Alone Star Jewelry

Christmas Show!

2011-11-28T11:30:00.001-06:00

Join us at Mary Queen Christmas Bazaar!

This is the final reminder asking you to please join us December 2nd and 3rd at the Mary Queen Christmas Bazaar in Friendswood! Stop by to say hello and shop for gifts or for yourself! I've included a few pictures to give you a little taste of what we will have at the show!

The location is Mary Queen Catholic Church at 606 Cedarwood Drive, just off of FM518 (Friendswood Drive); turn south onto Stonesthrow Avenue between the cemetery and the snowcone hut and proceed forward to the church parking lot. Bazaar hours are 9:30am - 5:30pm, Friday, Dec. 2nd and Saturday, Dec. 3rd.

Thank you so much for being a loyal customer of Alone Star Jewelry! We look forward to seeing you every year at the Mary Queen show!

Enjoy a 10% savings on your total purchase of $50 or more now through Dec. 24th when you shop at our online store! Enter coupon code at checkout: x09ss2Ry

Welcome Christmas!

2011-11-21T14:38:00.000-06:00

The holidays are here!

Please plan to join us December 2nd and 3rd at the Mary Queen Christmas Bazaar in Friendswood! Attending the MQCB will light your holiday mood like a fireworks sparkler! Booths are always appealing to the eye; a wide range of goods is offered from holiday foods and snacks to wood-working, jewelry, hand-made books, drawings, paintings, quilts, pottery, clothing, Christmas decorations and lots more--and all made by the artists/crafters themselves! Holiday music sustains the mood, people are happy, tummies are full, and the sights and smells are nothing but Christmas! It's sparkling, interesting, attractive, and lively.

The location is Mary Queen Catholic Church at 606 Cedarwood Drive, just off of FM518 (Friendswood Drive); turn south onto Stonesthrow Avenue between the cemetery and the snowcone hut and proceed forward to the church parking lot. Bazaar hours are 9:30am - 5:30pm, Friday, Dec. 2nd and Saturday, Dec. 3rd.

Enjoy a 10% savings on your total purchase of $50 or more now through Dec. 24th when you shop at our online store! Enter coupon code at checkout: x09ss2Ry

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Alone Star Jewelry available in local bead shop!

2011-07-04T12:41:00.000-05:00

We are pleased to announce that select pieces from our collections are now available for purchase at Beadoholique in Cypress, TX! Stop by the shop to see our pieces up close and personal and take your selection home today! No need to wait for shipment! We will be adding more pieces soon. See you there!

Next Show: Shop Crafty in Austin, TX

2011-03-11T07:47:00.001-06:00

Join the Johnson sisters at the Shop Crafty event on April 16th in Austin, TX. Please visit the Lone Star Ladies website for more information and location details. This should be one great day of fantabulous shopping! Don't miss out!

New Jewelry in Our Collection!

2011-03-01T17:02:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day has come and gone...can you believe how fast time flies by? We have been working hard to bring you new and beautiful jewelry to add to your collection and the ones shown below were all hand made by Shauna.

I just finished putting these lovely pieces up on the website so click on an image below to go there now to read all about them!

I have updated our show schedule but it's not complete yet so keep an eye on it because we'll be showing up at a location near you! Click here to go there now.

Best wishes to everyone on a glorious spring!

Sincerely,
Lisa and Shauna

The Beauty of Copper and Brass

2011-02-07T14:50:00.000-06:00

There's no doubt about the fact that I love silver - Sterling, Argentium, Fine. It's my favorite metal! There are times, though, when you just want to do something different and that's what I've been up to these past couple of weeks. Playing! Ok, I know...it's all playing...but this time I had some fun with different metals. Let me introduce you to three new pair of earrings: Copper Wraps, Riveting Copper and Gimme Some Brass (antiqued, that is). Each pair of these earrings are handmade, lightweight and totally unique.

Riveting Copper

Copper Wraps are lightly hammered and wrapped with 3 feet of Argentium Sterling silver wire. They are patinaed, polished and finished so they won't further tarnish. The earwires on each of these earrings are handmade from Argentium Sterling silver wire. These beauties are 3" long, including the earwire.

