Keeping Busy

On top of the many other things I'm working on in the studio right now, I am getting ready to do a batch of etched pieces. I've got all my designs drawn and ready to be printed on transfer paper. I'm planning on documenting the process for an etching tutorial.

Grandma's Pendant

Last year I blogged about a beautiful labradorite that I picked out to give to my Grandmother for her birthday. Well, her birthday came and went and I didn't get a chance to make a setting for the stone. This year, Grandma was on the top of my list and after a long wait she got her Labradorite.



I picked a blue heron to put on the back of her pendant because Grandma and Grandpa used to give us the heron report from her vacations to Florida. "We counted 6 blue herons on the way down and 10 on the way back!"

Congratulations Deanna!

The winner of the drawing is Deanna Carpenter Leary!

Congratulations! I hope you love your new earrings!

Thank you to all who entered and showed an interest in my work. Stay tuned for more giveaways and updates.

Win These Earrings!

Sign up to receive a free pair of sterling silver Sunburst earrings! Just E-mail me at KMJewelrystudio[at]gmail[dot]com And put Sunburst in the subject line.

In your email let me know if you would like to be updated with information on upcoming shows, sales and giveaways. If you don't, just write "no thanks".

A winner will be decided in a random drawing on Friday September 25th. Check back then to see if it's you! An email notification will be sent out to the winner.

Make sure to check out my etsy shop at http://www.kmjewelrystudio.etsy.com/ for more great designs (and the matching pendant!).

Good Luck! And thanks for entering!

Giveaway Advice Needed!

Yup, I'm looking for giveaway advice. I think I've mustered up the courage to do my very first jewelry giveaway. I don't know what piece/ pieces, or how to even get started with something like this. If anyone has any advice, I'd greatly appreciate it.

I was thinking of something that could combine twitter, facebook, blogs and my Etsy site...is that just too ridiculous? Or would it be manageable since they're linked? I want to reach as many people as possible...

So this is what I'd need to know:
Where do you post info?
How long is a reasonable amount of time to let people enter my contest?
What should I have them do to enter? Maybe post a link to their blog/ FB or Twitter Accounts in an attempt to help advertise my work?
How do I keep track of who did what?
And most importantly, how do I decide who wins? Pick a name out of a hat?

If you have experience, or ideas, please let me know, and then keep posted so you can enter my FIRST GIVEAWAY! YEEE!

Elephant pendant

Elephant pendant from start to finish.

Making a Trade

I normally don't do custom work because of my limited time in the studio, but I just had to make a trade with my sister-in-law for some of her beautiful labordorite earrings that she makes. I wanted a special gift for my Grandma, and she wanted a special gift for a good friend of hers, so I agreed, and here I go!

I'm making a pendant with an elephant on the back with this beautiful stone. It's some sort of jasper...but I forget what kind. (It's one of the millions of jaspers out there). Anyway, It's getting started today, I'll post the end product when I'm done.

My First Apple Pie

Here it is! My first apple pie. I think next time I need to put the pie on a lower shelf and uncover the edges a bit sooner. It smells really good though. Can't wait to dig in!

Newer work.

I've been so busy this summer that i haven't been able to post the new work i had done for the shows I was in. I entered three shows before the wedding and here are the pieces that i finished for them.

Above is my pinwheel series. Oxidized and textured copper and sterling silver.

These earrings are part of my knot series. They're the dangle version of my knot studs. I had some beautiful pendants that i sold before I was able to photograph. More to come!

My split pea soup studs are just tiny burnished circles of sterling silver with little curved and oxidized semi-circles soldered to them. Very delicate, and hardly 1/4 of an inch in diameter.

Bridesmaids pendants

I made the bridesmaids pendants to match each girl's dress (along with our best maid wearing black on the men's side, her pendant matched the maid of honor). Each bridesmaid had a different shade of blue. I used a beautiful light blue glass for the maid of honor and best maid, dumeteiorite, and two shades of lapis for the other girls. Each pendant had an Asian themed flower cut out with the exception of the Fleur de lis, and sun and moon cut outs. All sterling silver.