Most Gorgeous Earrings I've EVAH Made

Last month I went to the Gem Faire in Costa Mesa. SSSSOOOOo dangerous for me to go to gem shows but I "truly" did have to have some items to make my jewelry. That's my story and I'm sticking to it LOL

I got this great strand of Biwa white pearls just as the show was closing (I thought closing time was 6 p.m. so I actually didn't get to see everything.)

Saturday nite I went into the studio around 9 p.m. and made earring pair after earring pair. Around 2 a.m. I picked up the Biwa Pearl strand... oh btw, "Biwa" is the shape, a stick like shape, sometimes they are called 'stick' pearls. This strand was drilled through the middle vs end to end so they stack like a cord of wood ((((but MUCH PRETTIER))))

I stacked 5 Biwa pearls on top of a gorgeous icy blue chalcedony briolette, using 14k gold filled wire. Tried out my wig jig to make the ear wires and now that shape is my fav ear wire.... what a rush I got when they were finished. Just soooo beautiful from the golden ear wire to the pearls picking up the blue color of the stone. Made me want to throw on a party dress and go out on the town!
I tell you I almost woke the dear sleeping husband up to show him my creation but I figured he wouldn't quite share my excitement during the day light hours let alone at 2 in the morning.


this quick picture does NOT do these justice, see the biwa pair on far right?



so what did I do but pick up some tiny blush rice pearls I bought from the same Gem Faire dealer and pair them w/ a cranberry glass flower bead...

Then at 2:30 I went to bed...woke up at 4 a.m. wanting to make MORE earrings but resisted hahaha

I am so loving the semi-precious stone briolettes I got at Gem Faire!

Discount coupon offer

Face book friend my facebook business page to receive discount coupons and updates. www.facebook.com/GoldenWaterJCM

For the shop "Grand Opening", face book friend the page and you can use coupon code FF10 to receive $10 off $60 purchase before shipping/tax. One time use.

I'm hard at work today. Finally I'm going to figure out godaddy "Quick Shopping Cart". I will get product up online today or be HAIRLESS...

Okay, i'm off to take pictures, write descriptions. Crossing figures all the uploading goes smoothly...

Tools Tools Tools in my Creative Workspace

 I consider I have two creative "work spaces". My mind and my 3D studio. My mind is pretty much constantly filled with ideas of new things I want to make. 'Course in  my mind, the pieces always go together the first time but in my 3D jewelry studio it's a different story.

I'm part of an awesome group on Etsy: Aspiring Metalsmiths. We've just started a monthly blog topic and this month's choice was to write about and show pictures of our work areas.

It's interesting to read that many of us work better when we pull a bunch of items into view on our desktops. It seems our creativity 'spark' is dimmed, (or we fear it will be) if we work in a neat straightened up environment. At least that's our "story" and we are sticking to it...In fact some of us are more visual processors and need to see the items all strewn about.



My jewelry studio, a small converted bedroom, is trying to give Michaels or Joann Etc a run for their money. Over the years in addition to jewelry making, I've dabbled in various other mediums: paper making, polymer clay, Precious Metal Clay. All of these have their big collection of "necessary" tools and equipment. (Seriously, now that I've started Golden Water Creations, I think I will be weeding out some mediums so I have more room for metalsmithing equipment.) Us Aspiring Metalsmiths are constantly drooling over tool catalogs...We love trips to Home Depot and Harbor Freight...Don't get us started on the price of Sterling Silver right now!!!

There are so many tools involved in the various steps of creating jewelry, that it is easiest if I keep them handy, which mostly means laying on my desktops. I have a handy carrying case from Southern Living for my hammers and my pliers migrate station to station in a stationary sorting container. See them on the right hand corner of this desk in the picture above? You can see my bracelet mandrels behind a vase my son made in high school.



I have several desks that I use for different processes and procedures for assembling my pretties: I have my sawing,forging, hammering, stamping area; my soldering station that is on wheels; my desk that I store my findings at so I can do the final assembly of the pieces.



my portable soldering cart



my bead storage drawers



In between my hammering area and the final assembly area, is a wire shelf system that is filled with plastic containers with 3 drawers each. I keep my bead collection in those drawers. I experimented with various ways of storing beads and for me, having them in plastic drawers works the best. They are arranged by color. At one point I thought I would have examples of the beads on the drawer fronts, but I've memorized where they are now. I've been collecting beads since around 1985!





