Freeforged

Shop Crafty in Austin this weekend!

2011-04-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

Funky Finds Spring Fling

2011-03-06T19:58:00.001-08:00

The Funky Finds Spring Fling is next weekend. Make sure to come check it out if you're in the DFW area.

Cowtown Indie Bazaar

2010-08-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

Come see me at the Cowtown Indie Bazaar on September 4th, in Ft. Worth, TX!

http://www.cowtownindiebazaar.com/

Renegade Craft Fair - Austin, TX May 15th and 16th!

2010-04-22T19:39:00.001-07:00

http://www.renegadecraft.com/austin

Today and Tomorrow!

2009-12-04T08:56:00.000-08:00

An artsy extravaganza! That's me on the lower right of the poster!

Upcoming Black Friday - Cyber Monday Sale!

2009-11-24T17:22:00.000-08:00

Free worldwide shipping on all orders over $20.

Urban Street Bazaar

2009-10-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

Make sure to come check out the Urban Street Bazaar in Dallas on Oct. 10th & 11th! I'll be showing my jewelry, and in addition to the usual things I have in my Etsy shop, I'll have a whole bunch of new designs that haven't been seen anywhere else!
See ya there!

Found Handmade

2009-09-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

I'd like to give a shout out to foundhandmade.com for featuring my Bond Brooch in their blog. Search or scroll down til you see the post titled Bubbles I, and I'm the first one in the jewelry section! Thanks for including me with all those other lovely crafters! One of my favorite pieces featured were these beautiful earrings by MyFriendRoze.

VenusZine Feature!

2009-09-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

I'm terribly excited to announce that my Nuclear Oxidized earrings have been featured in VenusZine's September issue! You can see more of their style picks online at http://venuszine.com/

A Swan for Sure

2009-09-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

I received a message today letting me know that my Funnel Cloud Necklace was featured on A Swan For Sure.
I must say some of her other fashion picks have me drooling as well, like the lovely grey cardigan with the large pockets featured in the same post. =D

Etsy Dallas Birthday Giveaway!

2009-09-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

The folks over at Etsy Dallas are celebrating the team's 2nd birthday this week, and this time the gifts are being given away!
One lucky person could win a prize pack full of goodies by Etsy Dallas members just by commenting on their blog post! There are other ways to get extra entries as well, just go see for yourself!
And don't forget, you can always keep track of the Etsy Dallas happeneings by following them on Twitter @etsydallas.
Good luck!

Artfire Shop is Open!

2009-09-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

I decided to open an Artfire shop to test the waters and see how things are looking there. So far, I've already had one sale, which is awesome since I currently only have a limited selection of my my jewelry available. Most of what is available is from my Molecular series, with a couple of other things as well.

Social Networking

2009-09-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to remind everyone about the Freeforged Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter pages. I update those a bit more often than I update this blog, so if you're looking for more frequent updates that's the place to be. I'm also always looking for new friends =)
Check them out here:
Facebook
Myspace
Twitter

Another feature!

2009-08-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Big thanks to ABespokeTouch for featuring my Cloud Jumper earrings in her blog the other day. She made these beautiful scatter flowers which can be used to decorate a table for a wedding or party, but I'd love to try incorporating them into some jewelry or hair accessories too! They're also available in pink or white. You can see them and more here.

By the Numbers

2009-07-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, you're probably not very good at keeping track of the math end of a business.
For a little help, and some tips and tricks, check out this series of Storque articles by jjmfinance on Etsy.

Blog Features!

2009-07-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

It's been a wonderful week for blog features!

First, DirtygirlSoaps of the Indie Style blog featured my Oxidized Attraction necklace in her Indie Style Picks section of her blog. You can see her Rock Candy handmade soap below, and I must say, it looks delicious!

Next, Studio618 of Etsy, whom I met on Twitter, featured my Bond Brooch in her Friday Finds section on her blog. Studio618 makes jewelry like these bold rainbow wrapped hoops that are made with sterling silver and crystals.

Thanks to the both of you!

Newsletter!

2009-06-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

I've recently signed up for a mailing service with Mailchimp so that I can send out newsletters. I've begun sending out newsletters roughly once a month, sometimes a little less frequently. If you'd like to sign up, you'll find out about upcoming shows that I'll be at, and sales that I will occasionally have. And don't worry, if you ever decide you don't want any more e-mails from me, there's an unsubscribe link on every e-mail, which is honest and legit, unlike those unsubscribe links you'll see in e-mails offering you money from Nigerian royalty.

So, apparently I was on the front page of Etsy last week.

2009-06-26T17:51:00.001-07:00

Etsy Front Page 6/19/09 Admin
Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers

I was looking through my shop's Google Analytics, and I noticed I had a huge spike of 358 views on one day. 319 of those views were on a particular item.

Trying to figure out why, I checked the Etsy Front Pager's group on Flickr and searched for my etsy name and found a screenshot for the 19th. Awesome! I actually found 4 screenshots for me, only one of which I'd previously known about.

The treasury was admin-selected, for the search term 'science'

Checking the Heartomatic I found that I received 24 shop hearts and 27 hearts on that particular item.

I'd relisted that particular item 2 days before, and relisted 2 different items that day. I also had one sale from that day, but for a different item.

So there's the breakdown for ya, hope it is both interesting and helpful to everyone.

Giveaways!

2009-06-16T10:48:00.001-07:00

more new photos
Originally uploaded by muttsywonder
Ashley Akers Jewelry and Harrilu have teamed up to bring us two awesome giveaways! You can win the above top (which is totally adorable) by Harrilu by following and commenting on Ashley Akers blog.

Ashley Akers Givaway On My Blog
Originally uploaded by muttsywonder
And you can win the above necklace by Ashley Akers Jewelry on Harrilus blog by commenting. Isn't that awesome!

