What I've Been Up To - March 24-30

I'm a day late! But here's an update on what I've been doing at my jewelry desk for the past week...


I finished up big bridesmaids order of knot bracelets going to a bride in the South. I hope the bride and her bridesmaids like them. I love making something that will be worn at a wedding! Then I made some sterling silver wire wrapped gemstone earrings for an order.

Biggest news... I finished the lapis lazuli pendant!

Sterling Silver and Lapis Lazuli Pendant - available in my Etsy shop

Oohh... this pendant really gets my dragon-like hoarding tendencies going. I put it in the shop, but every time I see it I just want to hide it away and keep it for myself.

But I appeased my inner Smaug and made myself a new ring. It's technically a prototype so I had something to photograph to put up a custom-made ring listing in the shop, but I love it all the same. I also learned while making it that the technical term for the special inner flash and shine that labradorite has is called "schiller" - which just tickles the heck out of me because that's my maiden name. That definition is much better than the one I always found on "what does your name mean" websites, which was squinty. (I wore coke bottle glasses as a kid, so that definition was a little too spot on.)

Anyway, enough talking, here's the ring!

Fine and Sterling Silver Labradorite Stacking Ring - custom made in your size in my Etsy shop

I also made a simple pair of kyanite earrings. The stones are so pretty, they didn't really need much ornamentation around them to distract from the flashes of gray and blue they have when you move them around.

Kyanite and Sterling Silver Earrings - in my Etsy shop

Last thing - a new filigree pendant. This one is a heart with a lab-grown ruby.

Sterling Silver Filigree Heart Pendant with Lab-Grown Ruby

I have another setting and ruby and I think I will be making another one of these to send to my mom for Mother's Day. It would also be great for Valentine's Day. I'm sure my husband appreciates that he doesn't have to buy me any jewelry for special occasions - I just make my own!

I did spend some time trying to decipher my chicken scratch beginning of year inventory. I'm still working on it, because I can only take so much boring at a time. 

I also changed up my photo setup and re-took a few pictures. I'm liking the grayish brown stone background, it gives a very natural feel to the pictures. I think it fits my jewelry much better than the typical blinding, washed out "Etsy white" backgrounds. And it was practically free - it's a leftover concrete "stone" tile from our fireplace remodel. I love reusing things around the house!

I don't have any huge plans for my jewelry making in the next week. I'll probably just fiddle around with some wire for a while and see what happens. I usually end up with something interesting when I do that. 

Until next weekend!