SToNZ Trunk Show!

You are cordially invited to the first ever SToNZ trunk show!
I never do this, but I love three.home so much, and I want you to come and see Rory in her fabulous new location in Chagrin Falls behind Hunan!
Please stop by and say hi, won't you?

Seaglass Stash

Seems like everyone has a jar full of beach glass stashed away in a dresser drawer somewhere. I mean, can you really walk past it on the beach without picking it up and taking it home? You just know you've come across something special when you find that frosty colorful nature tumbled bit of former trash lying at the shore's edge.

When people discover I am incorporating seaglass and beach stones into my SToNZ jewelry designs they are often reminded of their own seaglass collection. A few of them decide they want to send it to me.
It's a wonderful thing. My cousin Jeff gave me a wonderful bag o' glass (yeah, not like Dan Akroyd's) which included some neat beach glass bottles which were great for photo props.

My friend Olivia sent me a huge bag of beautiful seaglass gems, and just this week I got a wonderful box in the mail from Claudia which included some particularly interesting textured bits from Lake Erie. (See top image)  I had never seen any pieces like this before. If you have an idea what those honeycomb glass pieces might be from, I'd love to know.

I have received some great stones and fossils in the mail as well - thank you Jan in Philly, Marie in Alaska, and Jodie in Texas, to name a few. You guys ROCK.

Thank you all for sharing your collections with me. I am honored and inspired! And I have lots of jewelry to make, so back to work!

Just Whistle!

little whistle in action
Originally uploaded by ergametal

I have a thing for whistles.
I actually have a small whistle collection which I will share with you in a moment, but first, you must see this sweet little "tweeter" made by my friend Erga.
Erga's a talented metalsmith, formerly from the US and living in Israel. Yes, she makes amazing jewelry, but I've particularly had my eye on her innovative functional silver objects, including a photo key ring (brilliant!), her beautiful baby spoons and now this!
Erga was nice enough to share some process photos with me.
How cool is this?!
Check out the video to hear the whistle in action.

The finished whistle followed by the piece in progress.

Oh, and one more thing. I have a big birthday coming up if anyone is having trouble thinking of a gift for me.  :)

Erga says:
Why: I made it for an Etsy Metal monthly challenge: Click here.
The idea came to me pretty immediately. I like making things that work.

How: I made it out of three pieces. First, I cut a strip, shaped it, and cut an airhole. Next, I soldered it to a backplate. Then, I cut it out, and soldered the other side down. After adding the bail, all that was left was filing, sanding, and polishing.

Getting it to whistle was a bit tricky. I tried to research the aeordynamics, and didn't get much instructional. I looked at a lot of pictures of whistles, and used them to determine the placement of the airhole. I also gained a basic understanding of how the air moves inside, and filed the angles to try and maximize the sound. I tried putting in a cork ball to get it to "trill," but because the chamber is so small, it just muffled the sound.
The tone is a little high-pitched, but clear. I think I will be making more of these.

Etsy Front Page Jackpot!

Having your designs featured on the front page of Etsy is always a thrill. It gives you lots of exposure and helps people find your Etsy Shop. In the last few days I was so excited to see my work appear on the front page three times. A nice little holiday gift for me. Thought I'd share them here, as they are truly lovely...
Many thanks to Marianne of maclancy for this one:

Marianne's shop is filled with fabulous vintage photos and artwork:

Zoe at 3Fun makes adorable jewelry and soaps with felted wool.
Her earthy beautiful front page treasury included my Gathers No Moss Seaglass Necklace:

A 3Fun felted ring~
(I think it's TOO fun, but whatever)

Adorable dotty felted soap from her new Etsy shop SoFino:

My gold heart necklace turned up in this great page curated by SharonClancyDesigns.

Sharon makes beautiful beaded jewelry in Sedona and I love the way she photographs her work.

..and a "treasury" that I curated made it to the front page as well!

There are so many incredible handmade things on Etsy...why do your holiday shopping anywhere else!?
Want to learn more about how to create your own treasury on Etsy? Click here.

Win this great mug from Shea Clay Pottery!

Cleveland Handmade is hosting a giveaway to thank all our wonderful supporters and customers, as well as give you the opportunity to check out the high-quality handmade art in member shops. You can win this gorgeous handmade mug generously donated by Tracy Shea of SheaClay Pottery.

Handcrafted on the potter’s wheel, this stoneware cup measures 4″ H x 5-1/4″ W and holds 12 ounces of your fave concoction. It is dishwasher- and microwave-safe, as well as lead-free.

Click here to enter the giveaway.

