My "Arte y Pico" Award!!!!

I was given two amazing awards in less than a week...what can I say but I'm thrilled! As I was composing my recipient's list for the "Sweet Home" award, Heidi from Health Nut Wannabee Mom blog was composing her recipient's list for the Arte y Pico award and you guessed it...I chose Heidi as one of my recipient's and Heidi chose me as one of her recipient's! Such a wonderful coincidence!!!


I was given the Arte y Pico award on Sunday June 23rd, but I decided to wait a few days before I posted my list, the reason being is it is simply amazing to me two people would decide to pass both the "Sweet Home" award and the Arte y Pico award along to me and I wanted both awards to stand alone...each award to be front and center for a few days without competing.



Now to the business at hand......

"The Arte y Pico Award"

The "Arte y Pico" award was created and to be given to bloggers who inspire others with their creative energy and their talents, whether it be writing, artwork in all media's. When you receive this award it is considered a "special honor". Once you have received this ward, you are to pass it on to at least 5 others.

1) The winner of the award must choose 5 bloggers that they consider deserving of this award for the creativity, design, posts and contribution to the blogging community, no matter the language.

2) Each award given has to have the name of the author and a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award winner and the giver of this award must show the link of the "Arte y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) Post these rules.

The following are the perfect artist to receive this award as they are artists "who inspire others with their creative energy and their talents".

• Kinsey Barnard a fine art photographer and Kotey Bear, Kinsey's Siberian Husky can be found here...Photography, Philosophy & Pearls of Wisdom, Simply Photos and Life With a Nature and Wildlife Photographer. Three simply amazing blogs chocked full of wonderful photographs of Kinsey's and Kotey's journeys...simply amazing!!!
• Michelle Basic Hendry, found at Artscapes, Musings on Art & Life, is an award winning artist, photographer, graphic designer and writer.
  
• Timothy of timothy adams designs, in his own words "brings metal to life"...a fabulous metal artist whose work is always fresh, exciting and unique! He is also the mind behind the amazing Buried Treasury blog...a spot to show case Etsy handmade treasures. I can't forget his wonderful book "the handbook to handmade volume 7" a wonderful compilation of Etsy artists.
  
• You will find Benny Greenberg at Ya-ttitude.com, Defining Attitude for the 21st Century... Benny is an amazing man whose writings are some of the most clear, to the point and inspiring pieces I've read...if nothing else he will make you stop and think about you and your life!
  
• timethief's blog is. This time ~ This Space...where she writes about a variety of topics including aromatherapy, massage, internet relationships, relationships, sexuality, sensuality, spirituality, love and happiness...her writing is heartfelt, inspiring, interesting, straight forward and helpful but above all it is honest!!!

Click around...these are amazing blogs by talented artists regardless of their medium...I'm sure you will enjoy reading these as much as I do...
Cheers Heather

My First Blog Award!!!

My first ever blog award, thank you goes to Erin of Jewellery by Erin, who is a great blogger and wonderful artist herself!
I'm honored and thrilled to be included in your amazing list of 5!

Now I must choose 5 wonderful people to pass this along to...such a difficult decision as I know many more than 5 who deserve an award!!!

• Heidi, of Health Nut Wannabee Mom, her site while not only interesting is very informative packed full of tips for healthy eating along with ways to eliminate cravings and diet tips...as well as anything she finds interesting or wants to share...Heidi is forever helpful and caring of others!
  
• Lucky Girl Trading is another of my favorite blogs...here you will find posts on everything from her wonderful dichroic pendants to brownies, her wonderful grandson's photos, wasps, and peanut butter...all the while making each post a great friendly personable read...stop by and see what I mean!
  
• If you are looking for a fabulous site on fashion look no further than Modern Glam, Nicole has everything taken care of in the fashion world, show casing the latest and greatest. This is a must see blog, not to mention her stunning jewelry creations!
• Boutique Flair is a beauty and fashion blog you should not miss, here you will find Krista has reviewed everything from children's products, women's products, men's accessories, food and beverages, beauty products and just about everything else in between...I've known Krista for sometime now and she is a truly great person!
• This is a person I'm getting to know, through his blog...Bradley is his name and you will find him here...How is Bradley...Bradley is a happily married gay man, a father, on a diet who happens to have Bipolar disorder II...since this award is about "sharing, beauty, love and joy" I think he deserves this award! Stop by and visit I know he would love to have you!
  

