Hot Mama Designs Jewelry

Visit Our Studio February 7th & 14th!

2012-02-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway. We are always so thankful to have your entries. The winner chosen at random is Misty Adamson who said:

"The 'pieces of my heart' collection is absolutely amazing!! It touched me so much tears came to my eyes..." Congratulations Misty. We hope you will love your new jewelry.

And now we are so excited to share our big February announcements with you:

1) Visit our studio!

Local friends are invited to visit & shop at our new studio in Boulder for Valentine's Day! Our studio is most often a production space and not a retail shop. But we have been eager to show off our studio so we are opening our doors for SHOPPING, woo hoo! We have created a special Valentines Day Shop with jewelry by Shannon & Sahra.

PLUS we have partnered with our cool studio neighbors Sweet Letter Press and Brighter Day Floral to create one stop valentine shopping to make your life easier.

Jewelry + valentines + gorgeous flowers all from local artists. So be sure to stop by to celebrate yourself, your girlfriends, your teachers, or any other loved one in your life that you want to honor this year for Valentines Day.

Or send your sweetie over to choose something special. We'll take good care of him if he needs help finding the perfect gift.

We can't wait to see you!

Where:

Hot Mama Designs & Sugar Soul Jewelry Studio

4593 North Broadway Suite 119-C. Directly across the street from Amante Coffee. West side of Broadway and facing the foothills.

Date:
Tuesday February 7th and Tuesday February 14th
Time:
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Why:
Valentine's heaven! One stop shopping for hand made local jewelry, valentines, and flowers.

Will You Be Our Valentine? {A Giveaway For You!}

2012-01-24T20:43:00.000-08:00

We are back in the studio for the New Year

having fun with Valentine's Day designs.

We have pierced the sweetest heart with wings.

To symbolize feeling free, remembrance, and love.

Also we have our new Piece of My Heart Necklace set.

Originally inspired by the quote by Elizabeth Stone that we love:

“Making the decision to have a child is momentous.

It is to decide forever to have your heart
go walking around outside your body.”

We love the way it turned out since it can also symbolize

a lover, or anyone in your life who has a piece of your heart.

Not to mention it reminds me of my favorite Janis Joplin song.

We also paired our hand cut heart with an initial to make the

Teensy Heart Initial Necklace.

Such a simple and thoughtful gift for your Valentine or best girlfriend.

Makes a sweet mother-daughter present as well.

We are excited to do a giveaway for ONE of these pieces!

Your choice, Valentine. From our hearts to yours.

Just leave us a comment with your email telling

which piece would you choose and why?

We will announce the winners next week!

xxxooo

S & S

{Unlock} New Vintage Key Necklaces

2011-11-23T09:18:00.001-08:00

We have been cutting out another new design:

sterling vintage keys!

To us they feel very mysterious and modern.

We love the symbolism of keys.

Unlock:

To give access; to open

To set free; to release

To disclose or reveal

To let loose

{Unlock your potential. Unlock a new path to follow.

What are you unlocking in your own life}?

We love all these ideas.

There are 3 different designs.

As always, the designs are dreamed up

by us and are exclusively ours. All the keys are

hand-cut and made in our little Boulder, CO studio.

Butterfly:

Blossom:

Fleur de Lis:

Detail of the piercing on Blossom

They can be worn individually or all together to represent

different intentions/ideas/dreams.

You can shop for the keys here on our website.

Silhouette Jewelry Winner & THE Party

2011-11-20T14:34:00.001-08:00

Thank you so much to everyone who took time to enter the silhouette necklace giveaway. Congratulations to Vanessa, you are the winner of the silhouette necklace giveaway, woo hoo! We hope you will love wearing your new jewelry. Thank you for your sweet comment that you left:

"This is such an awesome memory you've created! The joy in being a mom and the experience of raising such precious miracles, I would love to have silhouettes of my 3 kids (1 daughter and 2 sons). Pictures may say a thousand words, but these silhouettes would be with me all the time - as I'd proudly wear it everyday, everywhere!"

