Luster: A Quality that Outshines

Luster goes Golden!

2012-01-23T13:48:00.001-06:00

This year I was able to participate in the GBK Golden Globes Celebrity Gift Lounge as part of The Artisan Groups Celebrity SWAG Bag and Photo Lounge display.

I had a selection of 5 copper cuffs from my Copper Tones Collection on display for the celebrities to look at and pose with for photos.

Included in the SWAG Bag for Celebrities and selected members of the press was my Interlaced Circles Copper cuff.

Are you curious as to what celebrities attended? Well here is the list! Over the next week I will be sharing some photos from the event….especially the photos of who I have trying out my items!

Ali Fedotowsky
Alicia Witt
Amanda Righetti
Angus T. Jones
Anthony Anderson
Anastassija Makarenko
Bailee Madison
Barrett Foa
Beau Willimon
Ben Schwartz
Beth Riesgraf
Betsy Brandt
BooBoo Stewart
Callie Thorne
Camille Grammar
Candace Cameron Bure
Carly Craig
Cheryl Burke
Chris McDonald
Chris Noth
Christopher Heyerdahl
Connor Paolo
Cynthia Addai Robinson
Damian Lewis
Damian McGinty
David Banner
Dot-Marie Jones
Eden Sher
Elizabeth McGovern
Eric Stonestreet
Erica Durance
Gabriel Mann
Garrett Backstrom
Helen McCrory
Hill Harper
India De Beaufort
Iqbal Theba
Janina Gavankar
Jason Isaacs
Jason Olive
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Carpenter
Jeremy Irons
Jessica Parker Kennedy
Jim Rash
Joe Mantegna
Josh Sussman
Julie Benz
Karina Smirnoff
Kathryn Joosten
Katie Leclerc
Kristi Lauren
Lana Parrilla
Lauren Bowles
Leslie David Baker
Mark Feuerstein
Mayim Bialik
Melissa Rauch
Mickey Rourke
Mireille Enos
Morena Baccarin
Nat Faxon
Natasha Henstridge
Nick Wechsler
Pat O’Brien
Rachael Crow
Raphael Sbarge
Reno Wilson
Reshma Shetty
Rex Lee
Raini Rodriguez
Rico Rodriguez
RJ Mitte
Samantha Harris
Sarah Drew
Sasha Pieterse
Shailene Woodley
Shanola Hampton
Steven Yeun
Thomas Gibson
Thomas Jane
Tinsel Korey
Tony Denison
Zach Woods

Cuff and Cari

2012-01-12T10:21:00.001-06:00

I wonder what Cari Cucksey of the HGTV show “Cash and Cari” and owner of the wonderful shop RePurpose is searching for?

I think she is looking for the perfect container to use as a display for her new reclaimed Copper and Laborite cuff bracelet from Luster.

Starting this spring, I will be adding a line of wire wrapped and elegantly adorned bracelets and cuffs in my shop! I have a feeling you will see a version of the “Cari Cuff” there!

Luster: On the road to the Golden Globes Gift Lounge

2011-11-28T11:40:00.001-06:00

I’m excited to announce the Luster Metal Works, in association with The Artisan Group, will be featured on January 13-14, 2012 at a luxury Gift Lounge hosted by GBK Productions at the L'Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills,
California, in honor of the 2012 Golden Globes Nominees and Presenters.

Over the next few weeks I will be giving you an inside look at what it took to make the 100+ bracelets that will be featured in the celebrity SWAG bags and press boxes. The five cuffs featured in the photo above will be on display at the gift lounge for the celebrities to pose with in their promotional photos. I wonder who I will have the privilege of having photographed with my items?

I hope you will join me on this exciting adventure!

Luster is getting a little “Big Love”

2011-11-23T17:02:00.001-06:00

I wonder what Ginnifer Goodwin is daydreaming about?

I bet she is wondering when she is going to receive this lovely earring and cuff set that she is going to get from Luster as part of a gift bag coming from The Artisan Group.

“HOPE” goes High Profile!

2011-11-17T13:00:00.001-06:00

So why is Giuliana DePandi Rancic so happy in this photo?

Well that is because she just received the perfect necklace to go with her dress…courtesy of Luster!

The necklace is a handcrafted Awareness Ribbon with the word “HOPE” hand stamped onto it. It is hung on a18” sterling silver chain. It is a simple yet powerful necklace that is a wonderful gift for anyone who has “Hope” that the cause that they believe in will someday be cured.

I am a member of a juried group that has the privilege of being asked to provide items for high profile events and gifts to high profile people. One of the recent gift bags was a get well bag of sorts for Giuliana to cheer her up post procedure for her lumpectomy. I am also working on another high profile gift as well as items to go into not only 1 but 2 celebrity events…they are pretty major and more will come on that soon!

Spinner Ring with a twist…

2011-11-05T12:45:00.001-05:00

One of the things I love most about making jewelry is the lives you touch and the stories you become part of. I have a friend who wanted a special item for her mom’s birthday as a gift from the “kids” but didn’t know what they wanted, she only knew she wanted it to be really special and symbolic but not cutesy.

After talking to her a bit we determined a ring would best fit her moms personality and jewelry preferences. But then we had to come up with an idea of how to make something special and symbolic without it being too literal. At a glance it would be a lovely piece of jewelry , but if you were part of the “circle” you would know what it meant.

As luck would have it, each of the siblings have different hair colors; red, black, and blond. So we thought a spinner ring with 3 different material bands representing each sibling would be perfect. It would show that the group is a family unit but each is an individual free to rotate as they wish, but the mom (the band) it what holds them all together.

I was very pleased with the outcome and wanted to share it with you! Their mom’s birthday is next week, and I am anxious to hear if she cries or not when she opens the gift and hears the story….What do you think?

Don’t forget if you want a special something for a special someone, just send me an email and I will help you create the perfect gift!

Drum Roll Please….

2011-11-03T18:17:00.001-05:00

And the 5 lucky random winners for my copper ring giveaway are:

Adrienne Hooker

Jennifer Roberts

Christine Cunningham

Kristen Umbaugh

Carly McCrory

Congrats to all of you! Be sure to email me your addresses so I can send you your copper ring!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T22:03:00.001-05:00

It seems as if people have very definite opinions about Halloween…they like or dislike it. Which side of the fence are you on?

I really enjoy Halloween, and now with 2 little kids in my life I enjoy it more. One of the main reasons I enjoy Halloween is because it is my Birthday in a few days. But I also just enjoy the creative aspect of the holiday….the daydreaming about what to dress up as, the decorating, the pumpkin carving.

I am proud to say that my oldest son, James (5), has been really showing signs of great creativity this Halloween season. I let him be in charge of all the decorating and he had a blast…I cannot wait to see what he will come up with in years to come as his skills develop! One of the items he came up with is a fun pumpkin to enter into the pumpkin decorating contest at his school. The rules are no cutting, no carving and no electronics, and yes a pumpkin or gourde must be the feature element. So immediately James knew what he wanted…a “peek-a-boo” pumpkin!

So here I present to you, our “Peek-a-boo” pumpkin for the pumpkin decorating contest! Not too shabby for a kindergartener, but I am a bit biased of course.

PS…Don’t forget that on Nov. 2 I will be drawing 5 lucky winners who will each receive a copper ring in honor of my 500 sale on Etsy! Check out the Blog Post to see how you can enter!

“If You Give a Cat a Cupcake” kind of a day…

2011-10-30T22:02:00.001-05:00

For those of you with small kids in your life, you are probably familiar with the silly antics in the book “If You Give Cat a Cupcake” by Laura Numeroff. For those who don’t know that book…If you give a cat a cupcake, he'll ask for some sprinkles to go with it. When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill some on the floor. Cleaning up will make him hot, so you'll give him a bathing suit . . . the antics continue throughout the day and finally you end up back at home, giving a cat a cupcake.

I find that I occasionally have days like that where you are so busy all day long but in the end you are just where you began again…well sort of. For me it was if you give a kid a pancake…then I somehow knocked the spatula behind the stove. So then I have to get it which requires me pulling out the stove…and I see all of the nasty dust bunnies and other goodies that collect under the stove, so then I wonder what is behind the fridge…and while I am at it I might as well just really give the whole kitchen a good cleaning and mopping, especially since I live in a 110+ year old house nestled amongst the cornfields and it is harvest season (meaning it is loosing battle with the dust right now). And then I decided if I am doing this why don’t I try to re-arrange the kitchen a bit…and so on.

Now here is it now evening, I have a spotless kitchen, but I still have 2 kids who want their pancakes…breakfast for dinner anyone? I do have to admit, knowing that my Kitchen is scrubbed clean is a good feeling…maybe tomorrow I will scrub my bathroom too...or maybe not!

500th Sale Giveaway!

2011-10-24T10:14:00.003-05:00

Today marks a very special day in my Etsy selling History….I have made my 500th sale! Whoo Hoo! Sound the trumpets, imagine confetti and balloons exploding all around you!
In honor of this special milestone I decided to do a giveaway. Sale #500 was a copper ring. In honor of that I will be randomly giving away 5 copper rings to 5 lucky people! (plus I thought that sorta went with the fact that I am gearing up for holiday sales, and 5 is the number of rings needed in the 12 days of Christmas…okay so them may be 5 golden rings…mine are copper. Who knows maybe when I hit 5000 sales I can splurge and do 5 golden rings )
Okay so it is simple to enter…All you need to do is leave a comment on this blog with 2 things….1 what size ring do you wear, and 2. what texture do you like? Easy Peasy! I will have a random Drawing on my birthday, Nov 2, 2011 at noon my time (Central), to determine who the lucky winners are. The textures available are:

Coral Reef:

Fluted:

Hash Mark:

Slate:

Tree Bark:

Smooth:

Fall into Autumn

2011-10-04T15:52:00.001-05:00

Time flies when you are having fun….or chasing after kids, schlepping them to school and back, or soccer practices, or any of those many things that a mothers life seems to be filled with.

It seems that creative time has been put on the back burner lately.

Happily I can say, I have managed to carve out some time to make new items for the fall. So I will be sharing them with you over the next weeks.

One of my first items I would like to share is a fun basket weave pattern on copper. The collection includes cuffs, necklaces, earrings and bookmarks!

Here is a little sample for you! They should all be making their debut over in my Etsy Shop and on my website soon! Enjoy!

Flowers for the Ladies

2011-04-13T21:52:00.001-05:00

Running a business that is predominantly e-commerce based can make you feel like you are in a bit of a bubble at times. It is especially so when you live out in rural America where houses are scattered about 1 every mile. The other day one of my “neighbors” called me up to ask if I could be a guest speaker for the the Women's Club meeting she was in charge of hosting. I was very flattered that she thought that my “hobby” was something that the ladies would like to hear about. But even more exciting it was allowing me a chance to speak to women in my community that may have a connection to my house in some way.

My husband and I bought our house in the country about 7 years ago as a major fixer upper project of passion. It had been occupied by members of the Tighe family since it was built around the turn of the last century, but in recent years started to require more care than the family could give. Being in a rural farming community, many people have close ties to the Tighes, and the Fairmount Women’s Club is no exception. One of their former beloved members, Betsy (Tighe) Torbit, who unfortunately departed too soon, was born and raised in my house. Ironically it was the renovations of the house that lead me to my hobby by supplying me with the reams of copper I use in many of me creations.

I thought it was only proper to bring a Thank You gift to the ladies of the Fairmount Women’s Club for allowing me to speak to them about who I am and what I do (plus let me escape from the responsibilities of being mommy for an evening). What could be more appropriate than a fun flower doodle bookmark made from the copper wiring we removed from the Kitchen? The evening was a success. I met many wonderful women in my community, heard stories about the the Tighes, and was able to learn about their charitable contributions to help those in our area, especially students, by raising funds for scholarships….one of which is in honor of Betsy Torbit. Now I am inspired to find ways to join forces with them to help with fundraisers and events to further help support this great little community I am a part of.

I am thinking of selling Flower Doodle Bookmarks with 100% of the proceeds going towards scholarship funds that the Fairmount Women’s Club manage….

