New Jewelry — Page 30

C’est la vie!

October 7, 2009 by The Noisy Plume

Great scott! Life has been busy this week!

I had an awesome day in the studio yesterday and was able to get a few pieces finished with a few more on deck for completion this afternoon.

But I have something kind of important to tell you. I was very sad yesterday — I have perhaps been sad for most of my life. But yesterday something very special happened.

This guy arrived. The postman put a mailer in my hands and when I opened it up, all I could see was magenta magenta magenta (my favorite color). When I opened the package further, I found a faux fox, knitted stole.

HOLY COW!

Granted. It is very weird. Which is why I like it so well. Additionally, it had me at hello.

Thanks Mona! Believe it or not, I really love it (so does RW). And now my faux fox stole has completed me and I will live a glad life for the rest of my days on Earth.

Well. That was ridiculously melodramatic but I know no other way of behaving or conveying myself (it comes so darn naturally). I’ll snap some photos when I’m next wrapped up in foxy, in the snow and howling wind. I’m sure you’ll appreciate the curiosity much more then! If you already appreciate the curiosity of this scarf, you can find it and many like it, HERE. Happy oggling!

And now, 7Up!

These guys will all be part of the Etsy shop update tomorrow. This group features a saddle ring, claddagh ring, a couple sets of earrings, a turquoise ring (bordering on larimar coloration), a necklace featuring a bezel set, hand pierced enamel disc fired right here in my kiln at Plume Gables (set in the confines of a shadowbox wall). Auspicious. Lastly I finished a large prudent man agate pendant. The stone comes from the Prudent Man Claim here in Idaho and is an amazing agate that resembles Idaho, high desert landscape in amazing hues of teal, pink, grey, brown and red. Additionally, there are highly translucent portions of agate in the cabochon so when it’s held up to the light the individual sage shaped plumes in the stone really pop. Just gorgeous.

Alright, I’m off to grocery shop, snaggle a latte and then settle into a few happy hours of making, out in my studio. We’ve got a gorgeous Idaho blue sky here today, barely a breeze and the white of frost on the trees and grass has already been consumed by the sun. I’ve got wings on my heels! A happy heart! I hope you’re well, I love you so.

PLUME

Filed Under: curiosities, New Jewelry, weather

Can can can you do the can can???

October 5, 2009 by The Noisy Plume

I have these ladies lined up like can can dancers, ready to show off with a few high kicks!

It’s Etsy shop update time!

I’ll see you over there in a few minutes!

Filed Under: New Jewelry

Bonjour bonjour!

October 2, 2009 by The Noisy Plume

I’m about to hop over to the Etsy shop to pop some new items on the shelves. This week has been a bit of a wash in the studio for me since I ran out of metal on Monday and have been working on leftovers since then. Leftovers are perfectly good projects that are left by the wayside when I find myself distracted by a totally new idea — my workbench is a maze of half finished projects which is a very poor use of resources but sometimes I have to drop what I’m doing and leap in a different direction or I’m afraid I’ll totally pass over the tip of a new idea. I should try to control myself more but I’ve found that the chaos of project tailings actually acts as a fertilizer for my right brain. All that sterling nitrogen gets new growth booming in infinite directions.

This is the saddle ring I made Monday afternoon, on a complete whim, with posting ladies in jodhpurs in mind. I imagined a ring with an extremely wide, sterling face. The band on this ring tapers into a really comfy fit inside the finger. I’m a big fan. I find myself trying this ring on repeatedly whilst in my studio. It’s so big and smooth and cold. I reckon there’s even a bit of a medieval edge to it which is what inspired me to make a pair of these rings:

This is my take on the Claddagh Ring, which in Irish tradition is a ring that is given as a token of love or is worn as a wedding ring. They usually feature a crowned heart which is held by a pair of hands. If you follow the link above, you’ll see that mine actually looks NOTHING like a Claddagh Ring but I kept thinking of the Claddagh design while sawing the components for these rings. RW is quite smitten with this design because the applique resembles a pair of kissing swans which reminds us both our segment of life lived together in Alaska. Tres romantique! (TRES MOSQUITOS)

WE’RE JUST A PAIR OF TRUMPETER SWANS:

MAGNIFICENT IN FLIGHT,

MONOGAMOUS AND WHITE

I’ve also got a Soul Garden Ring with a beautiful slab of ocean jasper. This cabochon features slightly irregular orbicular patterning. They are quite ruffled and rather resemble poppies instead of the regular round, cosmic spots one can find in ocean jasper. Right pretty.

