One Thousand Sales

Posted on December 4, 2012 by TheStrayArrow

It has happened! I have officially hit 1,000 sales in my main Etsy shop, and I know it had nothing to do with luck. Selling on Etsy has been amazing. Starting a business in any capacity is hard. Perching over my little sawing set up late at night while still at school with a full 8 class course load and tons of things on the side was worth it. It’s been an absolute pleasure to do what I love, and be able to share it with people. It’s been a slow and steady learning experience that is the most rewarding thing I’ve done to date. Those that know me personally know I’m not a particularly gushy person, but I truly want to thank all of you for your support. I’ve had some unique and inspiring customers. I swoon over the feedback some have left, and I adore discovering how many people out there share my interests. Y’all truly are, the bees knees.

In celebration, I’d like to give back a little. The 1,000th sale was free. From tonight, until *tomorrow night at midnight*, take 25% off your entire order! Use the coupon code in the photo below upon checkout in the Stray Arrow Etsy Shop.

Thanks all!

-Stasia.

Mini New Item Preview

Posted on December 2, 2012 by TheStrayArrow

These lovelies will be in the main shop and in the plugs shop later this evening. Another item preview will be next Sunday~

xx Stray Arrow

DECEMBER GIVEAWAYS

Posted on December 2, 2012 by TheStrayArrow

For the month of December, I’ll be having *TWO SEPARATE* GIVEAWAYS.

*each person’s name will only go in once for each giveaway, regardless the amount of items purchased or the amount of comments made.

Giveaway 1 will be for this buffalo bracelet (currently unfinished). The bracelet will fit a small to medium sized wrist, and pictures will be posted when finished, when the winner is announced. All purchases made in BOTH Etsy shops, Gauged by Stasia and The Stray Arrow, from December 1 through December 25th at midnight, will be entered in to win. The winner will be announced on the blog on the 26th, and be contacted for shipping information.

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GIVEAWAY 2 won’t require any purchased items. To have your name entered, simply leave a comment on EITHER this blog post, or the corresponding post for this announcement on my Facebook Page (liking my page won’t hurt either!). The comment can be anything you want, a favourite quote, a picture, your favourite colour-anything at all. All comments on this blog post or the facebook post will be entered and a random name drawn on December 26th. The prize is *UNDECIDED* at this time! I’m thinking some kind of necklace, possibly a koroit opal Ice Shard, have any ideas? Get to commenting before I start making it quick! Once the prize is completed this post will be edited to list it.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

xx Stray Arrow

Rock Appreciation Day

Posted on December 1, 2012 by TheStrayArrow

For Rock Appreciation Day we have….

WILD HORSE MAGNESITE.

Other names the stone has been called are, “Crazy Horse”, and “Appaloosa”. It is called Wild Horse for it’s similar patterning to the Appaloosa horse. It is unfortunately often mislabeled as turquoise or white turquoise. Hailing solely from Southern Arizona wild horse is seen in a lot of Native American Indian jewelry, along with turquoise, coral, and shell. It is considered quite rare because of the one current Wild Horse marketed source, and is very popular.

Magnesite is magnesium carbonate. Wild Horse differs from your basic white/gray magnesite because it has hematite mixed in, giving it beautiful white and brownish patterning. It is around a 4-5 on the hardness scale, and in the Calcite rock group.

The picture below shows the current Wild Horse Magnesite stones I have in stock. They range from decent quality (left) to highest quality (right). The higher the quality, the more separated and clear the minerals within the rock are, thus the incredible bark like patterns. The decent quality (note: NOT low or poor quality, of which I don’t stock), can have lighter mauve colours blended within it. All of these are up for grabs for custom orders. The three long oval shaped highest quality would be grouped for a bracelet.

I currently have one piece with Wild Horse Magnesite up in the shop. Below is that piece, The Stormy Plains Ring, and other pieces with Wild Horse that have sold.

Below is a ring I currently have in progress. The White Oak Bark ring features a lovely little drop of Wild Horse Magnesite, set on a hand sawed sterling silver white oak leaf with rose gold fill veining. This will be in the main shop later on…

That’s it folks!

A big heads up that by the end of tonight will be a very important blog post about a GIVEAWAY.

