PREVIEW NIGHT plus Rock Appreciation Day!

Posted on July 3, 2013 by TheStrayArrow

Below are some of the jewels that will be going into the shop on Wednesday and Thursday…

be sure to enter in the discount code if you make a purchase in the shop from now until Monday the 8th at Midnight!

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ROCK APPRECIATION DAY:

For this month, I could only chose one stone. I’ll be highlighting Castle Dome Mine Turquoise, as its become a staple for my Mini Cave Lady Rings! I thought about doing black pyrite for a second stone, but don’t have enough jewelry pieces to use as examples. I’ll have to plot and cook up something big for August!

Castle Dome turquoise is quite rare as it is a closed mine. Depicting bright light blues as it’s signature, it is located near Globe, Arizona. Castle Dome is also referred to as Pinto Valley Mine turquoise, and it is similar to it’s close neighbor the Sleeping Beauty Mine. Natural material of this is hard to get as most of the rough from when the mine was closed was stabilized and/or used for beads. It started, like many other turquoise mines, as a copper mine. Because of the mining methods used initially (aka blasting. yikes), many of the veins and structures of the turquoise later uncovered were extremely fractured. There wasn’t much solid rough available for lapidary artists to cut.

Personally, I’m not particular to ‘plain blues’ in turquoise. This mine in particular, (and its similarly hued cousin the Blue Moon mine) has grown on me. There are very subtle hues in a lot of the Castle Dome mine turquoise that you don’t find in your standard robin’s egg blue or Sleeping Beauty mine turquoise. It has light “watermark” patterns, that aren’t webbed or water webs. I adore pairing it with darkened silver, as it gives it contrast to highlight the stone. It also makes for a macabre pairing, and always reminds me of the bottom of pools.

I’ll be using more of this turquoise in fresh designs soon. What’s pictured is all I have left!

xx Stray Arrow

RENEGADE. Plus SALE NEWS.

Posted on June 30, 2013 by TheStrayArrow

This post may be a little late, but here is a tish of my experience of the Renegade Craft Fair last weekend in Brooklyn, NY.

I chose to exhibit sharing a booth, essentially splitting the 10’x10′ tent space. This way I could test the market without going all out, as I’d never been to Renegade before. The day before I made the 4 hour drive, and was lucky to be able to stay with my friend in New Jersey for the weekend so I wouldn’t rack up any hotel costs. Everything had already been organized, labeled, and packed. It was all set for us to rise early and make the drive to Williamsburg for set up. We woke up late, as is our norm. We were still able to get there with plenty of time to find close street parking (!), and unpack the car.

I devised a way for us to carry everything all in one haul. Instead of a dolly, which would have been awkward for the car, I packed a large oversized folding grocery cart…thingy. I then also packed a fully loaded plastic storage cart (sans wheels) that fit perfectly into the bigger cart once unfolded. The cart, one large plastic container with handles, a roller case for delicate jewels and display case, plus one big bag for survival (food, water, etc.), was all we needed. Oh, plus my huge awesome-tastic banner.

To brighten things up, my friend and I ended up wearing the same bright cadmium red. I wore my “pirate wench” dress.

We also some some strange things on the walk to the park that made me think, “Ah. Back in Brooklyn”.

We were extremely lucky on a few counts. Our booth mates were from Brooklyn and renting a tent for us to share. They had it set up the day before (!), so my friend and I didn’t have to think that much that early in the morning. Not that we aren’t morning…ish…people. I work at night, so I was on a backwards schedule. The other lucky bit what that our booth mates were just genuinely nice all around. They were great people and easy going throughout the entire weekend.

I think the luckiest part of the entire experience is that neither of us got heat stroke or died. It was very, very hot. Very. Plus humid. It took a tole on everyone. I used one of my postcards as a fan, Tory, my amazingly fantastic helper friend, was on cold drink duty. It was absolutely brutal, especially for an autumn/winter lover like myself.

