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Tag Archives: jewelry
Rock Appreciation Day & Preview Night
Alright ladies & gents, let’s get right to it. The two types for today are WAMPUM (I know, its really a shell…), and Koroit Boulder Opal. To repeat the disclaimer from the first Rock Appreciation Day: I AM NO LAPIDARY ARTIST OR GEOLOGIST/GEMOLOGIST. All of my information comes from research and experience working with these stones, not mining or cutting them. First up is Koroit Boulder Opal….
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Koroit Boulder Opal is a specific TYPE of opal solely from the Koroit opal mining area in Queensland, Australia. Like boulder/ribbon cut turquoise, the opal is within a host rock matrix. The opal matrix itself is formed when rain containing silica minerals drizzles back down to earth and weaves itself into sedimentary rocks. After all water evaporates and all that is left is silica, the silica hardens into a gel like substance with little spheres, which is what we know as opal. It is essentially hydrated silicon dioxide. The size and distance of these tiny spheres from each other is what determines the colour of the opal. This whole “opalization” process is very mysterious even to the experts, and is generally believed to span over 1 to 10 million years for creation. Way back when, the Romans would actually use opal as a good luck charm stone…
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Below are past commissions or sold Opal pieces…
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These last two are my favourite Koroit opals to date~
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The rest below are either available stones, or pieces still in the Etsy shop (00 gauge Koroit opal plugs coming to the Plugs shop soon! http://www.GaugedbyStasia.Etsy.com).
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This first photo is prime Koroit opal, just for looking and not for sharing!
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WAMPUM is something I’ve covered before. I adore it. Not just because the intensity of the colour is so beautiful for a natural shell, but because I am a nerd and love all things with deep mythological roots. The two main origin stories for wampum among the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) are extraordinary. A short version of the Seneca Iroquois version can be found written by author Harriet Maxwell Converse. She wrote the story and other myths directly from notes she took while spending time with Seneca council members in the early 1900’s.
Wampum is carved from the quahog clam shell found on the shores of the East Coast. If you don’t know about it, but have heard the word before, you may have been told in was like “Native American Indian money”. It was only thought to be used financially because the Europeans assumed so from the importance the Natives bestowed upon it. Later on trading wampum for European goods became common. The carved wampum has actually been used for hundreds of years as trade, or for treaties. It could be strung into beaded strings called “condolence strings” for a mourned one, or expertly beaded into belts-famously known and seen in many museums- for peace or war treaties between tribes. White coloured shells represented peace, purple represented war. Although used by many different Woodlands (Eastern) tribes, it is most famously seen used by the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee). The Iroquois Confederacy consists of the 5 tribes of the eastern longhouse-one tribe for each beam, or one tribe for each part of the “Hiawatha belt”. These symbols also refer to the geological locations of the tribes. The tribes are (in the Europeanized names and spelling): Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk. The abbreviation is SCOOM. The sixth tribe, the Tuscarora, was later added to the Confederacy when they came into the region. Wampum can be replicated in glass imitation form. It is what is used most often nowadays when creating replica pieces. It has gotten harder and harder to find true Native wampum carvers anymore, and I know of only 3 existing in Massachusetts. The rounded cabochons and chip beads in the photos below were carved by Native Mi’kmaq artist Mark Changing Bear.
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Below are sold pieces or past commissions:
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Most of the gauged wampum pieces can still be purchased at http://www.GaugedbyStasia.Etsy.com . The wampum stray pieces are up for grabs for custom work~
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PREVIEW
A few new pieces will be hitting the main Etsy shop, http://www.TheStrayArrow.Etsy.com, AND the Gauged shop on Monday/Tuesday.
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NEW ADDITIONS INCLUDE: 00 gauge (10mm) Koroit Boulder Opal plugs, 4 gauge rutilated golden quartz plugs, 1/2″ (roughly 13mm) snowflake obsidian plugs, CUSTOM 10 gauge rainbow moonstone plugs, The Arsenic and Old Lace ring with 14k gold fill droplets, green Kingman mine turquoise drop necklace, and the Along The Dark Shores turquoise and wampum bangle bracelet. Not pictured but also on the way….more turquoise drop necklaces, and some surprises!
