sort of link chain.  But I suspect it would work really well with a leather or satin cord as well, for a more casual look.

My biggest problem with this new product is how to market it.  Should I offer them with individual drops?  Should I make duets?  Trios?  Obviously, the price will be higher, the more drops I offer with each bail.  And how do I approach this if I want to sell them on etsy?  Should the duet selections (if I go that way) be fixed, or should the buyer select the desired stones?  My guess is that would be a nightmare, involving too many convos and extra photo-taking, just to make a single sale.

If you have any suggestions for me, please share them with me! 

Vintage Glassware

Last week was our 14th anniversary, so we went out to dinner.  We don't often eat dinner out (lunch, yes, dinner, no), so this was sort of a big deal.  We went to a little place called Paris Bakery & Cafe in Anchorage. We've eaten there before, and have never been disappointed. This dinner was no exception.  The owner/chef is really from Paris, so this is as authentic as you can get in Alaska.  The bakery items are to die for.

Anyhoo, we got to Anchorage a bit early and decided to go one of the few antique stores in Anchorage -- Lazy Dog Antiques downtown.  I really didn't expect to find anything because I wasn't looking for anything.  We were just killing time until dinner hour arrived. 

Wouldn't you know, I found an amazing set of glassware!  The set includes 4 tall glasses and 4 highball glasses.  They look very fancy and very Mad Men to me!

We decided to donate all of our plain, nothing special glasses to make room for these lovelies. Makes a drink of water seem like a very special activity!  Happy anniversary to us!

A New Necklace for a New Year

The first new item in my etsy shop for 2012 is a stunner, if I do say so myself.  I started with a circle I fused from fine silver wire.  After hammering it for texture, I started to add dangles of white keshi pearls and pink tourmaline.  It sat like that for a week or more before I decided how to complete the necklace.  Once I found that gorgeous ruby briolette, the necklace came together pretty quickly.

To see the necklace from some other angles, click on the photo.  It will take you directly to the listing in my etsy shop.