It was fun to see everything all spiffed up with the new furniture and displays.

The new window decals for Sugar Soul Studio and Hot Mama are so pretty!

We had a great turnout with friends old and new.

Stay connected with us via our newsletter, here on the blog and also like us on facebook for future party announcements. And as always just give us a call at the studio if you would like to swing by!

Custom Silhouettes are here {+ a giveaway!}

2011-10-31T21:11:00.000-07:00

We are really excited about our new custom silhouettes. You can wear them to celebrate your children, your husband or partner, and even your pets!

We were originally inspired by this vintage

charm bracelet that belonged to Shannon's mom.

We always thought these old fashioned "boy" and "girl" charms were really fun.

But as metalsmiths we knew it would be amazing to create a charm that shows the exact shape of your loved ones faces using our jeweler's saws.

The saw that we use is so small that it allows us to cut fine details that results in a beautiful heirloom charm that will be cherished for generations to come.

To celebrate our new design,

we are giving away one silhouette necklace to a lucky winner!

Simply leave a comment below telling us who of your loved ones would you choose for your silhouette jewelry and why? Blog, tweet (@hotmamajewelry) and facebook (on YOUR facebook page) the giveaway for extra entries. Don't forget to leave your email so we can tell you when you win.

Shop for the silhouette necklace here.

Thanks for reading & happy November to you all!

Introducing Sahra & Our Sister Company: Sugar Soul Studio

2011-09-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

I am proud to introduce you to Sahra AlSamarraie-Cahoon.

She is my new business partner here at Hot Mama Designs Jewelry, but she is not new at all to our company. If you have been a customer of Hot Mama Designs within the past few years you have undoubtedly seen her name on our marketing pieces, met her in person at one of our events or had the pleasure of talking to her when you call the studio.

Artist, entrepreneur, and metal diva Sahra AlSammarie-Cahoon started to learn metalsmithing when she was only 17 years old. From studying metalsmithing in Bali, to working with other jewelry businesses across the country, to launching her own business Sugar Soul Studio in 2009, she has taken her passion for business and adornment in surprising new directions. Most of all, she is the tenacious business innovator and inspired designer behind Hot Mama Designs and Sugar Soul Studio.

Sahra is a newly married to Ted, the boy that lived down the street her whole life. She is proud mother to her newborn daughter, Lily, and 2 labrador retriever children, Cambel & Yogi. An eternal student, she holds a business degree from West Valley in Saratoga, a biology degree from CU Denver, and is also currently working on a Communications degree from CU Denver.

She is from the small Northern California town of Los Gatos and currently resides in Boulder, Colorado. She is inspired by cooking, being in nature and working at her new art studio in Boulder with a view of the foothills.

Favorite Spot on Earth: The Beach. Any beach.

Classic Sahra: An astonishing ability to remain undaunted in stressful situations. She is the queen of successful multi-tasking in work and in life.

Inspired by: The transformative quality of changing a flat sheet of metal into something completely organic, like a lotus flower. The surprise that comes from letting a design become a final piece of art.

Passionate About: Being a mom to her new baby girl, Lillian Meredith.

Guilty Pleasure: A beautifully crafted cocktail. Home cooked meals prepared with lots of love and attention to detail.

Personal Motto: Don't wait for the storm to pass, learn to dance in the rain.

With our new partnership we have also merged with Sahra's jewelry company, Sugar Soul Studio. Sugar Soul is bright precious gems, metalsmithing and jewelry designs made with love, intention and heart.

Sugar Soul has many one of a kind designs and the site will be updated often as quickly as we can (literally) hammer out our new work. You can see all of Sugar Soul's Designs by clicking here.

We look forward to having you with us on this adventure of partnership and new designs!

Celebration with Venus de Miles!

