SToNZ Jewelry Appearing Soon at Los Angeles' Craft & Folk Art Museum

I am thrilled to tell you that SToNZ is going to be in a museum! (Well, a museum gift shop, which is still pretty cool, right?!)

I just sent a box of sterling silver seaglass earrings to the awesome Craft & Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) in Los Angeles. 

If you are in the neighborhood, (give them some time to get them unwrapped and displayed) do drop in and check them out! Admission to the museum is free on Sundays.  And I think we can all agree that free is good!

Yay! An Etsy ad customized for SToNZ!

Lovely.
:D

Making copper and silver 143 I LOVE YOU charm necklaces from an old copper disk

I found this neat heavy copper disk at an estate sale some time ago and have had some fun cutting it up with a jeweler's saw. Here's what I made today.

 

This disk is just over 2mm thick. It's no easy feat to saw through this thing! I only broke one saw blade today. Not bad.

Four tags cut and filed smooth. Two hearts and two rectangles. Well, they're kind of rectangles. I like the imperfection of these shapes.

Soldering on sterling bails and loops.

Stamping with my great new SToNZ stamp.
Why didn't I get one of these made years ago!?

Two 143 necklaces finished and ready to list in my Etsy shop.
143 means I LOVE YOU. It's a texty shorthand thing.

I love you:
1 letter in I
4 letters in LOVE
3 letters in YOU

I'm thinking Mother's Day. I nice gift for Mom.
We're just a month out. Are you ready?

Shameless Self Promotion

I am SO excited to be featured on cleveland.com today!
It was great fun to meet this multi-talented writer who is also a photographer and jewelry artist in her own right. Thank you, Allison for a great write up! Click here to see the interview!

Note to self: Selfies draw attention to your enormous schnoz. Next time get a photographer to do the head shot.

Heavy Metal - Thank you Pinterest!

This cool guy happened upon my arm party SToNZ bracelet photo on Pinterest last week and tracked me down on Etsy. He emailed and asked me to make him three heavy chain bracelets in his size. I think they look amazing! Hope he agrees. Shipping them to Massachusetts today. 

Thank you, Marcus! (and Pinterest!)

Making silver jump rings for tiny antique keys

Making my own heavy sterling jump rings for little antique keys today....trying the chopstick technique! 

Ready for soldering.

Etsy Front Page!

Well, that was fun!
:)
Thank you to Filagree Creations for taking us to the front page of Etsy on 2/17/14!

Snowpocalypse

We got at least 6 more inches of the fluffy white stuff last night. I am determined not to let winter get me down this year. I had planned to go out and take beautiful photographs and wax poetic about how lovely the snow is.
But then I saw what the snowplow did to my mailbox last night.
Thank goodness for bungee cords.

What? Too many??

SToNZ Vintage!

If you know me at all, you know I have a thing for great antiques and vintage rarities. I have been stopping at house sales and roadside antique barns since I was a kid. (My mom got me hooked on antiquing in the 1960's.)

Normally SToNZ is all about handmade, nature inspired silver jewelry, but last week I made the decision to add a vintage section to my Etsy Store.

I have so much great stuff to list over the coming months. I love the way these fun things add a bit of color and variety to SToNZ. 

Let me know if you agree!

Here's a sample of what you'll find in the vintage section of SToNZ:

Putting a Chain Bracelet on By Yourself

The other day a friend said to me, "I was planning to wear the bracelet you made for me, but no one was home to help me put it on!"
Really? You can do this without help.
Have a piece of tape handy? Just tape the bracelet near the clasp end to your wrist, wrap the chain around and link the clasp. Remove the tape. (You knew that part, right?)
Another way to do this without tape is with a rubber band or ponytail holder.
Simply put the elastic band around your wrist, tuck the clasp end of the bracelet under the band, wrap the bracelet around and link.
Viola! You've done it!
Now you have no excuse to leave the house without your fabulous SToNZ bracelet. You're welcome.