Etsy Metal News 7.31.09

Botryoidal Hematite Specimen Ring by studiometalsmith

Happy Friday. It's already the end of July! We have lots and lots of news from our members this week....

Congrats to Kathleen of studiometalsmith, who recently hit 300 sales in her shop! She is currently running a Weekend Deals promotion in her shop. Head on over for 10% off anything in her shop, including clearance items (but not including wedding rings).

Also a big congrats to Kathryn of kathrynriechert, who is featured in the new Art Jewelry Magazine!

Starting tomorrow, August 1st, Catherine of catherinechandler will be adding lots of new items to her shop, with a whole new look. Out with the old, in with the new! I can't wait to see what she lists!

Tomi of MetalRiot will be hawking her skate-themed etched copper jewelry at the Tennessee Roller Derby Championship in Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday, August 8 from 12noon - 7pm. Come on out to see those daring divas at the Honky Tonk Stomp!

From August 1 - 8th, Rebekah of LunasaDesigns will be having her second annual "Limerick Sale!" Send her an original, unpublished limerick and get 30% off an entire order. Refunds are given through Paypal after payment goes through. The week long sale is to celebrate her 35th birthday as well as her 3 year anniversary on Etsy (both happen on August 8th). Incidentally, August is also the month the festival of Lunasa is celebrated in Ireland.

On August 4th, Cynthia of cynthiadelgiudice will be celebrating her birthday, and her Etsy 2nd anniversary. She registered on June 2007, but listed (and sold) her first item on August 4. From August 4 till the 8th, she will be offering 20% off on selected items in her shop. Look for them in her Sale section.

JesseDanger will be at the SoWa Open Market in Boston again this weekend, Sunday August 2nd from 10-4. It's supposed to be really nice out that day, so get out there and check out Jesse's amazingly beautiful jewelry!

Lisa of lpjewelry is having a weekend sale from 7/31 - 8/2. She is offering 20% off all sale items. Convo her prior to purchase and she'll adjust the price.

Emily of TreAnelli & PearlEverlasting, and Jessi of jessitaylor will both be at Urban Craft Uprising this Saturday and Sunday. I am SO going to this! I can't wait!

crocodile eyeball ring by jessitaylor

Nina Dinoff

Long time Etsymetal member, Nina Dinoff creates metalwork that focuses on the interplay of simple, geometric form with the complex, organic nature of the body. Her work is bold, yet elegant; minimal in design, yet substantial in impact.

Cog Linear Hammered Wedding Band Set

1. Where do you live, and where are you from?
I live in Brooklyn, New York and was raised just over the East River in Manhattan.

2. How did you get started working with metal?
My professional background is as a graphic designer, mostly interactive and web design. I worked in the interactive agency world for many years and craved something more tactile, less client driven, and just fun! I tried a lot of different things including hand painting a childrens' book and silk screening. After doing some assembled jewelry I finally took a metalsmithing class and it just stuck. It really suits my ADD personality. I always have about 5 projects going on at once and jump from station to station, but at the same time I love hours of uninterrupted activity concentrating on one thing.

Sequin Necklace by Nina Dinoff
3. What are a few of your favorite pieces at the moment?

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time at a workshop doing some experimentation and I really love the work that evolved out of that. Specifically, I started experimenting with using a type of paper called abaca that can be molded to an armature. I plan on doing a lot more with that. I also recently finished a necklace in my Sequin line that I had on the back burner for a long time and I am really happy with the results!

Shrouded Pendant: pot metal pendant wrapped in abaca paper on a handmade silver and gold chain

4. What inspires you (artists, objects, interests)?
Simplicity. My main inspiration is pure form and shape. Sometimes I will just see a shape in something and think, how can I interpret that? My mother is a big fan of Ellsworth Kelly and I think that had a certain influence on me. I remember once seeing a retrospective of his work and being stuck by how he would just distill forms from things as basic as a newspaper or a window and derive such bold images from them. I definitely strive to do that in my work. I always cite Modernism as a huge influence on my and my work but then I find myself really attracted to things like Victorian mourning jewelry. But I always look at things like that and think, how can this elegant form be whittled down to the basics? Another big influence on my recently has been the work of the jewelry designer and artist Tone Vigeland, who interestingly enough started out as a modernist and moved later in her career towards more complex kinetic work, yet it always maintains that simplicity.

