finally....some new items up in the shop

new growth , a photo by wildflowerdesigns on Flickr.

i have been the most negligent etsy shop owner this past year.
between church, school, and sports i have had a difficult time sitting down and cranking out completed pieces.
even when i am able to work on a piece from start to finish, i do not make the time to properly photograph it and list it on etsy.
over the next week or so i will be trying to create listings for the pieces i have been able to complete over the past 6 mos. or so.

pop-up update

popup
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

(the walls are lime, not lemon.)

it appears that miles is a liability and cannot be allowed to man the shop either with or without me so.....
ryan will be taking long lunches on friday and i will be going up most saturdays to man the box during lunch.
you can see that i am splitting the space with elizabeth, who does fused glass work.
i also set up my scarves and beanies, but they are hiding in the far right corner.
i still want you to come and see me, but it will need to be fri & sat from 11:30-1:30 or during fondren unwrapped on thurs 18th.

wow how i've grown

industrial flower
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

in the four years since i have been a member of etsymetal, i have dramatically increased my knowledge and skill level in so many areas of metalsmithing.
i have learned numerous new skills that would not have been possible without the tutorials, Q&A sessions, and encouragement of my fellow metalsmiths.
i have gained valuable information on photo techniques and advertising dos and don'ts.
i have found my voice and gained the confidence to offer it to the world.

THANK YOU ETSYMETAL!!!!!!

as a small token of my appreciation, i will be offering 20% off most of my one of a kind items this week.
just check out the sale section of my shop or browse the whole thing.

4 whole years

potter's clay
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

that's right people, the etsymetal street team has been up and running for 4 years.
to celebrate we are giving away 4 $50 gift certificates which are redeemable at any etsymetal member's shop.
to find out how to enter the giveaway, go here.
to find what you want from my shop when you win the giveaway, go here.

look------->

self portrait thursday
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

my new earrings from ashley arrived yesterday and i LOVE them!!
i snagged the pair of her fiber earrings with plum and teal, two of my favorite colors.
you can get some too if you go here.

i am back at the bench

at the beach
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

and participating in etsymetal's project runway jewelry challenge.

this week the challenge was to make something surf inspired.
i am not a surfer and immediately thought of the beaches at home.
this mammoth cocktail ring consists of a huge coral cabochon set in a handmade bezel.
it is accented with hand cut and filed beach grass and tiny fine silver grains of sand.
everything rests on a double band which also features a couple of fine silver grains of sand.

hopefully, i will be able to continue participating in the challenge.
it was nice to create something a little out of my comfort zone and to see how the other talented metalsmiths interpreted the challenge.

see some of their work here:

metalriot
bijougirl
Kathryn Riechert
Sara Westermark
experimetal
rubygirl
Cynthia Del Giudice

Nina Gibson designs
Beth Cyr

the year of.....

mountain blossom
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

lately i have read several entries on blogs about an artist's theme for the year (for lack of better explanation.)
it really got me thinking about what direction i want to move in and what i want to focus on in the little time i have available.

so far i have thought about:
dots/granules - maybe too trendy for me
flowers - but i ALWAYS have flowers
motion - kinetic pieces can be a lot of fun
piercing - how far can this take me?
and then i decided that it was simply the year of MORE.

i know, can i be any more vague?
but the idea does seem to define my newer work the best....
i have been trying more techniques, using more techniques per piece, incorporating more details into each piece and this will continue.

to see some of my newest pieces check out the shop

etsy front page

front page
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

YAY!!!
i have not been feeling well this week, so what a nice surprise to find out that i was featured on etsy's front page.
i also like when i have been featured and it is not strictly related to a treasury.

and thank you tess for letting me know!

new work thursdays

milkweed
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

i am officially participating in etsymetal's new work thursdays and will continue to do so every week.
this will be a good way to encourage me to photograph the work i do have completed.
plus, it should help me and the shop to not fall off the face of the earth.
i have several more new items that will be showing up today.

i have also forced myself to sketch a few ideas in a new little notebook.
i HATE sketching in any sense of the word, but i want to create new and different pieces and i feel that this is one way to help.

find milkweed here

my secret santa arrived...

my secret santa!!!!
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

after a rather crappy week, i went to check the mail saturday morning and i found a package from tangerinetreehouse.
i knew it was my secret santa gift!!!
i tore open the package and sure enough it was the gorgeous pair of earrings that she had blogged about.
i am so excited and they could not have come at a better time.