Animal Cracker Soaps

2009-06-11T16:38:00.001-07:00

animal cracker soap close up picture
Originally uploaded by abreathoffrenchair

Now, I have to say these are adorable soaps. They're shaped like animal crackers, with a snickerdoodle scent. How awesome is that?
See more here.

YART SALE!

2009-06-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Yard sale + art = Yart!

June 10th through the 14th will be the second annual Yart Sale on Etsy. This will be my first year participating, but I hope it will be lots of fun for everyone!

I'll be making post earrings 1/2 off for the second pair purchased, and any order over $50 will get free shipping! I'll also be extending this sale to my shop on FunkyFinds as well. You can either go ahead and pay for your items, at which point I''ll refund the discounts back to you, or you can send me a message and I'll send you a revised invoice.

I hope to be releasing a few new items during this time too, in particular some reticulated rings and some new hoop earrings! Keep track of the updates in real-time on Twitter.

Silky smooth necklaces...

2009-05-28T16:42:00.001-07:00

Structure and Attraction are now available online in the sleek gun-metal finish.

See these necklaces plus much more on Etsy.

I Can't Say No (to you)

2009-05-05T10:20:00.001-07:00

I Can't Say No (to you)
Originally uploaded by freeforged
I managed to snag a treasury slot the other night, make sure to check it out! I own items from several of these sellers and highly recommend them; the rest are items I covet or from shops I enjoy.

It will expire in about a day, so if you miss it you can always see it on my flickr page, or visit each artist listed below:

Attention Treehuggers of DFW!

2009-04-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

Come see Freeforged Jewelry at the Oak Cliff Earth Day Extravaganza!

Oak Cliff Earth Day show on April 19th.
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Lake Cliff Park
1200 N Zang Blvd
Dallas, TX 75203,
http://oakcliffearthday.com/

It was a dark and stormy night

2009-03-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

New oxidized jewelry:

Handmade Holidays (continued)

2009-01-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

Next up, the Custom Dice Bag:

One of my female friends happens to play a little bit of Dungeons and Dragons. Since she didn't have a dice bag, and her boyfriend (who also plays) did, we thought she needed something fancy.

My boyfriend managed to find these lovely drawstring bags on Etsy, however the purple one (same color as her dice) seemed a little too small. After a couple of convos on Etsy, I selected one of her larger bags and asked if she could make one that size in the purple fabric, which she said she could.

A week and a half later I had in my hands a custom dice bag for my friend, in possibly one of the most unique designs possible. If I could have gone back and done it over, the only thing I would have changed is that I would have chosen an even larger bag size, to make room for extra dice should my friend decide to buy a second set. The size small bag which I settled on was just the right size for one standard dice set.

So gentlemen, if you happen to know some ladies that are fans of tabletop gaming and in need of a dice bag that's a little more elegant than the usual Crown Royal bag, then look no further, because SecretKeepers can hook you up.

Handmade Holidays (continued)

2008-12-29T15:37:00.000-08:00

Next up on the handmade holidays: The Helmet.

This Moleskine is not your average Moleskine. It's been cleverly laser etched by Modofly to display a intricate design of a Medieval helmet. The photos just don't do this stuff justice. Seriously, if you've been thinking about getting one, and aren't sure, go for it.
Details:

Available in two different sizes
Customizable by different page types: lined, sketch, squared, reporter, or watercolor.
Tons of various designs available by different artists.

They may be a bit pricy at $32 for the large size, but they're worth it. You can purchase them from their website or their Etsy shop.

Handmade Holidays

2008-12-27T13:29:00.001-08:00

Now that the gifts have finally been exchanged, I thought I'd use this as a chance to show off some of the handmade items that I've both given and received for the holidays. I've been aching to do this for some time now, but haven't had a chance due to a suspicion that some people may have seen their gifts on this blog.

First up, the Shark King:

I managed to snag the Original Shark King for a friend of mine who likes sharks. PoorDogFarm makes lovely watercolors, and they're hilarious. I also ordered an ornate gold frame online to frame it in, and overall the gift receiver nearly died laughing and said it was very 'grand.' Perfect.

The Pear Project

2008-11-24T16:13:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to announce that Freeforged Jewelry is now available at The Pear Project. Also, take a look at the Pear Project blog for updates on other new items and for the latest info when things go on sale. And, for anyone doing some early shopping, this months super secret discount code is: NOV08 - but you have to hurry if you're going to use it, it expires at the end of November.

The Devil wears Etsy

2008-11-23T16:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Capitolagirl for featuring my mushroom earrings in her blog this week! Apparently, when the Devil wears Etsy, he wears mushrooms in his pierced ears.
I've been eyeballing this ctrl-alt-delete fridge magnet from her shop for awhile now. I guess being a closet nerd means these thing appeal to me.

Jingle Bash!

2008-11-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

Only 8 more days until the Etsy Dallas Jinglebash! Come see over 40 local artists with work ranging from soaps, jewelry, clothing, and more! (pssst... I'll be there!)
Read more at the Etsy Dallas website.

Baby-Friendly

2008-10-29T16:44:00.001-07:00

I gotta say, after hearing some of my mother's horror stories, I bet she wishes she'd had one of these baby-friendly nursing necklaces from bfbeads. Designed to be durable and flexible, they'll distract your little one with shine and sliding beads and keep them close. Plus, they're made with wonderful materials, such as crystal quartz, that will make you look good too!

Veteran's Day

2008-10-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

Well, Veteran's Day is coming up, shortly after the election, and I have to say that I am one of the unlucky ones who will not have the holiday off. However, if I did have the day off, I'd use it to catch up on some holiday gift shopping, or as my boyfriend likes to call it, Yuletide Swag. I've been making my list, and you can be sure that these lovely photo pendants from blackdrop are a top contender.