Spring Has Sprung!

2011-04-08T17:43:00.001-05:00

Well it is official, Spring is here and the Farmers are in the fields all around us getting the fertile ground ready for planting. In honor of good things to come from Mother Earth, I have made up some Copper Garden Markers. You can customize them with any herb, flower, veggie, plant info you want. They also make great table decorations or seat place markers at a garden party or shower.

Currently they are available in my Etsy Shop, and soon can be found on my website and at Shared Space Co-op.

Finding Direction

2011-04-01T15:25:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been struggling to find the balance in being a mom, wife, and entrepreneur. Everyone is getting jipped by how scattered I have been lately…but most importantly I have been unhappy. Things have got to change.

I came across this quote the other day:

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase.

Just take the first step.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

It seems to be fitting advice for me right now. I feel as if I have so much I want to accomplish and I am getting pulled in so many directions and I feel so overwhelmed by it all and I don’t know where to start and how to focus. I find myself falling prey of analysis paralysis trying to have the answer to it all and beating myself up because I don’t have the answers. It is my analytical nature to be this way. But I need to remind myself that I don’t need the answer to it all, I just need to have a direction to move in and the path will become apparent. Some pieces of the puzzle will fit into place, some may need a little coaxing and others I may find do not fit at all….but I will never know unless I start.

But how do you start? Do you take the path of least resistance, the path that is the most challenging, the one most exciting? I have decided that my first step should be to start by removing things from my life that don’t make me happy and work on strengthening the things that do make me happy. Sounds like time for a list…..

I’m Still Here!

2011-02-08T13:45:00.002-06:00

Well it has been busy and that is good. What is not good is that the weather has been HORRIBLE. It has been keeping my babysitters from getting here on the icy snow drifted roads. Heck I have only seen the mailman about 50% of the time as well! But I am still finding ways to keep up wit the Valentines day orders as well as creating new items.

Lately I have been obsessed with making jewelry items that are convertible and can be worn in more than one way. I think today's woman would appreciate that kind of flexibility in her jewelry items, I sure know I do. Here re a few lovelies I made that can be worn in 4 different ways depending on how your flip the charms.

Don't forget to keep an eye on new items in my Etsy Shop and on my website!

A new year is upon us

2011-01-04T10:10:00.002-06:00

Well some how 2011 is underway and I have not had time to say “Hello!”. I am still stuck focused fully on 2010. It seems that I had about 4 packages go missing in the mail this holiday season so I had to play catch-up and re-make those items instead of working on new work as I had hoped. The the dreaded 2010 End of Year accounting had to be done. That entails taking inventory of all that material I still have in stock and making sure my business checking account register is fully reconciled. No small feat considering you have to do funny accounting stuff if you use any personal money to pay for business stuff. Oh well!
I have finally finished up with 2010 and am ready to welcome 2011. What does that mean? Well first I need to make some of those new items that are swirling around in my head and get them photographed! Second, I have to re-evaluate my shop offering and the prices. The cost of silver has doubled since I last ordered supplies….that is major. Third I need to figure out how to better balance being a mom, a wife, an artist, a shop slave, a shipping department, a customer service department, a PR and marketing person, an accountant, a photographer, a cook, a maid, and myself. It is a lot to juggle and I feel as if I am successfully accomplishing anything. SO bear with me as I try to figure all of this out…

You asked for it…Ring Engraving is Here!

2010-12-09T13:40:00.001-06:00

I have been getting soooooo many requests for inside ring engraving that I decided to offer that service. The following are the font dials I currently have. After the holiday rush I will take some time and make ring samples with the fonts for you, but for now I can at least share the 6 font dials I have with you!

The Hebrew Font Dial:

The Fancy Script Font Dial:

The Greek Font Dial:

The Modern Block Font Dial:

The Modern Script Font Dial:

The Script Font Dial:

‘Tis' the Season!

2010-12-03T16:03:00.003-06:00

Many of my friends have asked me what would be a good gift to give to co-workers, friends, holiday hostesses gifts, and for teachers. I always find homemade ornaments to be great catch all gifts! So I decided to make a nice set of holiday ornaments that look like Snowflakes…or stars…or flowers…whatever it is you see in it.
They are made from reclaimed copper and aluminum and hung onto handmade copper hooks. I made the hooks dark so that they would almost disappear in the greenery of the tree or garland that they are hung on and let the ornament take center stage. Each ornament is about 2” in diameter.
You can buy the ornaments in person at Shared Space in Urbana, Illinois or via my Etsy website. They come in packs f 6 ornaments and you can choose from either all copper, all aluminum or a 50/50 mix of copper and aluminum! They all come in a gift box with a festive ribbon tied around the box, ready for gift giving!

Forcing Myself to STOP and Smell the Pine Trees!

2010-11-27T15:53:00.002-06:00

It is that time of year again…I have come to both dread it and love it, but it was not always this way. Five years ago, before kids and before running my own business, it was a fun time of year because I got to get out all of the lights and decorate my house to the hilt and had no worries. Gift shopping was easy because I could just go out and get whatever for whoever and not have to think about it too much. Then came kids… the first year we didn’t do much with a little person dominating our lives, the second year I think there was no tree at all for fear that the tiny terror would pull it over on himself, the 3rd year we had baby #2 and quite frankly I don’t much remember that one at all, the 4th year had a mostly naked tree that was securely tied to the stairs so tiny terror #2 would not topple it over, this is Christmas #5 with kids (now aged 4.5 and 1.5) and I am ready to go all out again! Or so I think, because somewhere in all of that insanity, I decided to start my own business making handcrafted silver and copper jewelry. Don’t get me started on holiday shopping, it has been reduced to sitting at 3am in front of my computer and cruising Amazon.com.

The jewelry making has been something I had dabbled in off an on, but with the advent of Etsy, it became feasible to make a little business out of a hobby. And as a new mom I needed something that I could do for myself as a time out from the kids. So my jewelry business was born. It has been great don’t get me wrong, I am sure I would be insane if I didn’t have it. But the only problem is this time of year puts quite a demand on any retail based business as one would expect. And since I make all of my items as the orders come in, I feel like I an in a mad frenzy trying to get them finished rather than taking the time to enjoy the holiday and its preparations with my family. I felt the frenzy fever kicking in just before Thanksgiving when I noticed that each time I went to check my emails I would have a new order there….great for business but stressful too. It just happened at the same time one of my facebook friends posted that she was going to do an online photo workshop. I decided to look into it and it sounded like it was what I needed to force myself to take time out and focus on family.

So the workshops have officially started and I will be posting the photo results from my “assignments” and sharing them with you….hoping that you can extract a little extra holiday joy in your life as a result!

Search Term Tuesday, Honoring the Book Lover!!!

2010-09-14T10:49:00.003-05:00

It has been a while! Well the little one is asleep and the older one is at pre-school, and I find myself in utter silence on a rainy Tuesday morning. So what should I do? Revive Search Term Tuesday of course!!!

Search term 1: “she has read too many books and it has addled her brain”
I love that quote, it is one from Louisa May Alcott, but it really shocked me to sea that search term brought someone to my site for almost 30 mins! I HAD to look it up. What I found was the cutest little shop named “Bookity”. What a great find this shop was. I have some many friends and family who are bibliophiles and this shop is a PERFECT place to do a little holiday shopping for them.

Search Term 2: “Sarah plain and tall”
This book is found on MANY of the required reading lists for schools and was made into a popular made for tv Hallmark Movie series and featured Glen Close and Christopher Waklen.
First let me say this…I am a SLOPPY typer…my mind moves faster than my fingers. When I first typed this into Google I typed “Sarah Palin and tall” and was stymied as to why all sorts of sites dedicated to Palin popped up instead of the book I thought I was searching for, DUH! Okay so after correcting my typo, I found this site for Elizabeth Metz, who does some interesting illustrations, one of which is “Sarah Plain and Tall”.

Search Term 3 “e.e. cummings gift “
EE Cummings is most often thought of as an American poet, but he also did a few plays as well. There are so many wonderful quotes that you can pull from his body of works! I enjoyed this print with the Quote “The Earth laughs in flowers” in the Art by Erin Leigh shop:

It’s been a while!

2010-09-13T21:06:00.002-05:00

I know I have been soo neglectful of this blog of mine. I have been busy on vacation, picking tomatoes, making sauce, canning sauce, canning tomatoes, back to school for my pre-schooler, getting interviewed by the press, stocking up my items at galleries, and just plain living life. Sometimes you just need to be living in the now a bit and not focus so much on building an empire.
I do have to say I am quite proud of the fact that i cleaned up my two work areas. So in honor of that periodical “Where Women Create”, I figure I’d share with you where I create. Because quite frankly I am pretty darn proud of the areas and I feel like bragging.
Out in our machine shed, it my main fabricating area. It has all kinds of tools that can let me create. I love it, and I love how organized it is. that big thing with the drawers is an old rock storage cabinet from the Geology Dept at the University of Illinois….I LOVE it!!!! Um and if you are wondering, no, I do not employ child labor. My 4 year old is very serious and believes that he is making jewelry with mommy. I let him play with scraps of copper. You just never know where it will take his creative little mind….

Inside I have converted part of our guest room into my assembly and finishing area as well as my photo studio. I love how everything is so well organized but out in the open making it easy to work …and clean up!!!

I know you are drooling….not to shabby.

New items Inspired by the Sunrises over the Ocean and Sunsets on the Bay…

2010-07-13T12:10:00.007-05:00

I have been working on a new line of jewelry inspired by the the vacations I am so lucky to take at the Jersey Shore…and I don’t mean the area that has been made a household staple by the likes of Reality TV curtsy of MTV…I am talking Long Beach Island. We are fortunate enough to be able to vacation there every summer at a family house that is located on a narrow part of the sand bar island where is is only a few houses to the ocean and a few house to the bay. Behind the house is a wetland area that makes the surroundings quite tranquil.

It is always so great to watch the sunrise over the ocean, especially at low tide so the jetties are exposed and the sun painted waves lap against the craggy rocks. But my favorite is walking down to the bay after a long day of play and watching the sun set and silhouettes of sailboats go floating by. Then tossing a rock or two into the flat water and watch the colorful ripples of the distorted sunset expand out and away from me.

So hopefully when you see this new line of necklaces, you will get to be part of my vacation as well.

Cascades and Drops:

Waves:

Ripples:

Reflections:

Studio Sample Sale

2010-07-08T16:00:00.001-05:00

Well I am doing a little summer clean up trying to free up some space on my wall where I hang all of the photo samples that I keep. I have a TON of new items that I have been making and no place to put them…so I felt it was time for a STUDIO SAMPLE SALE!!!!

The items are ready to ship and are being offered at my special pricing reserved only for my Wholesale customers. So grab the samples while they last…I have already sold several thru my “Sneak Peek” on my Face Book Page!!!

To be the first to find out about sample sales and new products, be sure to “LIKE” my fan page on Facebook!

New Line in the works: Brag Tags

2010-06-04T11:03:00.004-05:00

I have had this idea for Brag Tags rattling around in my head for a while now. Finally I had a few free moments to sit down and make some prototypes. Low and behold, they came out pretty cute, or so I think.

SO I have been working like a mad woman trying to get samples made and photographed and listed. At first I had planned to just put them in my established Etsy shop: Luster. But then I realized that they were going to swamp that shop and I created my new Etsy shop: Brag Tags. Once I get them listed there, I can copy and paste the listing into my personal online shop Luster Metal Works! And once that is done, I can put them into my line sheet on Trunkt and offer them to retail customers!

Whew…that is a lot of work! I still have a ton of other ideas rattling around in my noggin. I just need some kid free time. So now I am searching for a babysitter to come over 10 or so hours a week so I can dedicate some guilt free time to creating. Only the search is harder than you would think, especially because of the remoteness of my house from civilization. Oh well!

So here are some of the Brag Tags I have made in Copper….Sterling Silver ones are on their way! I am also open to suggestions for designs as well!!

