Snow Drift - Druzy Quartz Pendant

My goodness, there is some wicked weather across the country this winter! Loads of snow, ice, wind, blizzards and c..c..c..cold temps!

This weeks' theme Year of Jewelry Project is "Wild and Wicked". It's a tough theme for me, since I'm neither wild or wicked. But I had to think of something that is and came up with recent wicked weather patterns. This druzy quartz stone fit the theme beautifully with its' sparkly crystallized center looking like a giant snow drift!

I set it in a scalloped fine silver bezel and a sterling silver back plate. Then I polished all of the silver to a high shine and added a sparkly textured sterling silver chain. It takes me back to childhood memories of walking on top of crunchy, icy snow!

It's listed in my etsy shop here.

And some more photos for you:

Earthly Treasures - YOJ Project - Week 3

The theme this week for of the Year of Jewelry Project 2011 is "Mixed Media". My entry for the week is titled "Earthly Treasures" because I used organic materials such as petrified palm wood, copper and silver. Beautiful items from the earth formed into a wearable piece of art.

It's no secret among jewelry artisans that the price of silver and gold have skyrocketed in the past year. We're all searching for materials to use in lieu of silver (or gold) so that we can still be creative and keep our costs reasonable. Copper is one popular alternative, as are brass, stainless steel and bronze. I chose copper for the back plate of this piece because it compliments the colors of the petrified palm wood so nicely. It has been textured lightly by running the copper through a rolling mill while sandwiched between paper towels. A fine silver bezel adds an interesting contrast to the copper. The bail is brushed sterling silver with a ball of shiny fine silver added as an accent. I used waxed cotton cording to hang the pendant. I think the natural fiber of the cord adds to the earthy, rustic feel of the pendant. An added plus to the cording is that it is tied using 2 slip knots and the length can be easily adjusted by pulling the knots simultaneously to suit the wearer. I've given the metals an antiqued patina and then hand polished the patina off all but the lowest points. Different metals, textures, patina and finishes (satin, brushed and shiny) make this a unique, earthy pendant!

You can view the etsy listing for this piece or see the item in the YOJ 2011 blog, as well as other artists submissions using mixed media as inspiration.

I've joined the "Year of Jewelry Project - 2011"

Last week I heard about a blog called the "Year of Jewelry Project, 2011" (YOJ). It's a group of artisans who agree to create at least one piece of jewelry every week during 2011. There is a designated theme each week we can use for inspiration, although we don't have to create something using that theme if the theme isn't something that inspires us. At the end of each week we all post our creation on the YOJ blog.

The theme for week one was "New Beginnings". I created a pendant using an Ohio flint and a holly lavender chrysocolla. The flint is a beautiful tongue shaped stone that is rounded all around. It is intended to be set into a bezel from the top of the stone. The thing I love most about this piece is the amulet feel to it. A top setting was something I had never tried before. I found it challenging but fun. I call the finished pendant "A New Day".

The theme for week 2 is "Eclipse". I wondered if the intent was the solar eclipse or if it was in reference to the Twilight book series (which I've not read). I decide to use the solar eclipse as my inspiration and set out to design a pendant using a half-moon shaped labradorite stone that I have in my collection. I created the pendant and wasn't happy with the result. The stone was too deep for the design I used, so I scrapped the setting and may use the stone at a later date. Searching back through my stone collection, I found a beautiful fossilized coral stone, filled with vibrant hues of orange, yellow, red and navy. It reminded me of a fiery sun, which is perfect for my solar eclipse inspiration. It also has an internal pattern resembling fireworks. I love fireworks! For the finished pendant, I added an accent above the focal coral stone by crafting 2 textured silver discs and soldering them together in an eclipse fashion. A light oxidation brings out the texture in the discs. It isn't listed in my etsy shop yet but will be by the end of next week. I'm debating various chain options and whether to oxidize the chain or leave it shiny. Here's a preliminary photo of "Eclipse":

Eclipse

I'll be posting my YOJ creations here on occasion as well as on the YOJ blog. You can see all of the participant creations on the YOJ blog. There is a "Gallery Week by Week" tab that allows you to scroll through photos of each week jewelry pieces. I invite you to take a look from time to time.

Sharing a quiet evening

Just thought I'd share a quiet, peaceful moment of my evening with you.
It will be warmer and raining by morning here in WA, so this snow will be gone when I wake up. I'm enjoying the beauty of this moment.
*Sigh*

CLEARANCE SALE!

I've decided to have a Clearance Sale on several of my jewelry items. All are beautiful pieces, but have either been in my inventory too long, or are no longer typical of the style jewelry I now create. Check out the sale items here for some great prices on beautiful jewelry!

"Icy Hot" Treasury & SALE Reminder!

My "Snow Queen" Drusy Quartz Pendant is featured today in this beautiful "Icy Hot" etsy treasury! Many thanks to Purple Blossom Studio for including my pendant in this treasury. Check out the treasury and her shop today!

And a little reminder; my shop is having a New Year's SALE going on now through Monday, January 3rd! Enter the Coupon Code: HAPPY2011 to receive 11% off your entire order. Purchases shipped to US destinations will also receive FREE SHIPPING during the sale period!