Bazaar Bizarre

2008-10-23T20:57:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was the Maker Faire Austin. Part of the Faire was the Bazaar Bizarre, which I had a table at. While I spent most of the time at my table, I did get a chance to explore a little bit, and among the things I saw were:

Bat houses.
A rickrolling, ping-pong ball shooting robot.
Tasty lemon shortbread cookies.
Fighting robots turn on their masters.
Shrinky-dink demos.
R2D2
A Life-Sized Mousetrap (the game)

And all I have to say: Amazing!

Favorites

2008-10-11T21:00:00.001-07:00

Necklace
Originally uploaded by diana lerias

Thanks to Diana of dianalerias.net for featuring my Fleeced Necklace among her favorite picks recently. Diana is also a jeweler who made the necklace shown above. I also love the cute little cow ring you can see in her portfolio or on her flickr page.

Thievery!

2008-10-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

So you're an office supply snitch, eh? Wear your spoils of the inner-office war proudly upon your ears, and let the rest of the office see your wealth!
Just don't tell your coworkers that you really got them from BlinkingMouse.

Stylelist Interview

2008-10-02T15:42:00.000-07:00

Today I found out that my interview with Stylelist for their Indie Designer Interviews was finally up! Stylelist is a website dedicated to fashion and beauty trends, so I'm excited to be interviewed by them! You can read the whole interview here, or you can see a full shot of it on my flickr page.

Hello Goodness!

2008-09-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

Today I found out that my Texas Twister earrings were featured on the blog Hello Goodness by the Etsy seller TimidAcorn. You can see some the vintage shoes from her shop above. Make sure to check out all the other lovely earrings also featured on her blog as well!

Make like a tree...

2008-09-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

I managed to snag a treasury slot last night, and this time I was more prepared! My theme is pretty obvious - trees. It will be up only until tomorrow, so make sure to take a look soon. Should you miss out on seeing it live, there's a screenshot I took that you can see on my Flickr.

Business Cards

2008-09-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

Overnight prints on the left, Gotprint on the right.

I recently ordered new business cards from gotprint.net. I had been looking to find a better deal on business cards that were of good quality but inexpensive, since I was looking to use stickers that I could place on the back of the cards to create promotional coupons. After browsing the etsy forums for suggestions, I settled on Gotprint. I ordered 1000 cards for $22, including shipping. This also included a 5% off coupon that I found via a google search.

My old Overnightprints cards were approx. $30 for 300 cards, which is far more expensive. This also including a discount coupon that I had found with a google search.

After looking at the two cards side by side, I've determined that while the Overnightprints cards were of a slightly better quality, the price difference at Gotprint makes their cards worthwhile. While the designs on each set of cards is slightly different, the main thing I noticed was the feel of the paper. The texture on each set of cards was pretty much the same, but the Overnightprint cards felt a tad thicker and sturdier. Also, on the back of the cards, the paper around the black text did not seem as white on the Gotprint cards. I believe this was due to the nature of the paper used - Overnightprints used a whiter paper to print on.

If you look very closely on the Gotprint cards, you can see some slight pixelation at the edges of the text. I am not certain as to if this is because of Gotprint's printing, or if there was a problem when I resized my files from 300 DPI to 350 DPI. Also, my cards are designed so that when you lay two cards above and below each other as shown in the photos, the designs combine to make one large logo. The alignment in the Gotprint cards was slightly off, but this is another thing that I was not sure if it was due to my files or due to the way Gotprint crops and cuts the cards.

I was also happy about finding a better deal than Vistaprint's 'free' business cards deal. Because of Vistaprint's habit of scamming their customers, I wasn't really willing to give them my business, even through Paypal or various other 'safe' methods of dealing with them.

Overall, I was very satisfied with my new cards, as this enables me to have very affordable marketing. I've already sent several batches of promo cards out to various places.

Oxide Gallery Opening

2008-09-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

I was recently accepted into a new gallery opening up in Denton and their grand opening is coming up on the 30th. Anyone who's in the DFW area is welcome to stop by for the fun and festivities and to see some lovely artwork of all varieties.

Jewelry Geeks

2008-09-15T15:09:00.001-07:00

My latest online social networking experiment: JewelryGeeks.com
This one, I think, applies especially to me, because not only am I both a jeweler and a geek, I'm also a geek for jewelry, or jeweling (we usually like to call that metalsmithing, but I'll let it slip this one time) Take a look at my profile here.

The last social networking experiment I tried online was Twitter, which is still going, occasional though it might be.

There's monster on my pants!

2008-09-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually one who goes gaga over baby things, but I have to say, these monster pants by Joeyandaleethea are pretty kickin'. If I happened to still be a kid, I'd totally wear some. But maybe that's just because I've always had a thing for interesting pants.

Green

2008-09-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

Green happens to be one of my favorite colors, which is why I'm always delighted when I can get that perfect metallic green color in the process of oxidizing my jewelry. Try as I might, I can never get the silver to turn those colors on purpose, only by accident. As an added bonus, the blues and greens in the oxidation perfectly compliment the green of the Chrysoprase stone I used in this ring.

Workshop style

2008-08-29T16:33:00.000-07:00

If I were a horse-back traveling metalsmith, these belt pouches would be my tool kit. No clunky plastic boxes for me - everything I'd need would fit into two hardy leather pouches on either hip. In a post-apocalyptic world, I'd be awesome, all thanks to Rubyzaar.