Sea Horse Design:

Fancy Script B

Block Print B

Zodiac Libra Sign

Zodiac Aries sign

Search Term Tuesday, an Ode to Lady Gaga

2010-05-18T10:19:00.002-05:00

Yes, Yes, Yes…I know I know my posts have been soo sporadic lately. But today I just had to do a search term Tuesday. Last night I had received a custom bookmark order with the words “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich” (title of a Lady Gaga Song) stamped on it and I was a bit curious as to what search terms people had been using to find my shop since I have not looked lately.

Well to my surprise, I found a slew of Lady Gaga terms. So, I decided that she would be my muse for this posting. To further cement that idea, as I drove my son to preschool, the song Poker Face came on and my 1 year old started to groove in his car seat.

So here it goes:

Search Term 1: Lady GAGA
I love to think that Lady Gaga, herself, has been perusing my items. But I fear that my offering are not extreme enough for her fashion style. I did come across this Felt Doll of her when looking up the search term for sample….maybe under that coat she has on one of my necklaces!

Search Term 2: The Fame Monster
Once again I have to say I am in awe of what people can do with stickers and creative placement on items.

Search Term 3: Poker Face
Can’t read my, Can’t read my, No he can’t read my Poker Face….

And here is a little something that will forever play in my minds eye whenever I hear the song Poker Face…I am sure these boys did Lady Gaga proud! A little gem for any Poker Face fan:

Boneyard Art Festival

2010-04-22T11:07:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday, I had the honor of being one of the artists asked to display work in the lobby of the Main Street Plaza building in downtown Urbana, IL. This is also where the Shared Space Coop is located; a budding new gallery that I have items located at.

As with any new show, I had no clue what to expect, but was very pleased with my location and the turnout. I decided to try a slightly different layout from the one I did at the I Do Bridal Expo, mainly because I didn’t have the space or time to do a full booth set-up. I like how cohesive it looked with my branding, but I still have some tweaks I would like to make for next time. But it was not bad for a 2nd set up…and went MUCH faster than the first!

This was also my first experience with accepting credit cards at a live event. I have to tell you, I am glad I had a set up that allowed me to see immediately if a card was accepted, as I had several students present me with cards that were declined. My only complaint with the credit card system is that it was a little slow as I had to type in all of the info….and I am not a speed typist by any means. For any future events I will be sure to get one of the card swipers that hooks up to the computer.

I had the pleasure to meet a talented photographer, Hector Mandel, who was set up just next to me. You can see him on the left of the photo below…probably mid text to his wife, a lamp work bead and wire wrap jewelry artist, who was at another show. Hector takes a variety of local landscape images, shot of everyday items in an unusual perspective, and specializes in amazing images taken while skydiving! He also has some brilliant shot of his wife making lamp work beads and you would swear you were looking at planets, nebulas, or even jellyfish!

All in all, I had a great day and if asked back I will probably go. Hector told me about another event that is one that I will have to look into doing next year: The Mom’s Day Craft Fair at the Illini Union. It is fun to get out of the house and on the road. I always meet interesting people and enjoy talking to shoppers about my work!

Shared Space: An Artist Coop

2010-04-09T15:25:00.007-05:00

Today is the official GRAND OPENING for Shared Space: An Artist Coop. It is conveniently located in Downtown Urbana, Illinois
in the Main Street Plaza building nestled amongst a variety of wonderful eateries and eclectic shops. Parking is never an issue with the options of metered street parking out front or the parking garage located on the East corner of the block!

You ask why I am so excited about the opening of this gallery….well It is because it now offers me a new location to sell my product. And more excitingly…they are soon to expand and will have space to host classes! I have a list of classes I want to teach, just my rural location is not conducive to hosting classes.

I stopped by the gallery yesterday (with my 2 little side kicks) and brought a variety of items to set up as a way to test the waters. I was impressed with how well stocked it was and how organized the staff were. You could hardly tell that they were in the fray of getting ready for the big launch. Fortunately for me, my kids were moderately well behaved so I could get my business done….oh the joys of running a artistic business and juggling little kids! I was also impressed with the random foot traffic that they were getting. I hope that was an indicator of how visited the shop will be!

If you are an artist looking for a spot to call home, contact Shared Space by clicking this link to the contact page. Membership info will be on the website soon. You can also follow the Shared Space: An Artist Coop on Facebook. Also stop by on April 17 for the Boneyard Art Festival an meet me as well as several of the other artists!

The Bridal Expo

2010-04-07T13:20:00.001-05:00

Recently I took a chance and did a Bridal Expo. I thought it would be fun to try to tap into that market a bit more since I will be launching a Bridal based category on my website.

My spot was pretty prime, it was right at the entrance, but dark as can be. Thank goodness I had some additional lights with me. I wanted to set my booth up like a girly dressing room and have it be inviting but still inline with my branding and colors.

I think for a first booth, it came out pretty nice, but there are things I will change for the next time I do a show, as this was a very time intensive setup. I LOVE how my sign looked.

Here are a few photos:

The booth looking in

The Back Wall

Left Side

Right Side

As for the show itself, I was a little disappointed. I live near The University of Illinois, a major university for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, and unfortunately this event was the first weekend of their spring break. So the attendance was VERY poor.

The other problem was that the event was from 12 – 4pm and from 2pm until 4pm there was a bridal fashion show. So during the show, everyone was gone from the expo floor and watching the catwalk. We vendors could hear the crickets.

Some vendors bailed early as a result but those of us who stayed were bombarded with visitors leaving the fashion show that ended at eh same time the event was due to end. I stayed with no issue, but the fact that it was close to 5 when people left and we were supposed to be cleared of the expo floor by 5pm. So once again I was cursing my time intensive set up.

I now have a mess of stuff to go thru and jewelry to untangle. But I did have a lot of positive feedback and a few orders. Will I do it again? Probably not. Was it fun? Sure.

I met a really great couple who do amazing photography and and they made the time pass better. So I will give them a little plug here…They are not limited to just Bridal photography, they also do babies, family, seniors, you name it. They have a great style, it is vintage meets modern classic. I LOVE it.

K. Design Photography

Search Term Tuesday….the Return!

2010-04-06T10:32:00.001-05:00

Okay….it has been awhile. I won’t waste your time with excuses, life happens, we get sidetracked, and then we get back on track again. So here I am.

When I sat down today to look at my Google analytics for my shop, I was sooo amazed at all of the wonderfully odd search terms that were used to get people to my site. I had a hard time limiting it to 3….but here you go:

These search terms were selected because they brought 10 or more viewers to my site. All photos are of products I found to illustrate what I normally would think of when I hear the search term. If you click on the

1. Leather Bound Book

This was a fun term to see. I have been experimenting with textures and have some new ones that I will be launching that look like leather, sharkskin, and snakeskin. For the fall I have some plans to incorporate real leather and suede into a few pieces as well.

2. Etsy Lingerie

I love the thought of my jewelry being associated with lingerie. Jewelry like lingerie is something that is so personal and intimate and worn close to the skin. It is nice to see the association. I have some plans for lingerie inspired jewelry, but that will not be available until next year I fear.

3. Subway sign wall art

WOW…how odd is that term for what I make….but it sure would be really cool to have a line of necklaces inspired by signs….hmmmmm. Gears are turning for new items now. In the comments section leave suggestions for signs you would like to see as jewelry. If I choose one of yours for production, you will receive the first one as a gift!

What’s in your closet?

2010-02-24T10:37:00.002-06:00

So with my jewelry assembly and photography studio (aka the guest room) out of commission due to guests in the house, I have been working on other business related tasks. You know those pesky ones that keep getting pushed off like bookkeeping and work space clean up...ugh!

Well I had a very rare stretch of time when BOTH kiddos were actually taking a nap so I put it to good use. A batch of my shipping and packaging supplies arrived and needed to find a home. So I cleared out the closet by my desk and started to re-arrange. Whoo Hoo! It all found a nice home. And before I put away all of those jewelry boxes, I actually took the time to put my logo sticker on each one!

I feel soo much better now that this task is done!

Sneak Peak

2010-02-23T17:09:00.003-06:00

I know I promised I would show you photos of my last sneak peak but my house has been invaded by some of my husbands co-workers from the VA office. Which means I have been cooking and cleaning up after all these extra boys. And worse yet I had to give up my “play” room so it could be a guest room again. So I have not had a spot to sit and assemble jewelry or worse yet to photograph what I have completed.
However, I did get some time out in the shop on Sunday, and boy did I make use of it! I made a million zillion little component bits. Here is a nice shot of them fresh out of the tumbler….boy was it fun to pick out all of those little bits from the shot!

PS…really I will show you some finished items soon…..I just need my space back!

Take Time to Enjoy the Moment

2010-02-19T16:38:00.003-06:00

Lately I have been putting a lot of pressure on myself to achieve certain things with my business. Sometimes I need to remind myself to step back a bit, and reflect on what is important instead of what I am not getting done. I need to enjoy the moment more, especially with 2 small children that are growing soo very fast.
I decided to capture a few moments in time today that made me smile so I could hold on to them longer than the blink of an eye that they last….
Here is my little one sweetly sleeping away. The click of the camera woke him up, but he was all smiles when he saw mommy was there with him.

And this one is of my other son playing construction. He has really gotten into setting up construction site scenarios and acting them out. Often I find him reenacting scenes from Swamp Loggers or some other Discovery Channel show he watches with daddy. I am always so fascinated by these work sites he makes up!

I am off to give my little boys snuggles, hugs, and kisses before they become too big for mommy love…

Sneak Peak….

2010-02-17T12:25:00.002-06:00

Look at these lovely bits of textured copper and silver.

I wonder what shall become of all you.

Check back tomorrow and maybe I will show you!

Search Term Tuesday!

2010-02-09T16:03:00.004-06:00

You know the drill….Search Term Tuesday features some of the unexpected search terms that people used and came across my site according to Google Analytics. I then use the search terms to look up products in Etsy to see what products actually show up. Maybe some of these new ideas will provide fresh inspiration for future products.

Just to clarify, these photos are not taken by me. If you click on the image it will take you to a link of the listing I found when I ran the “search” based on the terms in google analytics.

So here are the terms and a resulting item form my search:

hand painted totes

shirt with scissors heart

snow white mac apple decal

An Untraditional Duo, Make a Traditional Looking Necklace

2010-02-04T14:16:00.003-06:00

One day I was playing in my studio and I had some scrap copper sitting next to a Crazy Lace Agate stone. I loved how much they looked together that I decided to merge the two together. This lovely 2 sided necklace was the result.

The copper bezel and twist wire were all created by hand and the resulting item has a feel of an old, slightly worn Victorian locket. I pared it up with a 60" piece of organza ribbon to further accent the antique locket effect. The ribbon allows the wearer to change up the look just simply by how the the pendant is attached.

I have a feeling there will be more of these types of convertible items to come! Keep an eye out! This one is listed in My Etsy shop.

View Full Album

Ask “Why?” Wednesday…

2010-02-04T11:14:00.002-06:00

I am breaking with the traditional Wednesday blog posts many people do called “Wordless Wednesday” because any of you out there that have a pre-schooler in your life know that a day is never wordless, but full of “Why?” So James, Wednesday is for you…
1. Why is it I don’t recognize a single movie nominated for the Oscar’s (except for UP) this year but I can tell you what kid show is on what channel and when…
2. Why is it that I haven’t heard a single one of the songs that were nominated for the Grammy’s yet I can sing along to all of the Fresh Beat Bands songs…and will actually spontaneously start singing one of their obnoxious yet catchy jungles on my own.
3. Why did I even notice that the Fresh Beat Band was previously called the Jump Arounds…
4. Worse yet, why did I care enough about that name change that I actually had to Google it to find out…
5. When will I start to be able to enjoy movies and music beyond rating PG again?
6. Why do I still pay for a Netflix subscription when the last movies we got from them have been sitting on the end table for about 6 weeks now….

