Esma

Flowers and Chains

2008-06-12T23:47:00.000-07:00

This week I was busy working on necklaces. I re-vamped my Concerto necklace to make it a bit more versatile. The toggle clasp can now be adjusted by fitting into any of the round links. I love how it looks with some of the chain just hanging long, like in the first picture. I think it would look great with the end hanging down the back with a backless dress.

I also debuted my Eva necklace this week, which features these delicate little flowers I've created out of sterling silver and copper.

I love layering necklaces, and I think these two look great together!

Concerto Necklace

Eva Necklace

Felt Pillows

2008-06-12T00:38:00.000-07:00

I finally got some sample pillows made in preparation for my soon-to-be-launched line of felted pillows. I'm really happy with how they turned out.

My felt pillows are made using the wet felting technique. You can read about how this is done here.

Chain Earrings

2008-06-09T22:53:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy making chains, and I've been having fun coming up with some new earring designs involving them. These will be available in my shop this week.

Balere Earrings

Eleanor Earrings

Centralia, PA

2008-05-27T02:48:00.000-07:00

Durelle and I visited Centralia, PA yesterday. It's an old mining town in PA that has been, for the most part, abandoned due to an underground fire that has been burning since the 60's. You can read more about it on wikipedia... it's really quite interesting.

Here is a bench welcoming you into town... it sits across the street from one of very few houses that remains:

Here is a street that was once lined with houses and buildings:

There is a section of PA Route 61 that has been cut off and re-routed due to the road caving in. You can't see it in the pictures, but there is smoke coming out of the large crack in the road:

You can see more photos on my Flickr page. Definitely a cool place to visit if you live nearby or are driving through the area.

Rings!

2008-04-23T00:51:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty busy the past couple of weeks working on some new designs. I'm excited to be bringing 2 new elements to my shop: rings and resin! My first of these items will be the combination of both... rich, opaque colors of resin set in a uniquely designed sterling silver ring. These will be available in my Etsy shop soon.

Flowers

2008-04-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's all of the springtime blossoms popping up, but I noticed today that I've been incorporating lots of flowers into my designs lately. I'm especially excited about the Tiny Blossom earrings. They are small and delicate, yet have lots of detail that make them special. I'm one who tends to just stick with one piece of bold jewelry at a time... either focusing on earrings or a necklace. While these are interesting enough to be worn on their own, I think they are a perfect match for a bolder necklace.

I really like the way the flower turned out on this pendant. It has a funky look that will go great with breeze summer dresses.

Cherry Blossoms

2008-04-08T00:30:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I went to Washington, DC to check out the Cherry Blossoms. It was really cold, damp, and muddy. They were pretty, but I'm not sure I'd need to go back to see them again. Perhaps I'd feel differently if the weather was nicer.

I did have fun taking pictures, though...

Reinvention

2008-04-07T02:28:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that I have a brand new name! I am now Esma Studios! I've been wanting to come up with a name that I could use that would work for both my jewelry and home decor that would be unique, yet short and easy to remember. My real name is so common, and I felt like it didn't stand out enough. I decided on Esma because it is a loose derivative of Amy and it means "emerald" in Spanish, which is my favorite gemstone and one of my favorite colors.

I've already posted a few brand new pieces in my Esma shop, and over the next few weeks, I'll be moving in the items from my Amy's Jewelry shop. I'm hoping to open my home decor shop in the next few weeks, as well, so stay tuned for more info on that.

Berry Earrings

Modern Cross Stitch

2008-03-24T23:16:00.001-07:00

I decided I needed a new sitting-around hobby now that spring has sprung. It just doesn't feel right to knit a scarf in the warmer months, especially since I can't wear it right away. I thought cross stitch might be a good choice, but I hadn't done it since elementary school, and that was the kind with the printed on pattern. I thought that since the arts and crafts movement has hit the younger, hipper crowd, a modern-looking pattern would be easy to find. Well, I realized that my search was going to be a little harder than I thought as I leafed through pattern after pattern of cats, dated flower arrangements, and home-sweet-homes. Then I came across a book called Parisian Panache by Jenna Lynne that had cute French-themed patterns. (Ok, actually my boyfriend found it as I was getting ready to give up due to my growing frustration at not finding anything I liked). I'm planning to decorate my studio with some fashion illustrations that I have, and I think some of the patterns in this book will go nicely with those.

If anyone knows of any other sources for modern patterns, let me know. Otherwise, I think I may just design my own, which I think could be quite fun!