I have a handful of other goodies that will wind up in ye olde shoppe in a short while. Before I get listing I HAVE to find a pair of armwarmers I know I have some in my mitten basket by the front door…or perhaps they are in my bag of tights on the wall in the bedroom. At any rate, my wrists and fingers are freezing (not to mention really banged up after climbing last night). I might have to turn the heat up in the house — I HATE doing that in September. I feel like I should be able to tough it out and simply throw another sweater under my down vest and chug another pot of tea. I’ll not keep you from your daily duties by continuing this rambling! I hope you’re cozy, wherever you are. Adieu! Adieu!

Plumesicle

I had this delightful little note arrive this morning!

The thought of people being accosted for their plumage made me smile!!!

“Just thought I’d drop you a line to say hello and to tell you that I am wearing my “Up From The Earth” necklace today (and I do wear it frequently and adore it) and a lady stopped me in the middle of RUSH HOUR on the subway to ask about it. I gave her all the details, but it’s too funny, she came up to me and grabbed me by the arm and literally stopped me and demanded to know where I got it. I found that hilarious as I was rushing on my way to the office and she scared the @#$%^&* out of me! I just gaped at her and said: “Pardon me…?” I thought she was crazy (a very well-dressed crazy lady of about 50, too funny), so she repeated her question: “WHERE (insert emphasis here) did you get this gorgeous necklace?!” Finally I realized her passion for jewellery (it takes one jewellery junkie to know one), I laughed out loud and pulled her to the side to tell her all about Etsy and about The Noisy Plume. I hope she breaks down the barriers of shopping through the Internet (yes, it’s quite common that people mistrust the Internet to shop for anything, even in the Toronto Financial District) and pays you a visit.“

[From M. in Toronto]

Thanks toots! You made my day!

:::EDIT:::

Well it was a short and sweet shop update today over at The Noisy Plume!

Thanks to everyone who came out to support me — whether you took something home or not, your presence was felt!

Love to you all and happy weekending!

Filed Under: New Jewelry, ocean jasper

EEK!

September 28, 2009 by The Noisy Plume

Oh good morning, my doves.

It is so peaceful here…one of those fall mornings that requires a long hot shower for a warm-up in the morning. What’s your shower quirk? I take a cup of coffee or tea in with me and whilst deep conditioning, I like to water the three ferns and orchid that sit on the shelf at the end of the tub. Yes. I shower with houseplants.

I’m about to head for the Etsy shop and pop some pretty items on the shelves for you. The few I’d like to preview for you are a couple of my favorite things I made yesterday:

The Desert Breathes Ring

featuring a simply set Owyhee Jasper (from right here in the Owyhee Valley of Idaho). This particular cabochon features towering white spruces in a caramel and teal landscape. The dome is high and juicy on this baby — just the way I like my Owyhee (I’m really rather picky).

A ring in a similar design to the necklace I made a few weeks ago. This big bauble is a shadowbox and has been extensively forged so that little frame that holds everything together is NOT going to bend on you should you whack it on a Pekingese or a St. Bernard. It’s built of sterling silver and 14 carat gold. All components were hand cut and forged by me. I like to cook from scratch and smith from scratch.

Oh geez.