2011-08-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

We are excited to be partnering again with Venus de Miles, the all-women bike ride in Boulder that raises money for Greenhouse Scholars. We love this local organization that helps high-performing, under-resourced college students to become the next generation of community leaders.
So inspiring!

We had so much fun with the design that we made last year
that we decided to give it a go again. 20% of sales
from the jewelry will go to Greenhouse Scholars and we feel
lucky to be able to merge our creative work with such a wonderful cause.

This year's design is another sterling piece made by hand here in our Boulder studio. We started with a bicycle wheel photo and transferred it to the metal. Then we carefully cut all the spokes by hand with our jewelers saw.

It ended up looking feminine and a little flower-like, which we love! Everyone at Venus and Greenhouse are so passionate, and the riders blew us away with their enthusiasm when we saw the ride last year. So the heart in the center of the design felt just right. The faceted iolite is the exact color that is on the Venus logo, and that was another easy pairing that sparkles and dresses up the piece. We love it when a design comes together so seamlessly!

All riders have the choice to ride 33, 51, 67 or 100 miles. As a cool way to further personalize the piece, we will stamp the mileage right on the front next to the "2011."

The new designs are live on our website now and you can see them by clicking here.

Sahra and I would like to extend a special thank you to Teresa Robbins, Director of Venus de Miles. Actually her REAL job title is Venus Director & High Priestess, and we can't think of words that would more aptly describe her. It is a joy to work with you Teresa. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for appreciating our work and the power of hand made art. We love ya girlfriend!

Pearl Earring Giveaway Winners!

2011-07-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

Hooray for all TEN of our winners!

If you see your name listed below please email service (at) hotmamadesigns.com with your mailing address pronto.

1. Vickie L. Couturier

2. Janene

3. anniebd

4. Courtney Faust

5. Sarah Brown

6. Laney

7. Mudwhimsy

8. Jacqueline

9. Misty Adamson

10. Christine H.

Once we get the address your NEW earrings will be on their way to you in the next couple of weeks, woo hoo!

Have fun wearing your new earrings, ladies. Maybe even have your own little summer fling in them! Thank you so much for your participation in the giveaway.

And for now it's Monday so... back to the bench.

We've had a little child labor in the studio recently.

And no, he will not be the one making your earrings.

He is too busy working on his own original designs.

Anyone else have any "extra" help in the office or studio lately?

Summer Fling Pearl Earrings Giveaway!

2011-07-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

I had a summer fling once.

Okay maybe more than once but don't tell anyone!

There's something about a summer fling and the way it makes you feel.

Spontaneous. Sultry. Fun.

We have decided we would like to feel that way again, so we're having our own summer fling over here at Hot Mama Designs.

Sahra and I have so many new designs, announcements and giveaways to unveil. Hop into the convertible, won't you? It's going to be awesome.

First up, sterling and real freshwater pearl earrings!

Here's what they look like when you wear them.

Simple, sweet and will go with everything in your closet.

*The Giveaway*

We are giving away

10 PAIRS OF EARRINGS

to TEN lucky WINNERS!!!!

That's right, I said TEN.

Here's How You Enter To WIN:

**Please leave a separate comment for each entry you complete**

1. Visit the Hot Mama Designs Shop and leave a comment here about your favorite jewelry.

2. Like Hot Mama Designs on facebook and leave a comment on our wall that you stopped by from the Hot Mama blog.

3. Facebook, tweet and/or blog about this giveaway and leave a link.

Up to 3 entries available.

Good Luck!

Winners will be announced on July 18th, 2011.

Dad's Day Winner & Things Making Me Happy

2011-06-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who entered our Father's Day giveaway. With no further ado the winner chosen at random is:
Jen from http://abookagirlajourney.blogspot.com.
Email us to get in touch with your gift choice!

I can't believe that this time next week it will be Father's Day. Thank you for all the orders! We hope everything that we send from the studio will make the Dad in your life smile. We are grateful to be a part of the celebration of amazing men in your lives.

