I Made the Front Page of Etsy!

Thanks to ApollosonAcres my Leaves of Summer Necklace made it on the front page of Etsy.

Happy Fourth of July

Diamond in the Rough

My mother and I drove to Escondido this weekend to the Urban Barn.  It was an hour and a half drive but well worth every minute.  The industrial building is not very big but it is warm and inviting.  The space is full of beautiful arranged displays and are packed with antiques and great vintage findings.

The owner of Urban Barn was nice enough to tell us about Matilda's Mouse, another shop just up the road.  From the moment we drove through the wrought iron gates, I knew we stumbled upon something special.  As we walked through the front door of the barn there was Matilda's (yes she is real and is a Fox Terrier) with pink rollers in her hair and sitting on the counter to greet us.  It was such a wonderful shop and any collector of antiques would love browsing though this 1878 barn.  I was fortunate enough to get a couple of items for my house.

On the way out we stopped to admire the beautiful view of the old brick house.  The owner was outside and came up and introduced herself to us.  Marla told us of the history of the 1878 house and took us through the history of the house and the different owners over the years.  Marla is such a sweet and hospitable women and I am so glad we had the chance to meet her.

Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera on this trip, so this is the only picture I have for all of you.  Luckily for me, they have an event at the end of every month.  So, next month, I will be posting some pictures for you to enjoy as well.

Easter Greetings

Meet Featured Artist Lynn of Brilynn’s Beads

Lynn is a designer of handmade floral lampwork beads. She makes each bead using her torch and melts glass into beautiful tiny flowers and roses. She say’s she has obsessive torch disorder and a serious addiction to glass. You can see her creations at brilynn.etsy.com.

What is Lampworking?
Lampworking is a type of glasswork that uses a gas fueled torch to melt rods and tubes of clear and colored glass. It is also known as flameworking or torchworking. Lampworking is used to create artwork, including figurines, trinkets, ornaments, beads and much more.

Designing a Bead

After designing a piece, a lampworker must plan how to construct it. Once ready to begin, the lampworker slowly introduces glass rod or tubing into the flame to prevent cracking. The glass is heated until molten, wound around a specially-coated steel mandrel, forming the base bead. It can then be embellished or decorated using a variety of techniques and materials. All parts of the workpiece must be kept at similar temperatures lest they shatter. Once finished the piece must be annealed in an oven to prevent cracking or shattering.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is a yearly holiday celebrated on March 17th. It is named after Saint Patrick, the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close.

Today, Saint Patrick's Day is widely celebrated in America by Irish and non-Irish alike. Many people, regardless of ethnic background, wear green-colored clothing and items. Traditionally, those who are caught not wearing green are pinched affectionately.

Wearing of the Green

Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St. Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century. St. Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre Christian Irish. The wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a customary feature of the day. The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from the song of the same name.

March's
semi precious stone of the month is Aquamarine

Aquamarine is the "Stone of Courage".  It is a member of the beryl family and ranges in color from an almost colorless pale blue to a dark blue and sometimes blue-green.  It gets it name from the Latin words meaning "Water of the Sea".   This stone is attuned to the ocean and helps us to get in touch with natures spirit of the sea. Take sometime, close your eyes, breathe deep and remember sitting on the beach at dusk, the water coming in, the cool breeze…this is aquamarines gift to you.

My little Artists

I was going to post a picture of some flowers that bloomed in my garden, but this is way too cute to pass up. The other day Auntie Amber brought the kids paint and they have been asking for it every day since. So, today was the day we were going to paint OUTSIDE. We go outside and it starts to rain and you can't tell your kids no just because it is raining. We bring the table and paint inside (I know risky since the kids are only 2 1/2) but I figured I would try. As you can tell from the picture, it was really messy but so worth it. Thanks Auntie Amber for making our day in the house so much fun.

New Inventory

From left to right: Red Creek Jasper, Tigers Eye, Faceted Black Onyx, Pink Crazy Lace Agate, Pink Dyed Impression Jasper, Impression Jasper, Muli Colored Agate, Faceted Multi Colored Agate, White Buffalo Turquoise, Rhyolite & Faceted Smoky Quartz.

Our visit to the Gem Faire

We recently attended the Gem Faire in Santa Monica, CA. We purchased gemstones and silver and can’t wait to start making new designs.

Gem Faire has become a world renowned marketplace for the finest in gemstones, beads, jewelry making supplies and much more. Gem Faire has produced over 40 shows a year, making it the largest gem & jewelry show circuit on the west coast. We know not everyone is able to make the shows but if you can, it’s a great place to purchase materials.

