Last Show, Custom Work and Artist Meeting

It has been a flurry around here and can’t believe I haven’t posted in such a long time… seems like yesterday I was warming myself in the sun and now it’s snowing out. I still am little gun-shy from last winter. I can still feel it’s scorn. I have PTSD from last winter and I don’t think I am alone in saying that. It was bad. Actually, the worst winter ever recorded in several different ways. My friend Maggie calls it ‘The White Death’ and I am beginning to think the same.

My last show will be Nov 29th in Depere Wisconsin at the East Depere High School ~Holly RedBird Craft Faire. It is the Saturday after Black Friday from 9-3pm. Come early, there is a line to get in and it’s swamped with people the entire time. It is a craft show and there is a lot of Christmas items and homemade goodies… yes, homemade candy, yum… I made this little rack card just for the event. It is a picture of the front and back side and covers all my custom initials, crosses and angels wings that I have made and sold for many years. The initials~ I tried to stop making one year and got a lot complaints so I made more based on the complaining ~ sorry about that!

I have never had a marketing thing like this before and I hope it helps bring it all together? We will see? I made it on Vista Print in about 10 minutes if you are an artist and wondering? Picture is of two cards lying side by side, front and back.

Custom Keepsake Jewelry by Wild Prairie Silver Jewelry Co.

I have been very busy with custom work and that is a good thing. I know a lot of artists that do not do custom work. I feel bad for them as they are really missing an opportunity to connect with a lifelong customer. They are also missing a huge part of a niche income and it is often a great challenge to make things you did not think up, but someone else did. I really enjoy it. It is a large part of my business. This year has not slowed down for me from Christmas time last year. I usually have a lull from Jan-March. I had to make adjustments in work load, scheduling and priorities. I have a helper consistently one day a week and sometimes two days. (I could use her everyday but I can’t afford it, shucks.) Also on the subject of custom ordered work… I am an artist but I also consider myself a jeweler. A jeweler makes things for other people and provides a service. I provide a service and I want a relationship that is lifelong with my customer. An artist can do whatever they want. They don’t have to provide a service. They can make what they want to please themselves. They can sell it, or not and for whatever price they want, or not…. It is two very different things. Blending them together makes a career a little more obtainable. Not all artist want this because it forces them work outside of their art. If you can make it as just an artist and earn a full-time living (a living where you can afford health insurance, a car, braces, new roof on your house) God Bless you and I love you and I wish I could do that. I don’t know many that can.s I really enjoy serving people and making them happy by providing a service doing what I love. That is not for everyone, however. It must be the nurse in me…pleasing people is part of my nature. (I wonder if my husband thinks that??? – Ha!)

These are 18k white and yellow gold rings I made for a couple’s wedding… Wedding is this coming weekend. I am wishing them the best. They have been together 22 years…. The rings are a surprise as they were not going to get rings but one of them had these made in secret. The interior of the ring is stamped with a custom saying. These rings are made from 2mm thick white gold. I think they could tow a car. I could not have made them without a ring bending vise as the white gold is so tough to bend. You can hit it with a hammer (a big hammer) and nothing happens, super strong.

Labradorite Cuff… Custom order from Australia.. This is something I would have never made without the customer asking me to make it, so, thanks customer, it was a great project with a beautiful turn out.

This is a tool that a friend gave me to try this year. It is a foredom hammer hand piece. It connects to your flex shaft. The tip of the tool hammers up and down like a mini jack hammer. It has saved my hands and wrists from fatigue as it sets stones without me using any force. I did not think I would like it and I love it. There are two brands of these hammer hand pieces, foredom and bedacco (spelling?)… the bedacco hammer is a lot more expensive but you can adjust the strength of the hammer, so it might be a better option? Like I said, mine was a gift and I really love it and it is a foredom brand available at any jewelry tool seller.

Made this today… Jasper Stone and Rose Cut Garnet. link:https://www.etsy.com/listing/210985526/sterling-silver-jasper-garnet-necklace?ref=shop_home_active_1

Also working on a Captured Glass Bead Necklace…. another custom piece.

Beads will be captured within the links of the chain so they can spin freely… Don’t try this with just any glass bead. These are borosilicate glass which is pyrex glass. They will take the heat ~ and a lot of it, but don’t point your flame directly on the glass, and allow them to cool slowly. Soft glass will break immediately near the flame. All my boro glass comes from http://www.glassbytammyrae.etsy.com

Sideways Cross another custom order from a very good customer. I have made these tiny and huge. This is tastefully a medium size and I like it best. Link to sideways cross: https://www.etsy.com/listing/210551211/sterling-silver-sideways-cross-necklace?ref=shop_home_active_5

See you in Depere… the last Saturday of November for last show…. And wish me luck as I head to Chicago next week for my welder. I am going for one day and leaving at 4am and probably returning at midnight (4 hour drive.) My husband will be holding down the fort with the kids. I will share as much of that experience as I can with you. I can’t wait to see it join sterling, gold, stainless steel next to plastic and or paper and weld a prong on, right next to a stone… I don’t think I believe it. I have to see it.