Search Term Tuesday

2010-02-02T16:46:00.004-06:00

Well I am running a bit late on this Tuesdays installment of Search Term Tuesday. I have been running all around and the kiddos have napped in the car but not at home, so I have not had my quiet write time today…
By now you probably know the drill. Search term Tuesday is about me sharing with you some of the interesting keywords that were used to find my shop and then the items I find using those search terms myself. The photos shared are not my own, but if you click on the image, it will take you to the actual listing on Etsy. All seller have been notified that I used their item in my blog…maybe yours will be next!
popcorn bobble hat pattern: WOW…this one brought 5 viewers to my shop! I must admit, I had no clue as to what I would find when I typed this phrase into the Etsy search. I was half expecting a pattern for making a hat for a bobble head figure. Instead I was pleasantly surprised that it was for a a cute beret like hat. Now, if only I could knit or crochet!

art deco beaded hairpiece : I was very excited to see where this search term took me…I was expecting a slew of vintage items to show up. What I found was this sweet butterfly hair band. It reminds me that although Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, Spring IS around the corner…really…

chanel military blazer : I love the thought that someone looking for a Chanel blazer ended up in my shop. I hope they were not too disappointed with the lack of Coco items I had. When I did this search I was actually surprised at how few items showed up. This fun little number is very reminiscent of a toned down version of a coat Michael Jackson would have worn.

Fab Finds Friday: Silk Brocade Clutch by Puck513

2010-01-29T10:20:00.003-06:00

Ever since my years of travel abroad to China and Taiwan for work, I have had an affinity towards items made with embroidered silk brocade. The textures and vibrancy of the fabrics are enchanting.

One day on Etsy, I came across the lovely items by Puck513. Her shop features wraps and clutches made with lovely fabrics. It was hard to choose which one to get, because I wanted them all! I finally ended up selecting the red and gold Chrysanthemum clutch.

When it arrived, I was so excited to just hold it and admire the wonderful craftsmanship. When I placed it on my shelf to admire from afar, I realized the motif was closely related to a vintage painting I have as well as a necklace I was working on…no wonder I was particularly drawn to this bag.

If you are in need of a lovely wrap or clutch for a special event or just because, I suggest you check out Puck513…you won’t regret it! You can also find my floral necklace for sale in my Etsy shop Luster! Many of the photos will feature the lovely clutch as a backdrop.

Ask “Why?” Wednesday…

2010-01-27T10:19:00.000-06:00

Inspired by my pre-schooler and his incessant ability to ask the question “Why?”, I figured I would dedicate a blog day just to questions I have. And so I chose Wednesday as a way to contradict the often found “Wordless Wednesday” by many bloggers. So here are my questions today inspired by one of my least favorite chores…

1. Why is it that the cat litter all of a sudden smells so foul just before company comes over?

2. Why is it that a sleeping baby always wakes up just as I start to change the cat litter?

3. Why is it that the cats are lined up to test out the clean cat litter before I even get the lid back on?

4. Why does the dog look longingly at the disposed of cat litter as if I am disposing a bag of snacks?

5. Why don’t they make cat food that is dye free? So now onto the next clean-up chore…

Search Term Tuesday!

2010-01-26T11:03:00.001-06:00

Welcome back to this weekly installment of Search Term Tuesday! This is when I take some time to explore my shops Google Analytics with you and share some of the fascinating ways people have come across my shop. All of the search terms selected were from visitors that found my shop and stayed to browse for at minimum 5 mins.

This weeks common theme is “Vintage” search strings. I LOVE vintage items and I have the desire to use more in my work, maybe these will serve as inspiration to me.

vintage style plastic glasses

I first looked at this search term and thought obviously it must be eye glasses. I do love vintage eyewear and really think that a lot can be learned stylistically by studying vintage glasses…

Then I put the phrase in Etsy’s search and it came up with a lot of drinking glasses as well. It really goes to show how important it is to think about the words you use to describe an item!

vintage vinyl record cases

I have great memories of all the old vinyl records my parents had and the special furniture pieces that were dedicated to their storage. I often wish we still had the old record cabinets from my youth because it would make a great storage cabinet for my coils of silver and copper and other raw materials I have now. I did a quick search to see what items would come up with this string, and I found this lovely record tote.

There is a interior shot of it and if you look carefully, you will find that it has “American Jewelry” written on it. How Ironic! Hmmm….maybe it will be a future purchase for me…

vintage save the date

I really enjoy seeing this search term. In today's era of e-vites and electronic communications. It is great to see that some people still send out a tangible note to let you know that your presence is requested at an event. And even more sweet is the thoughtful sending of a Save the Date card so that people can plan, well in advance, to attend your event. This not only helps with time management to schedule vacation time to attend, but also allows you to save money to pay of attending the event. Depending on what stage of life you are in, you may have a jam packed season of weddings to attend, and that can get a bit pricy!

I hope you enjoyed this installment of Search Term Tuesday.

Just remember that no matter how you found me, I am glad you did!

ps...The images in this post are not mine. If you click on the photo, it will take you to the Etsy Listing for the item shown.

Copper.Org Feature Article!

2010-01-20T18:12:00.001-06:00

Recently I was contacted by Rebecca Troutman, a writer of feature articles for Copper.org. She told me I was selected to be one of the artists featured in the January 2010 Copper in the Arts online news article! You can imagine my delight to that news.

Below is a copy of my feature article. Some the article is has bits of flourish, but in general is is very well written. And as a Materials Engineer, it is quite the honor to be written about on THE source for copper! I hope you enjoy…

Luster Metal Works: Transforming Metal

By Rebecca Troutman

Copper bracelets by Luster Metal Works

Photograph courtesy of Susan Harbourt

In rural Illinois, population 500, the farmers’ plows regularly unearth the phone wires beneath the corn fields—disrupting the locals’ communications. Throughout the planting season and its undependable communication service there sat a sagging Edwardian house. The original antique electric system was installed during the Rural Electrification of the 1930s and is comprised mostly of raw copper material. Over a hundred years old with miles of copper wire within its walls, the home’s new owner/fixer-upper, Susan Harbourt, felt a tick of inspiration.

After pulling miles of glinty sand dune heaps of copper wire onto her basement floor, Harbourt became eager to mold the raw old material into a lustrous treasure. Soon after, she founded a line of sterling silver and copper artisan jewelry named aptly, Luster Metal Works. Pounded out in a shop shared by her husband’s antique car restorations, Harbourt has accomplished hundreds of custom designs, forming classic messages of love, commitment, and philanthropy.

Her parents have both influenced her aesthetic: Harbourt’s father a successful aerospace engineer and her mother an English major, she finds the design spectrum sparring within her as she creates her work. “I have both of them warring inside of me,” she says of her parents, “artist and engineer… trying to get out.”

As a young woman, Harbourt’s training in materials engineering taught her to see all the possibilities in metal. While attending Virginia Tech on scholarship, her skills led her toward a successful career in product development. But she soon left that world for motherhood and a chance to design her own products, and has been designing jewelry ever since.

Custom designs made by antique hammers

Photograph courtesy of Susan Harbourt

The first piece she ever made was her husband’s wedding ring. It became the first of many symbolic commitment ceremonies for which she would craft custom jewelry. Her beloved’s ring was designed, re-designed and re-designed again in wax, copper, and sterling silver with symbolic waves, signifying his connection to the water. “The waves represented [his surfing hobby,] a part of his character that was fun,” Susan reflects, “but also the love that we had for each being wide and deep like an ocean.”

Today Harbourt admits she needs to shuffle her husband’s projects to the side in order to find her work space beneath old carburetors and dismantled car engines, but is content when playing with the “luster” in her jewelry materials. “Copper is such a wonderful metal that transcends almost all areas of everyday life… It is in our money, our jewelry, our houses, our art, our cook wear, our body, it has medical and even antimicrobial benefits,” she says passionately. “It is an amazing metal that responds so beautifully to artistic manipulation and was revered in the ancient world.”

Harbourt’s alliance is not only to ancient metals, but antique tools as well. She reveres handmade hammers, which she scores from thrift stores, shops and local yard sales. ”When anyone stops by to see me they can often hear me melodically hammering away; tink, tink, tink,” she says.

One can tell the hammermarks are part of Harbourt’s trademark. Her bracelet and ring designs often bear the mark of one of her antique hammers, roughly chipped into a circular glitz. They often come in similar shapes with different stories, materials, and colors attach to them—which makes a nicely chosen accessory.

“I think jewelry often reflects the phase of life one is in,” she suggests. “When you are engaged, you celebrate that with a diamond ring, when you marry you seal that with a ring. When I was a young professional I wore jewelry that was vibrant, trendy, and made a statement. Now that I am a little older, I prefer jewelry that is classic and can be worn with jeans and a t-shirt as well as a cocktail dress.”

Harbourt’s interest is in transmogrifying old materials to new, often using old resources around her. Her process often involves several well-planned steps. After concept sketches, she creates her prototypes in copper because of its ability to be shaped and hand-tweaked. Though she often goes on to cast those pieces in silver, she admits she often saves the copper trials as her own. “Part of the reason is to work out the design concept with an economical and forgiving metal, but the real reason is because I love copper and tend to keep the prototype for my own collection.”

Looking toward the next decade, Harbourt looks forward to incorporating gold, palladium and other materials into her designs, focusing specifically on phase diagrams and crystal growth in metals.

She looks forward to furthering her designs for philanthropic foundations and has a special affinity for commitment ceremonies. “It is an honor to be asked to make such an intimate item as the token that represents the commitment and love shared between a couple,” Harbourt says. “It is also a little amazing to think of all the memories and events that ring will bear witness to in that couples lives.”

Resources:

Luster Metal Works, Homer, IL

Search Term Tuesday!

2010-01-12T10:02:00.001-06:00

Well Tuesdays seem like a good day to look at odd search terms that brought people to my site. Here are a few of them that I found very interesting. Based on the data in Google Analytics, each of these search terms brought one viewer to my online store and that person spent 5 mins or more viewing my items. Unfortunately, I can't tell if a sale resulted from that view, but I do enjoy looking at what brought people my way so I can better address the needs of my audience.

The first fascinating search term was:

“Handmade jewellery shops in Vancouver, bc”

Well, I am a handmade jewelry shop, but I am neither located in Vancouver, nor am I in British Columbia. I think that Illinois is geographically no where close to that location, but somehow via the cyberspace gods, it is.

The second term that stood out to me was:

“crochet market beach bag”

For sure I do not do any crochet work, nor do I have any bags. But I REALLY would love to go to the beach right about now with my own crochet market beach bag! Anytime I leave my house right now, I have to battle the snow drifts and bitter cold. Burrrrrr.

And the third fascinating search term was:

“ferret print”

Okay, well there are no animal prints of any kind in my shop. And to be honest with you I am not sure I am much of a ferret person. Don’t get me wrong, they are cute in a sneaky sorta way, but just not my thing. When I was growing up, we found a domesticated ferret in our trash can one day. I don’t know if he got lost or the owner was trying to “dispose” of him. We lived in a rural area next to a little General Store, so odd things were often appearing in our yard. All I remember about him was he was cute, curious, and stunk to high heaven. We found him a happy home and I haven’t really thought of him until this search term triggered the memory of that surprise find.

Fab Finds Friday: My Carol Hannah Dress

2010-01-08T10:52:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I have found so many wonderful artists, many of them on Etsy, that I figured I start to share my finds with you each Friday.

My first find is a dress that I have very excited about. It is a custom order from the designer Carol Hannah Whitfield. Some of you may recognizer her name since she was one of the top 3 finalists on Season 6 of Project Runway. She has 2 shops on Etsy. The first, “Carol Hannah”, showcases her designs that are more daily staples for your closet. The second, “The Wedding Collection”, features dresses for special events.

My dress, called the Gadsden Street Dress, came from the the Wedding collection shop. At the time, I had no clue that the creator of the dress was someone with reality TV connections. I saw it on the front page of Etsy and fell in love with it. My intention was to wear the dress for a Sunday Brunch event I had to attend. Unfortunately due to the mail system being bogged down with holiday shipping, it arrived a day later than the event….boo hoo. And even more sad is that between the time I ordered the dress and when I received it, I actually lost about 10 or more pounds (post baby weight loss), so the dress is a bit big on me. I will need to get it tailored a bit in time for the next event.

Well here it is, my dress that has been handcrafted by the talented Carol Hannah.