It's a relaxing Sunday here in Colorado. Here are a few things that are making me happy today.

Sahra's Columbines. Did you know that Sahra is my next door neighbor in addition to being my new business partner? Her flowers are so pretty & it's one more reason I feel lucky to live next door to her.

Vintage toys. These little people action figures are Brett's toys (his Mom saved EVERYTHING) from the 1970's and Elias is just getting old enough to play with them. I had the same ones when I was a girl so when I find them all over the house it makes me smile. Doesn't she look so smart in her aqua dress and matching hat?

White barbeque sauce from the most recent issue of Food and Wine Magazine. You can find the recipe here. It is spicy and vinegary and I am planning to dunk food in it all summer long.

Blue wildflowers in the backyard and two sweet little boys enjoying them. Ah summer you are soooo welcome here.

Tell Me Something Good -- A Father's Day Giveaway

2011-05-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

We are so excited for our FATHER'S DAY GIVEAWAY!

There are a LOT of good men out there. And I know a lot of you have them in your lives. In the immortal words of Chaka Khan: Tell me something good.

Leave me a comment about your hubbie, your dad, your grandpa, your uncle or your brother. What do you love about him? What nice thing has he done for you, your family, or someone else lately? Be sure to leave us your email address so we can get in touch with you.

If you win, we'll send you one of our new designs: the Men's FLAT CUFF BRACELET for your Father's Day present this year, gift-wrapped and ready to go!

Or if he is not a bracelet kind of guy (we understand!) you can also choose our new MY DAD ROCKS keychain. 100% sterling silver and guaranteed to make him smile.

There are tons of other fun designs like this Rectangle Necklace in the HOT PAPA section of our site if you would like to browse around. Sahra & I have put a lot of love and attention into designing pieces to celebrate the amazing men in your life so we hope you will find something you love even if you don't win this time.

We will announce the winner on June 10th. Good luck!

Singin' In The Rain

2011-05-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

I took Elias for a walk on the last day of our rainy week and it made me think of my all time favorite musical, Singin' In The Rain.

The song lyrics kept popping into my head as I watched him walk & play.

I'm singin' in the rain

Just singin' in the rain

What a glorious feelin'

I'm happy again

I'm laughing at clouds so dark up above

The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love

Let the stormy clouds chase

Everyone from the place

Come on with the rain

I've a smile on my face

I walk down the lane

With a happy refrain

Just singin'

Singin' in the rain

{This Moment}

2011-04-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

A Friday ritual. Inspired by Amanda Blake Soule. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment to pause, savor and remember.

For a blog tour of {this moment} by others who are sharing, visit SouleMama's Friday posts.

Your Wild & Precious Life

2011-04-18T19:41:00.001-07:00

I have been stamping metal for a long time. I still remember the first thing I stamped. It was for my husband, Brett over 15 years ago. It was a squashy, distorted ring that only sort of fits him. I stamped his nick name on the inside. He still has it and it still makes me smile.

Most of the jewelry we make at Hot Mama is symmetrical, even, and perfectly polished. But every once in a while I have to make something different. Especially when I am having one of those days. Ugh. You know what I mean: I took everyone to school. I made lunches. I paid the bills. I walked the dog. I did all the things I was supposed to do. For the five-thousandth time. Sometimes a girl needs to not follow the rules.

I'm not sure what I would do if I didn't have an outlet in my metalsmithing. I honestly think I would go insane. If I am not making things, new things, on a regular basis I start to go berserk. I can feel when it's happening. So when I was having that day, I grabbed this old piece of brass that was lying around the studio. I erratically stamped just a few words from one of another favorite Mary Oliver poem. It's kind of my new life motto.

I stamped just for me. Not to sell it. Not to show to anyone. It was crooked and messy. I loved it. Immediately I felt a huge sense of relief wash over me. Ahhh I needed that. Perfectly imperfect.

