It's ben a year in the gem trade

So it's been a year and a few months since I started buying gems from our friends family in Kenya.

We have had a few adventures met a whole bunch of amazing people and learned a lot about things I didn't expect to. Like how elephants interact with the miners (i.e. harassing them for their water.)

taken by a miner as he runs away, the mother was not happy

The same mother and calf from a distance

The herd that lives in the area of the mines

We also have established friendships with local and global jewelers. I'm looking forward to working with Peter Baeza, at Jewels by Peter B. in Winter Park, FL this holiday season. We will be offering our gemstones in his shop. Stop by and see us if you're in town.

Homeland of our friends and our gems

Wow .....
today I started my day with an idea why not make one of my dreams a reality. I want my clients to know more about the process and I mean the whole process, starting on where their gems come from....

 here

They come from the red clays and the limestone river banks.

more to come.......

~ Of gems and food ~

There are so many things you can find to bring joy into your heart.After having lived through many adversaries I have found that seeking at least one thing to be happy about no matter how small will get you through any stress.

...So...that's where two of my passions always converge.

Food  and  Gems

Running a house with four children seems to always revolve around food.
"When's lunch?"
"I'm hungry! Can I have a snack?"
While running my business always seems to involve staring, touching and manipulating gemstones.
"Oh that would be perfect for this design!"
"I wonder how I should go about carving a tiger into this tiny garnet?"

So the stress of wanting to be immersed in both worlds at the same time but on different planes of reality keeps mounting. So while day dreaming of gemstone and jewelry designs. I often find my cooking is influenced by the designs I'm planning.
Yesterday, while I was thinking about tiger intaglios I just had to make my favorite treat Thai fried bananas. Our three year old calls them "Bana pockets!"

 

         As I'm folding the little banana slices I day dream ~
            ~ about illustrations from "The Story of Little Babaji" ~
                ~ superimposing those illustrations on a garnet ~
                    ~ which then morphs into me viewing the carving
                          from the clear side of the garnet ~
                          ~ finishing with a completed 3D carving ~

 

All while folding, frying and finishing our favorite treat. They inspire one another both fueling me creatively nutritionally and spiritually as I find peaceful bliss in zoning out while the kids are bantering about my heels, house hold chores beckoning from the corners of each room, and the ever present need to make a living at my art so my husband can be a stay home parent ( for a bit )

A Love of Intaglio

So from those of you that know me...

I love to learn. From {A}rcheology to {Z}ooology I just can't get enough.

I've finally decided to invest in some tools to start intaglio carving. I've done a few reverse intaglios and a few standard intaglios. I don't have a lot of time so keep to doing things in 15min bursts. The demanding life of a mom of 4 tends to delay progress for days HA! At least these stones won't be wrecked by sitting for a while...


My first attempt was a bee in a nice large flat piece of Rhodolite Garnet from Kenya....It's small and cute. It only took ten minutes. It was my anniversary and I was stoked about finally doing one, so I ground away for a few minutes before we left to go to the hotel. I was so shocked at how easily I was able to make a clearly recognizable shape! Our 10 year old even said, "Wow! Did you carve that bug mom?" Later I came back and deepened the image so that it's easier to see from the top of the stone.

Rhodolite w/ Bee

Reverse of bee intaglio

Bee intaglio on my hand for size and jewelry reference

 I'm still contemplating going back and adding a vine and flowers... but sometimes it's best to "leave well enough alone"

So my next attempt was an equilateral cross in a very purple Rhodolite / Umbalite Garnet. I wanted it to be deep and beveled so that it would look like a "church" almost.
 

Equilateral Cross in Purple Rhodolite Garnet

Equilateral Cross intaglio on my hand for size reference

I need to work on getting crisper lines but for a second attempt not bad. I also work in very small pieces.

view from side 10x magnification

reverse

3/4 view

Next, I carved a dove into a vintage Lapis oval cab that had been sealed with something...pine scent when grinding...but it turned out ok. I have a lot more time to start expirimenting.

Lapis Dove w/ Olive Branch

 If there is anything you'd like to see let me know. I was thinking of working on a tiger next.

Global Resources

I have been amazed with the generosity of the International community. Our resources, when pooled, can be extremely effective. That said we also need to safe guard those resources. We need to make sure that the applications of our resources are done in a responsible manner (i.e. recycling)
Living in Florida during my youth instilled a sense of environmentalism that has yet to wane. Every drop of water, ever ounce of metals and earth that we extract must meet with balance.
 
I truly hope through the ups and downs of gemstone procuring I will eventually have the co-op of my dreams. I have honestly, always wanted to do something to not only help our environment but also the human lives connected to it.
This is one company I want to help succeed!
http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/lifestraw
 
If you didn't already know, I home school my boys. Therefore to provide them with a glimpse of the environment which created me, I have deemed Fridays and Sundays Documentary Days. Fridays will be dedicated to environmental studies. Whereas on Sundays we will focus on "social studies" history, art, religions, architecture, exploration, etc.