Dress Form

2008-03-21T00:27:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited about this new dress form I got! I've been wanting one to take pictures of my necklaces and to use as a display stand, but I really didn't want to spend 100+ dollars on one. I was so happy when I found one on PB teen's website for under $100. Initially I wanted a traditional ivory fabric one, but I really love the look of the black wire. The proportions aren't exact, but I don't think that's too important since I'm not actually using it to make clothing.

Front Page

2008-03-19T12:07:00.001-07:00

I was so excited last night when I saw my linked bangle bracelets on the front page of Etsy! Strangely, it seems that every time one of my items is on the front page (which hasn't been that often), it's in the middle of the night. I was still excited, though, and I figured it's day time somewhere. After it was up for a while, I decided I should get a screen shot of it, but I couldn't figure out how to get the full page. Then, as soon as I found a website that can create full page screen shots, my front page went away :( It figures. I was still able to get a full screen shot of the treasury from which the front page was taken, so I got some satisfaction with that. So, if anyone needs to know how to get a full screen shot, just go to Thumbalizr.com

Front page, woohoo:

Treasury - I was honored to be included with all of these gorgeous pieces:

Cuff Links

2008-03-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to taking some pictures of the cuff links that I made for my boyfriend for Valentine's Day. I plan to eventually make some to sell, but right now there are other things with a higher priority. I would, however, be open to doing custom orders should anyone be interested.

Alpacas

2008-03-11T23:28:00.001-07:00

I made a trip to the local Alpaca farm this past weekend. They are so adorable, I just had to share some pictures of them. Enjoy!

Saucy

2008-03-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

I really love pasta, so I was happy that I had some extra time today to make some sauce. I can't wait to have some with fresh mozzarella, parmesan, and prosciutto. Yum.

Tomatoes roasted in the oven with olive oil and fresh ground pepper:

Fresh oregano and basil:

Mmmmm!

coffee, chemistry, and cookies

2008-02-27T23:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I still haven't had a chance to do much in the studio lately, but as soon as this chemistry class is over, I plan to go full force into creating new pieces.

I decided to help myself make my studying a little more pleasant by making some chocolate chip cookies, and what do ya know, it did help. And, of course, they're always better when they're half-baked :)

Linked

2008-02-25T00:13:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, I made my boyfriend a pair of sterling silver cuff links. Unfortunately, I was in such a rush to finish them up before meeting him for dinner that I didn't get a chance to take pictures of them. I intended to get some pictures of them this weekend, but I forgot, so hopefully I will remember sometime so I can post them.

Anyway, for Valentine's day we went to Bricco in Harrisburg. The whole meal was delicious, but I'd have to say the beginning and ending were my favorites. They offer a variety of cheeses, which was exciting to us because we are big fans of cheese. We followed the waiter's suggestions on our selection of 3 cheeses, and it was truly a unique experience. I would never have thought to pair fresh honeycomb with blue cheese, but they were really amazing together! Then, to finish our meal, we got a chocolate cake with 7 layers of various kinds of chocolate. Need I say more. We also each received a complimentary chocolate covered strawberry, which was delicious! I would definitely go back, even just for the cheese and dessert!

Then, as if that wasn't enough, he got me a huge box of Godiva chocolates. I told him I always buy myself a box for Valentine's day in hopes of winning the prize they give away, so he got me some so I didn't have to. Of course, I didn't win. He also got me some handmade soap and feather earrings that I had on my favorites list on Etsy. Oh, and he also sent me roses earlier in the day, which was a nice surprise!

Even though I didn't get a picture of the cuff links, I did get some pictures of him wearing them, so that sort of counts, right? He was able to get some wear out of them this weekend while playing music in a wedding and while directing the orchestra for his school's winter concert (he is a music teacher). It was a busy weekend, but it was fun.

Celeste

2008-02-13T17:33:00.000-08:00

I've been really behind with getting new items made thanks to organic chemistry. It definitely is not a class I was really eager to take... in fact, I've put it off as long as possible. I'm just trying to convince myself that I'm really interested in it with the hope that I will do better with that line of thinking. I'm not sure that it's working, but I guess it can't hurt.

Anyway, I did manage to get some photos taken of a new pair of earrings I made last week. I was going for a geometric look, but after I finished them, they reminded me of a crescent moon in an abstract sort of way.

Celeste Earrings

Frothy

2008-01-29T21:50:00.001-08:00

The randomly sized circles on this pendant reminds me of bubbles. Bubbles are fun, so naturally wearing this necklace will lead to fun times :)

Here is a long chain I'm working on. I love long necklaces because of their versatility. They can be worn long or doubled up, and they also look great layered with other necklaces.