Don’t miss out! There will also be another mini blog post tomorrow with a PREVIEW of new items before they hit the shop tomorrow night and Monday.

xx Stray Arrow

Holiday Frenzy

Posted on November 25, 2012 by TheStrayArrow

This post will feature new pieces and new stones. With all the Holiday shopping frenzy going on, the studio has been busier than ever. This month in particular has been quite tumultuous, between the hurricane, losing power, having the near-lack of a car or transportation of any kind, constant guests, and gearing up for the Holiday season. I want to thank you ALL for bearing with me if I’ve been at all disorderly. Regular Preview posts will now resume before new items hit either shop (instead of listing one new item every few days unannounced). Rock Appreciation Day will be posted once again on the First of December, along with secret special details. I hope you all enjoy the new lovelies I’ve been hammering away at. Other pieces in the near future will include an Icarus Ring, Storm Earrings, ornate dangles for tunnels, more of the To Make Much of Time and Towards Mountains series, and more! During the Holiday season, its best to take a few breathers. Remember what and who are important, take time to do what you love most, and support handmade small business-or make something yourself!

All of these will be in the shop today or tomorrow for the Cyber Monday Sale.

~*ENJOY*~

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NEW CABS~

^*TOP ROW, left to right: beautiful quality high grade Bisbee Arizona district Azurite Malachite, premium fossilized Dinosaur Bone, Royal Imperial Nodule Jasper.

BOTTOM ROW: 16mm chrysocolla, Russian serpentine.

^*the ever popular high grade Australian Koroit Opal from Queensland.

^*a new absolute FAVOURITE stone. This is Pietersite, from Namibia. This stone actually glints like labradorite, spectrolite, or larvakite. They remind me of a study painting for Gericault’s Raft of the Medusa. Pietersite is the perfect stormy mood stone. For those that follow my INSTAGRAM (username TheStrayArrow), you’ll know that I’ve been working on a pair of pietersite earrings since last weekend, posted a few days ago. These large loves will feature moons, morning stars, chevrons, among other dangling elements. Follow me there for the freshest previews, inside studio pics and stone finds.

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All of these new stones are up for grabs for custom orders. Check back to the blog DECEMBER FIRST for Rock Appreciation Day, a special announcement, and more. I’ll be working longer hours in the studio from now until the end of next month so production times for items do not slow down for gifting! See the results on Instagram and my Facebook Page.

Better start snagging the plugs you want and gifts while the sale is still up folks! Don’t forget to put in the coupon code: BLACKCYBER!

xx Stray Arrow

Weekend Sale!

Posted on November 23, 2012 by TheStrayArrow

www.TheStrayArrow.Etsy.com

www.GaugedbyStasia.Etsy.com

Sale starts at MIDNIGHT THURSDAY. There will be a new blog post this coming Sunday morning with all new items, just in time for Cyber Monday! New for Sunday will also be my latest haul of stones from a previous gem show. “Shopping Season” is now officially starting, better get your little (or grand!) gifts early folks! Production times will be swifter during the season rush to ensure delivery dates. Keep your eyes peeled for Sunday- with morning tea, coffee, and other fancies come turquoise, petrified wood, and wonders from beneath the soil…

*A Happy Turkey Day to those celebrating!*

xx Stray Arrow

Rock Appreciation Day + Preview Night

Posted on November 9, 2012 by TheStrayArrow

ROCK APPRECIATION DAY:

DAMELE MINE TURQUOISE.

*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.

The Damele Mine is located in east central Nevada near the Godber-Burnham Mine and Carico Lake Mine. It is also known as Damale, or Damaile. The mine itself is quite small, and also produces popular kinds of variscite and faustite (similar minerals to turquoise). The high zinc content makes all three stones types the bright, collectible green and yellow colours the Damele Mine is especially known for. This also increases the hardness of the stone, although the most yellows of the turquoise can be fairly soft. The stones from the Damele Mine that are more bright green or lime in colour are more often than not faustite or variscite. The mine doesn’t produce much turquoise anymore. Most new turquoise on the market is cut from old stock rough. As with most turquoise, high colour saturation and tight webbing determine quality. Webbing can be grey, black, or deep brown in colour. Because of the rare colour intensity, Damele is very collectible and highly prized.

The picture above is my current Damele collection, all those goodies are available for custom orders. Below are new Damele pieces coming to both Etsy shops over the weekend…

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Also coming to the shop this weekend are pieces with koroit opal, high grade Crow Springs Mine turquoise, and rare and collectible Indian Mountain Mine turquoise. The more rare turquoise is set in 14k yellow gold bezels on sterling patterned leaf bands…find them in the shop this weekend!

http://www.TheStrayArrow.Etsy.com

xx Stray Arrow

Preview and Past Customs

Posted on October 26, 2012 by TheStrayArrow

Essentially new items are either 90% finished or still in progress at this point. They will all be hitting both shops starting tomorrow, sprinkled throughout a week. What you see here is only a sampling of the newbies, so please check the facebook page(facebook.com/TheStrayArrowJewelry) for the freshest previews of what’s coming before its in the shop! The second half of this post will be dedicated to all the Custom orders I have worked on recently.