For Teddy & Sahra ~ The Toast I Didn't Make

2011-03-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

Photo by Simply Portraits www.simplycherish.com

Sahra and Teddy just got married. They held a beautiful, intimate ceremony at a beach house near where they both grew up in Northern California.

Sahra and I have been working together for over three years and we also live next door to each other. Our jewelry business has been growing so much lately and we spend most of our time in work mode. I hadn’t taken much time off with Sahra to celebrate the extraordinary life she and Teddy are building until my family and I had the privilege of attending their wedding.

When it was time to give toasts at their reception I really wanted to say some meaningful words. But I hadn’t planned ahead. I have a history with public speaking that if I try to be spontaneous, I start crying so hard that no one can understand me. So I'm taking the advice of one of my favorite Micheal Franti songs “Never Too Late,” to write some words now in honor of the newlyweds.

I got to know Sahra during a hard time in her life. She had a debilitating car accident and Teddy was with her when it happened. In the aftermath they encountered a number of extreme challenges including health, financial and legal battles. They navigated this difficult patch in their lives with such grace and patience. Their bond has grown stronger for the experience, where many other couples would have fallen apart. I am still amazed and how they were able to pick up the pieces and put their lives back together. But I am not at all surprised because Sahra and Teddy are hardy. They are full of gusto and optimism. And so their life reflects this.

I have been with my husband for over 20 years. I am always searching for ways to renew my relationship and keep the passion that I felt when I first met Brett. I get a constant stream of ideas from just being around Sahra.

If you have been to the studio where we work you know it is teensy. One of the advantages of being in this space with Sahra is that her love for and commitment to Teddy is palpable. We have ongoing conversations about our relationships and their ups and downs. And no matter what, the words I hear out of her mouth most often are “I love that man.” She means it down to her core, and you can tell when you hear her say it.

She has a steadfast dedication and a love for Teddy and she doesn’t question it. It is almost contagious! She believes in it. Sahra is younger than me but I learn so much from her. The respect, the daily devotion and the pure open heart that she cultivates with Teddy teaches me so much.

So I raise my glass to you, Teddy and Sahra Cahoon. I wish for you a life full of happiness, of laughter and joy beyond your wildest dreams.

And I also would like to share with you both one of favorite poems that Brett & I had at our own wedding:

Blessing for a Marriage by James Dillet Freeman

May your marriage bring you all the exquisite
excitement marriage should bring,
and may life grant you also patience,
tolerance, and understanding.
May you always need one another -
not so much to fill your emptiness
as to help you to know your fullness.
A mountain needs a valley to be complete;
the valley does not make
the mountain less, but more;
and the valley is more a valley because
it has a mountain towering over it.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another,
and not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!"
and take no notice of small faults.
If you have quarrels that push you apart,
may both of you hope to have
good sense enough to take the first step back.
May you enter into the mystery which is
the awareness of one another's
presence - no more physical than spiritual,
warm and near when you are
side by side, and warm and near when
you are in separate rooms
or even distant cities.
May you have happiness,
and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.

Gold Giveaway Winners & Spring Break 2011

2011-03-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who entered the giveaway. The winner chosen at random is Erika Hemphill who said:

"Living in Maine gives Spring a whole new meaning. With the snow still melting and the first calls of red winged black birds gracing our ears, my two little ones rip off their clothes and sklither outside stark naked for their ritualistic welcome to Spring. Yup. Naked. I shiver as I watch them, arms flapping, legs churning, feet muddy--absorbing all their joy into my soul. After many months of deep snow and sub zero night temps, the sun has never felt so delicious nor childrens' laughter seemed so pure."

Thanks Erika for sharing a little piece of your life with us. As always, we are so grateful for all your comments and for the chance to know you all a little better.

We have just returned from Spring Break. Sahra got married at the beach. I may have to write a whole series of posts on the wedding. I'm waiting to get my hands on Sahra's beautiful photos. It was amazing. Full of light and love, just like Teddy and Sahra. They invited Lino to be the ring bearer. He felt so special and I am eternally thankful.

