my brain is on fire...

yes, my brain is onfire. I have been working nostop for several weeks and this weekend I took off and did NOTHING in my studio for 2 days. Washed laundry, actually swept my skanky floor, and went fishin with my family. Yup, it was GOOD. Today, I was mulling over my commissions, the fact I just filled a wholesale order and that took 3/4 of my stock and all that background noise of customer whispers of wishes in my head. My head. It started swishin around, a rumba picked up, changed to a tango, and came out a two-step with earrings in mind, even though I have only metal gauges for pendants. The earring gauge metal is on order, again....see what i mean!

At the local market, I have had a request for more earrings, smaller, light-weight earring for an older, BUT hip clientele....also post earrings. It seems that a post is most comfortable for a damage ear, or an earhole that has,(ahem) been pulled from wearing too heavy of an ear, or that result of living through the '80s big earring era... I also have noticed that those that are purchasing, look at price, and want something that looks expensive at a good-quality price, and turn down anything that smacks of cheap--woot! Seriously, I  get tired of making bread and butter items.

So, serious percolating of coffee and ideas makes for time at this blog to sift and sort... I am humming to these themes:

1. wild, wild, west meets Art/funky

2. hip, rustic-chic

3. tribal, suburban woman

4. Atomic age mod

5.  patina, good gems, and shiny versus matte

So if anyone sees this, what are YOU wanting to dangle in your ears??? OR if you are a designer, what are you contemplating making?

see ya'll

denise/metaldreamer

SCORE!!

WOW!! I was at my Saturday Farmer's Market under my elm tree as usual, when the nicest lady came by with these two full trays of stones and asked if I wanted to look and possibly trade. Drool, of course I wanted to trade, I was hit by stone madness almost instantly. So, I mentally duct taped my mouth and said, sure thing....she started grabbing up turquoise i had already made into jewelry and I opened those glass lids and WE BOTH were in heaven. I think I got the best in end of the deal. I offered to pay in cash, but she insisted that there was a pair of earrings and a pendant she had seen that would suit her perfectly. We both grinned like idiots and traded away.

Oh happy day!!!! I have oolite, bloodstone, montana agate, (be still my heart) I have amethyst sage agate, butterfly jasper, Graveyard Point Plume Agate, wild horse picture jasper,  Mariposite with the green hue from all that Chromium... ohhLord I am a happy woman. Oh yeah, red agatized japser, Mary Ellen Jasper with the hematite in it, Brecchiated jasper, Ironstone,  and three pieces of Hell's Canyon Petrified wook with the herringbone pattern and the quartz silicia inbetween.! SQUEEEE!!!!

Yes, it was a good day at the market. sigh, happiness is a good rock and i have a BUNCH of them. It might take me a few more days to calm down. I tell ya. Well, work should do that too-- I sold a bunch of items as well as getting all those nice rocks. So tomorrow I will whistle while I work just like those seven little men in the woods--grin

View from my House

i live in Dayton, Nevada where history is abundant and sage brush happens all over. Thought i would start putting up some shots of the views i get to see whenever i step outside...
It's quiet out here, except for the sound of the Carson River rushing by(high, due to snow melt) and the birds chirping in day and the frogs croaking at night. I like that a lot. Helps my brain slow down from working in the studio. I do not have one of those luxurious studios with all the bells and whistles, but it gets the job done. Life is good and I am most grateful.

Market Days--WOOT!

morning out there,

yeah, I have been busy again. I finished up all my California spring shows and two saturdays ago started my summer Farmer's Market at 3rd&Curry St. in Carson City, Nevada. I absolutely adore my Market...yummo produce and just the nicest folks. I have to say, part of the appeal is my Elm tree(i set up under it every year) and my charming customers. I nosh on fresh cherries and ice water, (its arid up here) and talk ninety to nuthin with everybody. It is great to get out of my little studio and do nothing but talk and sell and listen. That last one is actually kinda important. I am having to write down all my "remember this" stuff each week. We have a nice mix of locals and summer visitors/tourists to the area. I am starting to have regulars from previous summers that want a companion piece to previously purchased items, and orders for resizings of rings, could this be in this color of stone please, and do you have blah blah....hey! I am turning into the local jeweler under the tree, chuckle, that just makes me laugh every time i think that actually. I love that I can combine making stuff with the smell of fresh strawberries and coffee brewing(i am down-wind of these vendors) with hearing live acoustic music from whomever the market decides to highlight that week.

So, that is summer currently. I work on Etsy commissions, and stock for the market during the week and sell on Saturdays. Life is good!

2011 Tucson

wow! I went, I saw, and I bought a lot....I attended Jan 31-Feb 3rd. Who knew it snowed in Arizona?? Weirdest weather ever experienced in 20 years of going I tell ya. At the Riverpark/Pueblo show, (which is one of my favorites) Ethiopian opal rough was EVERYWHERE, and fire agate from the mine there in Arizona; it was reasonably priced too. The GJX show....ehhh did not do it for me this year. Too pricey on all their materials. Electric Park was deserted when I got there due to the cold. I observed buckets of rough sitting in frozen ice. So, I went to the Gem Mall to blow my last hour of shopping. Boy am I glad i did. It is a wholesale only show, so bring your id, anyway, went in and found the most lovely Red River Jaspar cut by Intrinsic Trading. Go see these guys because they are gonna get big fast is my opinion. Top notch stuff in quantity and beautifully cut and polished. There was a good bit of all kinds of opal there too, and i bought accordingly.....Tucson is once a year heaven on earth for a jeweler, and i can't wait 'till next year

Tudor Jewelry

I have been recently catching up on a gorgeously filmed show The Tudors. Wow, all that very yummy jewelry. I know it is not exactly correct for the period, BUT as a jeweler who cares when it sparkles! I think David Yurman must have felt the same if you look at his renaissance inspired pendants....

I felt inspired by all of that glitter to look at what the court actually wore as well as the peasants, hey, they decorated too. Compared to our streamlined ways, the peasants were quite ornate. So I included a link to tudor jewelry in the title of this post(just click the actual title) for those that would like to examine what jewels were used where and why. Fun reading and inspirational for sparking a new jewelry design or two for your own horde. Let me know if you go... also show me what inspires you or what you might create that comes from another era.

oop, its been awhile again. The past few months have been an absolute blur of shows and making jewelry. I always look forward to January and a break. The first few weeks are down time so that my brain remembers how to function. Well, I am rebooted, and starting to climb out of my rabbit hole.

I have been cutting ammonites in preparation for when the ideas start zinging in. The above shot is my basic styles for 2011. It is VERY hard to make simple when I have lots of colored stones hanging around ... but I did it. Someone always wants just a plain, simple earring and there they are. These have solid backs and are still lightweight enough to wear all day. I like 'em.

Have a great day out there everybody, and I am off to do that exercise thing and practice a couple of new fiddle tunes. See ya,