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

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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.