Rainbows

2008-08-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of piggy banks. I've kept one for years, and recently when it was full used it to buy tools to start my business. They're pretty useful critters, I just wish they'd fill up faster. Pig-ment - a rainbow colored piggy bank created by Starless, is just the kind of piggy bank I'd like to have. Vibrant color to brighten up a room, and you won't have to worry about breaking him because the bottom is removable!

Mademoiselle G

2008-08-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

Earlier I was browsing Indiepublic and I happened to find a very interesting painter who is a Canadian living in Belgium. Her work is very surreal and odd and I can't stop looking at it. She has a shop on Dawanda, or you can see her blog, which is mostly written in French. Either way, I'm sure you'll find it as intriguing as I do.

Bazaar Bizarre

2008-08-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

I'm officially going to be participating in the upcoming Bazaar Bizarre. It takes place in Austin, TX in October, so for the next two months I'll be making items for that and for the holidays. The Bazaar Bizarre is part of the Maker Faire, an event I wished I'd been able to go see last year. Wish me luck in my crafty adventure!

Show Pony Show

2008-08-15T15:50:00.001-07:00

Show Pony Show flier
Originally uploaded by freeforged

Hey Texans, if you're living in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and are looking for something to do on a sunny Sunday afternoon, then come check out the Show Pony Show in Deep Ellum this weekend. There will be crafts available for the whole family, as well as local artists showcasing their handmade wares. You can even see the Show Pony! Part of the sponsorship is by Etsy Dallas and as a member I've donated a pair of earrings to the raffle and some promo goodies to their goodie bags!

Here's the info:
When:
Sunday, August 17th
11am - 7pm

Where:
Continental Lofts
3311 Elm Street
Dallas, TX 75226

Drama Bomb

2008-08-14T16:46:00.001-07:00

I must say that I think this flourite crystal necklace by TulipsTreasureBox is quite stunning. The crystals are graduated so that the longest are in the center, which reminds me of an Egyptian Pharaohs pectoral neckpiece. I can only imagine how dramatic wearing it must feel. You could be Cleopatra, or a movie star. Definitely 'raw' beauty. It's one of a kind, so if you must have it, get it quick!

Math is Elegant

2008-08-04T23:13:00.001-07:00

Etsy Front Page 8/4/08
Originally uploaded by freeforged

I was on the front page earlier tonight! Thanks to Jobojury for selecting the Math is Elegant treasury.

Review - AmyEsther

2008-07-31T17:03:00.000-07:00

I just completed a trade with the awesome Etsy seller AmyEsther. I sent her a pair of my Nuclear earrings and she sent me a pair of her red square cups.

Because of a problem with one of the cups, she ended up having to send me a replacement. However, not only did she replace the cup, she sent me two of her adorable dip trays as well!

All of this was instigated because of a give-away that she had on her blog, In the Night Kitchen. Needless to say, I'm very happy with the results of our trade, even despite the slight problem with the one cup.
I'm in the slow and drawn out process of transferring my kitchen to handmade ceramics. Right now I have an assortment of cups (AmyEsther's pair is the only matching set) and several large and medium sized serving bowls. I'm hoping someday to get a set of matching plates or shallow bowls, and after that a full set of matching cups.
While I took a ceramics class in college, I determined that clay hates me even though I love it, and didn't come up with anything I'd trust to eat off of or want to look at while eating. Thus, I welcome the cups Amy sent me as another addition to my growing collection!

Etsy Sellers Do Wholesale!

2008-07-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

So JuliePeach of Etsy has created at great new blog that is dedicated to listing all of the Etsy sellers that accept wholesale orders. It's searchable either by location or by the type of product the seller makes - so for example, you could search for glass artists from Florida, and find exactly what you wanted. To see the whole site you can go here, or if you would like to see my listing as an example, click here. I'm sure this will make many shop owners very happy to have one big list to look at instead of endless searching for the perfect wholesaler.
Thanks Julie!

Moleculeology

2008-07-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

Big thanks to Anandi of etsy for including me in her lovely molecule themed treasury this week! My Nuclear earrings are featured on the second row, far right. The treasuries are only live for a limited amount of time, so make sure you check it out before tomorrow night! If you miss it, you can still see the screenshot I took on my flickr page. It's a little hard to read in this picture, but if you click on it it will show you an enlarged version.

Mossy Fun

2008-07-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

I have to say, I find moss to be a very attractive plant. It's always fuzzy and soft, and I wish they could make pillows out of it.
Since they can't, I guess I'll have to go for one of these moss terrariums by MadebyMavis instead. They look like they're just the right amounts of soft and fuzzy, and by 'the right amount' I mean 'a lot.'

Plus, if the moss ever started overgrowing my jar, I could use it for some natural pranking. Try out some moss graffiti using either a dairy mixture or a beer/sugar mixture.

A tiny bit of delicious...

2008-07-14T15:34:00.001-07:00

BO Tartelettes
Originally uploaded by _sk.___ PetitPlat

So I'm usually not much of one for the miniatures fad (unless you count my job, but that's slightly different), but I do happen to have a weakness for fruit, especially fruit tarts.
I have to say, these fruit tart earrings by PetitPlat are looking pretty tasty right now.

So whether you need a fruit salad for your dollhouse, or you just happen to really like super tiny recreations of your favorite snacks, you should check out her shop.

Natural Blues

2008-07-09T18:48:00.001-07:00

Right now I'm totally loving the blues in this necklace from AKeepersJackpot. The matching iridescent beads compliment the blues, teals, and pinks of the pendant perfectly, and these cool colors are the perfect thing to contrast the heat of summer. And, at just $16 dollars, it's pretty affordable too.

Sea Sirens

2008-06-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

Remember back in high school, when you were young and rebellious and used to draw on your old jeans? I did. I even had my friends drawing on my jeans as well. These Sea Siren Jeans totally blow everything I ever drew completely out of the water. If I owned a pair of these jeans by KikiLaCreme, you can totally bet that I wouldn't draw on them no matter how rebellious I'm feeling. Too bad it's the only thing in her shop right now...