It arrived, Yea!

Time to unpack the dress…

Awe, a nice handwritten note was included,

Thanks CH!

Here it is….on my Mannequin. Isn't it gorgeous!

I think I need to name my mannequin, any suggestions?

And a little sneak peak of a Crazy Lace Agate necklace that I will add to my Etsy store soon….I wanted to show both the front and the back since each one displays its own unique personality and color ways of salmon pink, grey and cream.

Resolutions…

2010-01-07T10:58:00.001-06:00

Okay we all make them, but I figured I would share mine with you. Lets see how well I do this year actually keeping them…

1. I will scan and file ALL of my receipts on a weekly basis.

2. I will not obsess over what my shortcomings are both professionally and personally. Instead I will celebrate my accomplishments and work to improve myself in the areas that need a little tweaking.

3. I will take more photos of my family!

4. I will improve my jewelry photography skills with the camera I do have and not dwell on what I could do with the camera I don’t have.

5. I will experiment with new recipes…I feel like we are in a food rut. Maybe if you are lucky, I will share some with you!

6. I will continue on my path of a healthy living lifestyle…not that I am particularly unhealthy, but I can do better.

7. I will re-evaluate my business plan, products, pricing and sales avenues.

8. I will develop new product lines.

9. I will document my work in a more organized manner.

10. I will communicate better…

Funny Search Terms

2009-12-29T15:30:00.001-06:00

So I decided to look at my Google Analytics again today for odd search terms that got people to either my Etsy site or my main Luster Metal Works Site.

The one that popped out as being significant and unusual was “Dirty Dancing Dress”. That on its own is not such a odd term to search, the strange thing about it was that the search brought a total of 8 visits to my Etsy shop! And better yet, the average time the viewers spent in my shop was almost 9 mins. So it makes me wonder…should I actually make an item and entitle it Dirty Dancing Dress? I did get married up at Mountain Lake in Pembroke, VA which was where the outside scenes from Dirty Dancing were filmed.

After I began to write this, I decided to take a moment and look for some photos to share of my wedding day at Mountain Lake. Here I am with my hubby on 8-8-98 in my own “Dirty Dancing Dress”. My mind is now cranking and I think I have a few ideas for some jewelry items inspired by my wedding day! I can’t wait to start sketching!

Holiday Orders OUT!

2009-12-21T15:38:00.001-06:00

I have been a very busy little elf lately! That is both a good thing and a curse. I am thrilled to be having such success thru my personal website, Etsy, and 1000 Markets. I have filled about 100 orders between the 3 locations in the last 2 months. BUT, as a mom of 2 small kiddos, it is hard to balance it all sometimes, especially right now.

Lately I have been finding myself dreaming of all the order I need to get done and wake up feeling anxious about how long it has been taking me to get them out the door. Under normal circumstances I try my best to get all items made and shipped within about 4 days, lately it has been more like 8 days. The delay has been because of sick kids, lack of babysitter time available, and just the juggling of priorities. Sorry to all of my friends and family, I have not even begun to finish your presents yet…

It has made me realize that I need to figure out a better system in order to grow my business. One step I will be taking is to actually get a small inventory made up of some of my more popular items. I will also be increasing prices in January to allow me to “buy” more babysitting time. I hope to use that time to create more one of a kind statement pieces as well as develop a new line of jewelry to debut in the Spring.

I have so many ideas for my shop, and just not enough hours in the day to do it! I want to thank all of you who have been a part of Luster Metal Woks this year and helped me get to where I am now!

Yea! My 250th Order on Etsy!

2009-12-21T14:39:00.001-06:00

It was about 2 months ago that I reported my 200 order on Etsy….and now I am happy to announce my 250th! This time it was one of my signature pieces…the Vertigo Necklace. It is a necklace that features 2 hammered silver circles and 2 hammered copper circles on a silver chain. I love how the mixed metals look together!

I have been open for business on Etsy for almost 22 months and I am thrilled to see how well everything is developing. My personal website, Luster Metal Works, is also taking off! There has been a nice steady stream of visits and sales in that shop as well. It always amazes me how people find my items.

I hope that this trend keeps up because I love what I do, and I love that you like it!

Funniest Search Term

2009-12-05T16:13:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I am a bit addicted to Google Analytics….son in honor of that addiction (or maybe to feed it more) I will start posting some of the funniest keyword searches that people used that actually landed them onto my site for the week.

This week it was soo hard to choose just one since there was a plethora of really funny ones, so I will pick the top 3!

3. Wibbly Woo ….I had to look this up just for fun, and it actually turns out to be something. According to the UK version of Encyclo Online, The `Wibbly Woo` is a legendary creature said to live in peat bogs in the North Of England. The creature is said to resemble a cow with flexible (or `wibbly`) arms and legs. The creature was first described by Thomas H. Robertson in the early 1900s following a visit to Chesterfield, although others have since claimed to have had encounters with the beast as far away as Keighley.

2. I’m so crafty I make people…okay. Well technically I am a mom so therefore I am crafty and make people. But it sure made me giggle as far as a search term went!

1. Grr Argh….Why does this get top billing you ask? Simple It is really an odd choice as a search string, and most significantly, it was used 3 independent times to land people in my shop! When I did a google search for “Grr Argh” it landed me on several things related to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and random cartoon sketch in the ending credits.

Well There you have it!

WOW! Featured on styleFlash

2009-11-28T13:38:00.001-06:00

I did a random Google search of my name today and pleasantly I came across a blog article featuring my work! So I thought I would share it with you:

2009 Holiday Shopping Guide – Fanciful Storytelling From Luster Metalworks

Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 12:13 pm | Comments

Outshine the usual with storied jewelry pieces

You may not realize it, but you tell a story every day simply by getting dressed in the morning.

But if those distressed denims and strappy heels are starting to feel a little lackluster, let the divinely delicate baubles from Luster Metalworks do the storytelling for you.

The tree bark texture of this set of Stacking Copper Rings whispers of sipping iced tea under a shady maple at sunset, and they are a shining example of wonderfully tactile appeal of designer Susan Harbourt's collection.

But I think it is Susan's use of reclaimed copper wiring from her centuries-old Victorian house that adds the real spark of intrigue and romanticism to each piece.

What do you think? What outfit would this piece go great with? Get in on the discussion and share your ideas with other readers of styleFLASH by leaving your comments.

DISCOUNT ALERT! Want to save on your purchase at Luster ? Use coupon code IC09 for FREE SHIPPING with your order! And don't forget – tell 'em you found 'em on styleFLASH!

Looking for more great indie goods? Check out our 2009 Holiday Shopping Guide!

Charity is good for the Joints!

2009-11-21T16:05:00.001-06:00

Recently I was contacted about donating some Jewelry for an online auction to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation Massachusetts Chapter. I was in a charitable mood that day and figured “Why Not” even though I live in Illinois!

So here you go….2 necklaces for you to bid on to help out with their cause! The first is a Sterling Silver Hammered Heart Necklace and the second is a Hammered Sterling Silver Circle Necklace adorned with Tanzanite beads.

Biding goes from Monday, November 23, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. through Sunday, December 6, 2009 at 8 p.m. There are many items covering such a a wide area of interests. I am sure you will find something that would be a nice addition to your life. If so head on over there and put in a bid and help raise money for a great cause!

I wish everyone putting on the fundraiser the best of luck! If you or someone you know is in need of items for a fundraiser, please feel free to contact me! Be sure to visit my website for many other wonderful items!

Charity is good for the “Heart”

2009-11-21T15:50:00.001-06:00

Recently my Hope Heart necklace was selected as an item to represent The Hope Clinic in Nashville as an item in its fundraiser “Shop for Hope at the Franklin Marketplace”.

It was a large order where I had to make 25 of the necklaces. I loved how the little hearts all looked so much the same yet so different. I guess that is the thing about handmade jewelry, no 2 items are the same! I took a quick photo of the charms all together before putting them on chains.

Unfortunately, I did not get a photo of the finished necklaces all together since as soon as the were made, I had to get them in a box and out the door…literally. By the time I got to the post office they were technically closed but I was fortunate that they were still loading the truck there to pick up the mail to take it to the sorting facility. So, I was able to get them into the mail on time.

Copper BookMarks

2009-10-28T19:05:00.001-05:00

Many of you have been asking for my hand pierced copper bookmarks from years past. This year I am having trouble finding the time to make enough of them to actually list ! They sell before I have them finished, but I am accepting custom orders.

As an alternative, I have come up with a line of hand cut and textured copper bookmarks. I have a variety of motifs available such as monograms or simple theme images such as a snow flake, fleur de lies, leaf, or an apple (great for teachers gifts) and many more as well as your custom requests. I also have about 25 colors of tassels available to finish off your bookmark.

These make GREAT gifts for ANYone! You can find them in my Etsy shop or my personal online shop for Luster Metal Works!

I can also customize the bookmarks with either an initial, monogram, word, date,or phrase for no extra charge. Just let me know in the note for seller section at checkout!
The bookmark is shipped in a gift box ready to give! How Great is that!

Also, please remember, these are made by hand not a machine. Sometimes there are little quirks to the product like a slight wiggle to one side or what have you. It makes the item all that more special and unique, just think of it as me, the artist, leaving my permanent fingerprint on each product.

Copper items are a great gift for your health, and here are some benefits of copper According to Copper.org:

Copper is one of a relatively small group of metallic elements which are essential to human health. These elements, along with amino and fatty acids as well as vitamins, are required for normal metabolic processes. However, as the body cannot synthesize copper, the human diet must supply regular amounts for absorption.
Copper combines with certain proteins to produce enzymes that act as catalysts to help a number of body functions. Some help provide energy required by biochemical reactions. Others are involved in the transformation of melanin for pigmentation of the skin and still others help to form cross-links in collagen and elastin and thereby maintain and repair connective tissues. This is especially important for the heart and arteries. Research suggests that copper deficiency is one factor leading to an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease.

Booze for Boobs Fundraiser #1

2009-09-28T10:26:00.001-05:00

My cousin in law, Amanda, hosted her first “Booze for Boobs” fundraiser a few weeks back. The proceeds from this fundraiser go towards the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

I donated one of my Hope Heart necklaces as a raffle prize. The lucky winner was Colleen Arnold (photo below)! If you would like to help by donating to her team, you can do so by clicking the link HERE.

Jewelry with a Cause

2009-09-23T17:30:00.001-05:00

Cancer is a disease that is so prevalent in today's society that affects all of us somehow. I wish I had the ability to find a cure for this devastating disease, but unfortunately that is not something I can personally achieve. What I can do is make a line of Jewelry that I will donate 20% of its sale proceeds to The American Cancer Society.

I was inspired by my cousin-in-law, Amanda, who is doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. She has been hustling to raise donation money by hosting a series of fundraiser happy hours called “Booze for Boobs”. In order to help her cause I not only made a monetary donation, but I also sent her some of the “Hope Heart” necklaces as raffles prizes.

The next Booze for Boobs fundraiser hosted by Amanda will be:

When: Friday, September 25
Time: 6 pm - 9 pm
Where: Arctica Bar (downstairs)
384 3rd Ave NY, NY

Yippee, My 200th Order!

2009-09-13T14:14:00.001-05:00

I am so happy to announce that I have made my 200th sale on Etsy today! Even more fun, the purchase was made by someone living in Australia! Although the item was a ring sizing gauge rather than a handcrafted item, it is a item that hopefully will lead to a future sale of a custom ring.

According to my Etsy info, I opened my account in Nov 21, 2007. In reality I did not begin to sell items until February of 2008. So in 20 months I have sold 200 items. That averages to 10 orders a month. Oh by the way, I also was pregnant and had baby #2 during that time as well…and we are in a recession. So I am more than pleased with progress of Luster!

I continue to find it so amazing that I can be here in the cornfields of Illinois and make products that are sold globally. This is especially great for me since I am a little shy and also a stay at home mom to 2 young boys. Lots of travel right now is just not feasible or particularly desirable.

