I wish I could find the "before" photo of this little coat rack. I bought it in the clearance section after Christmas for $.75- it was white with 4 large plastic snowmen on it (one over each hook). I pried them off, filled and sanded the holes they left behind and then added a little mosaic of sea glass, sand dollars and starfish. It now lives in my (very green) bathroom helping to make the green a bit more bearable until I can get around to toning it down some!
Took me a Sunday afternoon football game to go from before to after. :)
Showing posts with label sea glass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sea glass. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Friday, August 28, 2009
New Sea Glass Jewelry for The Shops at Fabian House
Shipping these out to Maggie, they'll be up for sale at the The Shops at Fabian House in Bowie, MD this week! :)
Monday, August 24, 2009
More new pendants made this week
I've been busy with the torch- I made a bunch of beach pottery and sea glass pendants and have started on the first of two pairs of bezel set sea glass earrings, which is tough because the glass is so tiny!
I'll be working on some more seashell pendants later in the week, finishing up the earrings and also getting back to some wire wrapping, haven't done any of that in a good long while! Stay tuned for more pictures soon! :)
I'll be working on some more seashell pendants later in the week, finishing up the earrings and also getting back to some wire wrapping, haven't done any of that in a good long while! Stay tuned for more pictures soon! :)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Some more finished jewelry pieces
Things are going well on the jewelry front, I've secured a second shop to carry my jewelry, Stardust, on Thames St. in Newport, RI. They will carry my sea glass and my seashell pendants and earrings. Very excited about this! Photos above are of my most recent delivery to the shop.
PS if you're in the area, the shop owner also owns The Newport Fudgery which is right next door, OMG YUM! So many flavors of handmade fudge- they make it right in front of you in large copper kettles and the smell is heavenly!
PS if you're in the area, the shop owner also owns The Newport Fudgery which is right next door, OMG YUM! So many flavors of handmade fudge- they make it right in front of you in large copper kettles and the smell is heavenly!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Summer Sea Glass Heads to Maryland!
Just a sampling of the new pieces I've made up for Maggie- she'll be selling these at a terrific shop in Bowie, MD called Fabian House... wish us luck with our new little collaborative!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Chesapeake Bay Sea Glass
The sea glass was found by a client of mine along the Chesapeake Bay- it has a great iridescent quality to it that makes me think of carnival glass, but I'm not sure I've seen olive carnival glass before...
The rust colorations she believes to be remains of a sea urchin or other sea life... not sure about that either; another sea glass friend of mine thinks it's perhaps the remnants of a reverse painting technique....? The pendant is made from a curved piece of glass that almost certainly was a bottle neck, so the colorations we see would have been on the interior of the original bottle...
I wrapped it in 14k gf wire and chain.
Friday, May 8, 2009
365 Ahteest Update Via Photo Mosaic
I took a bunch of photos of new pieces today, thought a new photo mosaic was in order! (And I have since realized I forgot to take photos of all the new earrings I made, so I'll have to do another bunch of photos next week!)
Happy viewing and happy weekend everyone!
-Tara
Happy viewing and happy weekend everyone!
-Tara
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Mother of the Bride Sea Glass Jewelry Set
Haven't posted in a while, thought I would share a little of what I've been up to- more pictures soon, I promise!
Made for a local client; mother of a bride. The wedding is being held at the Mystic Aquarium and has an ocean theme. Genuine coke bottle green sea glass and sterling silver wire wrap. Glass picked locally off Scarborough Beach, Narragansett, RI.
Her dress is from Coldwater Creek and can be found here.
Monday, January 12, 2009
A Sea Glasser's Passion
Okay, I admit, I have a bit of an obsession. Sea glass, to me, is more beautiful than any precious gem in the world. I see the stunning photographs taken by other collectors and artists and I drool. The rainbow of colors, the way the frostiness sparkles when the sunlight hits it... the amazing discoveries people make- from bottle stoppers to children's marbles, hand painted pottery shards and old electrical insulators, what might this have been at one point in history- what will I turn it into now that I've found it?
