Showing posts with label "orion designs". Show all posts
Showing posts with label "orion designs". Show all posts

Thursday, December 5, 2013

SALE Time!

For those of you that did not see this on Facebook, I'm having a big sale in my etsy shop.

Use coupon code DEC20 to get 20% off your entire order! Don't forget to click "Apply" after you enter the code.

This sale will be going on through December 15.

This is a new pair of earrings in my shop, perfect for the holidays!


https://www.etsy.com/listing/171849625/red-pearl-earrings-moonstone-keshi-pearl


 Click the photo to go directly to the listing.


Friday, October 11, 2013

Romance is Alive!

Have no fear my friends, romance lives. At least in Alaska.

I received an email from a local guy -- in my head, he's young, very cute and athletic -- asking if I could replace a pair of earrings that his girlfriend lost. He purchased them from me 4 years ago. He remembers that specifically. I have no recollection of these earrings, but when he describes them, I kind of know what he's talking about.

He decided to send me a rough sketch of the earrings:

Rough sketch??? That's a drawing he did with some sort of CAD program, right? Bottom line, I knew exactly what he wanted. Lucky for him (and his girlfriend), I had 2 (yes, only 2) of those marquis cut prehnite stones left. They weren't quite a matched pair, but when I was done with the wire wrapping, they were indeed a pair :-)

These are the completed earrings:






This is the response I received from him when he saw this photo:


They look almost exact. 
I'll take them. 

Am I good, or what?
 
The next email I received from him:
 
Thank you so much. I called her and told her to expect replacement ear rings and she teared up on me. Those ear rings had kind of come to symbolize the first couple months of our relationship. When they were lost a few days before we had to say good bye. It was rough on her. 

Thank you so much. It made my year.
 
 
Of course, that made me tear up too. It's so special to be able to have an impact on the lives of others with something so simple as a pair of earrings. Now I need a tissue ...

Viva Romance!



Wednesday, June 19, 2013

New Ideas -- They're Always a Surprise!

Most of you know that I've been doing this jewelry thing for a long time. 16 years. Many times in those 16 years I've felt as if I'd used up all of my ideas. Like there was a lifetime quota that I could not exceed and that I'd used my quota. Luckily, those moments passed and something new was created in my studio.

That very thing happened again today. I was busily building inventory for the State Fair, wholesale accounts and my fall craft shows. For some reason, I was working at a frantic pace, even though there is no deadline currently.

... and when I say frantic pace, that's relative ... I never work at the kind of frantic pace that comes to mind when one uses the term frantic pace ...

Suddenly, I was staring at these beautiful white pearls in a rondelle shape. I bought them many years ago in Tucson because they were lovely, different and had wonderful luster. I gave no thought to how I might use them, as that shape always gives me trouble. I never did figure out how to use them effectively. Until today.





As you can see, it is a fairly simple design that really shows off the luster. I vaguely remember trying to use them on a headpin in a stack sort of arrangement. They never looked good or right that way. Plus they would sometimes wobble in an unattractive manner. 

Then I located some long forgotten chunky sugilite rondelles and really beautiful smooth turquoise nuggets. I dare you to guess how long I spent going through those irregular pieces of turquoise trying to find acceptable pairs.


The frantic pace was no more. As a matter of fact, the turquoise nuggets are still spread all over my table screaming at me to make more pairs!

Friday, January 27, 2012

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!!


Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Work Table Update

Now that the necklaces are completed, priced, tagged and stored, it's time to get back to making earrings.  I spent most of last Sunday making pairs of gemstones, adding to the batch you saw in the necklace post.  I really have my work cut out for me with this huge number of pairs!  It will probably take most of a week to complete this batch of earrings.

Click on the photos to see some finer detail.


Do you see any pairs you really, really love?  Most of these pairs will end up in my inventory, waiting for craft shows, the state fair or wholesale/consignment orders.  A few will probably get photographed for my etsy shop.

Friday, September 19, 2008

White Pearls


I can't think of a more classic item for a woman to have in her jewelry collection than white pearls. These earrings take that classic concept in a different direction. For these earrings, I started with pinkish-white keshi pearls that I neatly wrapped with sterling silver wire. I then suspended them from sterling silver earwires that I forged myself.