One advantage of going to a show is that you can see the beads and touch them. We tend to be perfectionist and we will go through every stand of beads to find the perfect one. Keeping in mind that no two gemstones are exactly alike and each has its own unique combination of pattern and color that can vary. With the large variety of gemstones we make a list and try to stick by it. Of course there is always a new gemstone that we can’t pass up and there goes our budget. You know how that goes…

Whether you are a collector or a designer you will always need a source for materials. We would like to know how you like to purchase your materials and what you look for when purchasing them.

Happy Valentines Day!

The History of Valentine Greetings

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, when lovers said or sang their Valentines. Written Valentines began to appear after 1400. The oldest Valentine in existence was made in the 1400's and is in the British Museum. Paper Valentines were exchanged in Europe where they were given in place of valentine gifts. Paper Valentines were especially popular in England. In the early 1800's, Valentines began to be assembled in factories. Early manufactured Valentines were black and white pictures painted by workers in a factory. Fancy Valentines were made with real lace and ribbons, with paper lace introduced in the mid 1800's. By the end of the 1800's, Valentines were being made entirely by machine. With the exception of Christmas, Americans exchange more cards on Valentine's Day than any other time of year.

Vintage Valentine Candy Box

The History of Valentine’s Day

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

We have been featured on novicelife blog

Our Summer Breeze Turquoise Bracelet has been featured on novicelife blog as one of her favorite things. She said that she loved it and that she knew it would be her mom’s taste too. We try to not only make beautiful items but items that are timeless that you can either wear dressed up or down. We want to thank her for this lovely compliment.

Her and her husband live on a 5.5 acre farm with an apple orchard and their passion is rescuing animals. She blogs about her novice experiences at novicelife.blogspot.com. To see some beautiful pictures of her country life visit her etsy store ApollosonAcres.etsy.com. A couple of our favorite pictures are Orchard in Bloom and Pretty in Pink Apple Blossoms.

Summer Breeze Turquoise Bracelet

What is a Gemstone?

A gemstone is an attractive mineral which when cut and polished is to make jewelry or other adornments.  However certain rock or organic materials are not minerals, but are still used for jewelry, and are therefore often considered to be gemstones as well.

What is Cabochon Cut?

A Cabaochon cut is a gemstone which has been shaped and polished resulting form is usually a convex top with a flat bottom.  The term comes from a French word signifying a bald pate.  This cut is seen in antique jewelry.

Cabochon Cut Larimar Pendant

What is a Cameo?

Cameos and intaglios are similar in that both are carved portraits that are usually carved out of stone or seashells. They differ in that cameos are raised portraits, while intaglios are carved down into the surface of the material. Both typically take advantage of different colored layers of the material. The finest cameos and intaglios have come from Italy and Germany.

Cameo Cut Brooches

What is a Faceted Cut?

Gemstones commonly have facets cut into them in order to improve their appearance by allowing them to reflect light which is perceived by the viewer as sparkle.  Flat facets are cut and polished over the entire surface of the stone, usually in a high symmetrical pattern.

Faceted Cut Poppy Jasper Necklace

What is a Smooth Cut?

Free from projections and unevenness of surface, to make more polished and elegant.

Smooth Cut Sand and Sea Necklace

February's
semi precious stone of the month is  Onyx

Black Onyx Earrings

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36895767

Onyx

Onyx is a form of quartz. Commonly, specimens of onyx available contain bands of colors of white, tan, and brown. Pure black onyx is common, and perhaps the most famous variety, but not as common as onyx with banded colors. It has a long history of use for hardstone carving and jewelery, where it is usually cut as a cabochon, or into beads, and is also used for intaglio or cameo engraved gems.

Black Onyx enhances steadfastness and determination, setting ones mind to a task. It’s a grounding stone, valuable in difficult and confusing times in our lives. Extremely helpful to people in the process of letting go.

Sardonyx

Sardonyx is a variant of onyx in which the colored bands are sard (shades of red) rather than black. It has straight parallel band of alternating colors.

Sardonyx Necklace

Welcome to our blog! We decided to create a blog for our families, friends and customers. We hope that you follow us on our journey as we embark on our jewelry business. Because we love what we do we want to share our experiences with you. We will be blogging about up coming Gem Shows, shows that were participating in, updating you on our new listings on Etsy and featuring gemstones of the month.