So where do I hope this is going? Well I try not to put too much pressure on myself with sales goals…but I would love to hit 250 orders by the end of the year. I also would like to start to spend more time creating once the baby is a little less dependent on me. I also want to do a few “local” show to get my name out there more. I am also proud that I have been able to make donations to charities both monetarily and product based on behalf of “Luster”. I plan to continue with that as my brand and company grows.

XOXOX Thanks for all of your support out there!

Hearts on Fire

2009-07-10T15:00:00.001-05:00

I have been busy hammering away at some hearts with a variety of textures. I will get them listed in my Etsy shop and soon on my website! I love how as I hammer the texture and form unfold.

Guest Artist for a Day!

2009-07-06T15:46:00.001-05:00

Last week I was invited to be a guest Artist at the Wind, Water, & Light Gallery in Champaign, Illinois. I was thrilled to be asked….but was also like a deer in the headlights when I realized just how little I had in inventory to put on display!

I worked at a fevered pace to not only create lovely jewelry, but to also devise a way to display it all. Some how it all came together! And was was even more fun, was I brought my mini bench along with me and created new pieces as I was at the gallery! Everyone who stopped in was genuinely interested in watching me create.

As a result of this event, I was asked to sell items at that gallery, was invited to be a guest artist and do demos at other galleries, and have been invited to participate in a Juried Art Fair that had already closed to applications. I will be updating my Luster Metal Works website soon with all of the new Jewelry items and event dates!

Here are a few photos of the event!

Team Metalsmiths in Action

2009-06-17T10:09:00.001-05:00

I am thrilled to say that I am now a member of the Etsy team “Metalsmiths in Action” by way of my Etsy shop Luster. Who are they, well here is the official blurb:

So who are the Metalsmiths In Action?......
We are a group of Etsy Metalsmiths and Metalsmiths-in-training who are:
~ Actively supporting, teaching, and promoting one another.
~ Working to bring knowledge of the art of Metalsmithing to the general audience.
~ Doing our best to give back to the community through our own charitable causes in a team store.
~ Actively trying to lead people into this art form and to help them expand their knowledge of metalsmithing skills.
~ Providing current information regarding materials, tools, supplies, exhibits, contests, schools, etc....
~ Providing an opportunity to share with other metalsmiths without the strict regulation of a jury process.
Come see our team website at:
http://metalsmithsinaction.webs.com/
Our Flickr site:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/metalsmithsinaction/
Our team blog:
http://metalsmithsinaction.blogspot.com/
Our Chat Forum:
http://msia.proboards.com/index.cgi
Sponsored by Thunderbird.com (Thank You!!!!)

I will begin to feature product of each artist that are inspirign to me each week on my blog!

Enjoy!

New Earrings Listed Ready to Ship!

2009-06-15T11:39:00.001-05:00

As promised I am still listing items in my Etsy Shop “Luster” that are ready to ship! Today I am featuring some of the earrings I now have listed in my shop. The copper earrings feature wire that my husband and I painstakingly removed from our turn of the century farm house. It was originally installed in the 1930’s during the time of rural electrification. I thought it was soo lovely that it needed a new life as jewelry.

Back in the Saddle Again!

2009-06-11T13:59:00.000-05:00

Okay so I after 6 weeks of baby bliss, I am back in the saddle again! Well sort of....as time (and baby and 3 year old) permits.

So right now in my shop I have a bunch of items that are currently already made and sitting in inventory listed and are ready to ship. I am doing a limited amount of custom work, purely because I still don't have a great feel for my "free" time yet.

Here are some of the great ring groupings I have to offer in my shop now:

4 weeks to go, but still working away….

2009-03-27T09:15:00.001-05:00

SO my husband laughs at me all the time and tells me i am a crazy pregnant lady. My nesting desire is not to get the house ready for the baby, but to prepare my business so it can keep running even when I am not. I have been doing so well selling in my Etsy shop “Luster” that I am afraid to go on hiatus and loose momentum!

I was a little offended by his statement at first until I stopped to look at what I was doing…and it is pretty true. I spent all day (6+ hours) on Saturday out in the shop making circles to turn into necklaces and earrings for inventory. This Saturday I plan on making ring! I have to say I am quite a lucky girl, I had no swelling in my legs at the end of the day, but boy was I slow moving on Sunday. I snapped this less than glamorous shot of myself leaving the barn after my day of working!

Here is a quick shot of over 200 circles in silver and copper as I pulled them out of the pickle pot.

Now all I have to do is hammer then heck out of them to give them a great texture and oxidize some, and I will have a nice inventory for necklaces and earrings for a few weeks! When I get everything all finished I will have to take an “after” shot!

I just want to remind you all that next week is the last week to order custom items or rings in specific sizes from my Etsy shop or from my online website. Once I am done bulking up my inventory, I will change listings to reflect what I have available to ship.

Green Motive: Luster Metalworks

2009-03-25T10:54:00.001-05:00

Here is a copy of the interview from Modernemotive:

February 23rd, 2009 › 12:48 pm

Store Luster Metalworks
Owner: Susan Harbourt
Selling since: Feb 2008
Blog: http://harbourtmetalworks.blogspot.com/

From top to bottom: Fade To Black Set of 3 Stacking Copper Rings, Silver Poinsettia Flower and Swirls Ring, Vertigo Charm Hammered Copper and Silver Circle Necklace, Silver Infinity Ring. Open Your Heart Hammered Copper Necklace

Tell us a little about yourself and your store.

There is something magical about making metal transform from something you would dismiss as a scrap to an amazing work of art. I am in heaven when I am at my bench with all tools in action; saw, torch, hammers, anvil, and the list goes on…

Primarily I work in sterling silver and copper making an array of rings, necklaces, bracelets, and bookmarks. Lately, I have begun to search out old metals with a story that I can reclaim, recycle and reuse to make beautiful items out of. This was inspired by the desire to work with the seemingly miles of copper wire that was removed from my turn of the century house, which was installed in the mid 1930’s during the time of Rural Electrification. Oh the stories I bet that that old copper could tell us!

What inspired you to open up your own business?

One day, a co-worker was bragging about a necklace she just bought for a HUGE sum of money. It was gorgeous, but I knew that I could never spend such an amount on a necklace. So I decided to try to create my own. I was so pleased with the results that I continued to make necklaces. Soon after, people were asking me to design unique necklaces for them. At that point is was just a fun hobby.

Once I gave up the career to become a stay at home mom, I found that I NEEDED something that allowed me to retain a part of my former independent adult life. I looked at jewelry making a bit more seriously, and thus my business was born. It allowed me to have some quite time to think my own thoughts. But more importantly, I could complete a project from start to finish and feel that sense of absolute accomplishment I was lacking as a mother. My jewelry making is my personal form of therapy.

What makes your business green?

…please don’t think I am anywhere on the same scale the guy in Life with Ed. I am human and I live in reality, but I try to make choices that are green that I can implement and not feel as if I am making a martyr of myself.

So what does that mean? Well business related I have done away with most chemicals considered unfriendly in my studio. For instance, my acid bath that is used to clean metals is now a heated mixture of vinegar + salt, before it was a very caustic chemical. I also do not use flux on my metal, which can produce harsh fumes. I just spot solder and let it sit in the vinegar longer. The metals I use come from wither Hoover & Strong’s “Harmony Metals” line of recycled / reclaimed metals. My copper supply is thanks to hours of labor working on my old house. We recently updated the electrical system from the original one that was installed at the time of Illinois’s Rural Electrification in the 1930’s. I saved all of the copper wire and now use it to make jewelry! I also like pretty packaging, but I have selected boxes, paper, and envelops that contain a high amount of recycled post consumer material. And as I mentioned, I now ship all of my items so that they can be picked up by our mail carrier so I am not making unnecessary trips to town to ship packages.

On the personal side, I believe in reviving the old rather than replacing automatically with new. The Edwardian period house I live in was months away from demolition when my husband and I found it. Immediately we bought it and have been bringing it back to life ever since. In most cases, we have tried to repair what was there versus replace with new items and we have also used a lot of items that have been from the local architectural salvage shop. This goes against the grain of our current society to buy a move in ready new construction house. Since we are “new” to the area we have actually made, and continue to make, so many new friends just from people stopping by to see what we have been doing on this old girl and to share stories of her past. Four years later and I am still amazed at all of the new friends we continue to make!

My daily driver is a 1983 diesel Mercedes Wagon purchased from a junk yard for the whopping sum of $100. With a little bit of work, the car was like new! I get great fuel mileage on the car and it has a lot of life left in it. No brand new mini-van in my immediate future! My husband’s car is pretty similar in story. I am lucky to have a husband who is so handy, not all of us can do what he does. I call him my alchemist!

Other things I do, are grow my own veggies and fruit then can or freeze them for use all year long. I also shop local and at the farmers markets when I can. I have significantly cut out pre-packaged and prepared food and drink from our life. Our big treat is to eat out once a month, but never at a chain, it’s always mom and pop restaurants. We also have a deep freeze full of beef that came from an organically grown cow from a farm down the road, which is also where I get my chicken, eggs, and milk. As for desserts and snacks, I now make them from scratch. You’d be surprised how easy it is. All of this means less packaging that is disposed of that is associated with food in a typical kitchen as well. This is really important when your trash / recycling pickup is only once a month! And yes, I did cloth diapers with my son and will again. BUT, as I said I am still very human, and hate to sacrifice too much. When we were going out and about, I did use disposable diapers for the convenience…but they were the eco friendly brand 7th Generation.

Why is it important to you to offer products that are earth friendly? Do you find it easy or have you encountered difficulties (i.e. sourcing materials)?

To be honest, first it was not me trying to be all part of the “green” movement. It was purely because I was pregnant and I wanted to know what options I had for chemicals…then it progressed from there once I began to educate myself. I have surprisingly encountered very few difficulties once I really started looking. There is a lot out there; you just need to sometimes go past the first page in a Google search to find what is right! It is also about looking at what is around you in a different light. You never know what will be the inspiration to open your eyes!

Do you have plans to further your green initiatives?

I am always looking at ways to be greener in not just my business, but my everyday life as well. Currently my husband and I are experimenting with solar and wind power on a small scale to better understand their pros and cons. It is our goal to implement a system that will generate a majority of our own power needs. It has been very interesting watching our power usage and really know what the drains are…# 1 and #2 are the dryer and the hot water heater respectively. So as a result, we have insulated our water heater as well as turned it down and during nice days we dry clothes outside.

Is your store a full-time job? What’s a typical day like for you?

“full-time”. I consider myself a full-time stay-at-home mom, so there is not a 9-5 office job that I go to any more. My son is almost 3 and ironically I am pregnant with another boy who is due to arrive on my son’s 3rd birthday; only weeks away! With the birth of son #2, my definition of “full time mom” will change again, I am sure. As I mentioned, I started my business as a way to reclaim some independent adult time I was lacking in my life. My business is fairly steady, but not enough that I would consider it full time. It is my goal that by the time I am 40 and both kids are finally in school, I will be able to step this up to the next level of being comparable to a full time gig.

I would say right now, I don’t operate on a typical day basis, more of a typical week, and mind you this is all about to change dramatically when there is a tiny baby back in the house…UGH…As I type this, reality is setting in of all the lack of seep that will be!!!!

Okay, daily, I wake up around 5am so I can spend a little time with my hubby. He works out and I sit on my computer and do some “work”. My work entails checking the local and national news and weather first thing. Then I look at my shops to see if I have any sales, emails, or convos to acknowledge or reply to. I also check Etsy treasuries to see if I am in any, look at how many new hearts I got overnight, and take a peek at my Goggle Analytics data, and either relist sold items or renew a few popular items. After all of that I go shower and wake up my son so we can all eat breakfast together. Thru out the day I don’t spend too much time on my shop, but I do repeat the general process again at night after kiddo goes to bed.

Weekly, I have a babysitter come over for a few hours 2 times a week. She plays with my son as I work in my studio. I also have enlisted her help in putting the decals on my boxes and a few other small chores to help make shipping go faster. If I can’t get all of my orders done during that time I will work on the weekend when my husband is home to help keep my “little assistant” from body slamming me as I work with my torch or other not so toddler friendly tools.