Copper Wraps

Riveting Copper earrings are also lightly hammered and wrapped with an even thinner piece of copper that has been fold formed to create the creases. Holes were then drilled and 14 gauge Fine Silver wire was balled and then riveted in place. Again, patinaed, polished and finished to avoid further tarnish. Also 3" long, including the earwire.

Gimme Some Brass

Gimme Some Brass earrings were just a lot of fun to make! They are made from antiqued brass that is riveted together with 14KY Gold Filled tube rivets. The Argentium Sterling silver loop at the bottom holds a stunning turquoise nugget that can't fall off because freshwater half-drilled pearls are fixed to the ends of the wire. These earrings are 3" long, including the earwire.

See them featured in the "New" section of our website and on Facebook!

March Classes at Beadoholique

2011-02-03T07:42:00.000-06:00

Cut Loose & Get Hammered

Keep an eye on the Beadoholique calendar for March (coming out in a couple of weeks) because I will be teaching three new classes that month! All three classes will be taught at the Beadoholique Bead Shop in Cypress, TX. Visit the Beadoholique site to find a map and the class calendar.

The earrings to the left are called Cut Loose & Get Hammered. In this class you will learn how to use a disc cutter, tap & die, texturing, do some wire wrapping and coiling, using basic jewelry making tools. They're a fun pair of earrings to wear and make!

Another class I'm teaching will focus on cold connections, especially rivets. There are many ways to make cold connections but rivets are one of the coolest, in my book! We will play with nail rivets, wire rivets and tube rivets. Wire wrapping and spirals will also make an entrance into this class! The sample earrings are just ideas on what you can create if you just look around to see what components are available to use.

Cold Connections Featuring Rivets

Memories Bracelet

The third class I will be teaching is a cute memory wire bangle bracelet. The main technique used in this class is coiling wire using the Coiling Gizmo (available at Beadoholique).

So keep an eye on the calendar and then sign up (by phone, via website or in person) and let's have some fun creating!

New Arrivals Just in time for ARToberFEST!

2010-10-12T17:14:00.000-05:00

The Cliff

ARToberFEST is this weekend! I hope you all plan on coming out to see us. I've just finished putting up quite a bit of new stuff on our website...just in time for the show...so get down to Galveston this weekend for the best art show around!

Check out the new stuff at our site!

Always & Forever

2010-09-18T14:53:00.000-05:00

A sentimental piece made by hand of pure silver. The pendant, including the bail, measures a hefty 1-3/4" long and is suspended from a handmade silk string. The cinnamon color of the silk string is a perfect compliment to the striking color of the Sleeping Beauty turquoise cabochon. There is a small heart in the center back with the inscription "always & forever" directly above. The front of the heart is textured and patinaed and the heart has an overall matte finish, as does the bail and "S" hook. The handmade silk string feels heavenly around your neck. You may, of course, adjust the length by simply re-tying the knots. By Lisa.

2010-09-14T14:16:00.000-05:00

		Get ready to join us again this year at ARToberFEST 2010! Come out and spend the day browsing and shopping the best fine art in the area. We are busy getting ready for the show and hope to see you all there. Sincerely, Lisa and Shauna, Alone Star Jewelry For online ordering, visit alonestarjewelry.com. If you would prefer to order by phone, please call 832-330-8613.

Click here to view this newsletter online. Follow us on our blog. Click here to sign up for our blog posts. Follow us on Twitter. Visit us on Facebook. Discover Girl Stuff Is Fun on Facebook. © Alone Star Jewelry - Texas Handmade Jewelry. All rights reserved.

Now Available! Flowers Earrings

2010-08-04T12:23:00.000-05:00

I fell in love with these earrings the moment Shauna showed them to me this past weekend! They are so shiny and the free-moving flowers add just the right bit of color and contrast - so perfect with the vine swirling in the background. What a wonderful pair to add to your collection!