There was plenty of time and then some for set up. I chose a crisp white table cloth, and plain organic woodlands vibe. I paired store bought display cases with my hand built and painted vertical displays. I painted everything to match in two main colours- washed out beachy white/mauve/gray, and dark wood. As my jewelry pieces as a whole cover many different themes and tastes while still be easily identifiable as “Stray Arrow Wear”, I wanted to keep the table clean looking while still being cluttered with jewels. The second day the bark discs I drilled holes in to keep rings tied down was traded for a long darker piece of drift wood for ring display. Here are a couple shots, click on any photos in the post for links:

(Tory examining display)

Silver post earrings with silver and deer hide dangles featuring black pyrite. Behind them is a case containing my two most expensive items: the Three Needles bangle with old stock rare turquoise from 3 mines in the Southwest, plus diamond slice in 14k. It shared the case with my grand Spider ring featuring two pieces of natural old stock genuine Bisbee Blue Lavender Pit turquoise (!!!), and a quote from Mary Howitt’s poem, ‘The Spider and the Fly’.

A couple photos of my booth mate’s goodies, natural soy wax candles. Kirsten, of Oille Natural, had the great idea of covering the candles so we wouldn’t get sick smelling them in the heat for days, along with smelling each scent separately. Each signature scent was covered by a glass globe you lifted up and smelled inside of, instead of lowering your head to the candle. It looked extremely classy, and left me with a burning desire for cake.

Some photos of other fun things at the Craft Fair…

I was also happy to meet a lot of new grand folks at the fair. Along with the booth mates from Oille Natural, there were some really talented jewelers there- each doing unique lines. I traded with a few folks, and loved the sense of comradery. Megan Massacre, of Wooster Street Social Club tattoo, stopped by. She was on FIRE with Phoenix flamed hair, and her nails amazingly matched her friend’s neon hair. They were both really great and enthusiastic, and Megan left with a mini Castle Dome mine turquoise knuckle stacker in darkened silver. She so sweetly took a picture of it with a couple other of her ring scores after the fair, as well. Look familiar? She’s been in two TLC tv shows – NY Ink, and America’s Worst Tattoos.

Another really great aspect of Renegade that came as a complete surprise? The food was DELICIOUS. Now, if you know me personally, you know I’m a complete food snob and picky eater. I was spoiled by a mother who should have been a chef, and I can cook fairly well. This stuff, was good. The first day we had duck confit dumplings and roasted cauliflower wantons with sauce (pictured). The second day we had grilled cheeses, delicious ice cream (dark chocolate, ginger, and strawberry), and falafel with salad. This was broken up by a constant stream of iced coffees, water, and raspberry tea.

My friend Tory rocks my jewelry. It fits perfectly with her little tiny romantic self. She’s got some bite and edge in her too, so with every new grand piece, she likes to see it in person. After trying this bold beauty on, she knew it was hers!

Tory is also an amazing illustrator. As a by-product of her constant need to create, she’ll soon be releasing a line of leggings to her shop! I’m getting me a pair in trade for the ring that called to her!

Other trades that happened: The badass Angela behind Concrete Polish Jewels traded me two of her Spike Crystal themed rings for a great pair of 1/2″ chrysocolla gemstone silver plugs. Linda the darling behind Fleatherfox snagged herself a black pyrite Mini Cave Lady ring for a Bow and Arrow knuckle ring. Arlie, the complete sweetie behind Urban Revisions, traded this huge glass statement necklace for a mini dark silver and 14k gold sapphire stacker ring…

At the very end of the Craft Fair, I also traded with our booth mates. For some sweet rose gold fill stackers and rose gold fill stacker with balled open silver circle, I got two delicious candles. The first scent is Saint Croix, a newly released scent with elements like coconut. It smells like summer at the beach. The second is something I would want for everything….perfume, deodorant, soap, life essence…yes everything. It’s called McGregor, and it is bourbon, brown sugar, and cedar wood. Can there be a better pairing? I think not. I’ve been burning it at my jewelry storage/packaging station, its a light scent but still present. The candle kept the room smelling divine even hours after I blew it out.

Best part of the entire trip? Dough, a scrumptious doughnut shop in Brooklyn, was a food vendor. I took home two blood orange, and two hibiscus. Three actually made it home with me, and none survived the night.