5. Do you have any other artistic interests?
Oh of course! I just wish I could do it all. I used to draw and paint, but not really any more. Over the past few years I have been really working hard to hone my skills as a jeweler so I've really been focusing on that. But I plan to take a class in either flameworking or blacksmithing this fall. I also studied film and art history in college---I used to be a huge film buff so that sticks with me quite a bit. I also love to knit and cook.

Orecchiette Double Drop Earrings

You can find more of Nina's work on her website and in her two Etsy shops: ninadinoff and swizzlet.

Etsy Metal Finds

1. Yellow - Green Patent Leather Tote Shoulder Bag byeeka

2. Nouveau Knot Copper Hair Fork by mairzydozy

3. BABOOSHKA Oversized Box T Shirt in Charcoal or Black by Babooshka Boutique

4. Large Deep Purple Organza Flower Pin by Ferragamo Studio

Etsy Metal News 7.24.09

Gradation Brooch by ashleyjewelry

It's another Friday and we have some great news, as always, from our members! Read on...

Maggie from maggiejs and Sara from sarawestermark will both be at International Festival Day in Waynesville, NC on Saturday from 10am to 5pm. The Haywood County Arts Council and FOLKMOOT USA join together to present a daylong extravaganza of music, dance, crafts & food from around the world. You can find Maggie at booth #55, and Sara at booth #61.

ashleyjewelry's Gradation Brooch is in a show and won an award. More info can be found on the Visual Arts Society of Texas website and on Ashley's blog.

Cynthia of cynthiadelgiudice was recently featured on the mar de color rosa blog in a beautiful feature article.

catherinechandler's month-long July Clearance Sale ends on July 31! Get over to her shop and...shop!

Etsy Metal Finds

1. TaTToo sKuLL floral wraparound Longsleeve byAhpeele

2. Tatoo Toilet Seat byHeadless Designs

3. Sacred heart tattoo style wall art byBeepart

4. Delux Hobo Style Diaper Bag Book Tote Gym Purse byXcessrize

Review - Bur Life

For a long time, I thought this was another of those products to waste money on. Every once in awhile I might use a little beeswax if it seemed like I really needed it, but in general, I just use my drill bits, saw blades and burs as is.

Since I started doing more stone setting and my collection of burs is growing, I thought I would give it a try. It is amazing. I am now completely a believer. I got the 'sampler' pack as I didn't know which medium I would like the best. The middle container that no longer has any words on the label (and I haven't had it that long) is the gel type. Its my favorite so far, though it is quite messy. Mostly because of the heat I think - and having a studio with no climate control, well... the summer in Georgia isn't so kind to something that has a fairly low 'melting' temperature. And come to find out, the gel stuff takes off the ink of the label! But it truly makes the burs cut better. Maybe it is my imagination, but anything that will make my tools act like they work better, and hopefully make them last longer, is worth the money.

I've used the stick (solid) a little bit, and the liquid only a drop or two.

If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it. If you have tried and/or use it regularly, would you share your experiences? Do you use one kind over another? Any tips?

Etsy Metal News 7.17.09

blush pink topaz ring by andescruz

Happy Friday! Here is a bit of news from our members:

Sophie of duckduckgoosestuff will be at Candyfloss--a designer/maker fair organized by Craft Candy in Sheffield. It's at the Millenium Gallery/Winter Gardens, which Sophie describes as an amazing venue. If you're in the area, definitely stop in and see her there.

Congratulations to Andes of andescruz who just hit 100 sales in her Etsy shop! Also, she will be celebrating her two year Etsy anniversary on the 23rd of July. She is currently running a huge sale in her shop--get on over there to pick up some amazing deals on some gorgeous jewelry!

And another congratulations to Norsola who recently had her Vampyr Ring II featured in the Trendspotting article in the Storque.

Etsy Metal Finds

1. GREEN BED // ARROUND COLLECTION byBellabas

2. Mossy Sprouts - 8x10 fine art photograph byApple Loves Orange

3. Hand Dyed Fabric Bookmark byRuby Mountain Dye Works

4. Reclaimed Wool Sweater Brooch byThe June Bride

Etsy Metal News 7.10.09

Wings Earrings by studiometalsmith--on sale now!

Here is some news from our members this week:

MaggieJs will be at The Big Crafty, an indie craft fair, at Pack Place in Asheville, NC, on Sunday, 7/12. Come find her on the lower level from noon until 6pm.

Kathleen of studiometalsmith is having a big sale in her Etsy shop! Head over for 25% off all earrings through July 16th!