My First Successful Hat

2008-01-23T17:44:00.001-08:00

After a few failed attempts at knitting a hat, I finally succeeded in making one that a.) fits and b.) I would actually wear. For Christmas, my boyfriend got me this really cool colorful hand spun yarn from Marajane on Etsy. I'm really happy with how it turned out... and I'm glad that I can now make more than just scarves.

I had this cool idea to make wrap around scarf-things hanging down from the sides... but some ideas look a lot better in my head than in reality. They may come in handy if I'm going to be outside in a snowstorm, but until then, I think I'll just leave them off :)

Little posts

2008-01-03T18:45:00.001-08:00

I finally got around to listing some of my new post earrings in my Etsy shop. I really love these as casual everyday earrings. I made myself a pair of the Trellis earrings, and I've been finding myself wearing them a lot. They are especially great on cold days when I'm all bundled up in my scarf or big turtle neck and don't want dangly earrings hanging down and getting in the way. I've had a lot of fun making these, because even though they are small and simple, there are so many possibilies for different designs.

Pebble Earrings

Trellis Earrings

Jane Earrings

Loose Leaf

2007-12-28T05:18:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here enjoying loose leaf for the first time in my life, so I thought I should share how delicious it is. I'm normally a coffee drinker, but I've been intrigued by loose leaf tea for some time now. I was really excited when I opened a Christmas gift from my parents that included an adorable teapot/cup and loose leaf tea! My mother brought some Darjeeling tea back from her trip to India. I was a little skeptical drinking it without sugar or honey, but it actually has a really nice flavor, and I don't feel it needs the added sweetness.

Here is the cute little teapot my mom picked up in London with painted scenes of the city. The cup fits under the teapot, which warms it before pouring the tea into it.

I'm really looking forward to trying lots of other kinds of teas. What a nice, relaxing way to start the weekend!

Christmas is Fun

2007-12-27T01:47:00.000-08:00

After the Christmas rush died down, I was able to spend some time in Lancaster, PA with my boyfriend and his family. It was so great to be able to just relax without worrying about what time it was. I love to cook and bake, but I don't often have the time or opportunity to make anything really special, so Christmas Eve I decided I would make a nice breakfast. My family exchanged gifts on the Saturday before Christmas, and my sister-in-law got me an awesome cookbook called For Chocolate Lovers by the Tanner brothers. Definitely an appropriate gift for me. The very first recipe caught my eye immediately: "Banana and Chocolate Souffle Pancakes". I decided I needed to make this, and Christmas eve would be the perfect time. It ended up being a little time consuming, but that was okay, because I was having fun.

Here they are right before going into the oven. I made the pancakes larger, and perhaps thicker, than I was supposed to, since it was supposed to make 12 and I only got 4 out of it, but that was okay. I also think I filled them a little fuller than I was supposed to, but that was okay, too, because the filling was heavenly.

Here they are right after they came out of the oven. Mmmmmmm... melty, gooey, banana and chocolate goodness!

Even my mug of delicious coffee was eyeing up the goodies:

Hopefully the next time won't take me as long to make them, since I'll know what I'm doing.... and there will be a next time!

Christmas Rush

2007-12-12T05:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm definitely feeling the stress of trying to get all of my orders filled and shipped out so they arrive by Christmas. My custom linked bangle bracelets have become quite a big seller. It's exciting, but it's more time consuming getting those orders shipped out than items I already have in stock, since each one has to be made specifically for each customer. It's fun to be able to make something so personal that will have special meaning to the person giving, as well as the recipient.

I'll leave you with an image of my messy workbench...

Mmmmm, Felt

2007-12-08T06:49:00.001-08:00

I'm very excited about the coming year. I have some new ideas for my jewelry that I'm excited to get working on. Plus, I can't wait to release my new line of felted pillows!! I really wanted to get them out this year, but I decided it was getting too close to Christmas, and I wanted to take my time to tweak a few little things before releasing them. But, I'd thought I'd give you a little teaser by showing some of the pieces I've done.

I LOVE felting so much! It's like having a blank canvas that has endless possibilities. I just wish my time was endless, so I could work on all of my ideas!

Snow and Resin

2007-12-06T13:34:00.001-08:00

Wow, December has barely started and we've already had our first snowfall! I wouldn't mind it so much if I could just stay home with some hot cocoa and look out at the prettiness, but having to go out and drive in it makes it not as much fun. This was my backyard yesterday afternoon:

I finally got around to step 2 of my resin ring, which was encasing Durelle's artwork under another layer of resin. I had to trim around the edges of the drawing a little, but I think I should have added another coat of Mod Podge after doing that. It seems some of the resin soaked into the paper, and I'm guessing that is the reason. It hardened up nicely, though, which makes me happy. I'll have to add another layer of resin because it doesn't quite come up to the top, so I will update again after I've done that and polished it up. (Sorry for the dark, blurry photos... I wasn't much in a photo editing mood today :)

While I was at it with the resin, I decided to do a trial run of a project that I've had on the back burner for quite some time... drawer pulls! I poured the first layer and it has hardened up nicely, so now it just needs the second layer. You can't quite tell in the photo, but the first layer is a dark plumb color, so I'll have to decide what other color I want to pair with it.