The Masked Bandit

2008-06-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Why should a masked bandit settle for boring old black? This leafy green mask by MythicalDesigns could be perfect for a champion of nature, or a wood elf sorceress. Just use your imagination.

Strands of kelp...

2008-06-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

The newest addition to the shop is a pair of earrings that are hand forged and soldered together so that they look like strands of kelp. These earrings are based on a portfolio piece that I created in 2007 entitled Nereid.

A nereid is a sea nymph according to Greek mythology. This necklace features a kelp chain of sterling silver and copper links. Her face is copper, pierced in a design that shows kelp leaves and seahorses in her hair. Her brain is cloisonné enameled copper in the shape of a brain with a wave in it. This shows that her thoughts are of the sea, her home. The copper has a green patina as a reflection of the sea-life surrounding her.

Robots = Binary Love

2008-06-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I'm a nerd.

That's why this robot shirt from Chopshopstore totally rocks to me. I love trying to guess which robot is which and what they're from. It's like a test of my nerd-dom. Unfortunately, I need to be studying harder because I can only recognize about 13 or 14 of these. My boyfriend on the other hand? Almost 50.

How many can you name?

Cicadas and Fireflies

2008-06-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

At Penland these past couple of weeks, I was taking a class called Enameling; Image and Word with a focus on Haiku writing. We had to write five haikus a day. We picked the ones we liked most from each day, and ended up creating a one of a kind book that went in the scholarship auction at Penland. The haikus by each person chosen were amazing, and I loved participating in the creation of this amazing book.

The borders around each page were letterpress. The front hinge was made of copper and brass. The front and back cover were made of museum quality navy blue book cloth, with enameled tiles (one by each member of the class) inlaid. The paper was Mohawk Superfine, and the stitching was done with waxed linen. It was mostly (90% or so) archival.

You can see more pictures of this one of a kind art-book on my flickr page.

Artists: contact your representative!

2008-06-17T18:13:00.000-07:00

There is currently a bill in Congress to change the way tax deductions for donated artwork work. Currently, if you donate a work of art to a museum, library, or other non-profit organization, you can only deduct the value of the materials. That means that the 40 hours you spent with planning, construction, tweaking those details etc. are not compensated when you donate it. If you're an established artist with a high going value for your work, that doesn't matter. Only the materials can be deducted.

This bill will change that so that the fair market value is able to be deducted. This would make it feasible for artists to donate their work to non-profit institutions, so that the public would get a better chance at seeing them. If you're an artist, you know an artist or you just like art, you should contact your representative and encourage them to support H.R. 1524.

The Advocate for the Arts website has a handy little form that you can simply enter your e-mail address, name and such and will send a e-mail to them automatically with your name attached. It's very easy to use and only takes a minute. I've already done so myself.

Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease...

2nd Feature!

2008-06-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

Wow; by a stroke of luck while I was away on vacation I got a second feature by Amy Esther on her blog In the Night Kitchen!.
This time, the feature was for my Nuclear Earrings.
Thanks Amy!

Like a dream

2008-06-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

Watercolors are an art medium I've always wished I've had more skill with, but everything I seem to make comes out like a 5 year old did it. Not Redheathers's fashion sketches though. This woman looks as though she's walking straight out of a dream and into reality.

Long time no type

2008-06-11T15:32:00.000-07:00

Wow! So the last month or so has been crazy busy for me. First I have the Etsy Dallas BBQ, which was awesome, and on that same weekend there's a conference at my job so I was working double hours for that.
Then, the very next week after that, I took a 2 week class as a studio assistant at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, NC. Penland was an amazing place up in the mountians, but I had limited computer/phone access and wasn't able to do more than update my twitter a couple of times.

Now that I'm finally back, I can start updating more often again. Also, the shop is back open for regular shipping again. At my regular job, I'm learning to spin-cast pewter into the rubber molds that we use to make all the miniatures.

I should have some new items inspired by my time at Penland in production soon, but in the meantime, you can check out this colorful wood-burned and painted box by Etsy member AliciaMae:

Beer-B-Q Tomorrow

2008-05-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

Since I'll be up late tonight preparing for tomorrow's Beer-B-Q, I thought I'd post this lovely treasury created by Sadiesthings of Etsy Dallas. Also, I happen to be in it, front and center, which is pretty sweet so a big thanks to Sadie who also happens to make lovely jewelry!!

I did manage to take some pictures of the stuff that will be in the show tomorrow, but unfortunately due to a UPS disaster with my business cards and the fact that I'm going to end up printing my own at home tonight, I won't be able to edit and post them until next week.

So, to everyone in the DFW area, I hope to see you at the show tomorrow, and to everyone else, goodnight!

If I were on a picnic...

2008-05-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

If I were out on a picnic, instead of working Reapercon, then I'd have to wear...

A classic lacy headband by Cozy:

A lovely blue dress by Funky Junk Jewls:

And some long ornate earrings from AncaNY:

Hopefully I wouldn't mess it all up by eating fried chicken!

Busiest weekend ever!

2008-05-15T22:52:00.000-07:00

So on top of the Etsy Dallas Beer-B-Q that is happening on Sunday, this weekend happens to be Reapercon 2008. This means that I'm working extra hours at the convention while still trying to get all of my work finished for the sale.

So far I've completed several necklaces, and many earrings, and I'll hopefully have time to take pictures of them tomorrow after I escape the convention, although I can't promise any pictures anytime soon. Anything leftover from the sale is sure to either make it into the shop immediately, or if it's sold out will be put into production.