To minimize the impact of my business on family time, I generally ship only twice a week. So on Sunday and Wednesday nights I will go to my computer and print out all of the shipping labels and package all of the items. I am now using the shipping service Endicia so that I can ship international packages from home rather than trek to the PO which is like 15 miles away. This saves me a ton of time and money as I now can just put all of my packages in my mail box for the postal carrier to pick up.

I was really good about having at least one new item listed a week…or at the very least refreshing a current item by redoing its photography and description. That has fallen to the wayside lately. My spare creative time is now filled with building inventory for when I am out of commission. I also spend a little bit of time each day experimenting with design concepts that I will implement once I am back up and running again. I figure the more I can do now, the easier it will be to get back into the swing once I settle into my new full time mommy of 2 roll.

What inspires your work? Any favorite sites/resources you’d like to share?

A lot of my work is inspires by organic forms. I may be working in my garden and the way a tendril from a pea vine wraps around the fence may move me. I love texture and just seeing how a piece of metal responds to a hammer and anvil. I also love having a toddler around. He finds the most ordinary things exciting so looking at the world thru his eyes is also refreshing and inspiring.

We all have days when we feel uninspired. What do you do to snap yourself out of it?

This may sound lame, but I have 3 things that snap me out of a creative funk. First I totally remove everything off of my desk and work surface. I then reorganize it and put it all back in place. Once I have a clean organized zone, the cobwebs feel as if they are cleared away. I then will flip thru some of my favorite books or my sketch pads for inspiration or look at shops / sites I love and see what they are doing and how much they are selling. I then get a bit of a competitive streak in me and I get back to work. If this fails…well I will stand in my studio area and just allow myself a day to tinker and experiment with something new. This usually helps my mojo start to flow again.

What are the top 3 lessons you’ve learned since opening your store - both the good and the bad.

The good

It is okay to set boundaries on what time you are willing to spend on your business and what you can accomplish. Most people accept that my work is custom made per order and may take a week (or more right now) to complete and get shipped. If they don’t, it is not worth fretting over. I have canceled a few sales because I could not make 20 necklaces by the next day. I am only me, and that is okay, learn that mantra fast or you will be in trouble.
You encounter a lot of interesting people from all over the world and get to touch their lives in some small way with your craft.
A little organization goes a long way.

The bad

No matter how clear you are in a product description or how much info you provide, most people just don’t read what you write. Argh!
You will get your hopes up on scoring a great custom order or boutique spot….just to find out they were out tire kicking!
Don’t procrastinate; it bites you in the end.

What advice would you give others out there that have a store or are looking to open one. Both from an everyday perspective and how to run a greener business.

You don’t need to do it all at once, take baby steps or else you will get bogged down in the detail and attempts to implement a green life. Document what you are doing green, others like to hear it! And finally, don’t beat yourself up if one aspect is not going the way you thought it would…step back and try a new approach. Just remember that ANY effort you make is better than making no effort at all! Like me the more you learn, the more you will find ways to sneak painlessly it into your life!

Mother Earth / 5 weeks to go!

2009-03-20T14:08:00.001-05:00

With the sudden onslaught of warm weather, I am actually beginning to think that Spring may actually be on its way! I decided to take a walk around the yard enjoying the signs of spring that are popping out everywhere. It was a great stroll! The sun was out, the jacket was off, and there was sounds of busy birds everywhere! When I approached one of my Lilac bushes, I noticed that there were actually buds beginning to form!

I also noticed that the grass was beginning to have more green in it than the winter wheat yellow that I had become accustomed to.

Then I saw her….out of the shadows…Mother Earth Emerged! And I remembered it is still 5 more weeks to go!

15 Days Left!

2009-03-17T11:00:00.001-05:00

That’s right…in 15 days I will have to do some serious shop maintenance on both my Etsy Luster Shop and my personal Luster Metal Works site ! My 1000 Markets Luster Shop will go into vacation mode.

As you know, I am about 5 weeks out from having a baby, and it is getting increasing harder to work in my studio making the custom jewelry. Once the baby comes I am sure it will take me a few months to get back “into the swing” of things again. I haven’t asked the doc yet, but I am sure that slamming a hammer on metal will defiantly be out of the question for at least 6 – 8 weeks post c-sect!

So with that said, this is an early warning that if there is anything in my shop you are thinking of buying, now is the time. My plan is to get a bit of inventory set up and have some items to offer during my hiatus, but they will not be customizable.

To help me plan a little better I am setting up a poll to find out what people think I should stock up on. I appreciate your taking the time to take the poll and help me out! It should be up later today!

When I return from my “Baby Hiatus” I will be debuting a new line of jewelry! So keep posted here for updates and sneak peaks!

Accidentally on the Eco-Friendly Path

2009-03-16T08:58:00.001-05:00

I have decided to start blogging once a week on a combo of my efforts at being green, reducing my carbon footprint, as well as my love affair with my old house. Some decisions my husband and I will be good others maybe could have been better, but we try. This was inspired by a feature story about my shops Luster and Luster Metal Works that was written by Adele of Modernemotive. This segment shows how I left my life of conspicuous consumption behind....

Many people these days are concerned with being more eco-friendly or green. I have to admit I have thought about it but really, it did not become something I referred to as a part of until this past year. For most of us, I think there is always some trigger that leads us down a new path. Some of us change by making a concerted effort to do so based on personal belief, others of us just sorta wander near the path and finally find that they are on it by the strange way life evolves. I was a wonderer. There are many things I was doing correct, but didn't even consider it as being "eco-friendly" until one of my conspicuous consumption type friends made a comment on how my life now is soo different than it used to be and that I was an "Eco-Geek". At first I was offended, I didn't want to be an eco-geek that was a title that should be reserved for Ed Begley Jr or Bill Nuy. But then I realized, compared to her I really was! And you know what, it is not so bad.

Some of the things I was already doing that she referred to as Eco were just things I did, not because I was trying to be green, I did them because they felt right, but I was not always this way. In my "previous life" my husband and I lived in the snarl referred to as NoVa (Northern Virginia). This is a large sprawling area of high cost living and crazy commutes. I should know. At the time, we lived in a tiny fixer-upper house of only 800 sq ft that cost over $500K. This not so dream house was also about a 60 mile, one way commute to work, which included a lot of sitting in standstill beltway traffic. Why so far out? Well, that was as close as we could get and almost afford to live. And unfortunately my husband and I worked in opposite directions, so no carpooling. Don't gasp, but he drove a pickup truck to work and I drove a SUV.... and the sad thing is that we were the norm.

When we would get home, we often were so worn out that we would go out to dinner just to avoid cooking and cleaning for ourselves. When I turned 30, I had a "third life crisis". I realized I was getting fat from eating out and no activity. I wanted kids but I realized that if I had them, they would have to be in day care from like 5 am until like 7 pm. That is not a life for kids! And I couldn’t quit my job, it was very good paying and we needed both salaries just to pay our mortgage...and then there was the house. It was not set up for a family, and to upgrade to a family size house at the peak of the housing boom meant taking on a million dollar or more mortgage. We just couldn't do that....but many people around us could and did. So now you see the beginning of my third life crisis. Then I lost my job….

Fully feeling the crisis set in, my husband put together a proposal to open a branch office of the company he worked for out in central Illinois, a much lower cost of living location. Fortunately it was well received by his bosses as a lot of the work he was in charge of was based in the mid west area. So I set out to find us a house that met all of our requirements. My requirements were: move in ready condition, central AC, something good for a family, something with a mortgage we could afford on 1 salary. My husband’s requirements were: enough acreage so that the drunk neighbors could not be so nosey and pop in as soon as he worked on a project and proceed to tell him how it should be done if they were doing it (oh yeah, we were a magnet for those types), he wanted a cool house that had not been “remuddled” by some hack, he needed enough space for his toys and hobbies, and if he had a commute, he wanted it to be so that we lived to the East of town so that he was not driving into the sun both directions. Well, let me just say, my husband got everything on his list….I was short a few. But when I found the house I fell in love and my list didn’t seem to matter anymore. I didn’t realize that not only was I moving to a different area of the country, but I was also moving to a different way of life and thinking.

This may not sound too green to you yet, but over the next few weeks I will post on how I slowly became more eco-friendly and ways we stumbled onto a more green path and now ways we actually make concerted decisions to reduce our carbon foot print. It was a process, it did not happen overnight. I hope you will enjoy the journey with me. I look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions on ways to do better! And for those of you who appreciate seeing an old house being brought back from the dead, I hope you particularly enjoy this!

Here is a photo of my house as I found it and fell in love with it... I will be sharing photos of the renovation in my posts. Some renovations were green, some greenish, some we just needed done and with the time and money we had available...

The Mommy Quiz... 7 weeks to go for #2!

2009-03-06T10:20:00.000-06:00

We have all seen these running rampant, so I thought I'd post some of my answers! Fridays are my countdown to #2 days. Current date for c-section is April 24. Beside us is a photo of James from March 2008. This is to remind me that it will get warm enough to play outside soon!

1. WAS YOUR PREGNANCY PLANNED? Yes, we tried for a few years to get prego.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? So shocked since it was our 1st month back to trying after a m/c

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? No.

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 31

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? I had a dream a few nights after the "deed" where my grandmother came and sat on my bed and told me I was pregnant, it would be difficult, but in the end it would all work out fine and that it would be a boy....and boy was she correct. So I literally took a test every few days for about a week until I saw the faint hint of a blue line appear. The called the doc and had a blood test.

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? Chris, my husband of course!

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? YES...I don't like surprises.

9. DUE DATE? April 28, 2006

10. DID YOU DELIVER EARLY OR LATE? I went in on April 28 for a standard check up and the doc sent me over to be induced..."fetal distress"...but they never saw any distress at the hospital, we think the timing was just good for her, which is fine due to the fact that the hospital was experiencing sever overcrowding at the time and that day there was a lull. Well long story short...24 hrs later I had made no progress other than my water breaking and then they realized the baby was breached and off to an emergency c-section for me!

11. Where did your water break? At dinnertime in the hospital...it was the TV style water balloon gush.

12. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?Anything drowning in vinegar

13. WHO IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? The baby...I had pnemonia from 7-8.5 months of pregnancy and he gave me a broken rib AND a separated rib at the same time during that phase. I wanted him OUT!

14. WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDS SEX? A BOY!!!!

15. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? Nope, it took the "pressure" off for future kids....but looks like #2 is gonna be a boy too....

16. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? almost 60, but that was due to immobility during the rib break / sickness phase.

17. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? Yes, My mom-in-law tried her best to put one together for me. It is hard when all teh family si far away. But it was a good time.

18. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? I knew

19. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Yup...low placenta, bleeding, brain cyst on the baby (but went away), 0 dilation / 0 effacement by 40 weeks, induced for 24 hrs with NO pain killers due to NO progress but suffering from severe back labor, then the emergency c-section, and then within hours James developed the blood incompatibility type jaundice and had to stay under the billy lights for all but 15 mins per 3 hrs...UGH!

20.WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Carle Hospital

21. HOW MAY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? 24 hours until they realized after shoving a finger in that he was butt down not head down.

22.WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? I walked over from the doctors visit....very irritated as Chris and I had big plans for a yummy lunch after that doc appointment....not a trip to the hospital!

23.WHO WATCHED? Chris, and he actually watched James get extracted from my belly.

24.WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? C-section.

25.DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Yes for the c-sect but not much post recovery.

26.HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 9 lbs

27.DID YOUR CHILD HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS? Yes the blood type incompatibility jaundice

28.WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? James Augustus Harbourt

29. HOW OLD IS YOUR CHILD TODAY? He will be 3 on April 29...ironically baby#2 is due that day!

Been a bit busy lately!

2009-03-05T16:10:00.000-06:00

I know, I know....New Years commitment #1 was to try to blog more. Well I did have best intentions, but I have to admit, I have been a bit busy lately! This is a good thing is it not????