COMING SOON

RECENT COMMISSIONS:

That’s all for now!

xx Stray Arrow

Preview Day

Posted on October 12, 2012 by TheStrayArrow

A few new items will be hitting the main shop over the weekend. They feature my favourite group of goodies: turquoise, wampum, emeralds, and koroit opal! I’m still recovering from being sick, so production has slowed a bit. For all custom and “made to order” items taking a little while longer, don’t fret! Your lovelies have not been forgotten, they’ll be with you soon ❤

First up we have a darling little size 5 koroit boulder opal ring from Queensland, Australia. The opal has been set in a gold fill bezel and blackened silver ring design. Nice and simple to highlight the awesome flash of this rock. The electric royal blue looks like lightning on dark bark, and what really sets this piece apart is the opal matrix in the center of the stone is clear! At the right angle you can see straight through.

Next up we have two turquoise rings. These both tie into my Romantics theme of poetry quotes, Autumn, and the Southwest. The size 7 3/4 Hour by Hour ring features a rounded triangle cut of ribbon Royston turquoise. On the outside of the ring band lies the quote, “Dead leaves scatter, hour by hour”. This is from Oscar Wilde’s, “Impressions, I Le Jardin”. The second size 6 3/4-7 Tracks in Dusk ring features two different coloured old stock turquoise pieces from the Kings Manassa mine. They resemble abstract animal tracks. The quote on the inside of the ring band reads, “Braided dusks of the oaks“. This is from Sidney Lanier’s, “The Marshes of Glynn”.

Also coming to the shop are two new wampum pieces. I’ve made little genuine wampum post earrings that resemble the “Evil Eye”. These beautifully high grade plum wampum pieces have delicious bands of purple and white. They are set within gold fill bezels and blackened silver borders for some moody contrast. The Wampum Charms Shield Necklace features a grand piece of wampum as the main pendant. Accompanying it are deep green faceted emerald gems, a sweet little 4mm ruby, a natural old stock Cerillos Mine turquoise stone, and little hand sawed leaf shapes within the silver chain.

Check back in the shop this coming weekend!

xxStray Arrow

Rock Appreciation Day

Posted on October 2, 2012 by TheStrayArrow

Alright folks, so the stone for this month is Picture or Landscape Jasper. There are several different types from many regions of the USA and other countries. I’ve been using these in my “Towards Mountains” pieces because of their amazing and completely natural landscapes with horizon lines.

*As a side note I won’t be going into mine or mineral detail tonight as I’m quite sick with a cold. I’ve been under the covers all day drinking tea and eating lemons trying to recoop as fast as possible! It’ll just be pictures for this Appreciation Day.

I’m not an expert or lapidary artist, the lines between these different jasper types blur pretty easily. There are two more sought after types that are easier to identify. Biggs and Deschutes. I have no examples of Deschutes, in all honesty it isn’t one of my favourites because I’ve only seen them with a full brown spectrum instead of the gray/blue for sky. This type will usually have little dark dendrite (plant fossil) like blemishes. They’ll look like little sprigs of dark grass amongst the hills in the stone. Biggs Blue Jasper, especially old stock, is beautiful. It will usually have cool tones to it, either towards the top of where a stone is most often cut to mimic the sky, or throughout all the colouring. These cool tones are rich and deep in saturation. These are the lovely Biggs cabs I currently have:

A couple past creations using Picture Jasper~

Another recognizable picture jasper is Palomino Jasper. This always reminds me of Mt. Olympus where the Greek Gods dwell, this stone type is always so dramatic…

Goodies with picture jasper currently in the shop are the Towards Mountains ring and the Rolling Hills mini ring, each with a different type of picture jasper…

Each picture jasper is always so unique, and the older Biggs jasper is getting real hard to find. Using these in jewelry pieces is truly like framing a painting! My all time favourite picture jasper is from my first Towards Mountains ring that has sold…

Well that’s it this time ladies & gents. As always all the cabs seen are up for grabs! Sorry for the lack of information for this one, I am a pile of sniffles today. The next one will be more in depth! In the meantime, enjoy the MONTH LONG SALE in each Etsy shop!

xx Sniffly Stray Arrow