Each earring features three free-spinning flowers made by hand of copper, bronze and fine silver. The background disks with vines and leaves are also made of fine silver. All components of these sweet earrings are oxidized to highlight the relief. The disks measure about 1-1/4 inches in diameter; height of earrings (from the top of earwire to bottom of earring) is 1-3/4 inches. Designed and made by Shauna.

Waxing Crescent Moon

2010-05-24T13:14:00.000-05:00

A handmade waxing crescent moon of .999 fine silver, patinaed to perfection so that the crescent moon is highlighted. The moon is nestled amongst coin-shaped moonstone beads, which are split into double strands. Each end is completed with faceted Raven's Wing fresh water pearls. Sterling silver lobster clasp. Length: 19". By Lisa.

Get Twisted with Turquoise!

2010-05-19T14:57:00.001-05:00

Twist things up a notch with this gorgeous turquoise necklace! We've taken eye-catching turquoise twisted beads and strung them on Irish waxed linen, along with small turquoise rondelles to create a timeless look. This necklace is 42" long so you can easily wear it two ways: one long, swinging necklace or wrap it around your neck twice for a classic look. Finished with a sterling silver lobster clasp closure.

And when you're finished twisting things up, match it up with a pair of earrings! Bali-style sterling silver headpins loaded up with beautiful blue and sea green turquoise. Three turquoise twisted beads on each earrings, set off with little turquoise rondelles. Length: 2-1/2", including earwires.

Jewelry Box Treasures

2010-05-18T14:58:00.000-05:00

This piece takes me back to the days when I would rummage through my Mom's jewelry box and see all of the beautiful treasures inside sparkle back at me. Every little girl loves to wear her Mom's jewelry and to pretend to be just like her! We have been enjoying glorious spring weather and the blues in this necklace reflect the lightness of springtime. Blue opal tube beads, blue and teal green topaz gems mixed with freshwater pearls, all shown off in three sets of handmade charms on a sterling silver cable chain with sterling heart lobster clasp. Length: 22". Designed by Lisa.

Cross Disc Earrings

2010-05-15T13:16:00.001-05:00

Shiny discs with a textured cross that is patinaed to perfection! The edges of the cross extend over the side of the disc, adding a nice finishing touch.

These earrings weren't started out with the intent of having them directed at any specific meaning but, instead, were an exercise in mirror finishing and including a texture to amplify the mirror finish. Looking at the image here, it appears to have a matte finish but does not. Sometimes photography is exasperating!

Each earring measures just under 1" in diameter and are feather light. Sterling silver earwires.

Texas Flag with Alone Star Twist

2010-05-15T10:24:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share with you my latest creation. This is, by far, my favorite pendant of the season! The design for this pendant is our great Texas flag and my goal was to create a pendant that you wouldn't find anywhere else. So many Texas jewelry pieces look the same and we really try to keep our designs fresh and different. I used texture to make the sections of the flag stand out and borrowed the Alone Star shape for the star, setting a blue topaz right in the center. Blue topaz is the State stone so that part was easy! The pendant is gently curved from top to bottom so that it presents itself beautifully and catches just enough light to draw attention. A minimal patina was used to make the texture stand out and then I completed it with a matte finish, front and back. A curved tube bail was used for the sterling silver snake chain to glide through and a sterling lobster clasp secures it around your neck. The overall length of the necklace is just shy of 24". There are only two of these beauties in stock so hurry before they are snapped up!

Happy Valentine's Day from Alone Star Jewelry

2010-02-03T10:32:00.004-06:00

Working with Cold Connections

Well here we are in a brand new year! It's hard to believe that Christmas went by so fast and Valentine's Day is just around the corner! I must admit that I've had a harder time this year getting back into the swing of things after the holidays. It would seem that I didn't get enough R&R time or maybe I realize the importance of having time to yourself to just piddle around or sneak in some more quality time with your family. It always goes by much too fast! But, having said that, it is the new year so move forward we must. I've never been good at forcing myself to sit down and just produce something new and fabulous (written with a smile!). No, I'm more the type that thinks on designs and then runs to grab my sketchbook to draw something down before I forget it! It's the inspiration in me and I can feel when it's waning and when it's kicking into high gear. It's a great feeling when it kicks into high gear because when that happens, I normally spit out several pieces all at once. I'm right in the middle of a high gear period and wanted to share a few new creations.

