Happy Valentine's Day from SToNZ!

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.

"Thimbell" Necklaces

Made them yesterday, listing them today on Etsy!

Burton Antiques Market

We have been going to this show for more years than I want to admit! SO many things in our home come from the Burton Show. (Including my husband's wedding band!)
It happens every June and September in Burton, Ohio, about 20 minutes from where we live. Today's event was a particularly good one one, I thought. Lots of vendors and perfect weather. Cool and cloudy.
Much better than those times when we slogged through mud while dodging raindrops trying to stay warm, or baked in the heat of the hot sun.
I resisted the urge to splurge on furniture, as I really have no room for anything, but I did come home with lots of treasures for upcoming SToNZ necklaces:

A great heavy sterling curb chain which will become part of a few bracelets, 4 sterling silver thimbles, a little megaphone charm (bottom right corner), 3 small padlocks with their keys, and a nice pile of old keys. Oh, and a wonderful oak frame. Score!

One person's junk is another's treasure. I was like a kid in a candy store in this booth!

Faucet knob heaven!

These elaborate handmade dioramas are amazing. Real folk art collector's items that belong in a folk art museum. Two scenes with all sorts of little figures of people and farm animals. There's a mechanism underneath that rotates and makes the figures move. I think they had a $6000 price tag on the group. If you look closely you can spot Popeye having a bite of lunch with Olive Oyl. Maybe it's supposed to be a county fair scene? Just a guess.

Some great old Disney stuff:

For the Beatleophile. That's a thing, right?

Daffy Dan sighting!

Cleveland Rocks.

Don Draper, I found your shades.

Industrial is still super hot.

Is that bellows large enough or what?!

Apparently keys DO grow on trees.

If you are thinking of going to this show in September, here's a little advice:

Get there early (it's worth paying the extra $20 to beat the crowds), bring cash and a checkbook, don't be afraid to bargain but be polite about it, dress for the weather (it might be muddy, hot, freezing...bad weather can be your friend as there will be fewer shoppers and the vendors will be eager to unload stuff rather than carting it home) and try the french fries. They are unfriggin' believable.

Seaglass and Beach Stone Key Rings

Just in time for Father's Day!
Listed these this week in my Etsy shop.
Beach stones and beach glass found on my favorite Lake Erie beach, drilled and hung on sterling silver jump rings and paired with vintage skeleton keys for a fun gift idea.
Each one is one of a kind.  

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man & Woman of the Year

I am proud to know two amazing people nominated for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Northern Ohio Chapter Man & Woman of the Year 2012: Louise Warner and Alex Jelepis.
There will be a Grand Finale Gala in May, 2012. Of course I made a necklace for their auction...
To find out more about how you can support this important organization click here.

A one of a kind 26" sterling silver SToNZ necklace featuring a bezel set mother of pearl vintage button, a vintage key and a wire wrapped freshwater pearl

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Man and Woman of the Year (MWOY) campaign is a fundraising competition in communities across the U.S. in which participants vie for the title of Man or Woman of the Year. They raise funds for blood cancer research in honor of local children who are blood cancer survivors, the Boy & Girl of the Year. The titles are awarded to the men and women in each community who raise the most funds during the ten-week campaign; the top local fundraisers in the country also win the national titles.

If you're someone who wants to be part of the search for cures for blood cancers, please donate to a Man & Woman of the Year candidate's campaign. Any way you choose to participate in this campaign, you'll be helping people with blood cancers live better, longer lives.Their mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

Celebrating Hope

A Celebration of Hope 2012

A cause near and dear to my heart...
Alzheimer's Disease took my amazing mother-in-law Hope Saltzman away from us in 2005. Every April, the Cleveland chapter of the Alzheimer's Association has a benefit called A Celebration of Hope, which just feels as if it was named for her.

This is the necklace I made for their silent auction this year. It's always an uplifting event, and raises a great deal of money to support families who are dealing with Alzheimers and to help find a cure.

We miss you, Hope. Remembering you today and every day with love~
Click here for more information on the event.
A Celebration of Hope
Thursday, April 26, 2012 
Renaissance Cleveland Hotel