What’s in your closet?

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

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!

Sneak Peak….

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!

An Untraditional Duo, Make a Traditional Looking Necklace

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.

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Fab Finds Friday: Silk Brocade Clutch by Puck513

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.

Fab Finds Friday: My Carol Hannah Dress

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.

Copper BookMarks

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.

Hearts on Fire

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.

New Earrings Listed Ready to Ship!

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!

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: