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.

Last day to get SToNZ in time for Christmas!

Don't say I didn't warn you…if you need it in time for Christmas, today is your last chance to order a special SToNZ Jewelry gift!

Here's a free shipping coupon code (USA only) to make it just a bit more tempting:
LASTCHANCESTONZ
Expires at midnight tonight.

Happy Holidays from SToNZ!

Build A Dream

Next Saturday the Greater Cleveland Chapter of Habitat for Humanity will be celebrating their 25th anniversary with their creative event "Build A Dream," at The Calfee Building on East 6th Street.
The silent auction will feature Up-Cycled art made by local artists. How fun!
For more info on tickets click here.

Of course, "upcycled" is right up my alley.
This is my donation for the invitational silent auction, using a few old keys, authentic cobalt blue beach glass, and lots of sterling silver.

All proceeds raised at the Build A Dream 2013 party will help Cleveland Habitat provide quality, affordable homes for their worthy Partner Families.  

Look what's new from SToNZ!

A couple of new things in my Etsy store this month:

SToNZ Earrings! By popular demand.

 

Skull Jewelry

In Melbourne, Australia a few weeks ago, I happened upon this piece in a shop window.
No idea what is going on here.
Apparently an actual animal skull of some sort, about the size of a dog (or a Dingo?) fitted with an elaborate piece of metalwork. The stone looks to be a huge Labradorite I think.
(Australia is known for their opals.....they were everywhere in shops, and not cheap, I might add.)
Interesting...but what would you do with it?

More Silver Tube Riveted Lake Erie Beach Stones

Sterling riveted tube Lake Erie beach stones. 

Always a popular item in my Etsy Store. 

Sometimes I rivet sea glass too, which is a bit trickier. Yes, sometimes I break them and they wind up in the scrap pile.

Here's how I do it.

A productive morning

I made two zucchini breads and a silver bracelet this morning. 

I wish every day was this productive! Below is the recipe for the bread.

I always make two loaves because I figure if I am making a mess in my kitchen I might as well make twice the recipe! (They freeze well, but allow bread to fully cool first, then wrap well before freezing.)

Recipe for the silver bracelet? That will have to be for another day.

If you like this bracelet I will be donating it to the Celebration of Hope, the dinner to raise funds for the Cleveland Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, Thursday, May 2, 2013.

Each year I donate a piece of SToNZ jewelry to the silent auction in memory of my mother-in-law Hope (yes, for me it's a celebration of her) who, among other things, happened to be an amazing baker.

It seemed appropriate to bake something while I created this bracelet for the auction.

I HOPE it's up to your standards, Hope!

Zucchini Bread Recipe  (adapted from Jane Brody)

1 1/2  cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2  cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup sugar
3 medium eggs
6 TBS safflower oil  
1 stick melted unsalted butter
4 small grated or shredded zucchini 
1 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup yellow raisins  
8 chopped dates
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, oil, butter, zucchini and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and stir to combine well. Stir in the nuts, raisins and dates. Pour batter into two greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 60 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool on baking racks. Makes 2 loaves.  

Tube Riveted Lake Erie Beach Stones

Spent today lining Lake Erie beach stones with sterling tube rivets. My hands always hurt after a round of drilling and hammering, but it's worth it! These simple smooth natural stones are transformed into little jewels with the addition of their heavy silver grommets. I'll be listing them tomorrow in my Etsy store.
They'll go fast. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Just sayin'.

Tube Riveted Beach Stones!

Made more yesterday...it's a little hard to keep up with the demand. And for every five I make, I usually break one. It's just that one last tap of the hammer that does it.

Here are the survivors of my latest riveting session. Listing them soon in my Etsy store.

Creating Contemporary Sterling Jewelry From Antique Flatware

Those who know me, know that I am hopelessly addicted to rummage sales, estate sales and flea markets. I have an eye out for all sorts of things, but these days I am drawn to nice tools that I can add to my jewelry bench, or anything made of sterling silver that I can somehow incorporate into my SToNZ Jewelry designs.

Last week I was at a sale where the kitchen drawers were filled to overflowing with all sorts of utensils and gadgets. For the most part, there was nothing of interest there, until I spotted a couple of broken forks way in the back of one drawer.
The people running the sale seemed to feel these broken forks were worthless, so I got a nice deal. Yep, they were sterling.

I had an idea for a personal challenge: try to make as many pieces of new jewelry from the silver on these broken vintage forks as I could. How fun!

The first thought I had was to use the pretty roses from the neck of each fork. I used a jewelers saw to cut them out. Sanded them smooth, and soldered sterling posts on the back. Earrings!

Then I hammered one of the fork heads flat and sawed out a couple of free form hearts.

After some filing and sanding they looked just right! Next, to solder on silver jump rings and turn these lovely things into charms.

I decided to hang one from a slinky silver curb chain and added a wire wrapped freshwater pearl charm. A great combination. The necklace works with the charms worn together or one at a time.
And who would ever guess that the heart started life as a fork, once upon a time?!
Recycling can be very fun.
CHARMING, actually.