Also, a huge congratulations goes out to Sara of sarawestermark who was Etsy's recent Featured Seller. Sara also achieved the huge milestone of 700 sales in her shop this last week. Congrats, Sara!

Etsy Metal Finds

1. DEKALB / BOX-LIGHT rectangular pendant lamp with diffuser by Resuface

2. Male/Female WC decor bathroom sign retro green/yellow/blue byMooza

3. Halftone Face Urban Wall Decor Vinyl Decal Mural byrEVOLV3rApparel

4. Recycled T-Shirt Rug in Grey (21'' x 30'') byTalkingSquid

5. Urban Modern Cups Mugs White with Skull Design bySoule

6. Koro - Made to order byPoaplum

Pebble Drilling Tutorial

Ashley Akers and Victoria Takahashi are two metalsmiths who utilize pebbles in their jewelry designs. Each artist drills holes in their pebbles, both as a means of connecting the pebble to their metalwork, and as an integral part of their designs.

Ashley and Victoria use similar, but slightly varied pebble drilling techniques, which they will share with you here.

Both artists use a few basic tools.

A means of drilling: Ashley uses a dremel tool and Victoria uses a drill press.

Diamond Coated Drill Bits: Ashley uses hollow core bits and Victoria uses cylinder bits.
*more on this below

Water in a shallow dish: Pebbles need to be drilled under water.


The key factors in drilling pebbles are:
Drill under water
Go slowly
Back your drill bit out often.


Backing your drill bit out of the pebble allows the water to flush out the slag, or debris, that builds up in the hole. Don’t push down too hard, but rather allow the drill bit to do the work. Be patient! As Victoria points out, “if you go to hard or fast you will completely overheat and melt off the tips and they go "squeeeeeeeeee" really loud, oopsy, $ cha-ching!”

Ashley finds it helpful to start out with a small pilot hole that you can drill outside of the water. This helps because the water quickly clouds up and you can’t see your hole, but have to go by feel. The pilot hole will be very shallow, just enough so that your drill bit doesn’t move around on the pebble.
*Ashley uses hollow core drill bits but is not completely satisfied with them. They are more costly than the cylinder type, and the small ones clog up very easily. After trial and error Ashley has decided that starting with a smaller drill bit and working your way up to the size you need the hole to be is quite helpful. The less material you take out at one time the easier this process is, and incremental drill bits allow you to do just that.

Don’t get impatient and push through the pebble on the back side. This will cause a fractured look where the bit breaks out a bigger section of the pebble. Sometimes even if you are patient this can still happen. Trial and error as well as patience are essential parts of this process.

You can expect to go through a lot of the diamond coated drill bits in the beginning. They can break and the coating can wear off, but this lessens with practice. It takes a while to get the feel of drilling pebbles. The denser the pebble the harder drilling will be, and longer it will take.


As always, it is important to take safety precautions when drilling. Be sure to wear safety goggles and keep hair and loose clothing out of the way.

Have fun, and happy drilling!

Here are some Pebble Jewelry Designs by these two artists.

Victoria Takahashi

Ashley Akers

SNAG Conference 2009

The Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) is,

"an international educational nonprofit organization, founded in 1969. Membership is open to anyone passionate about jewelry, design and metalsmithing. SNAG supports and advances the professional practice of artists, designers, jewelers and metalsmiths. Through education, innovation, and leadership, SNAG provides access to a vibrant and passionate community."

Many of our etsymetal members are also members of SNAG. Each year SNAG holds a conference in a different city somewhere in the United States. This year the conference was in Philadelphia, May 20-23rd. Titled, "Revolution", the conference was supposed to be about Revolutions in the metalsmithing field. Doug Bucci, one of the co-chairs of the conference said that the conference would, "provide the critical context to consider the future of our profession, provide us the opportunity to reflect upon our history, and ultimately celebrate the independent thinkers and decisive movements that ensure change, growth and evolution in our discipline."

The conference lineup/highlights:

Professional Development Seminar- focused on Web marketing and galleries

Pin Swap (crazy fun meet and greet + lots of new goodies!)

Vendor Room (lots of tools!)

Stanley Lechtzin- American Metalsmithing
Leo Caballero (founder of Klimt02)- Globally Networking in a Global Community

Juried Student Exhibition and Slide Show

Neri Oxman- Craft by Ecology

Camille Paglia- Art and Sex

Myra Mimlitsch Gray- Anti/Icono/Clastic

Portfolio Reviews

Gallery Night Tour- shows at local galleries including Wexler Gallery, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia Art Alliance, etc.