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SOME TIPS FOR ANY JEWELERS OR FOLKS WANTING TO DO LARGE FAIRS:

If in summer, DO wear open toed shoes if possible. I made the mistake of wearing ballet flats, and because it was so hot my feet were bruised and sore because of it. They still are.

Do also bring a lot of water, more than you think you’d need.

There’s no such thing as enough change and singles in your money box, but having credit card acceptance is a big plus too (Square and Paypal both have handy mobile phone reader/swiper/attachment thingys).

Find shade. It makes you happier. No matter how hot it is, when people are in bright sunlight they get…squinty. It makes you harder to read as a person. That being said, wearing sunglasses can also be seen as putting a shield between yourself and the potential customer. Unless you stayed up late the previous night, for any…variety of reasons, it may be best to leave them in your bag.

Bring tissues. This is a BIGGIE. If at a fair or show that is outdoors, and there are portable toilets…chances are there won’t be TP in there waiting for you. That being said, hand wipes are an essential as well.

Food: find something you don’t need to actually touch. In other words, something you can eat with a utensil. When handling food and then going right back to touching your products, its just a no-no in general.

Make sure you have SOME kind of identifying signage. If you don’t, it will make you look unprofessional, and your fans will never find you!

Take a stroll around. A lot of vendors cling to their booths like clinging to the rail of a ship being tossed around by an angry sea storm. You absolutely NEED a buddy with you. Show them a little trust, get up and go meet your peers. People are doing amazing things and they’ve taken the time and effort to make displays and share it with the public. Go visit with folks, and ALWAYS hand out your card. The best marketing can be just exchanging business cards.

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That’s all for Renegade. You’ll have to excuse a lot of the photography as it was done in a heat induced delirium with a phone camera.

In other news….

Starting Monday, for one week in the Main Etsy Shop, I’ll be having a

HOT SUMMER SALE.

20% OFF ALL ITEMS WITH COUPON CODE: HOTSUMMAH

PLEASE do not forget to entire in the code, I will not be making refunds if you forget. This doesn’t apply to custom orders. Sale STARTS Monday at 12pm, and runs through until Monday the 8th at midnight.

Why the sale? I have no a/c in the studio, and it’s melt-worthy outside. I’d much rather be packing you up lovely discounted jewels at my air conditioned packaging station indoors. Help me not melt, buy something at a discount. Spread the word, I rarely have sales and if so, they’re at 10%. This is a BIG. DEAL.

(I really loathe hot weather, if you hadn’t picked up on that)

CHECK BACK TO THIS BLOG TUESDAY FOR A SNEAK PEAK OF NEW ITEMS FOR THIS WEEK.

That is all.

^Tory in front of crochet bombed bus.

xx Stray Arrow.

Soon…

Posted on June 25, 2013 by TheStrayArrow

Just back today from the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn, NY. An upcoming post will be covering that adventure, along with little tidbits news wise on the jewelry front. July 1st will be a DOUBLE Rock Appreciation Day…featuring one kind of turquoise and another stone. Not sure what yet! Requests are welcomed.

xx Stray Arrow

Brimfield Antiques Show

Posted on May 19, 2013 by TheStrayArrow

This past week and weekend I visited the show at Brimfield. For those who don’t know about it, Brimfield is an expansive antiques show in Western Massachusetts that occurs three times a year. The Brimfield Show happens in May, July, and September, and always from a Tuesday to Sunday. People travel from all over to go to the show. I normally go twice to cover all of the fields. While my main objective each time is to go and cry over all of the beautiful vintage jewelry I wish I could afford, it’s always fun to see what other treasures people are offering up to the sunlight. Below is an offering to you if you couldn’t be there in person! I’ve compiled a few photos from each day.

Tuesday. Day 1.

*Jewel wear for the day.

Saturday.

*Hopi rope dance ring.

*took this beautiful bracelet home with me! A sterling silver piece from the Northwest Coast. This stunner is completely hand etched, and unique in the it has two heads instead of a head and tail theme. The back is joined by tail feathers from each head. Inside is stamped AND signed! A rare find.

*jeweled get up second day, including a large genuine wampum necklace.

I also walked off with a couple tidbits for display during the upcoming Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn.