This cross is my most popular item. It’s strong, simple and understated. It looks great on men, women and children. The chain is new and improved, super heavy. I am glad I found it because it looks so nice with it. I cut the chain to your specified length and add a large, easy to use, swivel lobster claw clasp. I never purchase chains already made. I always make them to the customers desired length. https://www.etsy.com/listing/174470340/sterling-hammered-cross-pendant-handmade?ref=shop_home_active_24

Extra Event: November 25th 530-730PM ~ I will be doing a presentation in Green Bay at NWTC Artisan Center about artists selling their wares…. A gallery owner will also be there for group discussion. I will be focusing on online sales and art shows.

~Mosaic Arts, has partnered with the NWTC Artisan and Business Center along with the ARTgarge in a series of monthly meetings for artist of all levels and disciplines. Artisan Exchanges features an educational presentation each month and provides an opportunity to network with other creative people. Our November 25th meeting topic is ‘Sell Your Work’ ~ Nov 25th 530-730 informal panel discussion. NWTC Art Center: http://www.nwtc.edu/academics/ProgTeamSites/ArtsAtNWTC/Pages/AbouttheArtisanCenter.aspx~

~ Be Well & Stay warm ~ Hope To See You Soon

Changed… I changed this necklace

Just changed this necklace from the original…. I added dimension to the flame above the heart adding the second layer of smaller flames. I also put a briolette faceted garnet hanging down as a tear which simplified the piece as well. The chain is also different. The chain is attached to the piece instead of being removable as it was before. It’s a better version. I told you I was home working hard!

Here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/157210879/in-flames-heart-on-fire-sterling

Event the 29th and Terri’s Ring

Come to this and have a great time! I’ll be there torching weather permitting. Lots of other artists too. Can’t wait to make an iron tile. We are carving ours at home right now. I’ll show you that later.

This ring will be a spinner ring. The center band is an older diamond ring of the customers. The side bands I made from melted down gold ingots that i showed the other day. I rolled the ingots in my rolling mill to make nice, perfect square ring stock from her melted down gold. It’s always amazing how perfectly gold works. No wonder people have been creating with it for thousands of years.

This ring is a sweet little number from Dryhead Agate…love the stone and its pink feminine hues.

Last but not least…. Wavelite Specimen Stone Necklace…. Beautiful green, textured surface.
Link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/154344736/wavelite-specimen-stone-sterling-silver

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s out there…. Old, Young, Angels now in heaven….. Not a one of us would be here without having had a Mother. So thank you to all the Mom’s for putting up with kids like me! Even when we are grown up….. I love my life as a Mom and I think my Mom did too. So thanks Mom. Necklace above is a piece I have not taken off for a few months and just gifted to a friend for Mother’s Day. Here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/151009684/angel-wing-cross-necklace-sterling

The necklace to follow I finished on Friday. It has been a stone in the waiting. I had it in a bezel for a long time and finished it on Friday on a whim…… Sometimes it works like that. Link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/151011641/desert-druzy-stone-sterling-silver

Hinged Bracelet Finished

This is a custom order I have been working on for a while. I really had fun making it and trouble shooting how I was going to make an easy, functioning clasp. It is also for a man which changes thing as well ~ you can’t make a girlie looking clasp. This clasp works great. It slides in effortlessly. The arched wrapped circle piece on the pin moves like a hinge and it snaps over the tiny little ball at the end of the pin…see it? It’s little…. The pin has a slight curve to it that is almost not noticeable. To get the pin out you flick that wrapped circle upwards off the tiny ball and it opens right up. I love the look of it especially for a guy.

This is the bracelet with the clasp closed.

This is the bracelet fully open. I hope he likes it.

Tiny Angel Wing, New!

These are tiny. 11mmx4mm. I made five new wings this winter and they are all finished. I even made some for guys…that is really going out on a limb. I made them from pmc and have a huge carving pile of pmc scrap. I am going to experiment with all of the metal clay shavings and see what happens. These wings are perfect for just about anyone and they are at an awesome price of $14 so I hope they are a great selling point.

This bracelet is a hinged bracelet I have been working on for about 2 weeks. It’s going to have a very interesting clasp and just the pin for the clasp is going to take me most of the day tomorrow. This is just a picture of the bracelet in the rough. The bracelet is pretty large but it’s for a man’s wrist.

You can see the pin sticking out the bottom of the bracelet in this picture. That pin is not finished yet. I had to put it down for today. I concentrated on it so long I started dropping things. When I do that it’s time to close up the studio and put my tools away.

On an awful note: It looks like Alaska here. It is snowing and blowing and freezing cold. It is March, right???? Jeez, we could use a thaw. I could use a trip to the ocean right now. Even 50-60 degrees would be awesome. Looking forward to spring. Where are you spring?