Last Call Appearing Live at Cowboy

L A S T C A L L
r o c k n r o l l

Saturday, October 24
9:30pm

Classic and Contemporary Live Rock & Roll from Cleveland, Ohio

Last Call is:
Keith Chelm • keyboards
Steve Daniels • guitar
Rob Lash • Bass
Bill Saltzman • drums & lead vocals
Irit Slain • lead vocals

Cowboy Food & Drink
in Bainbridge just east of the Chagrin Cinemas
Click for here for menu and map:
http://www.cowboyfoodanddrink.com/

Cool Black

I was included in a particularly great looking treasury this week
and couldn't resist sharing it here.
Thank you to simpleelements of the Cleveland Handmade Etsy team for including me in this irresistible treasury! Check out her wonderful jewelry here.
She does some amazing things with wire and beads:

Butterfly Garden bracelet by simpleelementsdesign

Curls bracelet by simpleelementsdesign

Garden of Eden

My UM art school friend Michael, moved his family to Bainbridge Island, Washington not long ago, and has done some incredible things with their home and yard. Yesterday he sent me these images of his new garden structure, which he designed and built himself.
Amazing.
Can’t wait to see how it looks once the plants have matured!
Michael is also an accomplished advertising genius and avid photographer. (Not to mention nature lover and family man.)
Can you believe this thing?!!



Latch:

Photos used by permission of Michael Nalley©2009

Etsy Front Page Tonight! Yahoo!

Yahoo!
Sharonclancydesigns put together this gorgeous treasury for Etsy and it made the front page tonight. (My SToNZ necklace, Pearly Whites is in the lower left corner.)
Sharon makes some lovely jewelry herself, which you can see here.

LAST CALL GIG at Rick's Cafe

L A S T C A L L
r o c k n r o l l

Appearing live at
RICK’S CAFÉ
86 North Main Street • Chagrin Falls
Saturday, April 4th, 2009
9:30 pm

Featuring...
Rob Lash – Bass
Mudcat – Guitar
Bill Saltzman – Drums
Irit Slain – Lead Vocals
Keith Chelm – Keyboard, Harmonica

Words on women and strength

tallulahssatchels

Maybe the January chill is finally getting to me, but one cold grey day I decided to put together a treasury on Etsy made up entirely of items made from felted sweaters.
The search led me to the delightful Etsy shop tallulahssatchels, where I came upon this colorful fun scarf.
I had to have it.

photo courtesy of tallulahssatchels

I immediately sent a message to the artist, asking if she'd make me a custom order.
She was more than accommodating!
What I had in mind was a couple of throw pillows along the lines of my new scarf.
In a flash, she sent me some photos of what she was piecing together for me and the next thing I knew, the pillows, along with the matching scarf, were delivered to my front doorstep.
Beautifully crafted, and exactly what I had in mind...WOW.
For once Morley was allowed up on the couch to pose with the new lovelies.

OK....get down now.
Good boy.
I love the way Chris puts her pillows together-
This one even has the buttons from the sweater going down the back. So clever.

Babette Wool Tan Pillow 7 photo courtesy of tallulahssatchels

Chris also knits the most amazing ruffle scarves
and all sorts of beautiful felted bags and ipod covers.
How cute is this?

Birch dragonfly brooch photo courtesy of tallulahssatchels

If you are lucky, maybe she'll make something just for you.
Tell her Morley sent you.

I'm flying!!!

Peter Pan!
January 17, 2009
2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
Tickets are $10 at the door

complete with flying! (rehearsal photo)
Stagecrafters is delighted to present: PETER PAN!
This Community Production of PETER PAN features a cast of 115 second through seventh grade students from over ten surrounding school districts. First produced on Broadway starring Mary Martin and Cyril Richard, and more recently a major hit starring Cathy Rigby, this is one of the world’s most celebrated musicals. Join us for all the charm of J.M. Barrie’s classic as Peter and Tinker Bell take the children in all of us on a magical adventure to Never Never Land. Filled with pirates, Indians, and embellished with show-stopping songs, PETER PAN is a delight for the entire family. This production will take place in the Orange High School Auditorium on the Orange Schools Campus.

Stagecrafters is among my most favorite clients...
My kids have long outgrown the program, but I have stayed on as their playbill designer, and I love it.
Their shows are first rate! Stop by today and bring the kids...

Morley LOVES Snow

There's about a foot of snow out there this morning, but Morley doesn't mind a bit.
He just knows there's something interesting underneath it all.


Morley is an eleven year old Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
He feels that though Labradoodles

and Portuguese Water Dogs

are perfectly nice, it's obviously a Wheatie that the Obamas need as FIRST DOG.

Etsy Front Page!

See? I told ya it was a good one.
The Walk Lightly treasury made it to the ETSY front page today.
Congrats Sharon!

Upcycled T-Shirt Bags from zJayne

My Etsy Cleveland Team friend Jane Pierce is incredibly creative and spiritual. She does these way cool assemblages and altered art pieces, and I particularly love her upcycled grocery bags and pouches made from gently used t-shirts. (The small pouches are made from the sleeves! Nothing goes to waste here!) You can read more about zJayne on her blog. And there is tons of cool stuff to choose from in her etsy shop. She made me my very own custom SToNZ pouch wristlet! It has more Rolling Stones than beach stones in it this week...

And this is my favorite carry all bag made from a Cleveland t-shirt. I get a lot of comments on this one at the grocery store. Paper or plastic? No thanks!


Upcycled bag images used with permission of Jane Pierce
Fun pouch colors to choose from.
She makes a fun lunch bag size, too. And even golf club covers!
So far she has made and sold more than 500 upcycled bags.
Saves grocery bags AND old shirts from the landfill.
Go Jane!!