Decoupage

2007-11-29T22:24:00.001-08:00

On Monday evenings a group of girls (okay, women, but that just sounds too old) get together for Bible study or some other activity. This past Monday we had fun doing decoupage. Everyone had really creative ideas with different papers and surfaces to cover.

Here's my messy workspace:

One of my favorites was this hand mirror Jillisa did using cut-outs from magazines to create a collage:

I covered a tin using wrapping paper:

I love all of the possibilities decoupage gives... with just some cool paper and Mod Podge you can give a whole new look to something that you may otherwise just throw away. It's a great way to recycle old boxes and other containers to give gifts in!

My First Attempt at Pottery

2007-11-27T13:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm just now getting back into the swing of things after spending my Thanksgiving weekend in Lancaster, PA. On Friday my boyfriend Durelle and I went to his friend Phil Kreider's studio to make some pottery. We had a lot of fun, but I found out it's a lot harder than it looks!

Here is one of my favorite pieces of Phil's:

Looks easy enough, right? Okay, maybe not.

First, I had to pound the clay to get the air bubbles out.

Next came forming a cone-shape with the clay... took me a while to remember my form.

Receiving some wisdom and guidance from the master:

Almost finished with my.... plate? tray? Not quite sure what it was.

Unfortunately, it did not survive, because it was too thin on the bottom :(

Durelle had a little more luck with his... cup?

Luckily, I did have one piece turn out okay... a little candle holder. I tried to make a vase, but that didn't turn out so well. I'm excited to see the finished product. I have to wait for it to dry out, then add a glaze, then fire it in the kiln. Actually, I'm not exactly sure of all the steps, but I guess I will find out when the time is right. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do it again some time. It was a lot of fun to create something out of a lump of nothing, watching it take form, even if you aren't even sure what you're making when you start.

Collaborate

2007-11-15T23:23:00.000-08:00

Allow me to brag about my awesome boyfriend for a minute. He is an incredibly talented musician. He creates really cool drawings (check some of them out on Etsy). He learned to knit after I showed him how just one time. He always brings me flowers to fill the beautiful vases he made me. And he's incredibly funny and fun to be around.

I could go on and on, but I really just wanted to talk about my collaboration with him to create some rings using his artwork. He created some drawings that I could cut into small portions to incorporate into my rings. I'm still working on the prototype, so I'm not exactly sure how the finished product will turn out, but I'm excited to find out. I've made the ring and poured the first part of the resin. I just have to wait for that to finish hardening, and then I'll add his drawing and top that with more resin. I've coated the drawing with mod podge, so hopefully that will be enough to keep it looking nice in the resin. I haven't done a whole lot with making rings before, so I'm looking forward to expanding into this area of jewelry-making.

It's Personal

2007-11-14T01:40:00.000-08:00

If you checked out October's issue of Lapidary Journal's Jewelry Artist magazine, you will have seen my step-by-step tutorial on how to make my linked bangle bracelet. That was a fun and challenging project for me, and it was exciting to see my work in print!

After a special request from my sister, I've created a personalized version of this bracelet. She was searching for a more modern version of a mother's bracelet, so I stamped the bangles with the name and birth date of each of her children. She prefers a high-shine finish, which was great for this, since it made the lettering really stand out. I plan to offer these soon in my shop... they'd make a great ID bracelet or a gift for a loved one with a personalized message.

My New Venture

2007-11-13T00:10:00.000-08:00

I've decided it's finally time to start a blog to journal my creation of pretty things and running my business. I've been making Sterling Silver jewelry for several years now, and perhaps you may have run across my shop on Etsy. I love working with metal to create beautiful and timeless pieces of jewelry that I believe my customers will enjoy for many many years.

Now, as much as I love making jewelry, I also love making lots of other things. I love creating things and learning new techniques in the crafting world. One such love is felting. I've taught myself the classic technique of wet-felting, and I am so excited about all of the possibilities it has. I have decided to create a line of home-decor items using this ancient technique and am very excited to share my creations and experiences as I begin this journey. I will be posting pictures of some of my work soon, so be sure to check back to see what I have in store!

In the mean time, here are some of my recent creations in the jewelry world: