GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Well, it has finally ended.

I put all the usernames for the items purchased from both shops from December 1st, to last night…

and placed them all into a hat…

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and the winner of the Crow Springs Mine Turquoise and Silver Dragonfly Bracelet is….

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the darling lady who earlier snagged the “Bring On The Lace” ring! Congrats! Your new lovely will be mailed to you by the end of this week…

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IN OTHER NEWS:

The blog will be updated Wednesday night, with new goodies coming to the Etsy shops Friday! These include the green turquoise trio of rings, and more stone adornments for digits!

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Hope all had a Happy Holiday, which ever was celebrated!

xx Stray Arrow

DECEMBER GIVE AWAY!

This month, everyone needs a little reward of their own. For the past year and a half I’ve been doing jewelry and selling via Etsy, trying hard as a one lady business to get my feet off the ground. Through hard work, amazing customers, and sheer dumb luck-I’ve managed to do it. Now its time to share some of my happiness with a lucky customer.

This give away will be from anything purchased from EITHER of my two Etsy shops, from December 1st to December 25th, 2011. It doesn’t matter how many items you purchase or their amount, once you purchase something your name goes into the hat! Literally. On December 26th, I will draw out a name from the hat and contact the winner via Etsy for their shipping address to mail the gift to.

What is the prize you ask? Behold:

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If you recognize this bracelet, its because its been in the works FOR.EVER.

This is a very old piece of mine, and it is still only 80% finished. I still need to re-patina and seal it. When it is finished, it’ll be sent to its new owner who I hope will wear it with affection.

This bracelet will fit a small to medium wrist size. It is all hand made from scratch of sterling and fine silver, patina, and a colorful natural turquoise from the Crow Springs Mine in Nevada,Southwest. The main design is of little dragonflies. This is a $300 value! I most likely will not be doing another giveaway…

Please feel free to email or comment below with any questions

(stasiaarts@yahoo.com)

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GOOD LUCK!

xx Stray Arrow


Preview Night

With the Holiday season approaching, I’ve been spending more and more time in the studio. Thinking about everyone who is making or purchasing goodies for others reminds me we all need a little something for ourselves every once in awhile – be it created, purchased, or eaten. So, in honor of the gifting month of December, for every purchase that is placed between Dec. 1st and Dec. 25th, each person shall be entered into a December raffle! I shall have a separate blog post specifying what the grand prize shall be, and the boring terms, etc.

Before sharing newly created lovelies, I simply must show off my new rock. I have recently snagged this darling natural turquoise from the ever rare and unique Damele Mine. This baby is of some of the highest quality this mine produces, with a  crisp webbing…

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First up we have a wide band turquoise ring,

The Dark Waters Ring”

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This ring features a clear drop of natural Royston Mine turquoise, set in pure silver on a comfy wide sterling band. The ring band has been stamped with feathers and all the silver has been patina darkened;in a fantastic contrast with the watery drop of stone. This is a size 9:

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Next up with have a ring featuring one huge, fat, STUNNING aquamarine gemstone.

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The “Aqua Flower Ring”  is one of my negative space rings,

one side feathers the gem, the other a little domed flower. The silver has been patinaed for contrast, although it is not entirely finished…

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Lastly, we have a turquoise and feather necklace,

The Turquoise Flight Necklace”

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Featuring a teardrop of old stock Kings Manassa Mine turquoise, this necklace features a hand sawed sterling feather. The chain, clasp, and all silver on this piece has been darkened to a gloomy, deep nighttime gray…

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These new loves plus additions to the Rune necklace line will hit the Etsy shop tomorrow (Thursday) evening. New pairs were added to my Gauged shop today. Check back to my blog tomorrow for GIVEAWAY details! 

and….coming in the near future, a Green Turquoise mini ring series featuring three stunners from the Crow Springs and Royston Mines. See a rock you like? request the ring size ASAP!

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xx Stray Arrow

HAVE YOU HEARD!?

The Stray Arrow is having a SALE!