Well normally I would say bring it on, but right now I am 7 weeks away from having a baby and I am 7 weeks away from my son being 3....and we have a house that is constantly under renovation. So I don't have a lot of free time, and what time is free, I feel totally worn out. It has been hard to see that all of my business building efforts are coming to fruition and I am having to put the breaks on. So far I have had to pass on at least 3 great wholesale / retail opportunities because I know I will not be able to keep up with demand for a few months, countless custom orders, and other stuff. Fortunately most have been understanding and are willing to keep in touch for a Fall line opportunity.

I also had a string of orders thru my Etsy site and my Luster Website. This has been great, but now I am feeling a little nervous about taking a hiatus for a maternity leave. I have this compulsion to keep going even though it is not reality for much longer. I don't want to sound like I am whining, I am not, I am just feeling a little overwhelmed and over ambitious with what I am wanting to do. Maybe it is just the hormones talking!

So here is my plan:

Make inventory for items I know are my best sellers and put the rest of my offerings on hold for now.
Spend time comming up with concepts for a Luster Fall Line relaunch. If I have them nailed down a bit now, I will have an easier transition.
Analyze markets to target and ways to advertise.
Blog more!
Network a bit so I don't fall out of the loop.
RELAX!!!!!

Some days you got it...others you don't!

2009-01-22T16:13:00.000-06:00

I was given this wonderful opportunity to make a set of custom bangles for a lovely lady thru my Etsy shop "Luster". I was very excited to do this as it was going to be a fun mix of metals and textures, and I love mixing textures and metals! It seemed that this project was doomed from the start! First my son got a cold, then of course I got it, then once we were better....my husband had to travel for work and during that time my babysitter got sick...and then the fridged cold moved in. We're talking -14 degrees cold.

Well my "studio" is a sliver of space in the far corner of our machine shed that houses my husbands toys. The building is quite large, and quite full of stuff...and unfortunately not temperature controlled. Those of you who work with metals know that in order for solder to flow, not only do you have to have a clean joint, but you have to have heat. Well, when it is that cold, it is very hard to keep the entire piece of metal warm enough so that the solder will flow.

I tried everything, sitting in the pickle for hours (the bracelets not me), I rinsed, and sanded, and wiped with alcohol (denatured not vodka), and tried to solder....all to no avail. I still could not get that darn solder to flow! It would just form little evil solder balls at the joint.

Frustrated, I put the project aside for a few days, and tried again...this time I was desperate! I pickled, sanded, wiped down not just the bangle, but the solder too. The turned on the flame...still no flow. So I sat with my solder and tried to goop more on....still no flow! Then I took the solder pick and poked an the molten solder ball...yup adn still no flow!

Okay, so now I feel defeated and deflated. I have spent way too much time on this project...not to mention as I fumble along here I am paying a babysitter to play with my son. So I decided it was time to put bracelets on hold in my shop. I have lost my touch at soldering them....or at least I have lost the warm weather that makes it seem effortless.

Sunrise 1-22-09

2009-01-22T15:16:00.000-06:00

Am I obsessed....yes I think so. Really, I will put up other blog entries other than just the sunrise, but they are so beautiful, that I just want to share. It is healthy during these turbulent times to wake up and appreciate something positive and lovely in your life. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband, son, and the bun in the oven, but watching the sunrise is my own personal mini vacation that I get to take each day. Normally the house is tranquil and I can sit and sip my hot tea and just have thoughts and day dreams that are all my own. This few moments of silence are very precious to me as I am sure many of you can understand. Enjoy!

Pink sky in the morning...

2009-01-21T10:43:00.000-06:00

You know the old saying...some say pink some say red sky at night sailors delight, red sky in the morning sailors warning. When I looked out my door this morning the clouds were a brilliant hot pink mixed with shades of lavender. It was truly breathtaking and lasted on a few moments. I am in constant awe of how lovely nature is, even during the bleak of winter. Sights like this take my mind off of my constant state of sleep deprivation.

I decided to do a little research on the old "Sailors Tale". Here is what I found out from a website called Everyday Mysteries...

Can weather lore truly predict the weather or seasons?

Weather lore concerning the appearance of the sky, the conditions of the atmosphere, the type or movement of the clouds, and the direction of the winds may have a scientific basis and likely can predict the weather.

In order to understand why “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning” can predict the weather, we must understand more about weather and the colors in the sky.

Usually, weather moves from west to east, blown by the westerly trade winds. This means storm systems generally move in from the West.

The colors we see in the sky are due to the rays of sunlight being split into colors of the spectrum as they pass through the atmosphere and ricochet off the water vapor and particles in the atmosphere. The amounts of water vapor and dust particles in the atmosphere are good indicators of weather conditions. They also determine which colors we will see in the sky.

During sunrise and sunset the sun is low in the sky, and it transmits light through the thickest part of the atmosphere. A red sky suggests an atmosphere loaded with dust and moisture particles. We see the red, because red wavelengths (the longest in the color spectrum) are breaking through the atmosphere. The shorter wavelengths, such as blue, are scattered and broken up.

Red sky at night, sailors delight.
When we see a red sky at night, this means that the setting sun is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles. This usually indicates high pressure and stable air coming in from the west. Basically good weather will follow.

Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.
A red sunrise reflects the dust particles of a system that has just passed from the west. This indicates that a storm system may be moving to the east. If the morning sky is a deep fiery red, it means a high water content in the atmosphere. So, rain is on its way.

I am thinking of doing a line of beaded jewelry inspired by the lovely sunsets and sunrises. You will have to keep an eye on my Etsy Shop and Luster Website for them!

Hail to the Chief!

2009-01-20T13:06:00.000-06:00

Today was a momentous day in history as we watched the swearing in of Barack Obama as our 44th president. I know I should feel moved by it all...and I do..no disrespect to any of the leaders past or present. But I have to say as I watched Bush walk down the steps with Hail to the Chief playing, and the commentators making a big deal about it being the last time it is played for him, all I could think of was that presidential comedy My Fellow Americans with Jack Lemmon, James Garner, and Dan Aykroyd. There was a conversation about what lyrics the 2 former "presidents" sing to themselves when they hear Hail to the Chief being played. So for the rest of the inauguration I was distracted by silly lyrics I was coming up with for my own version of the song. Needless to say, my husband was not as amused by my lyrical ability as I was. Oh well!

Frosty Morning!

2009-01-15T19:28:00.000-06:00

So this morning was a frosty -8 when I went to let the dog out....but it was a lovely sunrise! I thought I'd try to capture it and share with you. I love how the frost looks on the windows with the sun and colorful morning sky in the background. Lovely!

New Years Resolutions!

2009-01-15T19:22:00.000-06:00

Okay so New Years Resolutions...

1. Dust off the blog!
2. Focus on my personal website and getting the shopping section up and running!
3. Write a business plan
4. Develop a more cohesive product line
5. Get my Jewelry in new markets...stores, online shops, advertise...etc.
6. Get / keep business stuff organized!!!!
7. Not go crazy
8. Find balance between my family and my personal / business pursuits!

Eternally / Internally at odds with myself!

2008-05-27T11:35:00.001-05:00

Okay, so how many of you have been pigeonholed into a stereotype? Well I was always good at math so of course I had to go to school for Engineering...and now look at me! I am a stay at home mom who has turned her jewelry and metal crafting "hobby" into a business. Not very engineer like of me. I have often struggled with the Artist and Engineer in me but never had something to quantify it (okay, that is a little on the nerdy engineer side).

I was reading another blog written by a fellow etsy artist Loose Wire Studio and she had these test results showing what percent of her life was controlled by the left vs right lobe of the brain. Well I had to take that test and here are my results...

No wonder I have such inner turmoil between my artistic side and my anal engineering side, I am a 50 /50 split. How about you?

You Are 50% Left Brained, 50% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.

Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.

If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.

Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.

The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.

Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.

If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.

Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

What did I get myself into!

2008-04-02T12:27:00.001-05:00

Okay, so today I was cruising the Etsy forums and came across one that was entitled Tell us secrets about your shop. Well I HAD to look. One post by Martha Haskins Designs really caught my eye. She admitted to having a secret stash of supplies for projects that have not yet been done.

Unfortunately, I share that same deep, dark secret. I have a closet of shame in my guest room! Yes, I buy stuff when the notion strikes me for a fun project to do, then I stash it in my closet never to see light again. My husband knows this closet exists, but it is a don't ask don't tell policy since he too has his own closet filled with airplane and car models.

Well, Martha called all of us project hoarders out to accept her challenge...make something by Friday from our secret stash of supplies. She even started a thread called Creative Push to try to drum up other Etsians willing to take on the challenge.

Keep an eye on her blog to see what she creates! And check out her Etsy shop, Martha Haskins Designs, for more fun items like this "Spring Trio" of colorful birds.

Pinch me, I made it into Trunkt!

2008-04-02T12:13:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I decided to make a few new items and redo photos a little. I was soo pleased with the results that I decided to try AGAIN to get accepted to Trunkt. Well low and behold, I was accepted! I was floored! Now I feel motivated to re shoot more pix and create more lovely items! Follow this link to see how I look on Luster

Flickr get up and Go

2008-04-01T09:57:00.001-05:00

Okay, I am not not so savvy yet on all of these methods of online networking, but I am trying! I had set up a flicker site a while back just to load a ton of photos in of an old house I found that I thought my parents would like...it seemed to be a much more effective way of showing them the photos over the email way.

It worked soo well that I decided to look into what else Flickr had to offer. I actually impressed what all there was! I have now loaded a bunch more photos and joined a few groups. It has inspired me to get back to further investigating blogs. So here is a link to my , site!

At the Bench

2008-02-20T14:22:00.000-06:00

Last night I got to have some quality time ALONE at my bench. What a welcome relief after dealing with a cranky toddler all day! Well that lasted all of 20 mins before the shop was invaded by my son, hubby, and his friend. They came in to work on their old cars. There went my meditation time...

I do have an 12' wall section of our 60 x 40 barn as my shop...the rest is my husbands domain. I am happy to at least have this much, but I dream that someday I have my own space to do with as I please. I also dream about having time to actually spend at my bench! But that won't happen until the little one is a bit older!

Currently my "shop" furniture consists of a work bench that my husband made for me and a really cool old set of storage drawers that came from the University of Illinois Geology Museum. They relocated and renovated so there were several old storage units like this for sale at the local architectural salvage store, PACA . It is the perfect size to store all of my copper, silver, brass, files, hammers, saws and blades, sandpaper, etc...you name it. The bulkier items fit on top or on my bench. Other goodies I have are a dapping set, bracelet mandrel, ring mandrel (always set up in my large vice), a lazy Susan (no pun intended) filled with fire brick to do my soldering, of course the tank and goodies to solder with, 2 pickle pots, a little drill press, a fire extinguisher, and a few tools of my husbands that have made their way to my area!

With Rings on her fingers...

2008-02-15T10:50:00.001-06:00

The other day I decided to make a bunch of rings and do an experiment with texture. I was very please with the results. Now I have a physical reference of the different effects that I can get out of the different hammers I have.

I decided to list these as the 7 sister. Why? Well first the obvious...there are 14 rings with 7 styles of hammering. 7 are left in a Matte finish and 7 are oxidized. The name "Sisters" comes from my mom. She collects vintage Danecraft silver bangle bracelets and she refers to them as "The sisters". They are all different but from the same family. I liked how that sounded, so I borrowed the phrase.

A batch of coordinating earrings, bracelets, and necklaces are in the process of begin made. I am working on a set that are a high shine finish as well.

My first Blog

2008-02-05T06:49:00.000-06:00

Well it is early in the morning my son is watching cartoons so I thought I'd try to get with modern times and figure this blog thing out! It is funny how "technology" changes so fast! I am not that old, but sure feel behind the times when it comes to this forum of communication.

I have just listed a new necklace I made on my Etsy site, Luster. . It is a hand formed and hammered copper heart just in time for Valentines day!

I am an avid crafter and am trying to make a go at the jewelry and photography arena. My husband and I just met with the Lawyer and Accountant this week to make it all an official business. WOW what a hassle! I am afraid to see those bills! I better get making stuff to list...

Keep in touch and watch as my business develops! Until then come check out my etsy shops Luster, .Jewel of Wisdom, and Surprise Finds..