In other news things will slowly be changing in the shop. For the next two months I’ll be doing some slight alterations, and during the month of June it is possible that some of the “MADE TO ORDER” items will be temporarily or permanently taken out of the shop. These items include mini stacking rings, stud earrings, and nose screws. If you have any concerns about this feel free to ask! (email: StasiaArts[at!]yahoo.com). If you’re pondering an item, best to snag it soon! Especially with the MAY SALE almost over.

Cheers!

xx Stray Arrow.

Rock Appreciation Day and News-

Posted on May 2, 2013 by TheStrayArrow

For this double Rock Appreciation Day we have…

TOURMALINE & EMERALD GEMSTONES

TOURMALINE:

Tourmaline is one of the most varied gemstones out there. It ranks a 7-7.5 on the hardness scale, and can come transparent to opaque, in any colour (colourless to black). The tourmaline gem is actually a group of mineral species, but because some of these minerals vary with varying colours, they are simply termed “tourmaline”. Because there are so many colours, tones, and opacities to tourmaline, it can be mistaken easily and is usually termed solely by colour. There are many different varieties, for instance bi-colour, watermelon, chrome, etc. Rubellite tourmaline is a very rare type that was often mistaken for rubies in Russian crown jewels of the past. Tourmaline can hail from many places, including the USA, Russia, Sri Lanka, Africa, Brazil, Australia, and so on. Tourmaline has strong pleochroism, which means you can see different colours or depths of colour when viewed at different angles, such as when you rotate the stone in the light. Different varieties tend to have different clarities. Those of the blue/green variety can be eye clean, while the pinks of reds of the spectrum almost always have eye-visible inclusions. Tourmaline can come natural, or is sometimes heat-treated to bring out colour depth.

Tourmaline is both pyroelectric and piezoelectric. If a specimen is put under a pressure or temperature change, it will generate an electrical charge (how cool is that!?). When this happens, dust particles become attached to the crystal ends. For a long time tourmaline was known in Europe as aschentrekker (ash puller) as the stone was used by the Dutch to pull the ash out of their meerschaum tobacco pipes.

EMERALD:

May birthstone, ranking a 7.5-8 on the MOH’s hardness scale. Personally one of my all time favourites… but being a May baby with green as a favourite colour, I’m biased. The colour of emerald (aka ‘emerald green’) is so unique it earns its status as one of the four “traditional” precious gemstones, along with diamond, ruby, and sapphire. The colour of emeralds is caused by small amounts of chromium and vanadium. It is in the Beryl family, and is essentially just the highest quality of beryl that can come transparent to opaque. Emerald is a particularly brittle gem. Natural emeralds almost always have inclusions and should be handled more gently. They are also almost always treated with oils, resins, or waxes. Exceptions are made for this treatment and for inclusions more than other gemstones. Inclusions and flaws are not always seen as negative, and can be an assurance that the gem is natural. Quality is determined by colour, and occasionally geographical origin. Emeralds can come from Africa, India, Russia, Brazil, Peru, among other places. Columbia is the center for mining emeralds, and South America in general produces the highest qualities. There a many stories and myths circling the emerald. The Egyptians mined it near the Red Sea, and it was said to be a favourite of Cleopatra. The Aztecs and the Incas both collected and valued emeralds, possibly regarding them as symbols for good luck and foresight.

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OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS:

My work load has become exceptionally large, and I can no longer be accepting any custom orders from May through the end of July. Unless I have already started conversations with you regarding a project, I simply don’t have the extra time for them right now. This doesn’t include “made to order” items. Essentially what is listed in the Etsy Shops is what’s available. This hiatus does not apply to wholesale or consignment orders.

A congratulations to the two winners of my Instagram Giveaway! For those of you unfamiliar with the application, you can do a little snooping and follow me @thestrayarrow, or check updates by clicking on the photo below.

LAST BIT OF NEWS:

10% OFF ALL OF MAY!

For the entire month in the Main Shop, there is a 10% off deal on your order with the coupon code in the photo below. PLEASE do not forget to apply the code at purchase. I cannot issue refunds for those that forget to do so. Enjoy!