Well I'm off to rally the troops now.
Have a Great New Year!
I know it'll be full of adventure! Even changing diapers can prove to be an amazing accomplishment (anyone diapering a baby on their lap @ Disney World can attest to that *wink)

What Joy, What Joy Another Baby Boy

It's taken a bit for me to post. Life certainly does not stop when a child is born!

We welcomed our 4th son Ronald Theodore into the world on October 20th, 2010. After 34hrs of laboring to bring him into our world, our 9lbs 5oz boy was a sight for tired eyes! I had a lot of time on my hands waiting for him to arrive and since I was delivering at home I had my work to distract me a bit.

I had taken on a custom order for two rings the day before and started working on them right away. Well rather than twiddle my thumbs in between contractions I soldered, pickled and set the stone in the last of the two rings I had left to complete. I was fun to give a 5 min tutorial on how to set a gemstone in a bezel to the midwives!

I am so thankful to have had the joy of creating those rings! It really made a difficult day have bright moments!

....... Soon to be 6 .....

The clock is ticking away for me and my family as we are waiting for the arrival of our 6th member.This picture was taken a few months ago. Right now I'm busily attempting to build up some stock of rings, bangles and earrings to add during my "confinement". So far I'm still up and doing everything under the sun. But I will take a few days of "vacation" time after our son is born.

I am hoping that, if his health is tolerant, I will be attending some bridal shows in December and January. I was hoping to be able to make it to The Knot.com annual bash in Miami. But this year unless I have my son today is too close to his birth to travel.

I am still taking many custom orders for the Kenyan Fair Trade Gemstone rings. Thankfully this means that even with my few days off I'll still be busy. Here's a few of the rings I've done recently ....

Some of my new Fair Trade eye candy

I've found myself rather busy making rings and things out of the small sample stones I have from Kenya.
Because of the nature of artisinal mines, they do not have the massive production that you see commercial mining operations. We have received the first half of our order and now we are waiting on the second it takes time to find enough stones to fill the order that would be worth faceting. They go through kilos of stones to find a few that are clear and of good color.


Patience is key!



While we wait I'm loving what I have so far.

BIG NEWS!!!!

Wow! Ok so here's the deal ... I've been blessed with the opportunity to start purchasing gemstones from a mining family in Kenya! One of their family members, that lives and works in here in the US with my husband, was wonderful enough to introduce us when he learned of my jewelry making.


His family owns land all over Kenya. I am so Excited! The land is owned by the family we purchase from and worked by independent miners who come in with their own tools and start digging! There is not guerrilla war fare, corrupt government, or greedy corporate miners involved at all.

We are lucky to have found eachother. They have amazing quality stones. And as you will see in the coming months, even the raw unprocessed stones have a beauty that is rarely found in untreated stones!


The pictures in this post are the first of many pieces made with the rough gemstones from Kenya. These are just the initial samples of uncut stones from Kenya.

I have also been fortunate to meet a Master Gemstone Cutter right here in Florida. Lloyd Forrester, of Clear Cut Gems is a talented gemstone cutter originally from South Africa. He started as to be expected in the diamond cutting trade. But lucky for me he has switched to colored gemstones.

We both have a great sense of ethics and responsibility to our world, not only the Earth we live on, but the people on it as well! I couldn't have asked for a better situation!

I am unbelievably stoked about the future and everything this means to all of us.

Etsy Craft Party @ Tempus

Wow what a fun time on Friday!

It was interesting coming all the way from the Four Corners area to Tampa. With rain threatening all day (and a down pour just before our arrival) I tucked my table in a far corner safely under a covered patio area of the printshop. I was so glad I remembered to bring lighting. Even though it was slightly dim I still had enough light to see my table from afar.

Well as I got set up I got to chat with the ladies at the tables around me and found some very loveable people! Alas once the people started to show up I had no time for photos, food or fun craftiness. I was kept going with a pitcher of chai tea. And for better or worse it helped me say alot in a little time to the people that were frequently in rows listening to the crazy pregnant woman with the sparkly things ;)

The cupcakes I hear were wonderful!!! I even had a client after buying one of my rings offer to bring me one, but sadly by the time I was able to get to the sunflower confection (11:30pm) it was .... melted and ant nibbled.

There were so many people and everyone was having a ton of fun! I so wish I could have taken a "spin" on the spinning wheel as one of my long lost dreams is to have a floor to ceiling loom and weave my own cloth... but that's another dream for later on ;)

Coryn and Adam did an amazing job putting together this event! It took a lot of time and energy but you could tell that they really put their heart into whatever they do! I had a wonderful time!

DIY Jewelry Displays part 2

again here the materials list from the first post:
For the Neck Forms:
Bookboard (or 3ply Chipboard)
Thin Headliner Foam
Fabric
Trim
Adhesive (one that can be used for adhering foam as well as paper and fabric)
Boxcutters or Heavy Duty Shears
a Cylindrical Form (for molding)
Steel for weighting the Form

For the Stand:
Steel Tubing 3/8"
All Thread Pipe (called a nipple in the hardware world)1/4"
Washers 5/16'
Nuts 3/8"
Finials that fit a 1/4" nipple
Antique/Vintage Metal Lamp Bases
Spray Paint

#6
Trace the template onto the fabric side of the foam, allow 1/4" for the curve of the form. Cut out.

#7
Use a sparing amount of glue I used "Fabri-Tac" brand, it has intense fumes (smells like nail polish remover due to it's high acetone content) so be outside or in a really well ventilated area.
It dries fast so I only apply a small amount, working from the bottom/front to the top/back. That way if there are any areas that are cut short it'll be in the back. Also you can go back and use snippets to cover areas in the front that are exposed.

#8
Trace the Template twice on the backside of the fabric you are using. Make a 1/2" (allowance) larger outline around the templates. This allows you to fold the fabric over the edge to glue on the backside. Cut out the shapes. One of the pieces will be for the front and one for the back.

#9
If you have a curvy shape like mine you'll want to start gluing in the back so you can stretch or pull the fabric tight as you go. On the inside curves I cut small incisions (like tabs but not all the way to the inside line) so that I could wrap it w/o buckling the fabric. Start by applying the glue to the chipboard on the backside then drape the fabric (right-side facing you) over the foam covered form and press the edge of the fabric into the glue. Continue working your way down the form a little at a time tugging tight each time so you have a smooth surface.

As you work your way down be careful not to get excess glue from your fingers on the front of the fabric. (you can step away and wash the glue from your fingers frequently - this also allows the sections you're working on to dry a bit)

#10
Flip over your form, now covered in fabric on the front. This time you might want to start gluing from the bottom up, due to the inside curve at the top. Take the second piece of fabric you cut and start gluing it on covering the fabric folded over from the front. If you cut the fabric without an allowance match up the edges of the form and the fabric. If you have an allowance apply the glue near the edge of the form but not all the way so you don't have glue dripping over to the front. Then you take the fabric an apply it not gluing the edge down if you have and allowance - it'll have a floppy edge that you'll trim with scissors later to get a clean edge.

#11
Take your chosen trim and measure around the edge of the covered form before you start gluing. Or you can leave it uncut (like I do) and cut off the piece when you get back to the starting point.


Voila!

At this point you can use the forms for flat display
or you can continue on to build the stand.



Sorry about missing some of the photos. I forgot to take advantage of some picture opportunities. Maybe when I make my next batch I'll get some more.

DIY Jewelry Displays Part 1

Well thanks to the pioneering spirit of my maternal grandparents I knew I could make some pretty amazing jewelry displays from scratch. After all they are all hand assembled in Korea, Hong Kong or China anyway. No offense meant, I appreciate the value of craftmanship is still present in the world .... Anyway I stayed up nights thinking about how they construct the neckforms available to retailers here in the US. I decided that a form on a metal stand was by far the most versatile and impressive I'd seen. So I came up with a materials list:


For the Neck Forms:
Bookboard (or 3ply Chipboard)
Thin Headliner Foam
Fabric
Trim
Adhesive (one that can be used for adhering foam as well as paper and fabric)
Boxcutters or Heavy Duty Shears
a Cylindrical Form (for molding)
Steel for weighting the Form

For the Stand:
Steel Tubing 3/8"
All Thread Pipe (called a nipple in the hardware world)1/4"
Washers 5/16'
Nuts 3/8"
Finials that fit a 1/4" nipple
Antique/Vintage Metal Lamp Bases
Spray Paint


#1
I started with drawing a template on one of my boys old game boxes (it's essentially 1ply chipboard) and drew the ouline onto the 3ply chipboard I bought at the art supply store.

#2
I cut it with my jewelers saw. I cut like butter but ... broke a few blades. I have only 0/8 sz blades (very fine tooth). So the next ones I tried a boxcutter & shears. The boxcutter didn't work (dull). The shears worked but my fingers were sore the next day.

#3
I took the cutout's over to the sink and ran them very quickly under a small stream of water from the faucet. Just enough to dampen but not soak. This is the trial and error part. If the board gets too wet the layers start to separate. If this happens just tape the edge together with masking tape.

#4
I gently bent the board around the cylindrical form which I thought would be the perfect thickness with out being too big of a radius. I tried a few different cans and bottles but - as you can see the arisol container is what I stayed with. To keep the form from curling I used one of my huge old files to keep the angle I wanted.

* for future displays I'll probably have the rest

of the form curve outward, so that it projects
out a little rather than going straight down.

#5
After drying for 30 min I removed the chipboard form and set it out side to cure in the sun for a few minutes (that's all it takes in the FL summer sun). I did have minor layer separations on each of the pieces at this point so you can probably ommitt this step and let it dry at a slower rate - I'm just impatient ;)

next post Finishing the Neckforms ......

wow it's been a while!

Hi!

sorry to have been distracted - I found out in March that baby #4 will be with us sometime in October, so life has finally calmed down a bit. Now that we're adjusting.

I've been realizing that part of my sales not going anywhere is because I really didn't have any "mainstream" pieces. Well I've made a few new pieces that I've put in my shop >

I hope they are as well received by the public as they are by my family and friends ;)