And in more big news it looks like we have found our new dream studio space. Our hope is to sign a lease soon, which will be our first commercial space ever. So exciting. We will have more WEDDING and STUDIO photos and updates later this week!

Happy Spring & A Gold Giveaway

2011-03-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

Spring is here. Can you sense it? I'm always so caught off guard when I feel this way every year. So excited for the warmth and sunshine finally. The boys are able to start playing at the park instead of just inside, and have been jumping on the trampoline. Elias is big enough to jump this year! He will turn 2 years old next week which also has me feeling surprised.

Even these photos we just took of my friend Elizabeth and her little boy are astonishing to me. We were both pregnant at the together and gave birth with the same midwives here in Boulder. I almost fell over when I saw how much her little boy had grown over the winter.

Remember your mom's friend who would say "Oh my! You have gotten so big!" And you (as your eight year old self) wanted to roll your eyes at her? Yes, I have officially turned into that person. I say something similar every time I see my friends with their kids around town.

Daylight savings and all the recent glorious sunlight made me pull out my own gold rim necklace like the ones that Elizabeth is wearing in these photos.

I was reminded that right before the holidays we were sneaky and put it on the website without much fanfare. So I am finally getting around to giving it the attention it deserves.

It's such an elegant piece that we love it for it's versatility. For a long time we had customers asking for us to do a mixed metal piece but we just weren't happy with the prototypes we tried out. With extensive research Sahra finally found the right gold rim and now when we solder the rim onto the sterling silver disc, the result is so pretty.

You can order with a sterling or gold chain. And you can order just a single disc too, which is such a fun way to add to your existing Hot Mama necklace.

You can buy it here on our website.

Let's give one away! We will send you a necklace with a sterling chain and one fourteen karat gold rim disc with your choice of custom stamping.

Leave a comment below and tell us how you are welcoming spring. Don't forget to tell us your email when you comment.

Blog it, tweet it (@hotmamajewelry) and facebook on YOUR page for extra entries!

We will post the winner next week. Good luck!

Little Bird Necklace Winners!

2011-03-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

The randomly picked winner of the Little Bird Necklaces are:

Cindy (Cljameson) who said ..."I'd love to wear it around my neck. I have always felt that birds represent a connection to the sky; furthermore, linking Heaven to Earth..."

and

Justme (acemom98) who said "I so need one of these in honor of my own LilBird!"

Congratulations to you both and thank you all so much for your entries. We love reading your comments and are so moved by all your stories and ideas.

original image from etsy/frecklewonder

I love this hilarious sign which I first saw on the blog of Jenny from Lobotome. It sums up how I feel right now because Lino has been sick with pneumonia for over 10 days and Elias has also had his fair share of yucky viruses simultaneously. Sahra has had bronchitis and we are all pretty worn out with trying to keep the studio running to our high standards.

Funny how business just keeps rolling along even when there are sick babes. It is enough to drive a working mama insane.

Right now we are almost done with our legal business partnership, we are getting ready to move the studio again to a larger space, we're in the middle of the hiring process for a new production manager, and we just landed a HUGE catalog account that we have wanted for a very long time.

It's all pretty amazing and fun, despite the juggling.

"Why else do it if it's not going to be amazing and fun?"
I have to remind myself of this constantly when recent days have felt like such a struggle.

Here's a sneak peek from our most recent photo shoot. We're planning another jewelry giveaway of this product so check back with us soon!

Bird Collection Debut & Giveaway!

2011-02-27T13:59:00.000-08:00

Sahra & I are very excited to release the new bird collection. It feels just right that all the new pieces are finally ready when spring is about to start.

We love birds as a symbol of spring!

All the little birdies have been hand-sculpted in clay and then cast in sterling. We adore their three dimensional qualities. They are our own one-of-kind design and we are proud to say you won't find this jewelry anywhere else.