Shauna has previously talked about cold connections in our blog and it must have had a subconscious effect on me because that's the direction I have gone! I really like mixing media and have done so again with three of these new pieces. For example, the Corset brooch (shown above) is cinched up with blue Tenara (Gore-Tex) thread and adorned with tiny freshwater pearls.

The In Stitches brooch (below at far left) connects Argentium silver wire with waxed linen, and finally, the Laced Up brooch features braided gold Strinth cord. It's also new for us as these are our first brooches! I also tossed in a couple of other pieces to round things out. The Silver Band is a simple but classic wrapped ring that is held snugly together with a piece of Argentium wire that has been balled up on each end. The ring didn't need anything else, in my opinion. In this case, less is more! The Just Fun earrings are a work in textures where the design flows from one earring to the next, making each earring unique. These earrings are made up of independent pieces - domed discs, flower and heart, which spin freely on the handmade earwires that connect them altogether.

Well, that's going to wrap up this newsletter for this season. Stay tuned for more new pieces coming your way! May you all have a blessed 2010!

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Leaf Drop Earrings

2010-01-10T10:17:00.013-06:00

As promised earlier, here is a picture of the shorter Leaf Drop earrings, made from a bronze leaf disk that was formed from my own design mold. We sold several pair of the longer version at the recent Galveston show, but many asked about making them shorter, so here is what that looks like. My mother-in-law, at about 5' in height, never wears earrings that dip even 1/2-inch below her lobe! Lisa will make one of her professional-looking shots very soon and these will be placed on the site aside the long version, seen below. The wire is sterling, as is the connecting bead and earwire.

Here is another something new, Longhorn earrings. I had 2 pair at the Mary Queen bazaar and sold both; one to a woman who owns a longhorn ranch in the hill country. I have only a drawing to post here, since I foolishly failed to photograph them--which tells you how hot off the bench they were. I am going to make more very soon. They measure just over an inch at the widest, and the longhorn diamond shape swings freely inside. The design on the outside diamond is oxidized. It may seem hokey to put up a drawing, but I have ulterior motives. I will always remember the wise words of an old friend: "If you want to get something done, tell someone you are going to do it." Thus you are bound to the task! I wouldn't like waiting too much longer to get my new plans completed and on the website. It is not easy to get cranked up again after Christmas, hard as it is just to get back into the regular routines of working and caring for house & home, much less a "second job".

Here, too, are a couple of shots from the Bazaar, since we always like to publicize our shows. We had a great show here this year, best ever for us at MQ. Very happy about that.

Take care & Ciao!

Shauna

Settling down in 2K10

2010-01-09T10:46:00.018-06:00

Yes, the Longhorn game is behind us, the Christmas decor is packed away and routine is slowly reasserting itself. Last night I got my workroom organized once again so that the drawings in my sketchbook have a chance to morph into the real thing.

This year I will continue making earrings, seemingly my favorite item, but will push into making rings. Rings have been on the back burner for a long while and it's time to try my hand at them.

I had not made a new necklace in a while until coming up with this new one, seen above: Lisa is photographing it to put on the site but here is my amateur effort so you can see it. I sold the first one of these, fresh off the bench, at the Christmas bazaar in December, and have one more. It's assembled with cold connections except at the clasp where jump rings are soldered. I could have soldered the jumps at the pendant, but I didn't want to risk heating the bronze (cool gel might have worked) because it would have turned the color of copper. The customer who bought the necklace said she liked cold connections better, however, thinking they are stronger. I can't argue that point. See the website soon for pricing and more details.

The necklace does match the Leaf Drop Earrings already at the online store, but I made a shorter version of these earrings. I will comment on those and post a photo in my next blog entry. For now, though, Lisa will put up a photo of a new pair of earrings to complement the necklace, seen at right. I wanted something that matched but didn't repeat the strong pattern of the leaf disk on the necklace, so toned it down with plain bronze disks and repeated the necklace's silver leaf. Topped with a beaded earwire, I think these earrings are very pretty and feminine.