For this weekend only, from Midnight Thursday to Midnight Monday

everything in the shop is 10% off!

and for those who take a peak at my little blogging fancy here, why not

have an extra 5%off?

JUST ENTER THE COUPON CODE BELOW AT “APPLY CODE” AT CHECKOUT!

whether you’re celebrating by chomping some turkey, tofu, or just a delightful glump of cranberries-or participating in the National Day of Mourning, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend ❤

xx Stray Arrow

Gem Show and New Work Preview…

Well, I went to the gem show with the intention to restrain myself from buying too many sparkley goods, and have succeeded! Only three new cabs this weekend…

one a beautiful light and white dotted variscite stone, one stunning red fossilized dinosaur bone, and one big fat flashy labradorite…

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New goodies for the Gauged folk will hit the shop Wednesday:

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New goodies for the main Etsy shop…

mini turquoise drop stackers from the Royston mine. These are perfect for turquoise lovers looking for an everyday ring or something on the less expensive side!

Other new turquoise is a large ring featuring a fantastic natural Nacozari turquoise of  a brilliantly deep blue…

Also coming soon is a new edition to the Romantics Line, for winter…

“The Evergreen Necklace”

featuring a snowy moss agate and two teardrop rainbow moonstone gems. The main pendant is set in a pebbled piece of recycled pure silver…

Lastly is the “Winter Lace” ring, featuring a collector’s slice of Calico Lace Agate with snowflake like orbs in the background.

Keep a look out in the shops on Wednesday!

xx Stray Arrow

11/11/11 & Holidays’a’Comin’…

The Holiday season is coming up fast, and there are a few little changes to the shop….

I now have a “STOCKING STUFFER” section up- for sweet little silver, bronze, and mini stone lovelies that are in a lower price range-perfect for gifting. There have also been many new additions to the SALE section~all on Final Sale. I’m trying to clear out a bit of inventory for the New Year. Some of the items that don’t sell in the Sale section before this year ends will be taken off the Etsy Shop….and turned into something new!

In other news, I have a new display item I discovered at one of my favourite Antique places…beautiful, graceful, and porcelain…

Recently completed is a version of the Custom Totem Cuff, done in WOLF:

The Wolf, and other recent orders will be shipping out tomorrow as the Post is closed due to Veterans Day

Hope all are enjoying weather as lovely as it is here! The blog will be updated next weekend, after I attend a Gem Show! Check back for my newly discovered and won goodies that sparkle then~Happy Wishing Day!

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xx Stray Arrow

“Weave The Wind…”

A few new pieces are hitting the Etsy Shop this coming Wednesday afternoon…

This lovely variscite ring features a lovely stone from Nevada, Southwest. The wide band gives extra comfort, and is stamped with feathers on the outside….

Also new is the “Winter Wind” ring…

This beauty features a STUNNING dendritic agate. The ring band features a semi-hidden quote from a T.S. Eliot poem,

“Weave the wind

I have no ghosts”

This is like a personal mantra for the wearer. 

The silver in which the stone is set is file polished, so the agate will warmly glow whenever light hits it.

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catch these two plus a few more jewels in the shop Wednesday!

xx Stray Arrow

 

Royston Conquest in the Treasure Chest….

Isn’t it wonderful how there are always new goodies to share? I’ve recently acquired a vast amount of beautiful, natural, turquoise from the Royston Mine, Southwest…

~Royston Turquoise Mine~

Royston is actually a district that contains 3 different mines in Nevada. Royston mines, along with the Pilot Mountain mine, are known for their extreme color variations. Blues, greens, rusty bronze browns and dark colors spin together with or without matrixes to make these lovely stones look like landscapes. This rare turquoise is still being mined today and continues to be one of the most popular.

