Lots of new ear wire designs

Petite Three Point

Petite Squared Off

Crooked Leg

Small Spade

Large Spade

Squared off with crooked leg

Semi Oval

Mini, medium and classic ear wire

Bubble Wires in four different sizes

2010 is quickly becoming the year of the ear wire at Ruby Mountain Beads! And it's not even 2010 yet!!! The past couple of nights I have been inspired to design and create ear wire, after ear wire, and I feel like I haven't exhausted all of my avenues yet.

I have a confession to make, I love making ear wires. There, I said it, it's true. I find the whole process soothing. Forming the wire, bending it just so. Hammering precisely, filing the ends smooth. Testing it with an earring to see if it hangs just right. Strange. I know.

All new styles can be found at Ruby Mountain Beads!

Snowflake Earrings

Sterling silver filigree on solid sterling disc, featuring Swiss Blue Topaz.

I'm still trying to figure out a good way to take pictures of the earrings hanging. I like the weathered wood look, but I think my fence is a little too weathered. The gray is too close to the color of the silver.

I am totally in love with these snowflake earrings though. Will you just look at that Topaz? A beautiful color!

Moon and Star rings

This isn't the best of pictures, I mainly wanted to take a picture for my own records. These are a custom order I just finished. The request was for sterling silver rings for a pair of best friends. One would be a star, and the other a moon.
This was a challenge that I really wanted to take on. I knew I could do it, but having never made anything like this before, I still had a little doubt. At any rate, they are completed and I am happy with the way they turned out. The best part was sending pictures to the buyer and having her say that they were just like what she had pictured! I was so happy to hear that!

New Earrings!

My first pair of sterling silver earrings with bezel set stones!!!!!! That's it, I'm totally hooked. I had so much fun making these, and I am in love with them. I love, love, love Carnelian. It is a gorgeous orangy, reddy, browny color.

I took a few quick pictures this morning because I was dying to share. I haven't decided what will become of these yet, they may end up in the shop, or I may keep them for myself.

I already have a few more designs I'm working on with bezel set stones. So much fun!!!

I just can't seem to stop

Another newie that I added to the shop. I made this one for my niece for Christmas.

Another fun custom order

I am having a lot of fun with custom orders. It is great to take someone's idea and turn it into reality. These 13 little beauties are on there way to Alabama via FedEx as we speak. I hope my customer loves them as much as I do! I was really pleased with the way they turned out. I think I'll have to add them to the shop.



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I do need help coming up with a clever name for them though. I just can't seem to think of one. What do you guys think?

Pictureless ramblings

Well, I spoke to soon. I just got an order for 13 pendants. And they want them in the mail Monday. Am I crazy to say I'll do it? Yes. But I have the supplies, and I just can't turn down the opportunity. This is my first Christmas season, but I understand from veteran sellers that things pretty much dry up after Christmas. So, I will make hay while the sun shines.

I hope you are all enjoying this joyous Holiday season. I am looking forward to baking Christmas cookies with my girls. A family tradition. I'll be sure to post pictures!

Orders completed, packages in the mail, finally cleaning my house, and hoping to find the time to get the yuck out from under my nails.

The yuck is a combination of dark brown spray paint and etching resist. The resist is a black tarry substance that has stained my skin and my nails. My hands are in a horrible state. Between all the working with metal, and the cold weather my hands and nails have taken a serious beating!

My youngest has her school Christmas play tomorrow. My friend at http://foodiewithlittlethyme.blogspot.com and I are in charge of decorations. Scary. Foodie is really talented and creative, and I enjoy working with her. We get along well and have similar likes and dislikes. I'd really like to have my hands and nails looking decent before tomorrow morning, they're getting embarrassing.

I'm finally beginning (after I'm finished here) to clean my poor neglected house. I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I want to have everything completely wrapped up by Sunday, so I can spend the entire week with my kids and husband doing nothing but Christmas stuff.

The pic is of my Mom's Christmas present. Don't worry, she doesn't follow my blog, so it won't be spoiled. I know she's going to love it.

I have only one pending order that I am really excited about. It isn't due until January. I have a custom order for 2 sterling silver rings for best friends. One will have a star, and the other a crescent moon. It will be something I have never attempted before, but I really think I can do it. Think? Nay. I KNOW I can do it. I am grateful for the opportunity to spread my creative wings with this commission.

I've got all orders and packages to family and friends in the mail. It feels great! It was dropping that last bubble mailer into the slot at the post office that got me over the hump to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I almost feel like I can just coast now. But not quite. Not yet.

A fun custom order.

Christmas cards finished!

My Mom and I spent several hours getting the girls dressed and their hair done. My Mom asked me if I take this long every year just to get a Christmas card photo, and I usually don't. I usually get it all done under an hour, but I also usually get very stressed out, which makes the girls misbehave, and the whole thing just is an unpleasant experience.

This year I decided to take my time, keep everyone in good spirits, and of course applied the trick known by mom's the world over, good old fashioned bribery! We got the pictures taken, no tears, (theirs or mine).

Today while my youngest was in gymnastics for 45 minutes, I knocked out all the Christmas cards. They are officially ready to go, stamped and all. I even addressed them by hand.

I guess there is some address book on this new Mac of ours. A friend of mine told me this week that she is going to print the labels for her Christmas cards using it. But, I decided it would be quicker for me just to write them than it would be for me to learn how to navigate said address book. (Until this week I didn't even know we had one!)

So, one thing down, 20 million things left to do before Christmas. I WILL get it done! (I think)

did you know....

I just read an interesting tidbit in Art Jewelry magazine. It starts out...
"did you know.....
You can be a goldsmith even if you don't use gold. Metalsmiths work with metal. Silversmiths make larger pieces, whether functional or decorative. Goldsmiths make smaller pieces, including most jewelry and adornments. The rule of thumb is actually a rule of fist-if what you are making is smaller than an average human fist, you're a goldsmith."

I've always assumed that the material you most commonly used dictated what type of smith you were. I would never think to call myself a goldsmith. Just another interesting tidbit gleaned from the pages of Art Jewelry. I love that magazine!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

I have been busy, busy, busy since Thanksgiving. My mom arrived on Thanksgiving day for a lovely long visit, and left yesterday at noon. I always enjoy having her here, lots of shopping, visiting and pampering. I do stuff when she's here that I usually don't do. Like getting a luxurious pedicure, having my eyebrows shaped with strings, and too much shopping!

Last Thursday night the girls were in Grapevine's Parade of Lights. My oldest is in a Brownie and her troop had a float. The gracious leaders allowed siblings to ride too. The girls had a great time being in the parade. It was cold but a lot of fun.

Just before my Mom came, Arturo did a little early Christmas shopping for me. Ok, I'll admit it right now. I am totally spoiled. He bought me a propane/oxygen Little Torch set up, a flex shaft, and the coolest four hand soldering set up. Who ever thought the day would arrive that I would be so happy to get tools for Christmas? But I am thrilled! I have managed to set up the torch and actually know how to run it without blowing up my house, have used it a little, but haven't made anything with it yet.

There is one thing after another that NEEDS to be done before Christmas, and I don't want to do any of them. I want to go into my little shop and not come out for awhile. My head is abuzz with ideas and designs that I don't even know if I can make! Is it possible to tell Santa all I want for Christmas is more time? And a maid, a cook, a driver, oh yeah! and a personal assistant would be great.......

Part of my new rock haul....

Red sponge coral. I'm thinking Valentine's Day!