To go along with the collection, we also have new photos from our cozy shoot with our friend Marci and her little girls.

Here she is with the new Little Bird Earrings, the Mama Bird Necklace, and the Multi-Bird Necklace.

These are two individual necklaces that can be worn alone or as a set.

An added bonus about these designs: they can each be layered with your other Hot Mama necklaces.

On the Multi-Bird Necklace you can add your choice of one or multiple birds, to represent your children or other inspirations in your life.

You can find these necklaces and the full Bird Collection on the website here.

This sweetie girl and her sister were so gorgeous when we were having our shoot that I had to write a whole other entry to show her off. In case you missed it, you can read about her and the Little Bird Necklace here.

And now for the giveaway! We are going to give 2 lucky winners a Little Bird Necklace which includes a bird and a little initial disc. We'll post the winner this time next week.

Photography by the fabulous Julia Vandenoever.

To enter the giveaway, please tell us:
to whom would you give the Little Bird Necklace?
Don't forget to leave us your email!
P.S. (It's okay if it's for you)!

Blog it, tweet it (@hotmamajewelry) and facebook on YOUR page for extra entries!

Little Birds

2011-02-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

We've been so busy behind the scenes making new designs.
And oh how we couldn't be more excited for Spring!

One of our new collections will be released later this week
but we can't resist giving you a sneak peek of the little bird necklace now.

These gorgeous girls are the daughters of my friend, Marci. When I look at their sweet faces, I remember one of the original inspirations for the bird designs. It is a song by Jolie Holland titled "The littlest birds sing the prettiest songs." Do you know it? It is such a beautiful, old timey sounding song. It warms my heart and makes me think of happy little babies.

I had a friend tell me recently that she and her daughter wear matching necklaces that we made for her, and that it helps them stay connected even when they are apart. I just love that. That is another inspiration for the new bird collection. Mamas and daughters can feel connected through their adornment.

The new little bird necklace is available now on our website here.

The birdie is carved by hand in clay, then cast in sterling.
It's our own exclusive design that you won't see anywhere else.

It makes the perfect heirloom gift for you, your little birds, your granddaughters, or anyone else that you would like to celebrate with handmade art jewelry.

Stay tuned for the full bird collection. We can't wait to show it off to you!

Wouldn't You Love to Work at Hot Mama?

2011-02-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

It's Valentine's Day so I had to post this photo of me and Sahra in our red boots because it makes me smile. We look relaxed and happy here in the photo but really there is a LOT going on with our little business. As in (gasp) dare I say it? We need help.

Really we would like to hire a super hero. A super hero with a stellar, can-do attitude. But we would hate to scare anyone off with expectations that are too high, so we are calling the position our Studio Production Manager. The person will help manage the day to day operations of all jewelry production for the company.

Please help us spread the word! If you or anyone you know is interested in the job please email production (at) hotmamadesigns.com which will send an auto-reply of the full job description and directions on how to apply. Thanks as always for your help and support!

Lino wants a surf n turf dinner so that is the plan at our house tonight. Wish me luck with that big idea. This morning I watched him stuff a valentine envelope with extra "conversation hearts" (i.e. YOU ROCK, EMAIL ME, HEAD/HEELS) for one particular little girl in his class. Can't wait to hear his after school update.

Happy Valentines Day to you and your families!

Television Stars

2011-01-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

We were so honored to host Fox 31 Denver News last week at the studio. They sent their live early morning crew to interview me and Sahra about our jewelry.

We woke up at (ouch) 4:45 AM to get ready. But we a blast.

Someone got to stay home a little late from school and watch inside the house with his papa as they filmed in the backyard. He had to keep running out to check on us in his jammies.

He was so excited.
It's not every day that your mama is on T.V.

Here are the two video clips from the show. As you can see we had a lot of fun!