***all cabs below are great quality, no pits,

and currently all are up for grabs!***

for extreme stone detail-double click on a picture. please excuse the working hands…

this lovely especially is of very high quality, and features a stunning colouring and patterns:

the darlings below are great for matching (earrings or gauges):

The Royston Mine is similar to the pilot Mountain, Crow Springs/Bluebird, and Ajax Mines in that they all have some serious variation in colours, patterns, and quality. They are all roughly around the same area and the more variation on one stone, the more desired.

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Other new turquoise conquests have led me to matching pairs! These NATURAL BEAUTIES are from the White Buffalo Mine in Tonopah Nevada, and the Nacozari Mine in Sonora, Mexico. The round Nacozari pair would be perfect for any gauges 00 gauge or larger, or just huge statement earrings….all of these pairs are perfect for dangling earrings or hoops, see examples below that are in the GaugedbyStasia Etsy shop,

the White Buffalo hoops have already sold and are being worn with love ❤

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In other news, two new pieces have been added to the Shop today~

a sweet little pair of wampum studs, and a new necklace featuring wampum and Kings Manassa Mine turquoise…

the “West of the Woodlands” necklace

a blending of Woodlands Native (wampum) and Southwestern Native (turquoise)…

~*more jewelry coming next weekend*~

xx StrayArrow

“Low on the Sand, and Loud on the Stone”…

Before I post new work to be added to the Etsy shops tomorrow, and recently completed work,  Etsy has made a few changes to their hosting websites where my shops are. They have recently added the option to change a Shop Name. While my shop for the gauged folks will remain “GaugedbyStasia”, my shop name for my StasiaSalvucci account will now be “TheStrayArrow”, permanently. All bookmarks and URL’s will be forwarded to http://www.TheStrayArrow.Etsy.com

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Tomorrow, in The Stray Arrow shop…

a new addition to the Grave Series, featuring sweet little silver and copper Momento Mori studs:

Also new, an addition to the Stormy Night miniseries in the form of a splendidly fat ring of substantial size and weight, inspired by Alfred Lord Tennyson

This lovely features a square flashly labradorite gemstone flanked by two hand sawed sterling black birds. The back is adorned with a raven and the quote..

“SILENCE FELL WITH THE WAKING BIRD”

from Part 1 of Tennyson’s “Maud; A Monodrama”…

Come into the garden, Maud,
      For the black bat, night, has flown,
Come into the garden, Maud,
      I am here at the gate alone;
And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad,
      And the musk of the rose is blown.
   For a breeze of morning moves,
      And the planet of Love is on high,
Beginning to faint in the light that she loves
      In a bed of daffodil sky,
To faint in the light of the sun she loves,
      To faint in his light, and to die. 
   All night have the roses heard
      The flute, violin, bassoon;
All night has the casement jessamine stirr’d
      To the dancers dancing in tune;
Till a silence fell with the waking bird,
      And a hush with the setting moon.
   I said to the lily, “There is but one
      With whom she has heart to be gay.
When will the dancers leave her alone?
      She is weary of dance and play.”
Now half to the setting moon are gone,
      And half to the rising day;
Low on the sand and loud on the stone
      The last wheel echoes away.
   I said to the rose, “The brief night goes
      In babble and revel and wine.
O young lord-lover, what sighs are those,
      For one that will never be thine?
But mine, but mine,” so I sware to the rose,
      “For ever and ever, mine.”
   And the soul of the rose went into my blood,
      As the music clash’d in the hall;
And long by the garden lake I stood,
      For I heard your rivulet fall
From the lake to the meadow and on to the wood,
      Our wood, that is dearer than all;
   From the meadow your walks have left so sweet
      That whenever a March-wind sighs
He sets the jewel-print of your feet
      In violets blue as your eyes,
To the woody hollows in which we meet
      And the valleys of Paradise.
   The slender acacia would not shake
      One long milk-bloom on the tree;
The white lake-blossom fell into the lake
      As the pimpernel dozed on the lea;
But the rose was awake all night for your sake,
      Knowing your promise to me;
The lilies and roses were all awake,
      They sigh’d for the dawn and thee.
   Queen rose of the rosebud garden of girls,
      Come hither, the dances are done,
In gloss of satin and glimmer of pearls,
      Queen lily and rose in one;
Shine out, little head, sunning over with curls,
      To the flowers, and be their sun.
   There has fallen a splendid tear
      From the passion-flower at the gate.
She is coming, my dove, my dear;
      She is coming, my life, my fate;
The red rose cries, “She is near, she is near;”
      And the white rose weeps, “She is late;”
The larkspur listens, “I hear, I hear;”
      And the lily whispers, “I wait.”
   She is coming, my own, my sweet;
      Were it ever so airy a tread,
My heart would hear her and beat,
      Were it earth in an earthy bed;
My dust would hear her and beat,
      Had I lain for a century dead,
Would start and tremble under her feet,
      And blossom in purple and red
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New to the gauged shop tomorrow…
one pair of 10 gauge faceted rainbow moonstone ornate plugs
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one pair of 4 gauge Stormy Night plugs with black pyrite fool’s gold
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and these:
12 gauge dangles for tunnels that feature a MATCHING PAIR of natural, genuine,
White Buffalo Turquoise
These lovelies have been oxidized, brushed and filed for serious contrast and are a comfortable weight so that they will swing in the most amusing arc, and still not weigh your ears down in the slightest…
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Recently completed is a necklace made with a turquoise I had posted in recent months…
featuring a museum quality webbed piece of natural Pilot Mountain Mine Turquoise, a cabochon of Kings Manassa Mine Turquoise, and four beautifully micro-faceted genuine emeralds…
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check the shops out tomorrow (Wednesday) for new goodies!
xx Stray Arrow

