It's that time of year again...the North Bay Downtown Farmers' Market begins this Saturday May 16th, and runs through until October 10th 2009...8:30am to 1:00pm rain or shine! Cross you fingers that it doesn't rain...
I'm looking forward to opening day...at the North Bay Downtown Farmers' Market you will find fresh produce and fruit in season, as well as all manner of handcrafted items including baking, jams, pickles, knit and weaved items, body oils, soaps, wood carvings, pet treats, honey, plants and jewelry just to name a some of the wonderful items available. Last year saw the opening of a Market booth where shoppers may buy coffee, tea, and snacks. I enjoy the interaction with all the people as well as the festive atmosphere of the day! This year I'm been in charge the Buskers...of finding entertainers/demonstrations, which has kept me busy. I'll post photos of the market in the coming weeks.
I haven't yet heard the number of vendors this year but there will be between 30 and 35...you may be sure there will be something for everyone!Cheers
Cheers
Hello everyone...I'm home...but... not overly happy about the weather here as I left sunny, hot, Florida for cold, snowy, windy, Ontario!!!This shot looks to the left of of where we stayed for a few days...wonderful view of Daytona Beach, in the morning before the beach worshipers arrive!
If you look very closely you can see a brave soul surfing in this shot...look for the tiny black dot...at one point there was at least ten surfers enjoying the waves!
I would like to thank those of you who visited and left such kind comments while I was away...it is very much appreciated!It will be a day or so before I begin visiting and commenting again as there is work to be done, groceries to be bought, bills to be paid, phone calls to be made and emails to be answered all before I can get back to visiting! Life goes on when we are away...Cheers
I'm going to be away until March 11th, with little possibility of internet access...therefore my visiting/commenting will most likely be non existent until after March 11th.I leave you with a look at a few pieces of my spring collection...I have a show March 27th, 28th and 29th for which I've begun preparing.
The necklace above a wonderful combo of amazonite and amethyst, all findings are sterling silver and the wire is sterling silver coated! I do have matching earrings, in fact two different styles but I forgot to take their photo...
Again we have the amazonite stone spaced with sterling silver beads, all findings are sterling silver for this lovely bracelet. I love this color, will have to add it to my favorites list.
One of my favorite gemstones, amethyst spaced with purple jasper and sterling silver beads, the pendant is purple jasper as well! Shads of purple will be hot this spring!!!
Of course we have the matching earrings...I've learned my lesson, when making gemstone necklaces there must also be a pair of earrings to match, they sell as a set. I'm not one to wear matching earrings and necklace but many women are!
Here is my first attempt at a wire wrapped pearl pendant...I was surprised to find out it is much harder to do than it looks!!! :0)
Love these...now I wouldn't wear them because I wear much simpler jewelry myself but I do like the way these turned out!
This is eye catching... onyx and amozonite stones, while the focal is a beautiful lampwork bead necklace, all sterling silver findings...I like to do contrast such as these...makes a nice statement I think!
The matching earrings...
This necklace is very light weight wood beads spaced with tiny amber round beads, findings are copper. Wood will be big again this year.
Here we have two completely different styles of earrings, of which one pair will go with the necklace...there is also a matching bracelet.
There you have it for now...see you March 12th.Cheers
This post is to inform potential buyers what the difference is between argentium, sterling and fine silver...there really is a difference!
As you all know "Sterling Silver" does tarnish after time! How fast depends on the make up...sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% an other metal, usually copper, it is copper that causes sterling silver to tarnish faster than fine silver, due to the exposure to the sulpher in the air, which is caused by pollution, and other sources of sulfides. During the tarnishing process it starts out as a yellowing effect, eventually going dark. I've used sterling silver a great deal over the past 2 years and my experience has been some silver tarnishes much faster than others...which makes me think the makeup of some silver has more copper, because the silver items are all stored in the same place in the same manner, but then who knows. I've made a point to purchase my sterling silver from one supplier for this reason.
"Fine Silver" is 99.9% pure silver, with generally either copper or titanium to give it what strength it has but even so it may be too soft for large pieces. Fine silver will tarnish but slower than sterling silver and it will generally be a a discoloration rather than a dark tarnish as in the sterling silver, unless it is in an area where there is high pollution and sulpher levels, then it is more likely to be darker. Even so it is usually easier to clean fine silver than sterling silver. I've recently purchased some fine silver to see how it is to work with...I made a couple of heart pendants for the "Soups On" and I found it almost too soft for the larger of the two...but then I'm wondering if I didn't work harden it enough?