Also, as a side note my One Yen Coin earrings were featured in In the Night Kitchen this week! Thanks to Amy Esther Ceramics for the sweet write-up!

Huzzah for free beer!

2008-05-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

So right now I'm gearing up for the Etsy Dallas Beer-B-Q coming up in a couple of weeks. This will be my first time participating in an Etsy Dallas event, and since we'll all be selling our jewelry I've been working on building up as much stuff as possible. If you're looking for more information about Etsy Dallas, you can check out their blog or their website.

From some of the forum posts I've read, most people recommend taking as much as you can, so I'll be making more than a few new designs and one of a kind items to go with my standard themes. I'm currently working on some simple geometric pieces, as well as some that incorporate filigree style wire-work. I'll make sure to get some pictures of everything before the show, so keep an eye on my flickr page for the next couple of weeks.

So, if you'll be in the Dallas / Ft. Worth area on the weekend of May 18th, between 11 am and 5 pm, and you're interested in some free food, free beer, or just checking out some awesome handmade stuff by local crafters / artists, then make sure to come see me at the Etsy Dallas Beer-B-Q!

Black Widow

2008-04-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

So one of the guys at work today opened up a box of stuff he was going through and found this inside it. Rather than just smash it, I decided to save it and see if I can set it in resin for a necklace or ring. They said they seem to find them fairly often, so maybe I'll end up with a whole series of black widow jewelry.

Until then, you'll just have to do with an ACEO of a black widow by Etsyian biggirl4664:

Etsy Dallas!

2008-04-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

This lovely treasury was created by the Etsy Dallas member Memopause! I love the expression on that dogs face, and that little bird necklace is so cute! It's a great selection, with plenty of color.

As a side note, I was happy to find out that my new Nuclear earrings were featured in the Etsy Addicts blog today. I'll be sure to check out their other features as well, they have a lot of other great Etsians they've mentioned.

Wanna party tonite?

2008-04-18T21:33:00.001-07:00

I feel like dancing tonight... here's what to wear:

From top to bottom:
Disco Lives earrings by PotatoFace

Psychadelic Cuff by Stormy Designs

Spin me Right 'Round necklace by Minski

~I'll see ya at the party!

Ollies Woollies

2008-04-15T11:44:00.001-07:00

So right after I'd listed some new earrings today, I was taking a look at Etsy's front page when I happened to see this go scrolling by...

I thought to myself 'that's pretty sweet' and then I thought I'd share it with the rest of the internet out there. Ollies Woollies makes several styles of bracelet and necklace felted from wool similar to this one. Since they're felted without wire inside, they're very soft and flexible and appear to conform to any shape.
Guess who just got added to my favorites?

Shoutout

2008-04-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

So I'd like to take this post as a chance to say congrats to my friend Loryn who had a piece in the Ethicial Metalsmith's Composting Good and Evil: Redesign for Sanctimonious Sinners show which was shown at this years SNAG conference and is currently online.
Check out her piece below:

I'm glad to see that all her hard work is finally paying off. Congrats Loryn!

Lots of shop updates recently!

2008-03-31T15:12:00.001-07:00

So I've been managing to update the shop quite a bit lately, so make sure and take a look at what's new.

Click the images below to check them out:

Updraft and Riverbed

2008-03-29T17:39:00.001-07:00

My Updraft earrings are new in the shop today, and you can see a sneak preview for what's coming tomorrow below:

Also, here's a look at someone from my favorites:

Vintage Romance Earrings, by Ashley Hope, a fellow member of the Etsy Dallas Street Team and a former UNT Metals Club member. I couldn't have thought of a more fitting name for these earrings. Romance is just perfect.

I'm off in outer space today...

2008-03-28T17:59:00.001-07:00

Orbit 2, originally uploaded by freeforged.

Here's another quick update to the shop, a variation of the earrings I posted yesterday. A different pattern and a different patina make a pretty big change to a simple pair of earrings.

These remind me of the orbit patterns in solar system diagrams - but with all the little rings overlapping each other.

Flame Earrings

2008-03-27T19:48:00.001-07:00

Flame Earrings - 3, originally uploaded by freeforged.

Another new item for the shop tonight... make sure you stop by and take a look at all the juicy details. I'm hoping to keep up with more frequent additions to the shop, and since I took a couple of improved shots of these recently I thought it was their time.

I'm still not sure what kind of lighting I like best. In my metalsmithing classes, we were taught to use photo-flood lights with a soft-box, but everything I've seen about taking pictures online suggests using natural light, such as photographing stuff on a windowsill. I took these in front of the window on a piece of paper, but even with my adjusting the white balance they still ended up very gray.

As far as tweaking pictures goes, I usually use Adobe Photoshop CS3, but for people who can't afford it, Adobe just released Photoshop Express online - a free trimmed down version of photoshop!

New earrings for the shop.

2008-03-23T14:14:00.001-07:00

Large Molecule Post Earrings, originally uploaded by freeforged.

Expect to see these babies in the shop either today or tomorrow morning. They're solid sterling silver, with a light hammered texture and sterling ear post and clutches. These look great worn by themselves or with a simple pair of hoops. Trust me - after seeing some of my customers wearing them I just had to make myself my own pair, and I love them to death!

Shirt.woot: Moosestache

2008-03-14T19:50:00.001-07:00

So I've been a big fan of submit your t-shirt design websites for awhile now, but this week I finally decided to submit something to one of them.

Shirt.woot is a part of woot.com, which offers really good deals on whatever they happen to get their hands on. Shirt.woot takes submissions from Woot members for t-shirt ideas based on a weekly theme. Each week the them changes, and this week's theme is Canada.

I've had this idea for awhile now of a man which his mustache hair sculpted into moose antlers, making a moosestache. I finally got it complete, and submitted it to this week's woot derby.