Click around and enjoy the blogs by these special people you just might find a new daily reader!!
Cheers

Taking Pictures Outside!!

I'm a vendor at a market every Saturday rain or shine until October... this past Saturday was warm and sunny so I decided to try my hand at taking a few photos outside. I've been having a great deal of trouble taking pictures that I'm happy with... I've been told outside provides the best lighting. I have a great little camera, a Sony SuperShot DSC-W8O... that isn't my problem,...a part of my problems is the lighting. I purchased a "light box" but I just received it so I haven't had a chance to see how I do with it. I attempted to make a light box but lets just say my artistic talent lies elsewhere!

These pieces I'm posting today are a small sample of what I've been working on in the last couple of weeks...these are different from my fall and winter pieces...light and funfor the summer as we change our jewelry type with the season!

This piece is made with stunning tourmaline rondelles, wire wrapped around a sterling silver pendant, hanging from a sterling silver chain...

The colors are good but I've not yet managed to capture the sparkle of the gems...could be more crisp and clear!

This next piece is a gold plated fancy ball chain, with a lab created quartz briolette which has been wire wrapped with gold plated wire, along with a summery starfish! The color is good on this photo!

I enjoy making ear wires...something different than the traditional ear wires!
These are stunning Labradorite rondelles hanging from handmade sterling silver wires...again I haven't managed to capture the sparkle of the gem!

How about stars and a lightening bolt in sterling silver?

What woman wouldn't like a simple pair of pearls on a fancy sterling silver wire...dress up or down!

I've begun to work with gold filled wire recently, which I enjoy...completely different feel to it compared to sterling silver wire. I've paired these handmade wires with pretty Kyanite gems... while the earrings color is good, the back ground is a little blue!

These earrings are made from one piece of gold filled wire...delicate swirls ending in the ear wire! I have a pair of these in silver which I wear all the time!

These next three pieces I made from sterling silver sheet hanging from a leather cord...cut, polished and tumbled.

Simple but fun pieces for the summer! My first Dog Tag 001!

I love what this one says..."live, love, laugh"...I plan to make more of these with different sayings/words.

Can't forget three summer favorites... such fun pieces... each one making their own statement!
A beautiful green brass butterfly hanging from vermeile chains...which is gold plating over sterling silver.

A lovely brass dragonfly, hanging from vermeile chains!

Not to be left out is the ever popular brass octopus, hanging from leather cords!

I've been trying my hand at wire wrapping pendants in the last couple of weeks... which have been well received. I make them in both gold filled and sterling silver, naturally these are one of a kind as making two identical is not likely...here are three chokers I took pictures of on Saturday...
The first two are gold filled wire, hanging on a leather cored...

This one is sterling silver wire, with a delicate white pearl, hanging from a leather cord...I often add a pearl or a gem as I feel it adds a little something special!

This trendy necklace is made with interesting green/blue/gold glass rectangles spaced with brass ovals, finished with a brass toggle!

For the most part I feel the pieces look reasonably crisp and clear, the back grounds are somewhat gray or a touch of blue...while I'm not completely happy with the results I see improvement, which is what I was hoping for ...if I have time next Saturday I'll take more, possibly with a different back ground color...after I took these on Saturday I read a post that was asking for input on background colors...most of the people polled preferred colored of some kind over white...let me know what you think??? I would appreciate knowing your thoughts!
Cheers

Its Friday!!!

Good morning... someone said something to me yesterday that made me stop and think about how I post on my blog...

Erin, from "jewellery by erin", told me she stops by every morning to see if I've added anything new!!! That statement was an eye opener for me...my goal for this blog has always been to increase traffic to the point where I have regular visitors leaving me comments on a regular basis, a tremendous goal but I like to reach.

I enjoy writing, unfortunately, it takes me such a long time as I'm one of those people who will rewrite something five times before I like how it sounds...having said that my plan was to try to write interesting and informative posts which will keep people returning ...

Now I realize I have a long way to go but having regular readers is what I'm working towards...don't get me wrong, it is great to have people "stop & drop" I do the same thing(I also have blogs that I visit on a daily basis to see if there is something new posted) but Erin visiting me daily to see if I've posted something new, this is a huge deal for me, if I have one regular maybe there are more out there who don't stop to comment!!