Live Life!
Mend A Broken Heart!
I've also made a few ball pins and a couple of small pendants...these seem to work well with a little bit of work hardening (hammering). The tumbling should help to harden the items as well.
Hammered, stamped and balls and swirls fused to the pendants...
There are other metals which can be added to silver instead of the copper, such as germanium, zinc and platinum, as well as additives such as boron and silicon.
The germanium is the additive in Argentium Sterling Silver, a relatively new product I'm using ...this is sterling silver that has some of the copper replaced with a metalloid Germanium. It is the copper in sterling silver that makes it tarnish with exposure to air. Argentium Sterling silver is highly tarnish resistant, purer, brighter, and eliminates fire scale when using a torch... dream come true as most of us dislike the tarnishing aspect of sterling silver! If you would like more information regarding the wonderful Argentium sterling silver check out the website here...
http://www.argentiumsilver.com/home
It is a little more difficult to find Argentium sterling silver in Canada so I may have to experiment more with fine silver. Argentium silver is readily available in the US but the Canadian dollar doesn't make it feasible for me to purchase it there for the time being. I will use up what I have in stock and continue working with fine silver. Fine silver has all the attributes of Argentium in that it is shinier, purer, highly tarnish resistant, eliminates firescale, and fines silver fuses easily, I've never tried to fuse Argentium. The only draw back is how soft it is!
Cheers
The first two bangles were textured with these hammers...
The next two bangles have been textured with stamps...of course the starfish is my favorite!!!
Cheers
C - Denny Band We had the C - Denny Band perform for us...they do a mixture of easy listening songs acoustically. They have a new CD just out this past winter and a portion of the sales go to the Cancer Society! This group is always enjoyed...
Enjoy your day!
This is a favorite of mine...striking agate chunks spaced with tiny gold filled beads, with a resin leaf pendant...included are the pair of matching earrings. 
For some reason I'm attracted to smokey quartz...here are a pair of square smokey quartz beads, from which are hanging sterling silver stars, hanging from hand made SS wires.
There you have it for today...
I'm looking forward to opening day...at the North Bay Downtown Farmers' Market you will find fresh produce and fruit in season, as well as all manner of handcrafted items including baking, jams, pickles, knit and weaved items, body oils, soaps, wood carvings, pet treats, honey, plants and jewelry just to name a some of the wonderful items available. Last year saw the opening of a Market booth where shoppers may buy coffee, tea, and snacks. I enjoy the interaction with all the people as well as the festive atmosphere of the day! 
I haven't yet heard the number of vendors this year but there will be between 30 and 35...you may be sure there will be something for everyone!
Turquoise is a favorite of mine but then I'm sure everyone is aware of that...five gorgeous chunky nuggets, the center acutally looks like a heart of sorts (chalk turquoise which has been stabilized and dyed)spaced with fire engine red glass rondelles and Bali beads, the smaller turquoise nuggets are Blue Spider Web nuggets and are natural)...finished with a striking sterling silver toggle clasp...of course earrings to go along with the necklace
This is a fun piece...wood beads spaced between plump glass beads...copper and brown again a favorite combo of mine...
Last for today...my first attempt at fusing...a fine silver link chain bracelet, each link and the clasp are hand cut, fused, hammered for strength and tumbled to a sparkling shine...I know my photography skills leave much to be desired but it does sparkle...
Enjoy...
This ring is made from chalk turquoise, (dyed & stabilized) and argentium silver. Perfect summer addition...
This piece I'm sure the jewelry artists will recognize...the herringbone weave, the stone is carnelian, this is my second attempt, it takes considerable practice! At least is does for me.
Last is a simple circle ring in gold filled wire...made by me but the design was from a tutorial by Delia Stone, at the Tutorial Shop.etsy.com
That's it for now...I expect to get back to visiting the first of next week!
If you look very closely you can see a brave soul surfing in this shot...look for the tiny black dot...at one point there was at least ten surfers enjoying the waves!
Again we have the amazonite stone spaced with sterling silver beads, all findings are sterling silver for this lovely bracelet. I love this color, will have to add it to my favorites list.
One of my favorite gemstones, amethyst spaced with purple jasper and sterling silver beads, the pendant is purple jasper as well! Shads of purple will be hot this spring!!!
Love these...now I wouldn't wear them because I wear much simpler jewelry myself but I do like the way these turned out!
There you have it for now...see you March 12th.
Live Life!
Mend A Broken Heart!
Hammered, stamped and balls and swirls fused to the pendants...