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Recently a fellow artist was able to give a mini presentation of her work. You can see some photographs of it and a video of her here on her blog:
http://www.torynova.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/drum-roll-please-cue-illustration/
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As all creative processes come from some spark of inspiration, I’d like to share a little snippet of a consistent influence. While constantly looking at new art, the ever growing tumble of talent people put out into the world, nothing gets me going as something old to groove to. Any new music I can get my hands on, I can. Lately, I’ve been filling my ears with the Vaccines, Holly Golightly and The Brokeoffs, Alessi’s Ark, and my old favourites. Here’s one of them-hope all of you give your old sparks the attention and credit they deserve!
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Check back on Monday & Tuesday for shop updates!
xx Stray Arrow
“The Wind-God Frowns In The Murky Skies…”
It has been a little while since my last post, and I’ve had some amazing travels. It has also been raining the past few days, and I have been loving it. This is going to be a fairly long post. I have news to share, recent custom orders to show you, new pieces that’ll be added to the main Etsy shop tomorrow and Tuesday, as well as new stones!
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I’ve traveled before and left the Etsy shops open, but then it is never a true vacation. I always feel the need to respond to conversations immediately or think about all the sold items to wrap when I return. So, last week, I switched both shops to vacation mode. Thank you all for bearing with me!
For all those who don’t know, I love to drive. I mean truly. If I am behind the wheel, I’ll go anywhere. I spent around 23 hours driving in a span of 6 days and it was AMAZING. Thanks to my friend, who never asked to take the wheel. We drove all around the New England and Tri-State areas following one band around. Who needs a fancy vacation when you have good music? We spent all of Saturday at their festival in Portland, ME listening to new bands, and songs of other’s we could sing along with. Through heat stroke, blistered feet, frizzy hair, hot and humid weather, the worst sun burn I’ve ever had, and most importantly a serious lack of caffeine-we had the time of our lives.
We plan to do it again.
~Pictures of the voyage at the end of this post~
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Now I know I missed “Rock Appreciation Day” this month, but don’t worry! I’ll be doing TWO rock/gem types next month on the 1st!
BELOW:
Some of the more recent commissions I have finished and adored:
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*I have one LAST pair of these beautiful natural rounded trillion cut druzy gems
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BELOW:
All the new goodies coming to the shop tomorrow and Tuesday, plus a few others that are still in the works! Some of these pieces include some beautiful quality stones and gems for extreme Statement pieces. Check the main shop tomorrow to see descriptions, prices, sizes, and more pictures of these new jewels! http://www.TheStrayArrow.Etsy.com
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Although I am *not taking* any custom orders for this month, I do have new stones to share! These can be reserved for custom orders which will resume next month.
In order of the photos below:
BOULDER OPALS (stone on right is already RESERVED)
MARY ELLEN JASPER
FOURTH PHOTO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: WHITE BUFFALO TURQUOISE HEART, WATER WEBBED NACOZARI, PRUDENT MAN PLUME AGATE (already in use for a ring!)
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A peek of our travels…. Some new pieces shall emerge by the end of the month inspired by all that is Folk music, mainly old traditional Appalachian Folk ballads.
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*our night after an ADDITIONAL 4 hours of NYC traffic piled on to my 4 hour drive.
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*happy feet! A little leaf leaped into my shoe to join in our trek. I left him in there.
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A very nice gentleman was able to take two seconds of his time for a picture.
It is my one photo memento of the full week of music my friend and I shared.
Everyone we met were exceptional, sweet, generous, and all around great folks.
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Well I am now back in the studio at full steam! Prepare to see a lot of new pieces in BOTH shops in the near future. I wish you all the great luck bestowed upon my friend and I.
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xx Stray Arrow
Friday the 13th
Preview Night: The Humble Bee
The Romantics Line is back with two new pieces!
Two rings feature quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s, “The Humble Bee”. One line of water, one of land…:
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“Burly, dozing humble-bee,
Where thou art is clime for me.
Let them sail for Porto Rique,
Far-off heats through seas to seek;
I will follow thee alone,
Thou animated torrid-zone!