SALE

subdued
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

the SALE is on!!!!
any purchases that total $50 or more will receive a FREE pair of enameled mini post earrings.
(similar to the pic, but your own special pair)
now is a great time to buy christmas, birthday, or anytime gifts and get a little something for yourself.

check out the shop
and check out etsymetal for more deals

shop updates

gumdrop
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

see, i wasn't lying; i am getting the shop updated for the humongous SALE this weekend.
these are some of the stacking rings i have been working on.
i still haven't decided what i think.
i bought a ring mandrel with a flat side to use for large cabs, but i decided to use it and set several small stones on its surface instead.

find gumdrop here
find more etsymetal sales here

stacking rings

fire
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

you may remember a couple of weeks ago i went down to the mullet festival.
while there, i picked up a dozen small cabs and decided that most will go into stacking ring sets.
i tried to do some simple stacking rings before, but i did not like the made to order aspect.
this go round i will be making quite a few sets that will be sold as is.

find the fire stacking rings here

new etsymetal earrings...

i cannot get this post layout how i would like...

this month i decided to treat myself to a couple of pair of new earrings from my fellow etsymetalers.
i have to admit that i LOVE them both!!!

caitlyn of disco medusa had a sale recently
and since i have favorited many of her crescent blade earrings i knew that i had to just go for it.
i chose the medium crescent blades and i could not be happier.
i love this design and really wish i was clever enough to think of it on my own
and the medium version is perfect to wear every single day.


the first pair i bought (stupid blogger can't get it right) was the mod leaf earrings from nina dinoff.
there were so many things in nina's shop that i loved, it was hard to decide.
the earrings are very sleek and show off sparkling garnet and smoky quartz.
they are the fanciest earrings i own and will really look nice with my zombie tees.

see, i really have been working

267/366 & spt
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

i am not even sure i can tally how much time went into this necklace.
the chain and clasp are all handmade;
each flower was hand sawn and filed;
every stone set by my two hands.
the necklace really did turn out lovely with pale greens and blues almost glowing in the center of each dark flower.
maybe more to come???
if i can summon the stamina.

the aftermath

coral root
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

so i am calming down after my rejection letter.
i will be calling the guild tomorrow to get the comments from the standards committee.
even though i don't hold up well to crits, i would like to know exactly what the issues with my work were.
overall, the HUGE disappointment will help me as i think through the direction my work is going and my business plans.
it can only help me to stop and decide what i want to accomplish and to stick with it even when things get hard.

and this weekend i was able to work on a couple of fun pieces that i hope to have listed by the end of the week.

new work

posey
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

i am finally getting around to taking some pics of my new flowers.
these are some of my favorites!!
i have a couple of ideas for new ones that tiptoe out of my comfort zone of circles.
check the shop for updates all week.

and thanks to a friend for watching parker while i worked yesterday.
it did get me kick started and i was able to accomplish a lot.

secret garden chain

secret garden on
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

i finished everything for the ms craftsman guild submission just a couple of hours before our plane left.
i am still fairly stressed, but there is nothing i can do now.
i submitted my ring with the sage amethyst and itty bitty coral flower, my violet earrings with the two layers, and a new handmade chain with pierced back and bezel set lace agate.
i am pleased with how each piece turned out and how well they showcase what i am able to do.

now, its time to run off for a vacation to see some uncles and cousin friends.

ms craftsmans' guild

petal necklace (to be named)
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

the official deadline is next friday (i think) but the deadline for me is even closer.
i am going on vacation to visit my bro and ryan's bro. so, i have to get things together a week sooner and this is becoming more complicated as the days tick away.
i haven't totally decided on the three pieces that i will submit and that will determine what pics i use.
i got some of my pics back today and 4/6 were usable which means that i have to reshoot a few tomorrow during possible rain.
why, oh why do things have to be so complicated??

on a more accomplished note, i did finally finish getting the awful wallpaper out of my kitchen with the help of a friend and was able to paint a closet.

yes, more of the craftsmans' guild

205/366
Originally uploaded by wildflowerdesigns

so, despite being sick this week (which i HATE!!!) i did manage to get most of one of my pieces made for the guild submission.
i cut, formed, soldered, hammered, and filed all of the larger thin links; cut out the sterling silver back and pierced a flower, soldered the bezel down; cut, formed, soldered, hammered and filed all of the thicker but smaller links to complete the chain.
i just set the stone tonite and then the necklace will live in my tumbler for most of the day tomorrow and finally get a coat of liver of sulfur.
it will the best necklace ever and hopefully prove that i do have sufficient skills to be a member of the guild.