Which brings me to my point...I know, I know, I'm so very long winded when I have something to say...which is... I realize I'm going to have to be much better at posting more often if I want to keep/attract more regular viewers. I will work on it!! :0)

FYI...I'm now working on my "Birthstone of the Month" (pearls) feature, it should be ready in a few days, there is so much information to go through, as I try to give interesting and informative information without getting too technical.

I've begun working with sterling silver and gold filled wire as well as sheet silver...making ear wires, earrings, and pendants so far. I've made myself two rings a silver and a gold but I haven't made any for customers yet...I'm enjoying the process as it is very satisfying and will eventually get into the soldering as I have all the tools waiting for me!

As soon as I take photos of I'll put them on the site. I'm not a great photographer so I put off taking the pictures as I'm never satisfied with the results. I have a huge inventory of completed pieces to photograph and get on my Etsy store as it is looking very barren at the moment!

Enjoy your weekend!
Cheers

What a nice gesture!!!

I just love it when I'm contacted out of the blue, by a wonderful person telling me they have mentioned my blog, on their blog today...and with such kind words...please take a few minuets to take a look at Laura Godsil's blog ... LWGODSIL'S JADIS JEWELRY

Thank you Laura...

"Birthstone of the Month" Emerald...again

***I've decided to re-publishing my previous "Birthstone of the Month" posts...they were, for the most part well received...I've been contemplating doing a series of post regarding the healing properties of semi-precious stones but thought I would begin by re-publishing these...***

Emerald is the most precious member of the beryl family; the name is derived from the Greek “smaragdos”, which means “green stone”.

The wonderful green color is produced by chromium present in the gemstone. The vibrant color won’t fade, as it is stable regarding light and heat. As with many gemstones the color varies depending on the source or the location the gemstone was found. Apparently the most favorable color is a strong slightly bluish green.

Colombian emeralds are a pure green with a slight tint of blue. There are significant deposits, especially in the Muzo mine northwest of Bogotá.

This magnificent emerald was mined in Colombia, set in white gold, with yellow gold claws, encased in diamonds...what more could you ask for ladies!!!

A 60 carat Colombian emerald set with approximately 25 carats of diamonds on yellow gold. Market value US$240,000

Brazilian emeralds are a slightly lighter color of green with more yellow noticeable, often slightly cloudy, but most often without inclusions. Deposits have been found in Bahia, Goias, and Minas Gerais and while relatively new deposits, discovered since the 1980s, Brazil has become one of the most important suppliers of emeralds!

From Northeast Brazil...A fully terminated, semi-gemmy Emerald crystal...Measures about 1/2" across...semi-gemmy means "clear in spots but not completely"

Zambian emeralds have good clarity are are a deep green. Other deposits have been found in Russia, Afghanistan, Australia, Ghana, India, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tanzania, Vietnam, China and the United States.
These lovely emerald crystals are from Wenshan, near Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
Here is a natural, grass green Emerald (Beryl) crystal from the Lao Cai Province of Vietnam
Famous Emeralds can be found at the British Museum of Natural History in London, England, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, in the treasury of Russian, in the state treasury of Iran, in the Treasury room in Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey and in the Viennese treasury in a vase is a gem 4 ¾ in (12cm) high, weighing 2205cts, cut from a single emerald crystal.

Most emeralds are not clean, having some imperfections such as cloudy, cracks, inclusions of fiber, tremolite rods, some of which make the emerald sensitive to pressure…hence the emerald cut was designed to maximize the color while the rounded corners help to minimize chipping and breaking of the corners.

These semi-gemmy emerald crystals are from the Jiangsu Prov, in China

It is common for emeralds to be dipped in a specific type of oil or sometimes prepared with an artificial resin in a vacuum if they have hairline fractures or other faults…this is usually done in the country of origin. The FTC in the United
States requires a disclosure of this kind of treatment.

While not my favorite gemstone I have to admit these lovely gems have grown on me…a nice set of emerald earrings or perhaps a bracelet would be nice…what do you think???