The winter months are difficult for me, I am perpetually cold and suffer from seasonal affect disorder. I need the warmth of the sun and the smell of the ocean; when I don't get it, I see myself start to shut down. I hibernate and my work is less inspired and less frequent. This weekend, as yet another winter storm approached, I decided it had been long enough. I was in extreme withdrawal and had to get a fix. So, I bundled up the kiddos and headed for the beach.
The sun was surprisingly strong and the wind was mild- the tide was -3 and the beach was scattered with rocks and glass- perfect! We walked and searched for about 20 minutes, covering maybe 200 yards until their little noses were frozen, their cheeks bright red. We called it a day and went home with only a few shiny treasures in our pockets to show for our efforts.
Back at home, rinsing off our finds, the smell of the ocean hits me and I can't stop thinking about it- tomorrow is Saturday, Ed will be home to watch the kids, I'm going to see if I can get some "me time"! Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband who understands my passion and shares the feeling of tranquility that hours of wandering on the beach in search of hidden jewels can provide. "Go, honey. Have fun." he tells me. God, I love that man!
The tide is not so low this day but the rock piles are plentiful and the few combers who are out braving the snow flurries are armed with metal detectors or dogs on leashes. I am optimistic! Within a few feet I find a starfish, frozen in the sand- I grab my baggie out of my coat pocket and toss it in, another few feet and I find a frosty green bottle neck! I wander around with my head down, glancing up only periodically to check my position in relation to my starting point and to other people.
My mind lets go of all it's stressors- there are no bills here, no fighting kids, no dirty dishes. I don't feel the cold because the sun is shining down despite the tiny swirling snowflakes that are surrounding me. In my head I design pendants and fantasize about decorating the new home we'll soon buy with all of my finds. My bag is filling up quickly with frosted goodies, sea life and driftwood.
As the afternoon light starts to fade and the beach becomes empty I glance at my phone to check the time and decide to hit one more section of stones before I turn back towards the car. I pop my phone back into my pocket and resume scanning the ground in front of me. It's getting colder, I can feel my joints aching and I repeat to myself "one more good piece, not until I find one more good piece".
I am approaching the end of the stones, the sand is smooth and untouched in front of me. I start to turn around and as I do, I spot a tiny speck of blue peeking out- oh my gosh, oh my gosh, my heart is pounding, bend over, grab it quick! (As though there were someone else racing to beat me to it.) A flawless piece of cobalt blue! I am ecstatic! Blue is not found very often in southern RI, I myself have probably only come across a handful of pieces in all my years of hunting.
I take off my gloves and inspect it- totally smooth, frosty and round, it feels like heaven in my hands. Okay, I am satisfied now, I can head home. I clench the glass tightly in my fist and begin my long trek back to the parking lot; daydreaming about what this gem in my hand will become now that it's mine and wondering when next I'll be able to escape for another day at the beach.
The winter months are difficult for me, I am perpetually cold and suffer from seasonal affect disorder. I need the warmth of the sun and the smell of the ocean; when I don't get it, I see myself start to shut down. I hibernate and my work is less inspired and less frequent. This weekend, as yet another winter storm approached, I decided it had been long enough. I was in extreme withdrawal and had to get a fix. So, I bundled up the kiddos and headed for the beach.
The sun was surprisingly strong and the wind was mild- the tide was -3 and the beach was scattered with rocks and glass- perfect! We walked and searched for about 20 minutes, covering maybe 200 yards until their little noses were frozen, their cheeks bright red. We called it a day and went home with only a few shiny treasures in our pockets to show for our efforts.
Back at home, rinsing off our finds, the smell of the ocean hits me and I can't stop thinking about it- tomorrow is Saturday, Ed will be home to watch the kids, I'm going to see if I can get some "me time"! Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband who understands my passion and shares the feeling of tranquility that hours of wandering on the beach in search of hidden jewels can provide. "Go, honey. Have fun." he tells me. God, I love that man!