To the right of my sawing, hammering area is where I store my glass enamels and other glass tools.

my enamel and glass storage

Another size of plastic drawers works pretty well for the enamel bottles.





recent bead purchases waiting to be bagged and placed in drawers

The picture above is the desk where I sit to assemble my beaded jewelry. More plastic storage drawers for all my findings and components. The shelves above have tools for polymer clay and Precious Metal Clay.
So there you have it, a condensed "straightened" version of my studio. I have another room for my fiber arts. I just close myself in these creative hideaways for hours at a time making pretty things. There are many more techniques to learn on my "bucket list"... Here's to a great time learning new things in 2011.
It's a wonder there is room for Ray, Sinbad and Holly!

Here's a list of my Aspiring Metalsmiths blogs. Take a look at their studio setups. We all love to make pretty things.

All Wired Up Jewelry Designs - http://allwiredupjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/
Brandy, The Frogs Pond - http://thefrogspond.wordpress.com/
Carole Axium - http://www.caroleaxiumdesigns.com/journal/
Clarity, Scrollwork Designs - http://www.thesquarepegnation.blogspot.com/
Esmeralda, SilverBlueberry - http://jewelry-by-silverblueberry.blogspot.com/
Heather, Misty Ridge Designs - http://mistyridgedesigns.blogspot.com/
Jessica Lopour - http://www.abellablue.com/blog
Joy - http://joypeckjoy.blogspot.com/
Nancy Creations - http://nancysjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/
Stacy (Form and Funktion) - http://formandfunktionaccessories.blogspot.com/
Steph Stargell Designs - http://stephstargell.com/
Sylvia Anderson - http://www.sylviaanderson.blogspot.com/
Lisa http://sandytoesjewelry.blogspot.com/

Some pics of my 1st Craft Fair Booth displays

I'm getting ready for another craft fair tomorrow but thought I'd pop these pics on quickly... I hope to do a better job with my display tomorrow. It's a learning process....

Hooray, Did my First Craft Fair

Finally the big day arrived: St. Mark's Holiday Bazaar on October 30th. My first ever jewelry craft fair... The first ever publilc viewing of my Golden Water Creations items. My shop was open for business after months of behind the scenes work....
Things went fairly smoothly setting up. Thanks to my huband, Ray and the two Cheryls who gave me a hand as I was running a little late. I enjoyed meeting the other vendors in my area.
I chose St. Mark's for my business launch because Ray and I were members there for many years and I knew I would feel at 'home' there. I had some nervous butterflies in my stomach anticipating the craft fair so I wanted  things to be familiar. It was great to talk to folks I hadn't seen in many years.
Due to a rain forecast, we were set up inside which I really liked. Overall, I was pleased with my set-up. There are things I need to tweak before my next craft fair in regards to my display and the jewelry items I make.
I get a kick out of my creations going to 'live' in a new home. It was fun to learn that some items will be under the Christmas tree for folks in Texas and Tennessee...My lips are sealed though.
This week I really hope to get http://www.goldenwatercreations.com/ filled with jewelry for sale plus I'm trying to get a space in another craft fair I learned of while at St. Mark's. If that works out I will be Torrance on Saturday... more details to follow.

Saturday's the Big Day

Well, October 30th is almost here. The first day I launch my business by setting up at the St Mark's Holiday Bazaar. 24027 Pennsylvania Ave, Lomita from 10-3... Hope you can stop by if you live locally..

I've been busy shopping for display items and finally getting down to the business of making jewelry.

Now it's a wait and see affair to learn if it will be raining that morning...
Makes it hard to figure out my display set-up because I don't know if I will be in a 10x10 area or limited to one six foot table..

Life is never boring...

I made some beautiful earrings using semi-precious stones I bought at the Gem Faire in Costa Mesa on Sunday: peridot, garnet, carnelian, amethyst, iolite. The colors just shine, the shapes of the stones are briolettes and faceted rondelles. They look like delicious candies.

Tonite I've been stamping out words for sterling silver bracelets and necklaces... dream, faith, love, trust, joy, hope are just some of the words..

