Thursday, November 12, 2009

Heading into the holiday season

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  I actually take great pleasure in finding that perfect something for each of my loved ones.  But, I've learned to do my shopping early because I inevitably get swamped with orders at this time of year.



On my Personalized Pieces page I've added a deadline...



...and a surcharge for orders finalized December 2-7.  So if you're thinking about ordering personalized jewelry, please let me know soon!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Stamped Bird and Branch


Fresh snow blankets the ground.  A sparrow perches nearby on a crab apple branch, waiting for the blue jay to leave so she can have a turn at the feeder.

I love twigs.  I love berries.  I love birds.  Is it any surprise that my newest option in stamped jewelry is a combination of those things? 

These bird & branch tags can be personalized with your children's names along the edge, and I can apply the design to most of the shapes and materials listed on this page.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Wedding Invitation Pendant

When I get a really cool custom order, I like to share the story.  I was asked by a wedding guest to take the scrollwork from the invitation and make it into a pendant with the bride and groom's monogram and a bead drop to match the wedding color.

Some of the scrollwork ran off the page, so I had to do a little Photoshopping before I had an image I liked.  Originally the customer wanted me to stamp block letters into the pendant for the monogram, but because I'm working in Photoshop I can use whatever font I want.  Customer liked the chiseled monogram.

From that image I created a custom texture sheet to use with silver clay (PMC) to create the pendant.  How?  Special polymer, transparency film, UV light, and a toothbrush.  Got that?  Sounds like MacGyver?  Perhaps a tutorial is in order. 

I love coming up with the logistics to create a piece, but I have to give credit to my customer for coming up with such a beautiful and meaningful idea. 


Wednesday, October 28, 2009

On my bench

Okay, it's been a month since my last confession post and I'm the first to admit I am a delinquent jewelry blogger.  I have so much going on I don't even post to my family blog all that much.  When all else fails, throw some pictures up there and tell a story or two, right? 

Here's a piece that graced my pliers yesterday.  A crazy-beautiful Tom Boylan focal, purchased from him in his California studio.  Right now it is sitting on my bench, wired to amethyst and pearl links, 11 inches in total.  Well that's not long enough for a necklace, is it?  No.  I intend to fasten the ends to lengths of chain, but before I can do that I need to make more of my signature spiral hook clasps so that I can get an accurate length before I cut the chain.  I have the wire & pliers I use to make the clasps all in a bag waiting for the next football game or car ride so I can sit down and make a bunch at once while I'm a captive audience.  The thing is, that hasn't happened much lately so this project sits, unfinished, until the stars align.

Meanwhile I have been hoarding some Patti Cahill lampwork I purchased a year ago, and finally broke up the set rather than put all the gorgeous eggs into one basket-necklace.  First of all, putting all the special beads into one piece makes it pretty expensive (Patti is one person who has great talent and charges what it is worth).  Secondly, when I break it up it makes for a nice grouping at the shop downtown. 

This fall I am in love with peacock blue, plum purple, and olive green....  TOGETHER!!!  And it's everywhere, so I figure I'm not the only one who does, so I made a necklace with different shapes of Swarovski crystals in those colors. 

Speaking of following fashion trends, I can't tell you how many times I have been advised by well-meaning friends to scour fashion magazines to see what "the latest" is and make jewelry like I see in there.  If you've met me you'll know that I don't necessarily wear what is in style, I wear what I like.  I tend to make jewelry the same way, not chasing trends and being left with dozens of ear threads when the fad fades, and so far that has worked out for me.  If I like what's in, so be it, but I'm not going to make something just because it's in.

Up next for this lazy jewelry blogger?  Jewelry tweeting, since I think a lot of my followers found me because of jewelry.  Follow me @annemade or over on my blog sidebar.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Disc Sale


For those of you looking for discs to use in your Spinning Wheels, check out Serena's Beadery.  The color pictured here is called Dirty Copper Green, and the pendant in my tutorial features a Silver Dark Plum disc. 

Serena is offering 10% off discs right now.  I just noticed there are now some with dots around the edges - fun!  

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

New Tutorial

Steve and I just visited the Outer Banks, and for a couple days it poured down rain. So I was on the sofa with my laptop, doing a little web surfing and, more notably, writing the Spinning Wheel Pendant Tutorial.

Riveting is fun, especially tube-riveting (because I find it easier than wire-riveting). It may seem like a long list of tools and supplies, but many of them are basic jeweler's tools or items you can find at a hardware store, and you can buy the kit ($20 including the tutorial) if you want to skip the drill, saw, and file steps. It's a great way to dress up a basic stamped name necklace for a new level of cool Mom Jewelry.

I have other *riveting* tutorial projects up my sleeve, including one with PMC and another that covers wire rivets, so stay tuned!

Friday, August 14, 2009

New pieces

Wow, the summer is flying by! I've been a busy bee, so that probably has something to do with it.

If you're looking for new AnneMade jewelry, I hope you live nearby because Simply Charming Boutique has all my newest pieces for fall. And I know this is a good thing, but they have been selling before I can get pictures! Here's a few I did capture...








Several of these pendants are simple designs made from PMC and accented with faceted stones, pearls, and Swarovski crystals. If you see something you like and you're in Timbuktu and not the DC area, shoot me an email and I can check on the piece.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Quick trip

Steve and I took a quick trip to Delaware this week. I got to visit with Connie at Sparkles Bead Shop a little this morning, which was so precious. Olivia's sweet little face was even posted on the bulletin board!

I really do miss teaching classes at the shop, and I miss the students and hearing what's new in their lives and seeing what they make with the techniques they learned in class. Not to mention it got me out of the house.

I work from home and when Steve travels for work I get really starved for conversation. Fortunately my friend Lauren has been helping me out lately, which in turn makes me a lot more productive. (The Laptop Lid Closing plan didn't stick.) If Lauren is at the computer listing items on Etsy, then I'm relegated to the workbench to work on my fall collection.


Feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you'd like to see, jewelry or tutorials. I appreciate the human contact!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Beaded Branches

I have been offering a tutorial on how to make a Beaded Branches Pin. It included brief bonus instructions on how to transfer those skills to make a necklace. Now I have posted the full Beaded Branches Necklace tutorial complete with step-by-step instructions and lots of pictures. This is a great technique for weddings, whether you're just going as a guest or you're making "something new" for the bride to wear on her big day.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Eclectic Mix

Today my lime green sea glass pendant is featured in a treasury. Bottom row, center:























I am slowly adding some new pieces to my Etsy shop, including some bead strands. I also listed my PMC lentil necklace on my website in case you have been secretly wanting that!