All of the silver has been oxidized and then tumbled it for that shiny steel gray finish that I love.

These earrings are for sale in my etsy shop.

Friday, September 5, 2008

New Lampwork Earrings!

Now that the State Fair is over, I can get back to concentrating on my jewelry making. Here's my latest pair of earrings featuring some beautiful lampwork beads that I purchased in Tucson.
These beads contain so many colors, but the colors are subtle and work so well together. Sitting on the surface of the beads are raised swirls of black glass, deftly applied so as not to hide the colors below.

I have suspended them from sterling silver leverback earwires. Hanging below is a collection of 4mm Czech glass beads in coordinating colors.

These earrings are for sale in my etsy shop.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Lampwork Earings

I started with lovely lampwork beads from Deronda Designs. They are of and indescribable golden hue, with touches of aqua and soft pink. Emerging from the bottom is a collection of glass beads in coordinating colors, including some tiny aqua colored vintage glass beads.

These earrings are 1 1/2" (3.6 cm) from the bottom of the sterling silver leverback earwires. They are available for sale in my
etsy shop.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

New Lariat Style Necklace



Starting with sterling silver rolo chain, I created this lariat necklace. I love rolo chain for it's sturdiness -- it can carry substantial designs, using large pearls and stones. I oxidized the chain and the other silver components, then tumbled them for this highly polished steel gray finish.

I created the textured circle by fusing a length of fine silver wire and then hammering the resulting circle. It acts as one part of the toggle closure and the stick pearl acts as the other part. The pearls I selected for this necklace begin with a deep midnight blue, transitioning to a paler blue and then gray, and finishing with stark white. The asymmetrical aspect of the necklace has huge appeal and really works with this style.

This necklace is available for sale in my etsy store.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Striped Lampwork Earrings


These artisan lampwork beads feature stripes in shades of golden yellow and cinnamon-y orange. I have surrounded them top and bottom with amber beads.

From below hangs a chain: each link of the chain holds a bead of amber, ranging in color from a rich, buttery yellow to a pale honey color, finishing with warm cinnamon. Some of the amber is transparent, some is translucent and some are completely opaque.

All of the silver is sterling. Length from the bottom of the leverback earwires is 1 3/4" (4.5 cm).

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Cascading Lilac Quartz


My new line of oxidized and mostly asymmetrical necklaces is providing me with plenty of opportunity to use some of my lovely finds from the Tucson gem shows. Here, I feature lilac quartz in 2 shapes -- flat faceted rectangles and faceted briolettes. Accompanying them are some freshwater pearls in a complementary shade of lavender.

Available for sale in my etsy shop.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Smoky Quartz ... with a twist

I adore smoky quartz in all shapes and sizes. These beads are quite large and have a unique cut. The many facets and the twisted shape make them super sparkly. The circle from which the beads hang was fused from 16 gauge fine silver wire. I then flattened it and hammered for texture. I also made the earwires. All of the silver was oxidized and then tumbled. I love the resulting shiny, steel gray finish this of this process.



Sunday, July 13, 2008

BIG SALE! No Fuel Required

The brand new Etsy street team I belong to, Artisan Beaders Street Team (ABST) is celebrating with a No Fuel Required Sale!!!!

With fuel prices higher than ever, what could be easier than forgoing your trip to the mall and shopping from home?

Members of the team will be offering discounts and/or free shipping from Sunday, July 13th through Saturday, July 19th.

All items in my etsy shop will be 15% off during this time period! And, orders over $100 will ship for free. Simply check out as usual and put NO FUEL in the "notes to seller". I will issue your refund through paypal.

Please check out the goodies from all of our participating members:

http://abeleeshandcrafted.etsy.com
http://jaelsjewels.etsy.com
http://shinyadornments.etsy.com
http://catiesblue.etsy.com
http://beadwright.etsy.com
http://kaskaad.etsy.com
http://CrysallisCreations.etsy.com
http://merigreenleaf.etsy.com
http://brenda45.etsy.com
http://ccdesign.etsy.com
http://signaturesterling.etsy.com
http://vickiorion.etsy.com