Tomorrow is my last day to get ready.. I will be making enamel pendants and earrings.. Hopefully I will get necklaces made using some of my sea glass and beach stones..

oh and I will be working on my fabric flowers...

Time will tell what gets accomplished by Saturday but I will jump right back in on Sunday bringing to life the ideas crowding around in my brain...

Busy as a Beaver

Well, that's not a word so relevant in our society today. How many of us have even seen a beaver in the wild busily building a dam? I'm lucky to have seen them several times...They just keep cutting down trees, swimming over to the dam or lodge and shoving in the sticks, amazingly the sticks are the same length. How do they do that without a ruler?

That phrase "busy as a beaver" does describe my days right now as I progress with getting my website ready and open for business.

Plus I'm busy making the items I will have for sale at:
 St. Mark's Presbyterian Church in Lomita on Sat, October 30th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The church is located at 24027 Pennsylvania Ave. I hope you can stop by if you are in the area.

These are some of the goodies I'm working on: enamel earrings and pendants in various shades of blue, orange, red, purple, plus copper and sterling silver earrings some with semi-precious stones. I also will have stamped word pendants. What special word has meaning for you: Hope, faith, dream, inspire....?

I hope to get some Thanksgiving table runners made using the nuno felt technique.
Well, this busy beaver better head back into the jewelry studio...my torch awaits..

Plans coming to fruition

Oh boy, after months of business 'stuff', the fun begins NOW with making items for my 'shops'. Too bad I have to take sleep breaks, I could just create 24/7...I hope to have my webshop stocked with goodies approx Oct 16th.

I learned alot of techniques at the Kentucky enamel workshop I attended Sept 25, 26. There were 20 of us from all over the USA. As usual, a pleasure to interact with other creative folks.

As always, my travels and nature inspire my creations. I made a quick trip mid-Sept trip up to Cayucos and Cambria, darling towns located along the Central California coast. If you haven't been to the Central California coast, the fall season is a great time to visit. Check out the Cayucos Chamber of Commerce site for info. http://www.cayucoschamber.com/
I especially love the scenic drive on Santa Rosa Creek Rd. The "interesting" road (at times it is barely 2 cars wide) goes through many different types of terrains and habitats. I saw a flock of wild turkeys this trip.

I took lots of photos during the 14 mile drive and while visiting some beaches. I like to photograph doors and bikes. I found both on this trip: a cute bike outside a Cambria business and a door in the town of Harmony, population 18. (okay, I think that might be a 'generous' count on the number living there)

I collected the 'cutest' naturally polished beach stones in Cambria. Some look like prefect cabochons a lapidarist would do. The stones on the beach were so colorful, they reminded me of Lake Superior, Michigan rocks: blue, green, white, red, black. I might even have found several moonstones. The area is famous for moonstones, although technically the stone isn't a 'true' moonstone.The plan is to use the tiniest blue ones (I believe they are jasper) on some earrings.

I will be drilling holes in sea glass and beach rocks for necklaces and bracelets. (Did you know I LOVE! power tools?! Harbor Freight and Home Depot are my kind of stores...)

We've had some wacky weather the last 2 weeks. 113 degrees and then rain a week later... I hope y'all are enjoying a beautiful Fall day in your area.

New Look to Blog and New Website

Hooray! after much work by Jennifer, my graphic designer, my blog has a new look that matches my new website...I now have a cohesive look for all my online sites.
She also did a great job on my business cards.
The missing piece of the puzzle? My creations!
I've not been in the studio for weeks while the biz setup 'stuff' was being worked on.
But NOW- the fun begins--- in a short time, I will be making enamel pieces as well as sterling silver and copper items.
So many ideas swirling around inside my head. 'Course those ideas morph and change once I pick up the metal and tools...
I'm 'seeing' enamelled pieces with multi-sized holes drilled into them as part of the design. Maybe a "foxglove" inspired forged, drilled, enamelled pendant.
Yesterday I picked geranium leaves in various sizes to make some Precious Metal Clay items. Do you know how much time it takes to find leaves that are the same size?! They should make the prettiest little fine silver earrings...