The Fire Still Burns…

Not only do I have new jewelry pieces to share before they hit the Etsy shops on Tuesday, but I also have a short story for you all, which will be at the end of this post….

I have been banging out made to order items and commissions, while at the same time making a few new pieces in time for Samhain (All Hallows Eve/Halloween). As always, silver skulls are aplenty. Now, I am currently working on expanding my “Stormy Night” Black Bird series in the Gauged by Stasia shop. These feature gem and silver plugs with 3D black crows or ravens that spread their wings from the gems. This style will also be on a ring within the next few weeks…

Story Night Part Two. 00 gauge. Larvikite gems.

New to the Jewelery shop are more bronze skull dangles, and a new series…

The new series is “The Grave Series”, based on Old Puritan gravestones in New England. Many of these graves would feature skulls flanked by angel wings at stone headers, with the phrase “Momento Mori”. This is a modern term for R.I.P.=Rest In Peace, and literally means, Remember Your Mortality. This doesn’t have to be interpreted cryptically. Momento Mori could just be a little boost to appreciate all and everything. The Puritan gravestones were all carved by hand back in the day, and each one has a unique (some goofy) expression. Each piece of this new mini series will have its own personality, hopefully you can find one that suites your own….

currently there are one pair of plugs, and this necklace in the series. Coming soon are more plugs, necklaces and rings….

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IN OTHER NEWS:

My artist friend Tory, of Tory Nova Couture,has recently made some new goodies for Halloween as well. These are just too adorable and delectable not to share! Illustrating different skeletons and monsters she has created the perfect quick costume idea: unique and humorous quality pull over masks. These cuties come in kid and adult sizes, perfect to snag you the “coolest grown up” award! These are illustrated 360 degrees…check them out in her ETSY shop : http://www.torynova.etsy.com

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Well folks, I believe its story time…

As I have posted before, “Atsenhaienton” is translated to “The Fire Still Burns” in Mohawk Iroquois. This is the name of a mini jewelry line I had started with a pair of dangles featuring genuine wampum. From these dangles sparked interest, and now one pair of plugs has been made in this style, another is in the works, and talk of a possible Atsenhaienton necklace may come into being.

Each piece of this collection highlights a little shard of a history. Whether it be your own or another’s, histories and mythologies can be how we define ways of life and being and seem to always stay with us.