For other graphic artists out there, this could be an opportunity for you, especially if you're more skilled than I am. They pay $200 for the first printing, and $2 per shirt for every shirt sold after that. It can add up to be a whole lot if the design is particularly popular. Some shirts, such as The Cake is a Liar, have been up for well over a month, maybe two, and are still selling.

Good luck to anyone who enters!

Twitter and Design Contests

2008-03-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

So today I saw an article in the Storque about Twitter - a new program that is basically the Facebook status update function, but that's all it is.
You post little messages about what you're doing, thinking about, planning, etc and then the people that 'follow' you can see them and read whats going on with you. You can actually post links too.

Apparently this is getting pretty popular with Etsians, so I thought I'd sign up and check it out just to see what the deal is. It's actually pretty cool, you can post your updates via text message or Google chat - which is my preferred method.
You can see in the side bar to the right that I now have a little feed going of my updates, or you could go to my Twitter page and check them out on person, and follow me if you have your own account.

But while I was checking this stuff out, Make happened to make a post about a design contest in their blog. This contest is by Modofly - a group that laser etches designs onto the surface of moleskine notebooks. Check out the blog entry about the contest here, then send Modofly an e-mail to info@modofly.net for details.

Now since I've been seeing several design contests and such things around lately, and mostly just posting them on Facebook (where I think no one actually sees them) I figured I might as well start posting them here for people to see. Most of these are for screenprinting or graphic design or illustrators - stuff that's way outside my skill set. So if I can't enter, at least I can possibly tell someone who can about them.

Expect to see a few more updates about design contests and call for entries when I find them, and good luck to any who enter!

Craft Shows

2008-03-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

So right now on Etsy's Storque there's a great article on how to set up a craft show display that looks professional but doesn't cost a lot. I've participated in one or two craft shows so far, as well as a few smaller sales on the UNT campus, so I found this article both interesting and helpful. Thanks to Paw & Claw Designs for writing the article!

You can see from the original forum threads here and here that there were quite a few interesting ideas people had. Some people purchased vintage or thrifted items such as trays and bowls, while others built their own handmade displays from hardware store materials and picture frames.

The flickr group for craft shows also has quite a few pictures of other booth set ups. It's interesting to see how people outside the jewelry craft realm set up displays of their wares.

I personally have used some chocolate boxes that are faux leather with a clear plastic window, as well as a hinged display case (bought on sale at Michaels - 50% off) however I'm not sure how successful the display case method is. It's very effective at preventing people from stealing my jewelry, however I think it tends to make people just glance and walk away. It seems to me that people are more interested in purchasing jewelry when they can pick it up and hold it and look more closely.

What do you think? Have you used display cases, or noticed anything similar to this?

Freeforged is featured!

2008-02-25T19:38:00.001-08:00

Ok, so it's not a major magazine or fashion blog that's doing the feature, but I'm still excited!

JJMFinance featured my Etsy Shop in his blog! JJMFinance has an Etsy shop in which he sells custom built spreadsheets for Etsy shops. It's pretty cool, actually, and he has a huge variety of topics his spreadsheets cover.

The feature is a simple survey in which you can learn a bit more about myself and how my shop is run. So make sure to take a look at the survey and to scroll down and see some previous features as well! It's interesting to compare different people's answers to the same questions. Also, stop by the Etsy forums to say hi and let JJMFinance know what you thought of his survey!

Officially Freeforged

2008-02-21T22:04:00.000-08:00

So it's been awhile since my last post, but I do have some exciting news: Freeforged Jewelry is now an official business! Maybe not full time yet, but hopefully soon.

And to go with my new official business, I now have a Flickr Pro Account - which means my images will be better organized, and you can see more of them.

However, until I get some more pictures of my own work posted, here's a cool image of something I found on Etsy, by a seller named pankhurstpottery, who is fairly new to Etsy and doesn't have many sales yet. I happen to think their work is very elegant and classy, with subtle glazes that blend well with each other.

Upcoming show!

2008-02-06T17:35:00.001-08:00

Just thought I'd help get the word out that the UNT Metals Club is having their annual Valentine's Sale, and I'll be participating.

Details as follows:

UNT Metals Club Valentine's Sale
Feb 11th, 12th, and 13th, from 9am-5pm.
In the UNT Union, 1st floor courtyard.

Contact untmetalsclub@gmail.com for more info, or just send me a message!

Homemade Girl Scout Cookies

2008-02-04T21:23:00.001-08:00

Homemade Girl Scout Cookies, originally uploaded by freeforged.

I made these cookies the other day just in time to give some to a friend with the flu. Hopefully they made him feel better. They're inspired by the Girl Scout Cookies Caramel De-lights. These have almonds in them instead of coconut, but they were still delicious.

You can find the recipe here: http://bakingbites.com/

Or you can look at the comment on the picture to see the link and some other information about my alterations to the recipe.

I'm going to try and make some homemade thin mints next, wish me luck.

Back in production

2008-02-03T00:17:00.000-08:00

So I realized earlier tonight that our Metals Club Valentine's Sale is only a week away. So, I guess it's time that I get back in production, even if I don't have all my tools yet. I spent several hours earlier tonight working on some new stuff, some old stuff for that sale, most of which you'll likely see make it to the shop at some point. I made a variety of more molecule earrings, including some Valentine's themed ones.

Also, I'm looking into the purchase of a kiln... so perhaps I'll have some enameled pieces to put in the shop as well.

Expect some pictures soon.

Chained Circles now in the shop.

2008-01-30T00:02:00.001-08:00

Chained Circles 1, originally uploaded by freeforged.