The tide is not so low this day but the rock piles are plentiful and the few combers who are out braving the snow flurries are armed with metal detectors or dogs on leashes. I am optimistic! Within a few feet I find a starfish, frozen in the sand- I grab my baggie out of my coat pocket and toss it in, another few feet and I find a frosty green bottle neck! I wander around with my head down, glancing up only periodically to check my position in relation to my starting point and to other people.
My mind lets go of all it's stressors- there are no bills here, no fighting kids, no dirty dishes. I don't feel the cold because the sun is shining down despite the tiny swirling snowflakes that are surrounding me. In my head I design pendants and fantasize about decorating the new home we'll soon buy with all of my finds. My bag is filling up quickly with frosted goodies, sea life and driftwood.
As the afternoon light starts to fade and the beach becomes empty I glance at my phone to check the time and decide to hit one more section of stones before I turn back towards the car. I pop my phone back into my pocket and resume scanning the ground in front of me. It's getting colder, I can feel my joints aching and I repeat to myself "one more good piece, not until I find one more good piece".
I am approaching the end of the stones, the sand is smooth and untouched in front of me. I start to turn around and as I do, I spot a tiny speck of blue peeking out- oh my gosh, oh my gosh, my heart is pounding, bend over, grab it quick! (As though there were someone else racing to beat me to it.) A flawless piece of cobalt blue! I am ecstatic! Blue is not found very often in southern RI, I myself have probably only come across a handful of pieces in all my years of hunting.
I take off my gloves and inspect it- totally smooth, frosty and round, it feels like heaven in my hands. Okay, I am satisfied now, I can head home. I clench the glass tightly in my fist and begin my long trek back to the parking lot; daydreaming about what this gem in my hand will become now that it's mine and wondering when next I'll be able to escape for another day at the beach.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Charity Auctions on eBay
In the spirit of giving, I am running a few charity auctions through Mission Fish on eBay. The auctions run from tonight (Saturday 11/22) through next Saturday (11/29).
25% of the winning bids will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Please check them out!
Auction 1: Genuine Aqua Sea Glass Pendant and Earrings Set
Auction 2: Set of 3 Handmade Sea Glass Angel Ornaments
Auction 3: Design Your Own Sea Glass Bracelet
Auction 4: Design Your Own Sea Glass Anklet
25% of the winning bids will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Please check them out!
Auction 1: Genuine Aqua Sea Glass Pendant and Earrings Set
Auction 2: Set of 3 Handmade Sea Glass Angel Ornaments
Auction 3: Design Your Own Sea Glass Bracelet
Auction 4: Design Your Own Sea Glass Anklet
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
My rings are now for sale!
I really didn't want this blog to turn into shameless self promotion- I mean it's great that we make stuff to sell, but I want to talk about stuff that we work on for improving our businesses as well. I guess it only makes sense, though, that sometimes those things cross paths.
Today I spent some time working on my website and I created two new listings for custom sea glass rings. I thought it made sense to do it this way so that I don't make a truly fabulous ring in a size 5 only to wind up with a customer who loves it but wears a size 8. The rings will come in two styles- a larger, chunkier cocktail style ring and a smaller, more classic style ring.
Customers can email me with special requests, they will have their choice of 8 different sea glass colors and metal finish. Whole and half sizes are also offered.
Shop now through January 31st, 2009 and save 10% off your purchase! Enter code: Handmade08 at checkout.
I am excited to finally be able to bring these rings to the public, I hope people love them as much as I do!
Today I spent some time working on my website and I created two new listings for custom sea glass rings. I thought it made sense to do it this way so that I don't make a truly fabulous ring in a size 5 only to wind up with a customer who loves it but wears a size 8. The rings will come in two styles- a larger, chunkier cocktail style ring and a smaller, more classic style ring.
Customers can email me with special requests, they will have their choice of 8 different sea glass colors and metal finish. Whole and half sizes are also offered.
Shop now through January 31st, 2009 and save 10% off your purchase! Enter code: Handmade08 at checkout.