Merry May all!

xx Stray Arrow

Old Loves…a peak at vintage pieces

Posted on March 27, 2013 by TheStrayArrow

The innate desire to adorn our bodies has carried on throughout the ages. Over time most folks acquire collections; each piece visually expressing a piece of their person. Tonight I’ll be sharing a few pieces of mine that have stuck, clinging to the depths of my many jewelry boxes…trunks…drawers. Most have been passed down from my grandmother. One of the signature 1950’s American ladies with drawers chock full of costume jewelry and old treasures, drifting near their gold tubed bright carnelian lipsticks…

Costume, war pin.

A pocket watch from my grandfather, engraved with his initials…

Vintage silver and natural turquoise cuff bracelets. All except the larger silver piece from my grandmother…

Vintage seed bead necklaces from my grandmother and great nana from Carpathian mountains…

A lovely vintage French lace and shell button necklace I found in a tiny antique store in Avallon, France. Paired with a vintage Greek bronze necklace, and old locket…

Southwestern jewels, including a most beloved “Story Teller” ring, and old Navajo green turquoise ring…

An old (Turkish?) belt, and an all time favourite. I’m not a fan of wearing belts in general, but one of my friends who shares a love in antiquing captured this beauty for me. This Victorian belt is made of old black velvet and silver. It hooks gingerly and because of the era, actually fits me. It’s such a lovely piece with fine detailing…

Ancient dynasty Chinese earrings made with silver and other metals, paired with Middle Eastern earrings…

Last but not least, my squash blossom. I’ve always wanted one of these grand pieces. The one I was lucky to find is of a smaller scale compared to others I’ve seen which is perfect for me. The silver work is beautiful, and each hollow bead is handmade unlike squash blossoms that came along in later decades. The natural turquoise is a high quality deep blue, possibly Morenci mine (definitely from one of the Arizona mines). This piece is stamped and signed by the artist which is important to me on old pieces. Not only for authenticity, but because the artist cared enough about their work to claim. This piece is Navajo made.

That’s all folks! Stay tuned to the blog for a Stacking Ring guide coming soon. New items will also be hitting both shops this Sunday morning!

xx Stray Arrow

In the works…

Posted on March 22, 2013 by TheStrayArrow

I have been slowly compiling an inventory of the growing amount of different stacking rings in my shop. There are an awful lot, aren’t there? Nothing can be so classic or complex as the little stacker. In homage to this timeless trend, and for a bit of organization, I’ll be posting a guide next week on all of my signature stackers and the different ways they can be worn! Looks will be divided by themes like “Cave“, “Arrow“, “Floral“, “Class Act”, etc. In addition, I’ll be adding some new stackers to the shop. Many of these will be *one of a kind* stackers; non-resizable one offs.

Another post in the works will be an inside scoop-what kinds of jewelry do jewelers collect? My personal vintage collection will be shared. Expect some bragging to ensue.

***NEW ITEMS***

Will be hitting both shops next week. New turquoise, as ever and always, along with some warmer toned pieces for Springtime. See you then!

xx Stray Arrow

Preview Night

Posted on March 4, 2013 by TheStrayArrow

All of these new pieces will be sprinkled throughout the main Shop late this evening and throughout the day tomorrow…

New ‘made to order’ Quiver Pack Rings feature little arrow vanes dangling from molten sterling and fine silver openings on a horse shoe shape. These can come either high polished or darkly oxidized. My jeweler’s tag for authentic Stray Arrow Wear joins the chevrons in the center. Each arrow vane is hand sawed with no template. The sides are then filed, sanded, and polished down so they are comfy and wearable-there’s no pricking here! While making the first one on a whim I was concerned they may be hard to wear, or get stuck on things. I was proven wrong. These are comfy, don’t get tangled, and make the sweetest sounding noise. They remind me of seeing little feathers sticking out of quiver packs. The dangling effect has a gypsy and belly dancing appeal.

Another Oak Bark Ring, like the previous sold, will be in the shop. This one features a lovely spotted natural turquoise stone from the Cerillos mine. Set in a gold fill bezel on sterling hand sawed oak leaf. The texture and patina mimic the changes of colour in Autumn, and the rose gold fill veining also hints at a Futhark Algiz Nordic Rune.