Boy Wonder

2011-01-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

I've been reading lately about best-selling author Gretchen Rubin. She has a book called The Happiness Project. And in her writings there is a quote that caught my attention. It is by Pierre Reverdy:

“There is no love; there are only proofs of love.”

This quote is about how you can carry so much love and compassion for someone in your heart. But unless you are making time to do things that SHOW your love, then how will your loved one ever know how you feel? Did I make a nice dinner for you? Did I call you on your birthday? Did I look at your face and really listen when you called me into your room even though I said goodnight and tucked you in five times already?

Then yesterday I got this email from my friends Arin and Karen over at Ephemera. Hot Mama has sold our jewelry at their cool Iowa boutique for years now, and these women are my kindred spirits. I am inspired by them on a regular basis because they are smart business women who also have huge hearts.

It tells about how their good friends just gave birth to a baby boy named Atticus Bryce. His mama was just 24 weeks into her pregnancy, and he weighed in at 1 lb., 10 oz. They are having a fundraiser at their shop today with the intent to help with expenses that this new little family is incurring.

I thought of the Reverdy quote and wanted to send a "proof of love," because I didn't feel like I was doing much good crying by myself as I read their story in the studio. So I quickly hammered out a necklace and shipped it to them.

I hope it makes the mama feel hopeful and loved when she puts it on. Boy wonder, indeed. We are sending you our love.

Yes! No!

2011-01-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

This is the view from my backyard studio today.
It's very rare to have a field like this where I live.

When we moved into our house over twelve years
ago everyone said it wouldn't last.
And because everyone
said it would be gone soon, I have
been very grateful for this field every day.

I would like to apply this thankfulness to everything
in my life, because really it's all just a fleeting moment.

It feels like Brett just built this studio for me,

but really we've been working here about 2 years now
and it's time to get a new space.
Hot Mama Designs has outgrown this one.

I heard this poem earlier this week.
It makes me think I would like
to make some adjustments this year.
And how important it is to choose my priorities,
and what do I want to say "Yes" and "No" to?

I don't want anything grandiose.
No huge proclamations or resolutions.
Just some quiet, intentional changes.
Quiet like my field.

My choices for this year are my family,
my new jewelry business partnership with Sahra
(more on this soon!)
and to have more fun.
I am really good at taking it all too seriously,
but somehow fun has gone a bit to the wayside.

****

Yes! No!
by Mary Oliver

How necessary it is to have opinions!
I think the spotted trout
lilies are satisfied, standing a few inches
above the earth.

I think serenity is not something
you just find in the world,
like a plum tree, holding up its white petals.

The violets, along the river, are opening their
blue faces, like small dark lanterns.

The green mosses, being so many,
are as good as brawny.

How important it is to walk along,
not in haste but slowly,
looking at everything and calling out

Yes! No!

The swan, for all his pomp,
his robes of grass and petals,
wants only to be allowed to live
on the nameless pond.
The catbrier is without fault.

The water thrushes,
down among the sloppy
rocks, are going crazy with happiness.
Imagination is better
than a sharp instrument.

To pay attention,
this is our endless
and proper work.

Renew My Spirit

2011-01-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

I'm cleaning the studio from our whirlwind
holiday season.Our most prosperous season ever
and I am feeling so proud.

{Thank you wonderful customers!}

While cleaning I found this sterling box
I made a long time ago in art school.
It was a piece I made for my mom
and I still love it.

Inside the piece reads
"Make me a clean heart.
Renew my spirit."
I'm so inspired to find this at the
beginning of a new year.

And YES! Along with a clean studio,
clean house and perhaps
some cleaned up children without bed-head and
jammies on all day,
I will take a renewed spirit.

And speaking of YES!
I heard a poem by Mary Oliver yesterday
that I just love.
It is perfect for the choosing priorities
and setting boundaries,
which is what I am thinking about for the 2011.

I'll post her work later this week.
I send you a heartfelt wish for happiness in 2011!