I am excited to finally be able to bring these rings to the public, I hope people love them as much as I do!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Some finished pieces
It's been pointed out to me that I haven't posted any "finished piece" photos in a while and I have, actually, managed to get a few things completed. I don't have a ton to say about them except I love them, I love my new found soldering skills and I have an order for four new pieces (from paying customers!) this week!
Go me! It feels good to know that someone besides me actually likes and wants my work. :)
So without further ado here they are:
My giant cobalt blue sea glass ring
My Blue Willow china pendant
A thumb ring I made for Maggie
And the finished sample Viking Knit Bracelet
Go me! It feels good to know that someone besides me actually likes and wants my work. :)
So without further ado here they are:
Monday, November 3, 2008
A work in progress
So October was a really long and tiring month. First my kids had the flu, then I had it, then I had to get through 6 birthdays; two of which were hosted by me for two of my 3 boys! Needless to say all of this led to my "ahteesty-ness" falling to the wayside. Finally, between my hubby's generous donation of his entire CD collection (put up to auction on eBay) and the little bits of money I managed to save, we scraped together enough to finally buy me the torch kit I'd been dying to get since my soldering classes this summer.
I bought a Gentec small torch kit that runs on oxygen and MAPP gas. At first I thought I was doomed to never make a thing, I got lost trying to find the shop where I was supposed to pick up the torch I ordered (like an hour driving around the same block lost!), then the first oxygen tank I picked up from the welding supply place had a leak (they made me swap my new tank for a pre-filled one). Then, the first piece I soldered just wouldn't solder no matter what I did! It ended up scorched, blobby and resembling crumpled tin foil much more so than a sterling silver bezel setting. I cried and was ready to give up. "You would think I hadn't learned how to do this before, what am I missing?!" I showed the piece to my husband and his reply was simply "ouch".
The next day was Halloween so I put the torch away and decided I'd think on it over the weekend and just spend time reading every tutorial I could come across on the subject. I read up on flame types (neutral, carburizing, oxidizing, who knew there was this much to a simple flame?!) I read up on soldering techniques- heat the piece over a gap so that air can circulate and it doesn't get too hot before the solder liquefies. I read polishing techniques, I watched YouTube videos, I shopped at Home Depot for some 220, 400 and 600 grit sand paper to polish with.
Armed with my fresh knowledge, I decided I was ready to wield the torch for a second time. I took my time, got the flame just right and in a couple of minutes I had my first piece successfully soldered together! I soldered a second piece in the same manner and that, too was successful! Phew, I didn't waste all this time and materials for nothing!
While I am not completely finished with these pieces yet, they are a far cry from the burnt toast piece I originally made. The first is a setting for sea glass. I have purposely left a large free form backing because I will be drilling holes and attaching jump rings; it will be the focal on a sterling silver Viking Knit bracelet made by my friend, Paula. The triangle shaped piece has not been filed, sanded or polished yet; this photo is right after I removed it from the pickle. It is for a piece of Blue Willow China I found on the beach this summer. I think I will make a pendant out of it.
So while I am not yet the ahteest I dream of becoming, I am at the very least, taking baby steps to get there. Much like my jewelry, I am a work in progress.
I bought a Gentec small torch kit that runs on oxygen and MAPP gas. At first I thought I was doomed to never make a thing, I got lost trying to find the shop where I was supposed to pick up the torch I ordered (like an hour driving around the same block lost!), then the first oxygen tank I picked up from the welding supply place had a leak (they made me swap my new tank for a pre-filled one). Then, the first piece I soldered just wouldn't solder no matter what I did! It ended up scorched, blobby and resembling crumpled tin foil much more so than a sterling silver bezel setting. I cried and was ready to give up. "You would think I hadn't learned how to do this before, what am I missing?!" I showed the piece to my husband and his reply was simply "ouch".
The next day was Halloween so I put the torch away and decided I'd think on it over the weekend and just spend time reading every tutorial I could come across on the subject. I read up on flame types (neutral, carburizing, oxidizing, who knew there was this much to a simple flame?!) I read up on soldering techniques- heat the piece over a gap so that air can circulate and it doesn't get too hot before the solder liquefies. I read polishing techniques, I watched YouTube videos, I shopped at Home Depot for some 220, 400 and 600 grit sand paper to polish with.