Cheers

Natural gem photos courtesy of "Orbital Joe"

Emerald jewelry courtesy of "Swamibu"

I thank both Orbital Joe and Swamibu for allowing me to use their wonderful photographs! More of their amazing work can be found on Flickr.com

Information courtesy of:

Gemstones of the World, Walter Schumann, Third Edition, Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.,

The Jeweler's Directory of Gemstones, Judith Crowe, Firefly Books, 2006


Cheers

"Bloggers Unite for Human Rights"

Human rights issues abound all over the world…violations are everywhere; rape, child abuse, forced labor, murder, induced starvation, false imprisonment, discrimination due to race or gender, lack of freedom of speech, government corruption, war crimes and the list goes on…for all our efforts to be a “humane” world, we are lacking in so many ways.

What is wrong with human nature that allows people to perpetrate such horrendous atrocities to their fellow man/woman/child? What about logic, ethics, kindness, and empathy? So often money, pride, ego, and power get in the way!

It would be so easy to say, “What can we do”? As individuals we do the best we can to help fight for human rights…joining in on days such as “Bloggers Unite for Human Rights” allows the group to speak volumes!

“Do unto others as you would have them do to you”…

I'm in the mood! Will it be "A little bit Simple" A little bit Sassy" or "A little bit Sultry"?

A little bit Simple!

Obsidan and everything sterling silver!

Onyx and everything sterling silver!

Lovely lampwork beads and everything Bali silver!

More lovely lampwork beads by the same artist and everything sterling silver!

A little bit Sassy!

Lab created crystals and sterling silver!

Freshwater pearls and brass everything!

Sterling silver everything!

A little bit Sultry!

Soft, sexy, freshwater pearls and Swarovksi accents!

A stunning necklace! Huge turquoise chunks, gold filled wire, aqua lab created quartz, magnificent!

More Pearls...two stunning rows of Swarovski pearls and Swarovksi crystals!
Pearls look "hot" with anything!

Twin Dee Designs

The woman behind Twin Dee Designs is a mother of a 21-year-old daughter; about to graduate from college with an Engineering degree, a 19-year-old son, and a 16-year-old daughter, in junior high school, she has raised her children alone for the last 13 years.

Her name is Denise and she has been sewing since she was very small, at ten she made an outfit for herself… by hand…can you imagine? After seen this, her mother showed her how to use the sewing machine, and in Denise’s words “that was that…all I did was sew and made most of my clothes”.

She discovered quilting around the age of 18 but didn’t

actually get into it until she was 25, when she developed a love for the process of making a quilt; it was a relaxing pastime …making cloths took a back burner at this point in her life.

Quilting was part of her life for many years, but at 49 she began something new…quite by chance!

She was making book covers for a Harry Potter fair and picked up discontinued upholstery fabric, but she found some of the fabric was just to beautiful for book covers so she decided to make bags!!! She bought books for ideas, and made the bag I purchased from a pattern but added her own touch…the leather. She has since changed the pattern to make smaller ones with zippers instead of a snap flap,all the other bags are her own pattern!

Denise enjoys making her bags, and has five bags presently in the works, along with a few prototypes she wants to change before she lists them. All this in only 8 months, she opened her Etsy shop August of 2007 …time is even more precious to Denise now as her son is recuperating from a terrible accident, and her need to be with him takes precedent…so she does what she can!

What woman doesn’t need another bag, or a change purse? I certainly didn’t “need” the one I purchased but I love it just the same!

Her amazing bags can be found at www.twindee3.etsy.com,stop by and have a look! The quality and craftsmanship of her work is superior, this is a woman who likes what she does and it shows in the pieces she makes!!

I have to show you my wonderful purse Denise made...I love it...the quality of the material and workmanship is superb!

Visit Twin Dee Designs on Etsy for a great shopping experience!

I've Been Featured!!

This lovely bangle "Crazy For You" was featured yesterday on "Friday Findings" on Capitola Girl, where you can find interesting post regarding the latest in jewelry information and Posh Mama, a wonderful site about and for women...stop by the sites are interesting and informative!


The lovely Azure Islands Designs, turquoise, sterling silver wire wrapped earrings, were given away in a contest for the "Friday Findings" contest on Capitola Girl, hope the lucky winner enjoys wearing these beauties! Nothing better than turquoise jewelry in the summer!