Check it out, just posted a new pair of earrings in my etsy shop. You may have seen these floating around my flickr page for a while now, but they've finally been posted. You can check out a couple more pictures on flickr, or see a few other pair of earrings that are similar.
Enjoy.

Mounted

2008-01-23T18:46:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's just the fact that I just moved into a new apartment, but for some reason I really want one of these:

It's a Unicorn. Mounted. Trophy Style. And it makes me laugh every time I look at it.

Perhaps it's the sullen gaze that just seems to radiate the thought 'I hate you...'
Perhaps it's the foot long horn.
I don't know, but with a whole new apartment to decorate, I feel a strong urge that says 'I need this...'

Thank you PaperStampede, for giving me one more thing to add to my favorites list.

Aside from oogling various things on etsy, I've also been busy selling off all the stuff that's been in the back of my closet for the past 2 years. Consider it a destash in progress.

General Update...

2008-01-08T13:23:00.000-08:00

It's been a week since the Instructables Laser Cutter Contest deadline passed, and already I'm anxious to know if I've placed at all, but I suspect we won't know until at least another week.

Aside from that, I've been terribly busy with the big move - my boyfriend and I have moved out of the apartment we were sharing with my brother, and into a 2-bedroom that will actually have some studio space for me now!
I'm rushing to unpack everything so that I can start ordering my equipment - a full size torch for example, and possibly a kiln if I can find a good deal on a used one.
I did get a good camera for Christmas, which takes that concern off of my list, so soon I'll be updating my flickr account to pro so that I can have my pictures better organized.

How to solder (for jewelry purposes)

2007-12-29T13:31:00.000-08:00

Finally and at last! My instructable on how to solder (for jewelry purposes) is complete.
It's pretty detailed and also includes that video which I posted in my previous post. So go check it out, leave a comment to say hi, and let me know what you think.

If you've never made soldered jewelry before, perhaps now is the time to try something out?

Soldering video

2007-12-11T22:38:00.000-08:00

Check it out, I made a short video of me soldering a pair of sterling silver earrings. It's going to be part of a larger project which I'll post about in a few days once it's complete, but for now, check out the video and let me know what you think!

Molecule Post Earrings

2007-12-09T21:58:00.001-08:00

Molecule Post Earrings set, originally uploaded by freeforged.

Here's a group shot of some post earrings from my Molecular series. They're all soldered sterling silver with sterling silver posts and catches. This picture hasn't been edited yet, which is why it's a bit dark, but you can still see most of the details in the image.

I'll be designing some rings and some brooches in the near future; once I'm done with Christmas and moving and such. You can see more images of the necklaces in this series, as well as a few pairs of dangly earrings on my flickr page: http://flickr.com/photos/soundinnovation/sets/72157600396173706/

Graduation

2007-12-01T19:58:00.001-08:00

Graduation is approaching, and with it, the completion of my final two pieces of my Undergraduate career. Soon I'll have pictures of my Golden Fleece brooch, as well as the pendants I have been blacksmithing from old files. The golden fleece is a combination of cuttlebone cast bronze and chased sterling silver. The pendants are a series I'm working on blacksmithing, made from old needle files that I am forging and twisting into various abstract shapes.
Soon my pretties, soon....

Etsy.com in Newsweek Magazine!

2007-11-21T10:20:00.000-08:00

Congratulations on Lusterbunny for her octopus cuff links making it into a gift guide in Newsweek this week! It's awesome to see a fellow Etsian getting good publicity; it makes the rest of us look good too! You can check out the full gift guide here, or go to page 64 of the images to see the cuff links.

Casting

2007-11-15T20:04:00.000-08:00

So it's been awhile since my last post, oops. To be fair, I have been a bit busy learning a new technique - Cuttlebone Casting. I did not have any real previous experience with casting before, but for my current project I wanted to have an element that was cast with the cuttlefish bone method. Casting with a cuttlefish bone imparts a unique texture on the piece, something that cannot be obtained any other way, and is a method that has been used for casting by gold- and silversmiths for many many years. It took me five tries to get one that was complete, but eventually I did it! Sorry, no pictures yet, but I hope to have the piece finished by next week and will post some pictures then.
Until then, check out this example of a cuttlefish casting in Mooretaste's shop.

Vital for life?

2007-11-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

I gotta say, while a puffer fish on my toilet may not be Vital to my existence, it is pretty dang cool. Is it the bulb-by eyes? The slight smirk? The cheerful twist of the tail? All I know is that I want one, and considering the fact that it's not only restricted to toilets, I'm not sure where I'll want to put it either.
Oh well, if I can't decide, I could always wear it...

Better pictures... finally...

2007-10-22T19:22:00.001-07:00

Finally, I've been able to get the pictures I took last week edited. At least, half of them. But one of the things I'm happy about is finally getting pictures of my enameled ray-gun and rocket ship pendants. It's a series of copper pendants that have been enameled and then screen printed with images of either a ray-gun or a rocket ship. Some are double sided, so that you can flip them around to match what you're wearing. I have these in just about every color you can imagine.

Also, I now have some nice images of the sterling silver stacking rings I made awhile back. Each has a different texture, either from different hammers or smooth.

And this is a new piece. Sterling silver wire soldered into squiggly doodle shapes, with a handmade clasp. Everything is given a delicate hammered texture, making it look faceted. Plus, all connections are soldered, so you don't have to worry about anything coming undone. Look forward to seeing these in my Etsy shop soon.

Oh dear...

2007-10-15T16:52:00.001-07:00

Check out the latest designer I've found on Etsy that makes me jealous. Right now I'm craving Cabin's burned cork message board with, complete with matching tacks. It's serene and almost regal, in it's own way. Christmas is coming, and I'm working on my list. However, I can't decide between the stag, or the chipmunk.
I'm going to need a house to put everything in, and soon.