Another Project on the Bench: Quick Fire Copper Clay

Bronze clay has been a quirky material with which to work. I have only used the commercial BronzClay, but am going to try Hadar Jacobson's new Quick Fire bronze and copper clays next. I am going to start with copper clay, which I have yet to do: Lisa's already used Hadar's older copper version. I will rework a pair of earrings sold a year ago at MQ; they resembled spoons although the design was taken from an African tribal rattle. The original pair was made with copper sheet cut and domed (left), with silver clay for the shafts, to which earwires were soldered.

The new pair is similar to the photo on the right. Interestingly it features a switch in construction: the copper will not be sheet but clay, and the shaft will not be clay but sterling wire. In this "sketch" I was unsuccessful drilling the hole at top because I didn't anneal first (had to explain that glitch). I will work the silver wire by hammer & sanding for an organic look--more pounding and working sterling wire, which I love to do. And using clay for the disk removes the need for etching, although that is not an unpleasant or difficult technique. If you look closely at the edges of the copper disk to the right, you can see the etched lines.

See my next blog entry for a picture of the shorter Leaf Drop earrings. Ciao and Happy New Year!

Welcome to the New Year!

2010-01-01T12:33:00.000-06:00

We would like to wish everyone a happy new year! It is my warmest wish that 2010 be a good year for us all. I'm not here to talk about resolutions because I haven't made any and I'm not a fan anyway. They tend to make me stress and feel guilty for not following through on them all. I would prefer to say that I will strive to be a better person and work hard at whatever I may do this year.

Shauna and I are both working on new designs and I wish I had something to show you today but the sketches are too rough at this point so that will have to wait until the next post.

For now, my intent was to wish all a happy new year! We'll be talking to you again very soon.

Here Comes Santa Claus!

2009-12-10T12:47:00.000-06:00

Christmas will soon be upon us and as we hurry to ready ourselves for this glorious day, we should all take a moment to remember our brave troops who are abroad and unable to celebrate Christmas with their families. May God bless them one and all.

Another thing we should all do this Christmas season is to remember to sit back every now and then to catch our breath and enjoy all that is going on around us with our family and friends. We move at too fast a pace in our normal lives and need to make every effort to appreciate what we have and not take our blessings for granted.

So, to that end, while you're catching your breath and having a "me" moment, remember to visit our site and replenish your supply of Vitamin J (jewelry)! I will once again give credit to one of our customers for coining that catchy phrase. Thank you for letting us use it!

We have lots of new handmade and unique pieces at our online store at prices that are sure to please! Pick something out for yourself, wrap it up and stuff it down into your stocking! I always buy myself a little something at Christmastime...at least that way I know I'll get something I adore! That's not a jab at my children or my husband, who sometimes buy me things that make me go "Huh??".

Shauna and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. You won't be hearing from us again for a while so continue to visit our online store and enjoy reading our stories here at our blog. If you're into it, you can also follow us on Twitter. We haven't jumped into Facebook yet but watch for that coming soon. Merry Christmas and God bless!

Bronzed

2009-11-07T17:54:00.006-06:00

Good evening. I have "finished" these earrings, bronze with chrysoprase and moonstones. They are the bronze domes I showed in a recent post, just fired with the three holes in each. I think these earrings are prettier with all three stones green, but these will stay as they are unless something else occurs to me, which is possible since I am not settled with them.

We are going to start making our own earwires, one pair shown with the earrings. We each got a set of cup burs, which work great for quickly filing the ends of the wire for a comfortable fit. Sometimes finishing afterward with a file is necessary, but it's just a few swipes and usually you're done. Needless to say the cup burs will become one of my favorite tools; now I can see myself sitting down and giving an hour to making a bunch of earwires. Before, filing the wire ends to a smooth rounded end was very tedious, at least for me.

I just got some more BronzClay, the only brand I have used. We have some of Hadar Jacobson's bronze powder which I plan to test, but later. I'm going to make more of the leaf disk seen here, seen in earrings on the website, and make some new, shorter earrings with it (by request!), then perhaps play around with making a necklace using the same mold, just manipulated for a different result.