I showed you this ring in my last blog post. It’s a new design I dreamed up on the way home from Salt Lake City, Utah the other night. The idea hit me like my car was about to hit a mule deer. Do you know what I mean? A real lightning strike of a concept. It made my pulse race. It features a double decker bezel set button and a beautiful stichtite cabochon in violet and grape hues. The settings are surrounded by the sorts of bits and pieces you’d find draped around a forest floor. JUST LOVELY. It’s orientated a bit like a knuckle ring and rides three fingers. Tough as nails. Organic as heck. My personal design tastes are to make jewelry that’s inspired by nature — I want it to look like it just walked out of a forest or off the great plains. This ring has such a natural flair. I can’t wait to see who it belongs with.

This is another ring, in the same style as the stichtite baby above except this little fellow is set with ocean jasper. The back of this piece features a new idea I had as well…arcs. Hmmmm. Love that loopy doop that swings through the base of the ring band.

And a little Soul Garden Necklace. It’s not as embellished as my Soul Garden pieces usually are but I toned things down a bit because this ocean jasper cabochon is amazing! Gosh. Oh gosh. OH GOSH GOSH GOSH.

I love Monday.

I feel best when I wear magenta.

My toes are cold.

I’m drinking tea from my magic mug.

Do angels have toenails?

It is lunch but I’m going to eat breakfast.

I adore my vacuum.

The local charter school children are walking past my house.

My roses won’t quit blooming.

I have on my favorite jeans (but I spent $16 on mine).

I saw a barn owl last night, up close. Up VERY close.

You’re my favorites.

:::EDIT:::

THANK YOU ALL, SO SO MUCH, FOR YOUR AMAZING SUPPORT TODAY!

THANKS ALSO FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CONVO ME AND EMAIL ME

YOUR SWEET MISSIVES. I’VE GOT MY HEART ALL OVER MY SLEEVES AND A PEARL SHINING BRIGHT IN MY SOUL.

I LOVE YOU SO.

Filed Under: New Jewelry

Saturday Again

September 26, 2009 by The Noisy Plume

It really is.

I had a friend visit Plume Gables for a week and it seemed like the time flew past faster than I could blink. Amber is 8 months pregnant but it didn’t stop her from helping me out at the homestead. She must be from pioneer stock.

She harvested veggies for me, helped me can a surplus of jams and jellies. We zipped zucchinis through my food processor (sigh…love) and stocked my freezer with a heavenly host of food stores. I drove her to the airport yesterday morning at a truly ungodly hour and spent the rest of yesterday and today:

1. Cleaning.

2. Yardworking.

3. Answering emails and convos (still working on that).

4. Running around town buying groceries.

5. Realizing that there’s hardly anything as nice as buying really pretty bras for half the original price at Victoria’s Secret (actually, there are a LOT of things nicer than that, but in the moment, it felt quite nice).

6. Dealing with the harvest.

7. Trying to figure out what to do for RW’s 30th birthday on October 8th (I DON’T ACTUALLY KNOW IF HE’LL BE HOME FOR IT SINCE HIS CREW WAS SENT TO OREGON THIS WEEK). Any ideas?

As usual, everything has ripened all at once (including that plump, red Penelope). If you garden, I’m sure you’ll bear witness to the fact that September is a mad rush to deal with all the fruit, vegetables and other things that turn red, purple, green, orange or yellow all at once. I’m eating tomatoes faster than I thought humanly possible. I spent last night and this morning dealing with my beets:

Sort according to size.

Boil for a half hour.

Quench in cold water.

Skin should slough off easily.

Remove ends, chop, grate or slice

and freeze.

Of course, I made sure I made a COUPLE of treats for you last week. This is one of them:

At any rate, I need to take Farley up into the hills. There’s a thick cloak of smoke over Pocatello, Utah is burning and sending her grey air up to us on the tail of a brisk wind with a cackle and smirk (thanks Utah). I’m going to claw my way through it for 8 miles. Up into the spruce stands and through the aspen groves in their gentle yellow. I won’t stop to sneeze at the sage and as I cover ground, fast, the pheasant will burst out of the brittle grass at my feet and I won’t know time.

I hope your Saturday has been happily squandered

and if you’re dealing with your beets, you’re not the only one with purple hands!

Love,

Jillian Susan

Filed Under: farley and penelope, garden, idaho, New Jewelry, plume gables