Zigzag steerer, desert cheerer,
Let me chase thy waving lines;
Keep me nearer, me thy hearer,
Singing over shrubs and vines.
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Insect lover of the sun,
Joy of thy dominion!
Sailor of the atmosphere;
Swimmer through the waves of air;
Voyager of light and noon;
Epicurean of June;
Wait, I prithee, till I come
Within earshot of thy hum,-
All without is matyrdom.
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When the south wind, in May days,
With a net of shining haze
Silvers the horizon wall,
And with softness touching all,
Tints the human countenance
With a colour of romance,
And infusing subtle heats,
Turns the sod to violets,
Thou, in sunny solitudes,
Rover of the Underwoods,
The green silence dost displace
With thy mellow, breezy bass.
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Hot midsummer’s petted crone,
Sweet to me thy drowsy tone
Tells of countless sunny hours,
Long days, and solid banks of flowers;
Of gulfs of sweetness without bound
In Indian wilderness found;
Of Syrian peace, immortal leisure,
Firmest cheer, and bird-like pleasure.
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Aught unsavory or unclean
Hath my insect never seen;
But violets and bilberry bells,
Maple-sap and daffodels,
Grass with green flag half-mast high,
Succory to match the sky,
Columbine with horn of honey,
Scented fern, and agrimony,
Clovers, catchfly, adder’s-tongue
And brier-roses, dwelt among;
All beside was unknown waste,
All was picture as he passed.
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Wiser far than human seer,
Yellow-breeched philosopher!
Seeing only what is fair,
Sipping only what is sweet,
Thou dost mock at fate and care,
Leave the chaff, and take the wheat.
When the fierce northwestern blast
Cools sea and land so far and fast,
Thou already slumberst deep;
Woe and want thou canst outsleep;
Want and woe, which torture us,
Thy sleep makes ridiculous.”
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Featuring a primo piece of Larimar stone, also called Dolphin stone.
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Featuring a beautiful and HUGE piece of Courtland Plume
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Also coming to the main Etsy shop http://www.TheStrayArrow.Etsy.com on Tuesday:
Sweet dark silver stacking rings highlighting gem like deep blue Kingman Mine turquoise stones!
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A bangle bracelet with a stunning sparkled cut of Australian Koroit Opal will be joining them. A couple other bracelet mainstays will be hitting the shop-including the unique and simple Bright & Dark Oval Silver Bangles. These blackened silver bracelets have oval flashes of silver for a haunting and elegant look.
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Check out the Etsy shop Tuesday for these plus a few more goodies-including another Romantics Line ring with a quote from Sidney Lanier’s, “The Marshes of Glynn“.
xx Stray Arrow
Rock Appreciation Day!
Today, read all about…..:
WHITE BUFFALO TURQUOISE.
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White Buffalo Turquoise comes solely from the White Buffalo Mine near Tonopah, Nevada. It is very popular, but very rare. There is a LOT of controversy as to whether this stone’s mineral make up actually constitutes it as “turquoise”. I have broken down this highlight blog post for this stone into a few sections…
[DISCLAIMER: I am not a lapidary (stone) artist, gemologist, mine owner, or any other kind of authority on gems, stones, or minerals. I am simply an enthusiast who likes to share the information I’ve gathered in my goal to attain the perfect rocks for my jewelry pieces].
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White Buffalo Turquoise & White Turquoise-NOT THE SAME:
White turquoise is extremely rare and comes from a few different mines, mainly in Nevada and Arizona. White turquoise is not actually “white”, but can be very VERY lightly coloured turquoise that comes in a variety of hues between the green and blue spectrum. A great example of what is classified as white turquoise can be seen in the Dry Creek Mine (also known as SACRED Buffalo Mine), or the White Stallion Mine. Actual “white” turquoise is so hard to find in quality jewelry because it is very low on the hardness scale and cannot take a good polish because it is so chalky (but it is not chalk turquoise!). This makes the stone low quality as a rule no matter how rare or beautiful. White buffalo turquoise is higher on the hardness scale than any chalk or white turquoise. It takes a great polish and is in actuality WHITE, or off-white due to it’s mix of black chert host rock.