To accompany the Wild Flower Ring in the shop that’s ‘made to order’, a Wild Flower Bangle Bracelet! Featuring a deep and dense blue natural Kingman turquoise stone on a hand sawed bronze domed flower. The bronze and silver bracelet have been patina darkened for a lot of subtle rich tones. More Kingman Wild Flower Hair Ties will also be joining these within the next few weeks…

Also, a double dose of The Archer…

This is a new favourite. Another Cave Lady Ring with an incredible agate slice that looks like a cloud being taken over by the earth around the edges. Could be the cloud is hovering OVER the earth, but that’s less dramatic. This stone has many layers, and rests on a hand sawed sterling backing. Four arrow vanes shake from either side. The back features a spiral cloud motif. This lovely is huge, and a serious statement piece. A perfect combination of the primitive foundations and delicate romance hidden in us all.

FULL CAVE LOOK:

A Cave Lady Ring, flanked by Quiver Packs, and topped with Arrow Vane stackers.

only for the bold and brazen.

Check back to the shop to see more pictures and descriptions of these pieces.

xx Stray Arrow

Rock Appreciation Day

Posted on March 2, 2013 by TheStrayArrow

For this double Rock Day we have Imperial Jasper, and Lace/Banded Agate. The usual disclaimers apply-

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(Royal) Imperial Jasper

Jasper and agate are two of the most varied stone types out there. Jasper is of the quartz variety, almost always opaque, and reaches a 7 on the MOH’s hardness scale (for reference, diamonds are a 10 on the scale). It is said to be an impure chalcedony. Jasper can come in any colour. Because there are so many different colour and pattern variations, there are beyond dozens of “types” of classified jasper. Some other types besides imperial jasper would be Ocean jasper, Plume jasper, Picture or Landscape jasper, and so on. Jasper is found worldwide, but the majority of the beautiful type known as “Imperial Jasper”, or “Royal Imperial Jasper”, comes from Mexico. A light pastel version of the deeper colours associated with imperial jasper can also come from the Willow Creek Mine in Idaho. The main defining characteristics of imperial jasper are any combo of green hues, warm red/pink hues, and cream/brown hues. Rarely seen are the colder hues like grays and blues. There is a soft creaminess to the colours, and the highest grades show distinct banded patterns of colour. The bands or lines within this jasper can be referred to as “streamers”, when the jasper fractures and is then filled in with more jasper. Colours can swirl and merge from the rock forming process yielding amazing patterns. The most prized of all imperial jasper, are “Royal Imperial Jasper Nodules”. These nodules have a variety of colours in a banded pattern like an orb, stemming from the center of the stone.

The imperial jasper below is my own collection. All are up for grabs for custom orders except the small oval with rust and deep green colours of the same value. This is being used in a large ring…

Lace and Banded Agate

Lace agate is quite close to jasper. It is also in the quartz family, and another variety of chalcedony. Classified as microcrystalline quartz, it measures a 6.5-7 on the MOH’s hardness scale. It can be opaque or translucent, and any degree in between. Like jasper, there is an inmeasureable amount of different types. Lace agate is close to banded agate and striped agate. Crazy lace agate is a more specific type only found in Mexico. Crazy lace agate can also be known as the “Laughter Stone”, or “Happy Lace”. Agate is said to start as a nodule in volcanic rock and ancient lava. From formation, the insides of agates are often left hollow and can form druzy quartz on the insides. This type will be saved for another Rock Day. The stones below are my collection of lace and banded agates up for grabs. The bottom left is crazy lace agate.

Below:

Pieces made with lace and banded agate.

An example picture to show the difference between some plume and lace types…

In the SHOP now:

New Cave Lady Ring with agate in the works, and in the shop tomorrow:

In other news:

New ITEM PREVIEW on the blog tomorrow morning.

New items in the shop tomorrow night and Monday-

xx Stray Arrow

Changes, New Item Preview, Commissions…

Posted on February 22, 2013 by TheStrayArrow

Well after spending several hours cropping photos and finishing new items last night, I did something I haven’t done since college. I LITERALLY fell asleep on my computer. Sorry all!