Exciting Days

Feelin' skippy this morning. DH and I have been battling an awful chest cold 'souvenir' from his last biz trip...Today I woke up and 'forgot' I was sick so that means I'm finally getting well.
Exciting time in my life. I've been occupied with setting up my business- Golden Water Creations. Last nite I purchased my website and shopping cart. Graphic designer is hard at work on 'stuff'.
I will be placing a bank breaking sterling silver wire and sheet order (ohhh to have dreamed of this biz for so many years and be opening it with silver spot @$19.38/oz and rising....let's not mention gold prices, you won't be seeing much if ANY of that in my shop...)
but then let the fun begin... I hope to put on my 'creating' hat (Note to self: count up how many 'hats' a one-woman business wears...)
My mind is filled to BURSTING with projects: earrings, bracelets, book marks, magnets, note cards, table runners for Thanksgiving, flower hair accessories, garden silverplate items....I actually think it will be a problem just having 100 product "spots" in my GoldenWaterCreations.com shop. My Etsy shop will be stocked and re-opened with new product as well.

I learned alot in my photography workshop last month and my lite cube and gorilla tripod have arrived. Boy the gorilla tripod is cool invention...www.goby.com

As if the thrill of using my new jewelry torch isn't ENOUGH in one month---I will be taking an AWESOME 2 day intensive Enameling Workshop in Bellevue, KY later in September. How's that for a birthday present?

Stars 4th of July Necklace

Hot summer nite with fireworks exploding, that's the kind of heat and more that it takes to create these enameled stars. 1500 degrees.... here's how i spent my Sunday morning so far:

old glory 4th of july necklaces

So i had fun torching glass enamels this morning. Here are the Old GLory 4th of July necklaces i made. They are counter-enameled blue on the back. A country feel, in the style of dog tags.

Enamel continues to be my interest right now

Today I'm firing more enamel shapes, testing out the various colors of enamel I have. Ground glass enamel is similar to pottery glazes in that you can't tell what the color will be until the glass particles are melted.
hahaha Ray read my online note that I 'wood burned' the floor with the hot enamel pc last weekend.

I'm working on a pair of earrings for the 4th of July. gosh, it's almost here... i'd better get back to creating.
Here's a photo of Iris enamel earrings I made last year. I used a stencil technique to apply the white flower.

Can you believe 2010 is almost half over? Where has the time flown? Certainly during the last half of the year I need to do better time management so I can create more items.
I will definitely be doing more glass enamel play (hopefully without 'wood burning' the floor any more).

Capturing my garden blooms in photos is also of interest to me now. I will be attempting to learn photoshop. Man that is a complicated program. I'm most interested in the 'paint' effects.

Well, the day finally arrived: June 14th, 2010, after 4 months of live camera the Molly the Owl ustream production came to an end. It was an incredible experience. Many of us made friends through chatting on social stream. The May 29th picnic had about 300 people in attendance.

I had so much fun making owl necklaces and owl magnet sets and I'm so happy that they have "flown" to new home for fellow MODS, as we are called, so they have a remembrance of our time together.

Now that I have more free time, I'm starting to make some enamel pieces. Sunday I played around with shapes and fired up the kiln to see what the various glass enamel colors looked like post firing.
Gulp, one scarey moment: dropped a hot (1500 degree) pc of copper on the hard wood floor. Just like wood burning tool, the copper burned a mark on the floor. And darn, if I didn't drop it 2 more times before safely depositing it in the pickle bath.

Owlstock 2010 Picnic May 29th

Wow, the big day has almost arrived-Owlstock 2010. Molly the Owl picnic is May 29th, 2010 at Walnut Grove Park, in San Marcos.
We hear that about 200 folks are coming plus there are two satellite picnics: Boston and in North Carolina.
In honor of Owlstock, I created some new necklaces and an assortmend of glass magnets or push pins.

Finally! My etsy shop is open

hooray, a big day for me. I finally activated my Etsy shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop/goldenwatercreations.
Six sales of Owl Necklaces to MODs has given me a happy start.
I've been following MOlly the Owl cam for a month now. What an experience viewing this barn owl couple in San Marcos CA. 4 owlets are about to leave the nest but we will have our memories forever. A MOD (Molly Obsessive Disorder) picnic is being held in San Marcos on May 29th so we can meet in 3D. close to 13 million views on ustream of the owl cam.