Armed with my fresh knowledge, I decided I was ready to wield the torch for a second time. I took my time, got the flame just right and in a couple of minutes I had my first piece successfully soldered together! I soldered a second piece in the same manner and that, too was successful! Phew, I didn't waste all this time and materials for nothing!
While I am not completely finished with these pieces yet, they are a far cry from the burnt toast piece I originally made. The first is a setting for sea glass. I have purposely left a large free form backing because I will be drilling holes and attaching jump rings; it will be the focal on a sterling silver Viking Knit bracelet made by my friend, Paula. The triangle shaped piece has not been filed, sanded or polished yet; this photo is right after I removed it from the pickle. It is for a piece of Blue Willow China I found on the beach this summer. I think I will make a pendant out of it.
So while I am not yet the ahteest I dream of becoming, I am at the very least, taking baby steps to get there. Much like my jewelry, I am a work in progress.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Something purty to ooh and ahh over...
Once I found the piece of yellow glass that I blogged about the other day, I committed myself to making time to wrap it into a pendant. I thought it was going to be a pain because there is an odd curved lip on the backside and the piece is really thin, but it proved to be any easy task. I guess when something's meant to be, it works itself out! This is my new favorite piece and is going up for sale in my Etsy shop tonight!
Friday, August 29, 2008
My first genuine yellow sea glass piece!
I found this gorgeous butterscotch yellow piece in Jamestown the other day- my husband had the day off from work and we decided to take advantage of a private beach we have access to and go looking for sea glass. It's the first piece of yellow I've ever come across. Aparently they are extremely rare, occuring about once in every 3000 pieces. Yellow glass was mainly used for decorative household dishware so not generally discarded bt the waterside.
I've been selling off some pieces of sea glass and pottery on eBay, but this one is just too good to pass up! I get so "blah" about making jewelry sometimes, nothing inspires me. When I saw this one and realized it was actually yellow and not just dirty, I was ecstatic! Now I just need to carve some time into my busy schedule so that this can become a pendant very soon!
-Tara
I've been selling off some pieces of sea glass and pottery on eBay, but this one is just too good to pass up! I get so "blah" about making jewelry sometimes, nothing inspires me. When I saw this one and realized it was actually yellow and not just dirty, I was ecstatic! Now I just need to carve some time into my busy schedule so that this can become a pendant very soon!
-Tara
Friday, August 22, 2008
Wahine Style
A thick piece of genuine sea glass nested between tea dyed bone beads with a Polynesian flair. A hammered sterling silver spiral hangs from a natural leather cord to complete the surfer girl look.
Made this piece for my best friend's 31st birthday. Happy birthday, Jennay!
Made this piece for my best friend's 31st birthday. Happy birthday, Jennay!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Forcing myself to be productive
Sometimes motivation eludes me and my friend Maggie tells me that sometimes I get cranky by the use of the word "motivated"- it's just so hard to find inspiration sometimes. But I am working at it. As my business model changes from mainly eBay to one of free standing online website and brick and mortar stores, I thought it wise to start holding myself accountable, even when I don't feel like it.
I make sea glass jewelry and dabble in other crafty stuff- I make hand painted wine glasses, wreaths and recently bought a giant bird bath mold and 40 sq. feet of stain glass to start making mosaic bird baths. Can you say "scattered"? Anyway, I'll use this blog to chronicle my journey from stay at home mom who sometimes sells some handmade stuff to successful artist and jewelry designer who works for herself (or lands herself a really fab job at some design studio!)
-Tara
I make sea glass jewelry and dabble in other crafty stuff- I make hand painted wine glasses, wreaths and recently bought a giant bird bath mold and 40 sq. feet of stain glass to start making mosaic bird baths. Can you say "scattered"? Anyway, I'll use this blog to chronicle my journey from stay at home mom who sometimes sells some handmade stuff to successful artist and jewelry designer who works for herself (or lands herself a really fab job at some design studio!)
-Tara
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