This year has had a rocky start to say the least, but I won’t be getting into personal details. I’ve been making a series of required family trips, as well as planned trips (for sanity and all that). We all know how I love to drive! Now that things have settled down again I’m turning my full focus on the shop AND the Brand itself…

Changes. My Process.

Many jewelers, shop owners…business folks in general…never really talk about the inside details. I’m going to do a little sharing, so I’m sorry if this bit is boring! Photography wise, I use a simple SLR that I focus, point, and shoot. It’s all natural daylight. No tripod, no lighting, none of the fancy stuff. Unfortunately in these winter months, the sun yields a blue tinged light here in New England to everything no matter the time of day. I feel completely frustrated when trying to shoot work, even trying to keep it in focus with this old busted camera seems tough. SO. I have officially bought some more legitimate equipment to shoot in…and by legitimate, I mean real little lamps with daylight bulbs. Hopefully I’ll be reshooting *most* of my items with this to better represent the jewelry. The daylight bulbs allow me to shoot anytime, which also adds appeal. In addition I’ll be considering a new camera a few months down the line. Digital is a whole new world to me, and I’m pretty shameless about that. Up until needing a camera to shoot my jewelry I just used a 35mm manual Pentax in a darkroom. In summation, any good SLR camera any of y’all could recommend would be helpful! I’ll also be shooting my pieces in less cluttered set ups. Don’t worry. The leather, leaves, flowers, feathers, and all around Earth Essence will still be present. I couldn’t pull it out of me or the jewelry itself if I tried.

Commissions.

This year, I did something new. I told folks I was filled up on commissions to not overload myself and keep a steady pace. I put some proposed commissions on hold as well. Why did I do this? Without going into complicated details about the metal smithing process in general, there is some wait time in between technical steps. I’m one of those folks that truly just love to physically work, so I always have an extra 5-10 projects going on the side while working on everything else to keep beyond busy. Because of this, dozens of lovely ideas get made up to a point, but I never end up having true time to dedicate to finishing them. By only taking a certain number of commissions the past two months, I’ve been able to finish several projects that have been mer whispers of metal in the studio. All new items posted today have either been in progress, abandoned for the past few months, or stones I’ve been hankering to use for what feels like ages. For everyone wanting to get something specific done and waiting for it, THANK YOU.

I currently have some pending commissions that are still being worked on, but I’m completely open for more now! I’ll be contacting folks who’ve been waiting patiently-and yes. You’ll all get little extras for being amazing.

Rock Appreciation Day.

Was missed. I had Royal Imperial Jasper on the menu…and realized I’ve never made a piece with it! It’ll be done for March First in ADDITION to another stone type. Any requests are welcome!

New Items.

A brief description of the goodies below, which will be hitting the main Etsy shop this Sunday. I’ve been working on more pieces veering towards a “Stray Arrow” mindset. What exactly IS that? The entire concept behind The Stray Arrow, which has always been difficult for me to word, is in essence individuality. The Stray Arrow is alone from, or ahead of the pack. The Stray Arrow can be the one arrow in the quiver that makes the bulls eye shot. It’s me and you.

These pieces have a more rustic, Cave Time feel. Little arrow vane chevrons, individually sawed/sanded/stamped by hand, adorn each piece enthusiastically.

The Stray Arrow Necklace-

Made of pure molten silver with a beautiful weight to it. Little arrow vanes fan out, deciding which direction your path will eventually lead. These huge, low swinging necklaces will be made to order upon purchase. They are true Stray Arrow Wear, reminding you never to get boggled down. You always have options.

*pairs perfectly with Arrow Vane Stackers & Studs, Feathered Bands, and Crossed Arrows.

The Archer Earrings.

Made literally on a whim in the studio the other night, these will be “made to order” upon purchase. I had a thick arrow sawed out on the bench for another Robin Hood necklace. While listening to Paganini’s 6th Caprice, somehow the shapes of violins, cellos, and violas entered my mind. All those lovely curves while staring at the arrow immediately brought my mind back to bows. I’ve been craving to make some kind of arrow earring for awhile now. Over the past couple months arrows seem to have BOOMED in the world of popular shapes. Thinly walled base metal castings of basic arrow designs are everywhere. It’s time for something of quality and substance, don’t you think? These earrings are completely hand sawed, and stamped with tiny details reminiscent of obsidian stone arrow heads. When everything used to be made by hand, and it was necessity. All sterling silver, these are totally darkened. Thick arrows rest on bows, with their sterling silver chain “strings” pulled back. This is a simple, unique design. A companion necklace will also be in the shop Sunday.