From this inspiration, I have made a ring based on one of my favourite Iroquois tales (specifically Seneca Iroquois, or Haudenosaunee). Please note that although I am an enthusiast, I am not a scholar or…known for my accurate spelling. The names in this tale are phonetic, and are approximate…

Ga-oh, Spirit of the Winds, chose his aids from the terrestrial because of their knowledge of the earth; and when his reverberating call had ceased its thunderous echoes, he opened his north gate wide across the sky and called Ya-o-gah, the Bear.

Lumbering over the mountains as he pushed them from his path, Ya-o-gah, the bulky bear, who had battled the boisterous winds as he came, took his place at Ga-oh’s gate and waited the mission of his call. Said Ga-oh, “Ya-o-gah, you are strong, you can freeze the waters with your cold breath; in your broad arms you can carry the wild tempests, and clasp the whole earth when I bid you destroy. I will place you in my far north, there to watch the herd of my winter winds when I loose them in the sky. You shall be the North Wind. Enter your home”. And the bear lowered his head for the leash with which Ga-oh bound him, and submissively took his place in the north sky.

In a gentler voice Ga-oh called Ne-o-ga, the Fawn, and a soft breeze as of the summer, crept over the sky; the air grew fragrant with the odor of flowers, and there were voices as of babbling brooks telling the secrets of the summer to the tune of birds, as Ne-o-ga came proudly lifting her head.

Said Ga-oh, “You walk with the summer sun,and know all its paths; you are gentle,and kind as the sunbeam, and will rule my flock of the summer winds in peace. You shall be the South Wind, Bend your head while I leash you to the sky, for you are swift, and might return from me to the earth”. And the gentle fawn followed Ga-oh to his great gate which opens the south sky.

Again, Ga-oh trumpeted a shrill blast, and all the sky seemed threatening; an ugly darkness crept into the clouds that sent them whirling in circles of confusion; a quarrelsome, shrieking voice snarled through the air, and with a sound as of great claws tearing the heavens into rifts, Da-jo-ji, the Panther, sprang to the gate.

Said Ga-oh, “You are ugly and fierce, and can fight the strong storms; you can climb the high mountains,and tear down the forests; you can carry the whirlwind on your strong back, and toss the great sea waves high in the air, and snarl at the tempests if they stray from my gate. You shall be the West Wind. Go to the west sky, where even the Sun will hurry to hide when you howl your warning to the night”. And Da-jo-ji, dragging his leash as he stealthily crept along, followed Ga-oh to the furthermost west sky.

Yet Ga-oh rested not. The earth was flat, and in each of its four corners he must have an assistant. One corner yet remained, and again Ga-oh’s strong blast shook the earth. And there arose a moan like the calling of a lost mate, the sky shivered in a cold rain, the whole earth clouded in mist, a crackling sound as of a great horns crashing through the forest trees dinned the air, and O-yan-do-ne, the Moose, stood stamping his hoofs at the gate.

Said Ga-oh, as he strung a strong leash around his neck, “Your breath blows the mist, and can lead the cold rains; your horns spread wide, and can push back the forests to widen the path for my storms as with your swift hoofs you race with my winds. You shall be the East Wind, and blow your breath to chill the young clouds as they float through the sky”. And, said Ga-oh, as he led him to the east sky, “Here you shall dwell forevermore.”

Thus, with his assistants, does Ga-oh control his storms. And although he must ever remain in his sky lodge, his will is supreme, and his faithful assistants will obey.

All text of this tale was taken verbatim from a version written and translated by Harriet Maxwell Converse (Ya-ie-wa-noh). Converse lived  and studied with Seneca in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s.

This ring is simply made with sterling silver, patina, and a beautiful little round wampum featuring both its purple and white colouring. Four arrows have been stamped to represent the four wind directions. The ring band is stamped with “Atsenhaienton”…

check back to the Etsy shops Tuesday for these new items, and more…

and…coming soon…

THIS GUY:

xx Stray Arrow