New Release Thursday

a little shameless selfpromotion :-)))


It's Thursday and we are showing off our new work again!
Many EM people have listed new pieces.
Some shops with new work being listed today include:

Jessedanger.etsy.com
bcyrjewelry.etsy.com
jessitaylor.etsy.com
eRosasjewelry.etsy.com
nyhedy.etsy.com
ninagibsondesigns.etsy.com
alphabettispaghetti.etsy.com
sarawestermark.etsy.com
duckduckGoosestuff.etsy.com


Also make sure to search for Etsymetal team for other newly listed pieces by Etsymetal members.

Gallery of the Month : llyn strong fine jewelry

I have been planning my Gallery of the Month posts for a while. Well...it's finally here! First up is llyn strong fine jewelry in Greenville, South Carolina. Q: Describe your gallery

A: classically contemporary with over 60 international jewelry designers and glass artists.

Q: Why did you decide to open a gallery? How long have you been open?
A: It was somewhat accidental – I liked downtown Greenville. I’ve been open since Oct. 1989.

Q: What is your price range of the products you sell?
A: from $20.00 to $50,000.00; Best selling price range would be $250.00 to $600.00

Q: Do you have special events? ie: First Friday? Exhibitions/openings? Trunk shows?
A: I have one large annual event a year and First Fridays (in the gallery) ; and I participate in other exhibitions (with my own work)

Q: Do you offer special services to your customers?
A: Yes! We offer wedding/baby/gift registries, shipping, gift wrapping, etc.

Q: Do you sell online?
A: no direct sales online, but yes; customers can contact us through the website and inquire about pricing if interested

Q: Who is your customer base?
A: locals, repeat customers, business travelers, getting more tourists all the time now too!

Q: How do you promote your artists / store?
A: print ads in the Journal (local newspaper), TV, direct mail, website

Q: Where do you find your artists/product?
A: trade shows such as Rosen, ACE, and Global Design; magazines

Q: What is your favorite/least favorite part of your business?
A: my least is managing employees. my favorite is designing jewelry and developing a rapport with customers

llyn's "YELLOW BERYL SUITE"

llyn strong not only owns her own gallery, she is also an award winning designer who has been creating jewelry for 30 years. She has recently won First Place in the Miscellaneous Jewelry category of the 2008 Jewelry Arts Awards and First Place in Ladies Jewelry of the 2008 Bench Jewelers Passion Award Design Competition.

Ruby Girl

Shannon Conrad, the metalsmith behind Ruby Girl, is a wonderful artist and metalsmith, and is always helpful in the Etsy Metal community. Her work incorporates stones and vintage finds with a variety of metals, as well as enameling, which results in a colorful array of objects. You can find more of her work in her Etsy Shop.

1. Where do you live, and where are you from?
I live in beautiful Portland, OR and can't imagine ever wanting to live anywhere else! I grew up in a tiny town on the Oregon coast and escaped to the "big city" as soon as I graduated from high school.

2. How did you get started working with metal?
I started working with metal just over 3 years ago out of sheer boredom. No, really! I was working full-time as the Acquisitions Manager for a library wholesaler (exciting!). When I was not working, I was home being a wife and a mother of two. I needed something that was all about me. I had done some beading, but was bored with it. I started hunting and found an adult education metalsmithing class through one of the local community colleges. I still remember how I felt when I picked up the torch for the first time. At 34 years old, I knew that I had finally found what I wanted to do with my life.


3. What are a few of your favorite pieces at the moment?
I love, love the enameled filigree I have been working on! I really enjoy reworking vintage componants and giving them new life. I love the idea of a vintage piece re-made into something super-modern. Like Victorian filigree enameled in lipstick red.
My absolute favorite piece at the moment is the ring I made for Etsy Metal's Secret Santa exchange. Taking that piece from a vague idea into reality was very inspiring for me. It has triggered a ton of ideas. You can expect to see more pieces with layers of sterling and enamel in my shop in the new year!


4. What inspires you (artists, objects, interests)?
I find most of my inspiration in my materials. When I am ready to start a new project and need ideas, I will often just sift through my collection of beads and cabochons and the ideas start to flow. I love all aspects of hand-fabricating a piece from sheet and wire - making something from nothing. Often my original idea will morph as I go along. A finished piece may not end up looking anything like I originally planned.

5. Do you have any other artistic interests?
Over the years, I have dabbled in many "crafty" hobbies. I crochet. I have made candles and soaps. Nothing has held my interest like metal has.

New Release Thursday!

Hello all!

We're starting a new series called New Release Thursdays. The idea behind this is that Etsymetal artists will try and release their new work and pieces collectively on Thursdays. Once a week we can update on what new pieces members are cranking out and highlight the freshest new metalwork!

Some shops with new work being listed today include Knitsteel.etsy.com, bcyrjewelry.etsy.com, Jessedanger.etsy.com, NinaGibsonDesigns.etsy.com, MikeandMary.etsy.com, tuizui.etsy.com, ashleyjewelry.etsy.com,colleenbaran.etsy.com,sarahhoodjewelry.etsy.com,daniellejewelry.etsy.com
Also make sure to search for Etsymetal team for other newly listed pieces by Etsymetal members.

Metalsmiths Like Theater Too!

This week's "Weekly Review" is for Wicked, the Broadway Show. This show comes highly recommended by a few Etsy Metal members. I personally haven't seen it yet--I would love to read the books first, but it sounds like an amazing show. Wicked's website has many great features, which include links to music and video of the show's creation.

Sarah Hood Jewelry

Sarah Hood is an amazing artist whose jewelry reflects the beauty and simplicity of nature. Utilizing a variety of techniques and materials, Hood creates wonderous pieces that take you to fantastical places. I have been an admirer of Hood's work for many years now and am so excited that she is part of Etsy Metal.

"I've come to see jewelry making as a way to explore my somewhat disparate interests in a very direct and inclusive way. My enthusiasm for gardening, botany, literature, children's toys, eastern philosophy, and travel all somehow make their way into my jewelry. Often these subjects inspire tangents in my work that I find totally compelling, and I find the small scale of jewelry perfect for exploring a concept to the point of exhaustion. Collecting, organizing, studying, venerating, and obsessing all come together for me in these small sculptures. There is no material that is too mundane. Everything from dead leaves to doll arms to diamonds are treated equally, and sometimes the resulting pieces tell me more about what I value than I knew when I started."

After studying metalsmithing at a small college in California, Sarah Hood went on to formalize her studies at Parsons School of Design in New York while simultaneously earning a degree in Writing at the New School. After earning a BA, Hood went on to finish her BFA at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, where she now lives and works.


You can find more of Sarah Hood's work in her Etsy Shop as well as her Website.

images via sarahhoodjewelry.etsy.com

Weekly Review: 3M Radial Bristle Discs

These are by far one of the best tools a metalsmith can have for their flexshaft. They are kept a secret, somewhat, at first in art school, as instructors want their students to learn manual skills in sanding and polishing. But word gets out. I learned about these beauties after 3 years of being in school! They're magnificent for getting into hard-to-reach places, under crevices and in cracks.

These are called 3M Radial Bristle Discs, and most jeweler's suppliers have them. There are varying grits for your needs, from fire scale removal to high polishing. Have a look over at Contenti for a full description and pricing.

image via contenti.com

Cyber Monday!!

Make sure to check out all the sales going on! They will be ending today - but in honor of "Cyber Monday" - you should buy as many early Christmas presents today and show that you love buying handmade online!!