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THE CONTROVERSY: Turquoise VS. White Buffalo
You will find many people claiming that White Buffalo Turquoise is NOT turquoise. This is why: Turquoise gets it’s blue and green hues from iron and copper which are all minerals found in your basic turquoise. White Buffalo turquoise is white because it lacks iron and copper. “No iron and copper? Not turquoise!”
The white buffalo turquoise stone has been tested several times and has BAFFLED gemologists and mineralogists to date. Originally, people thought it was a different stone type other than turquoise. Similar stones are howlite, magnesite, planarite, etc. With each inquiry, each similar type has been dismissed. White buffalo turquoise has the same hardness of turquoise, is found in veins when mined like turquoise, and is found is black chert, which is a host rock of…turquoise! A great theory about the stones from this mine is that it is a kind of “albino” turquoise.
The authenticity of White Buffalo Turquoise is backed by the family who owns the mine; the Otteson’s. The Ottesons own several turquoise mines and have a long history and good reputation mining turquoise in the Southwest. While not always advertising White Buffalo Turquoise as “White Turquoise”-because, let’s face it, it really isn’t-they still call it White Buffalo or White Buffalo Turquoise. For all consumer and market purposes, the material is called “White Buffalo Turquoise”. Personally, after looking at oodles of stones online and in person, there has never been a doubt in mind as to whether the stone is turquoise or not. I call it turquoise.
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STONE TYPES-Turquoise vs. Boulder or Ribbon Turquoise
Boulder or ribbon cut turquoise is just a different way of saying ‘turquoise within a host rock’. Often you can find lovely patterns of turquoise veining within the host rock, or just large streams of turquoise running through. These nature made designs are beautiful and just as rare as stones containing a higher turquoise to host rock ratio.
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All of those similar stone types to turquoise are often marketed as such! Low quality stones like white howlite, or magnesite, can be marketed as “white turquoise”. If a price is cheap, that means the materials are cheap! Magnesite often comes in dark to light brown colours with a cream to off-white matrix (think of the beautiful, rare, and valuable Wild Horse Magnesite stone). White howlite is often a dull white colour with veins of a dark grey matrix. These veins are thin and milky. Although the matrix in real White Buffalo Turquoise can get blurry, it is still BLACK, and the colour has a higher saturation and hardness.
All of the white buffalo turquoise I use is 100% genuine and authentic. I get it from a source in Nevada (not telling!) and I back it all of the way.
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PICTURE TIME!
Below, behold all of the fairly recent past sold orders or commissions I have created using White Buffalo Turquoise or ribbon cut White Buffalo Turquoise. To see any listings or sold listings, click on the pictures:
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Up next, we have all White Buffalo goodies still available in the shop:
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Lastly, all of my White Buffalo Turquoise currently in stock! The pair with the bezel around them are going to be made into sterling Buffalos as dangles for stretched ears in the future:
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Check back the First of every month for a new Rock Appreciation Day! If you have questions about my sources, just ask. Have a request for a specific stone or mine? Any input or questions on this issue? Comment below!
xx Stray Arrow
RUNES
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Many people vaguely know about “Viking runes” or “Nordic runes” but few know the mythology and origin behind them. They are often believed to be a writing system, but they are also meant as magical symbols that can imbue objects with their assigned meanings. I am not going to pretend to be an expert as there is a lot of controversy and limited first hand sources-and I am no scholar. I will share with you what I have discovered in my own research…
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There are two full rune “alphabets”- Elder Futhark, and Futhark. Although it is less complete, I am going to focus on the Elder. Elder Futhark is thought to be the oldest form of runes discovered. They were used by ancient Germanic speaking peoples and can often be found on ancient artifacts like stone monuments, and weapons. Elder Futhark first appears in literature in a story called the Havamal, in a book called the “Elder Edda”. As most of these texts have been translated there are always discrepancies, but here is a little excerpt:
“Odin said:
I know that I hung on a high windy tree
for nine long nights;
pierced by a spear -Odin’s pledge-
given myself to myself.