I have another pair of sterling wire earrings on the bench; they also have chrysoprase cabs in them. I love the color of this stone.

Hook 'em Horns!

Make Your Plans! (The holidays are here!)

2009-11-01T19:14:00.011-06:00

I would like to talk about the Mary Queen Christmas Bazaar this evening, because it's coming up--before we know it--the first weekend in December! This art, craft, and food festival is held annually in Friendswood, and was first suggested to us in 2005 by my sister-in-law. We learned that the bazaar is a juried arts and crafts event with top-quality goods. We got in that year, and plan to continue our annual streak of participation in this "feel-good" event. The bazaar is held in the parish hall--indoors!--so bad weather can't put a hole in your calendar, so plan to join us December 4th and 5th.

Attending the MQCB will light your holiday mood like a fireworks sparkler! Booths are always appealing to the eye; a wide range of goods is offered from holiday foods and snacks to wood-working, jewelry, hand-made books, drawings, paintings, quilts, pottery, clothing, Christmas decorations and lots more--and all made by the artists/crafters themselves! Holiday music sustains the mood, people are happy, and the sights and smells are nothing but Christmas! It's sparkling, interesting, attractive, and lively.

Lunch can be purchased in the middle hallway, where tables are set up with tableclothes and holiday centerpieces. Elves run around taking orders and delivering plates to diners. To one side of this area is a lengthy buffet filled with endless confections and pastries, along with hot coffee and tea. A lovely decorated Christmas tree stands at the end of this hall, surrounded by door prizes that can be won through the purchase of raffle tickets. Always something going on! And don't forget to visit the extra room across from the big hall! There are two rooms of booths, on opposite sides of the dining hallway, so don't miss out on all of the offerings. Another nice thing about MQCB is that it's small enough that you can see everything without getting entirely worn out, but large enough to offer a wide variety of goods to enjoy and purchase for yourself or for gifts (like Alone Star's jewelry!).

Mary Queen Christmas Bazaar is managed and operated throught the hard work of Alice Malek of MQ Church, and begins Friday, December 4 and runs through Saturday, December 5 (9:30am - 5:00pm both days). Lots of shoppers enjoy visiting Friday while the kids are at school.

Happy Hallowe'en! & other (technical) topics

2009-10-31T09:40:00.010-05:00

Working on a few projects at once, as usual. Keeps it interesting...

I have been working with bronze clay over the last few weeks. My first experiences were with domes that fired to about 1.5" but I had some problems with uneven shrinkage so had to cut them to a smaller diameter. Warping is always a strong possibility, but uneven shrinkage is when the edges of your shape pull in; a circle is no longer a circle, in my case. I have been doing some research which has helped me consider the issues.

The following can effect shrinkage:
1) thickness--thinner pieces not only warp easily but if pieces have uneven
thicknesses, edge to center shrinkage can be affected, leading to #2
2) added decorations--I found that waiting for the dome to dry first, then
adding decorations later kept the dome from irregular shrinkage. Three other
domes I made in which decorations were added to the wet dome ALL suffered
shape deformations
3) with bronze, air quality can be important. Mardel Reins at Cool Tools cautions to keep air flow at a minimum, and humid air at a maximum. Uneven temperatures and pockets of dry/humid air will affect bronze clay more than silver clay. I have had very few problems of this nature will silver clay.

As for warping with bronze clay, it will likely happen no matter what you do. But fired bronze is easy to bend back into shape. One important point, though: after firing, it's important to anneal the bronze because one dome I began hammering right out of the kiln developed cracks. Annealing prevents this.

The next photo shows a project in the works. The bronze discolors with firing; sometimes it's a nice effect. This one is another disk with three cabochons on it for a pair of earrings. I made another pair like this earlier with three chrysoprase stones; the new ones will feature chrysoprase and...it's a secret! These domes fired nicely and kept their shape despite the pre-cut holes.

I am very careful with arrangement of pieces in the stainless firing box, placing them at the back and sides, avoiding the front of the kiln if possible since it's a front-loader. Always arrange the pieces in exactly the same way in the box--for example if firing a pair of earrings, place them in "mirror" positions along the same horizontal or vertical. There are other considerations such as gravity (fire domes in a "bowl" position). I use Mardel's schedule for firing with can be found at www.cooltools.us.

So far I have been cutting holes for the fine silver bezel cups I am using, seen in the photo, but making my own bezels may be the next step. It isn't easy to fire the proper sized hole so time's spent filing them to the correct size. Then, bezel cups need more filing, or filling to make sure the stone sits at the right height. And another discovery: as an example, all 4mm stones do not fit 4mm bezels, and so on. I have had to stretch bezels because I don't want to file a stone--but that's an idea. It all adds up to more time and more cost to the customer.

Making your own bezels isn't the easiest thing, either, because matching up the ends for a good closing soldering point can be time-consuming. But I can do it, and it would mean the holes I cut in the bronze pre-fire would not have to be precise. No filing of them would be required; they would just need to be large enough to allow light to penetrate from the back. So I think that might be a plan.

Bronze polishes beautifully. I love the its soft golden color. I always treat with Minwax polyurethane to preserve the color and prevent tarnishing, which is a necessity with bronze since it tarnishes quicker'n you can sneeze. The photo below shows my latest project, and I simply love the gold color setting off the cornflower blue of the topaz. I am going to make more of these earrings, but without the shrinkage issues suffered with the earlier domes. I had to cut these earrings down to 1.25" after drying in order to achieve a true circle, so they are smaller than I had wanted but no less attractive. #2 in the list above was the culprit: I added the decorations to the wet circle, and because of the uneven positioning of the petals and stem, shrinkage was uneven. Wish me luck that this theory holds water when I make more of these earrings!

www.alonestarjewelry.com/proddetail.asp?prod=EBTF01&cat=21

Happy Halloween, y'all, and happy creating! Ciao.

All Hallow's Eve

2009-10-30T22:48:00.007-05:00

ArtoberFest 2009, Galveston, Texas

Tomorrow is Hallowe'en! It's always been my second favorite holiday. Mom used to make donuts in our kitchen, and we trick-or-treated faithfully until well into junior high. So now our kids are carrying on the tradition! I will be out contributing, dressed witchly with my pit fire burning, enticing the juicy little ones into the backyard lair....

But that means it's after Artoberfest 'way back on the 17th-18th! Seems like months ago by now, but we had a great show and need to thank Galveston! My earlier post explained how much we love going there, and this year was even better since we had the best show ever. We rearranged a few things and it must have been the ticket because we were busy selling a lot of jewelry! It's put us in a great mood for the Mary Queen Bazaar that will be coming up the first week of December, and inspired us to apply for the Bayou City Art Festival in Memorial Park this spring in Houston. We had so much good feedback from customers and non-customers alike.

I also want to report on the good energy in the Gulf city because of its comeback from Hurricane Ike last year, which stole the Artoberfest and devastated the region. Residents told us they were so happy to see the festival back in swing, because it was just another sign of life coming back to the island. The weather was beautiful and cool, and there was good art to be seen! My favorite was the rock art of Carlos Moseley, seen at http://www.artisansatrockyhill.com/. You have to see his work in person--I was blown away (sorry for the overworked descriptive). There were a few very talented painters, too. We were happy to see that Artoberfest is thus far keeping its character as an artist-driven show. There are no food booths still, but remember that New York Times booth we complained about seeing at Pecan Street? Yep, in Galveston, too. YUCK. But the rest was happily crafted by the artists who attended. Kudos to Kathy Modzelewski for her hard work keeping it reallllll-y a great show!

So please come see us in Friendswood on December 4-5 at Mary Queen! Remember, it's a lovely Christmas show and really brings out the holiday in you. Pretty tables are set up for luncheon, there's a dessert table a mile long, and the wares are always top quality and varied. Alice Malek does a great job every year to keep this show true to its high standards and we love being a part of it.

See you there!