Cave Lady Rings.

Close friends always have a handful of nicknames for each other. One of my favourites given to me is “Cave Lady”. My hair is fluffy and curly, made up of separate tendrils/tentacles that jut out in spools of crazy. Over the years (and through much trial and error) I’ve found a couple products that “tame the tentacles”, but I’ve come to terms with this nickname in all it’s appropriateness. Cave Lady for me also ties back to the primitive (note: I am NOT using this term in a derogative fashion as it so often is when applied to tribes or nations). When I was little I was obsessed with cave paintings (Lascaux), and trying to find arrowheads. Just the idea of putting that much time into the making of such a small object was fascinating. Fast forward into the future and I am now the creator of small things. I truly adore sawing and making these little arrow vane shapes, and thought…why not COVER something in it? So, in homage to the nickname, the old ancestry that ties us all together, and of course my obsessive love of rocks, I give you Cave Lady Rings. Two are currently made, one using a beautiful White Buffalo Turquoise stone and one a unique Koroit Opal stone. These rings feature little dangling Arrow Vanes, that also give them a Gypsy feel (another obsession, as a chunk of my family are from the Carpathian Mountains). Each ring has a wide band with “Cave Lady” stamped on the inside. These can be custom made with your stone choice in your size. The two current rings will fit a US size 5.5-5.75 (Buffalo), and US size 8 (Koroit).

Three Needles. Bracelet.

This piece is pretty substantial. The Three Needles (as in Pine tree needles), features three different kinds of old stock, natural, rare and collectible kinds of American Southwest Turquoise. I obtained these three stones from a man who deals directly with the mine owners, so these are from old stock collections of the owners themselves! Each mine name is stamped on the back of it’s respective stone. Each stone has a different bezel type, with a different etched in textural design around the bezel. The horse shoe shape that two of the turquoise stones rest on is also filled with dangling hand sawed arrow vanes. These make a fantastic light noise when in motion, and add a little movement to the piece. It will fit a small to medium wrist. This is a serious unique statement piece.

Zig Zag Steerer. Necklace.

This necklace has been on the work bench half finished for a long, long, time. It ties back to my Romantics Line, featuring quotes of poetry or literature. The quote is from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s, “The Humble Bee“. Featuring three nicely coloured old stock natural Royston Mine turquoise stones, wampum, and chalcedony gems, this is a massive piece. The wampum is an amazingly coloured chunk that my mother actually found on the beach last year. For anyone out there who knows about wampum, you know what an impossible feat that is! I set the wampum in pure silver bezel on a sterling backing just as it was found. The wampum dangles from the massive three turquoise stone pendant. The great quote from Emerson’s poem, “Zig Zag Steerer, Desert Cheerer“, is stamped on the back of the turquoise and wampum. Little oceanic flowers of faceted sea foam chalcedony gemstones join the pendant on the blackened silver chains a ways up. The necklace length is adjustable by using the tiny amethyst gem clasp, or the plainer silver clasp at the end. This piece oozes feelings of royalty, beach colours, bookworm appeal, the Southwest, and even latches on to my “Along The Dark Shore” themed pieces that combine turquoise and wampum. There’s something in it for everyone, and it has an amazing weight and presence to it.

Sunday.

All of these fresh lovelies, PLUS MORE, will be in the main shop on Sunday. Any new pieces joining those that have been previewed here may make an appearance on my FaceBook Page or Instagram (username: TheStrayArrow). Anything can be reserved ahead of time if you have your heart set.

I have been neglecting the shop for those with stretched ears, and will be pouring my efforts into breathing back some life into it in the coming week. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, it looks like we’re expecting ANOTHER snow storm here in New England this weekend. For those in it’s path, stay warm.