No one can tell about that tree,
from what deep roots it rises.
They brought me no bread, no horn to drink from,
I gazed toward the ground.
Crying aloud, I caught up the runes;
finally I fell.”
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This sacrifice for knowledge is a continuous theme in most of Norse mythology. I think this is a way of thought many can relate to, or aspire to. Everyone feels better after they’ve earned something. I’ve loved Nordic sagas for a good while and discovered very little in the way of rune themed jewelry out there. So…envisioning each rune as a token, or a magical symbol, I’ve made some more affordable pieces of bronze, copper, and silver. I feel these could be great little charms for gift giving, or for oneself for a little push of ambition and aspiration towards something greater. I also love to focus on the sound of jewelry. The runes paired with my jeweler’s tags make a great light clink on the bangle bracelets-like little wind chimes. These bracelets now in the Etsy shop are a lot of fun when stacked! Check them out now:
http://www.TheStrayArrow.Etsy.com
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Along with the Elder Futhark Runes, I have created Odin’s Ravens in silver form. Continuing my “Black Bird” theme, I have paired the birds with faceted gems on half round sterling oxidized bangles. In mythology, Odin has two ravens that fly around Midgard (the world of Man) and listen for information. They then sit on his shoulders at the end of the day for a debriefing. One bird is called Huginn, and represents “Thought”. The other is called Munnin, for “Memory”. These will hit the shop tomorrow, and can be customizable with whatever gemstone you desire that I have in stock…
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xx Stray Arrow
Finally Here…Almost…
Having an abundant number of interests and getting inspiration from a vast number of sources always seems to leave me flustered and behind. Well-not this week! It is officially crunch time. Why? Because it is summer, and like most folks I’d love a day or two outside myself! This week I will be finishing up ALL pending commissions, and FINALLY releasing these RUNES I’ve been hinting at. The affordable Runes line will include the mini bronze & silver necklaces already currently in the shop, bronze and copper rune bangles, and larger copper runes on deer hide leather for fellas and ladies alike. Odin’s ravens will also make an appearance in the silver bangle bracelet persuasion. This will tie in my Black Bird pieces. A blog post Thursday will explain the origin of the Runes in Nordic mythology, the original purpose and use of runes, and all of the runes to choose from for custom pieces. In one weeks’ time, next Sunday, will be my first Rock Appreciation day! Check back then for a full post dedicated to the controversial White Buffalo Turquoise~
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xx Stray Arrow
New Koroit Opals…
Sorry for the delay folks! I had meant to post these Friday, but this past week was a little hectic. Below are my newly acquired treasures: some lovely smaller sized Koroit Boulder Opals from Queensland, Australia. I have tried to photograph them at different angles to show the extent of their flash and colouring. The detail in these stones are divine. All *except* the blue stone on the right in the photos of three cabs are up for grabs. Custom orders will resume July 1st unless I am currently working on a piece for you.
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Also new July 1st: my first official Rock Appreciation Day! A friend suggested an in depth post of a single stone type, so from now on, the first day of each new month will feature a new kind of stone. Pieces that have either been sold, commissioned, or are up for sale in the shops featuring the stone will be shared. Check back July First to see what kind of stone you can learn about and how I chose to work with it!
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I have several pairs for the stretched earlobe folks in the works. Many are dangles and hoops for tunnels in 12 gauges. These will be in the http://www.gaugedbystasia.etsy.com shop *next week*. Preview photos will be posted prior to being listed in the shop! Subscribe to the blog or check http://www.facebook.com/TheStrayArrowJewelry to find out when.
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Next week: new plugs and dangles for tunnels, and some secret new goods for the main http://www.TheStrayArrow.Etsy.com shop!
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In other news, saw these folks Friday night. They play a great live set!
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xx Stray Arrow
In The Shop Tomorrow!
These will all be in the Etsy shop- TheStrayArrow.Etsy.com – tomorrow! They’ll be listed all throughout the day, so keep checking back…
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ah-mazing items for those with stretched earlobes will be coming to the GaugedbyStasia Etsy shop next week!
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Check out the shop tomorrow!
xx Stray Arrow
The Stray Arrow 