Panel Revolution/Evolution- moderated by Helen Williams Drutt English

Albert Paley

Education Dialog

As a first time conference attendee, it was a somewhat overwhelming experience, but TOTALLY worthwhile. I met so many amazing people, made so many great contacts, learned a lot, and left feeling inspired, enriched and invigorated. I feel like it was a great networking opportunity, but also a really good educational experience. It was really expensive but I plan on doing it again...totally worth it. I think it is important for people working in this field to be aware of what else is going on in the field, to know the other people working in the field, and to share what they are doing with others. I highly recommend attending the conference in Houston next year!

Read more about the conference experience on the blogs of the official SNAG bloggers for this year's conference:

Emiko Oye- Reware Style
Gabriel Craig- Conceptual Metalsmithing
Francesca Vitali- Frucci Design

Etsy Metal News 07.03.09

Let's see what's happening on our team this week!

Falling Leaves Necklace by Maggie J

Kathryn Riechert will be at the Jacksonville, FL Riverside Arts Market on Saturday July 4th.

Maggie J is participating in her very first festival on the 4th of July! It will be in Bryson City, NC at the Freedom Fest.

Congratulations to Rachael Sudlow for hitting 5,000 sales this week in her Etsy shop! How amazing is that?

And another congratulations to Colleen Baran who passed 5,000 hearts and had her Floating Saucer Two Finger Ring featured in the "Brass Knuckles Made For Looking Good, Not Evil" post on The Frisky!

Catherine Chandler has a huge sale (over 25 items!) in her shop for the month of July.

And a very Happy Birthday this week to Kerin Rose!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Kerin Rose

Etsy Metal member, Kerin Rose creates tactile and soulful work. She begins her designs by carving beeswax (that is a result of the bees her sister keeps!!!) then she casts the wax carvings in eco-friendly silver and gold. (Find out more about her process here.) We are proud to have her in our team.

Kerin's Sunflower Rings

1. Where do you live, and where are you from?
I was born in Canada, but grew up mostly in NYC and New Mexico...
For a long while, I didnt really live anywhere, as I was working in the film industry and was "on location" for long periods of time...North Carolina, Mexico City, Nashville and more. Glamorous as some might think that seems, I found it kind of a drag not to have a home base. I currently live in Burlington Vermont.

2. How did you get started working with metal?
Getting started working in metal was sort of a happy accident for me. As a young teenager, I used to take art classes at the local Y. I wanted to take ceramics, but that class was full, so my mom stuck me in a jewelry making and enameling class, taught by Felicia Liban, who is fairly well known in the world of enameling. Apparently, I was something of a 'prodigy' with the materials, and later ended up being her apprentice in high school, doing her production work, and learning A LOT!

3. What are a few of your favorite pieces at the moment?
My favorite piece at the moment is usually whatever I am carving that's new on my bench!

beeswax carving by Kerin

I just finished a mandala that I am pretty happy with, but am working out the particulars of a big wide cuff with koi fish that probably will take up the better part of the next few weeks (on and off) but I am really excited about it...

Kerin's Mandala pendant. "Mandala is the sanskrit word for circle, community, connection."

4. What inspires you (artists, objects, interests)?
I am inspired by the rythym of the seasons, music, the art of Nikki de Saint Phalle, Allan Houser, Frida Kahlo, Elizabeth Catlett, Bettye and Allison Saar and so many more. Laughter, love, nature, spiritual symbols, stories and mythologies and the sprituality of all cultures, modern and ancient, especially!

Bee necklace "Bees represent the wisdom of the soul, and these days they are in danger within our fragile ecosystem... remember, we are all relations....."

5. Do you have any other artistic interests?
I am also a ceramic sculptor, (my art school major) though my life at the moment doesn't leave much time for playing with 'mud', but there is a bunch of ideas swirling around in my head, best to be expressed in that media, that hopefully will have time to escape sometime soon...in my next life, I am hoping to be a little taller and have a beautiful singing voice, so I can be a rock star instead.

You can find more of Kerin's work in her Etsy Shop , as well as on her website and flickr. I highly recommend reading her blog.

Etsy Metal Finds

1. Rusty Old Steel Letters by French Logic

2. 1901 Rare POSTER-SIZED Street Map of Chicago, Illinois by Banana Studel

3. Woodstock Craftsman's Manual 2 How To Crafting Book by ExtraX

4. Vintage Leather Organizer by Bella Vita Boutique