Laura Salisbury Designs

Jewelry Care

2010-11-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

Read a good post on a blog called Handmadeology today about taking care of your jewelry and thought I'd pass it on -

Keeping the Sparkle in your Jewelry

I like the tip about keeping your jewelry accessible so you actually wear it! I've had good success using a small box on my dresser for the things I wear frequently but you could also put something by the door so they're ready at hand as you go out. Perhaps something like this beautiful little bird dish I found on Etsy...

Nightmare on Etsy Street

2010-10-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

How fun! My skull earrings were just featured in a really awesome Etsy Treasury called Nightmare on Etsy Street. I love Halloween!

Wunderkammer

2010-10-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Mr. Happy was featured in a spooky Halloween Etsy Treasury today! I'm so proud :D Just look at all of those gorgeous things...*drool*

Simplicity

2010-10-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

Wow. Made it into another Artfire collection. This one is called Simply Gorgeous. :)

Still working on some Fall designs. I've got some fun Day of the Dead things in the works. I should be able to start on photos soon. Yay!

I admit it - it's Fall

2010-10-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I'm done with another summer's worth of street fairs and craft shows. I have no plans for any holiday shows at the moment and I'm really looking forward to taking a break from in-person vending for a little while so I can concentrate on getting my online stores in order.

One of my necklaces made it into an Artfire Halloween collection and I'm thrilled to see all of the fantastic Fall and Halloween themed stuff available out there right there right now. So fun!

I think I'm going to go make up a batch of cocoa, snuggle up on the couch and contemplate the leaves outside. :D

Belmont Street Fair is here!

2010-09-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, the 12th, is the Belmont Street Fair and I'll be there in front of Paradox Cafe between 34th and 35th. It goes from 10-5 and is a good one to hit since there's a lot going on and they close the street to traffic so it's very relaxed and fun. Come on out and enjoy!

The Website is Up!!!

2010-08-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yay! It looks like the website is finally ready to go live! Check it out at LaurasDesigns.com. In celebration of the new site, and the upcoming long weekend, everything in the shop is 10% off through Labor Day! When you go through checkout just enter the code "LABORDAY2010" in the comments section and I'll refund the 10% back to you via Paypal.

swimmy thoughts

2010-08-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

So, my son and I drove out to Newport, OR yesterday and went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium where we saw all kinds of amazing and beautiful things. Including these jellyfish -

Now I've got thoughts of jellyfish earrings floating around in my head. I don't know if I'll ever get around to doing anything more than daydreaming about them but it's fun to think about. :)

props due!

2010-08-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

Wow! Yesterday was SO MUCH fun! I'd never vended at, or even attended, the Multnomah Days Festival and I was super impressed by how well it went. It was well organized, the street was closed for the duration so it felt leisurely and safe, the organizers, other vendors and people attending were nothing but friendly and kind. Everyone seemed to be having such a great time all day. A snafu early in the day (vendor in the wrong spot) was handled with grace and good humor. There was a fun (if long) parade, good weather and loads of people. Yesterday was the kind of day that keeps me doing this kind of thing. Kudos and thanks to everyone involved with the festival!

The website is really coming along. I think I need to add more pictures to fill out the gallery and then it'll be ready to roll out. Very exciting!

Next up - Belmont St. Fair. Should be a lot of fun. :)

Multnomah Days Festival this Saturday

2010-08-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

Just a heads-up that I'll be vending at the Multnomah Days Festival from 9 til 4 tomorrow (Saturday the 21st) in Multnomah Village here in Portland. If you're gonna be around, come check it out!

celebrating the small things

2010-08-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

Woot! I hit a milestone of sorts on Etsy this week: as of Monday, I now have 100 people on Etsy who have called my shop a 'favorite.' I know this is still really small potatoes but I'm rather pleased nonetheless.

Also, this Saturday I'm going to be vending at the Multnomah Days Festival from 9-4. If you're in town, come check it out. :D

blog feature!

2010-08-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

Laura Salisbury Designs was featured today on TeamBPAL's blog for the Friday Spotlight. There's bit of an interview there that may or may not shed a little light on how things happen around here. It's really up to you as to whether or not that's a good thing. ;-p

new website in the works

2010-08-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

So, I've been wanting a real website of my own for ages now but my skillz are rusty or nonexistent and I am a procrastinator at heart so it's been a shelved project for a couple of years now. Well, no more! I got a notion and finally sat down and sketched out a rough idea of what I want my website to look like and then I found a tool (Wix.com) where I could play around with different elements to create a prototype. A practice run, if you will. The result is linked over there on the right or you can click HERE to see what I came up with. It's a work in progress so it's not fully fleshed out and it has a couple of issues but I think I'm generally satisfied with how it turned out.

Now the trick is going to be creating something from scratch on my own without the handy-dandy bells and whistles of the tool that makes it so easy. I installed WordPress and I'm going to give that a go and I've been spending time pouring over stock image websites looking for and gathering elements to play with. No small task I'm finding. I'm trying to persist in the madness and I keep telling myself that I can do this but, holy crap, this is complex. :-\ I hope this works!

Yay! I made it into a fun treasury!

2010-08-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

My Flower Beetle (Mr. Happy) made it into an awesome Etsy Treasury called Feeling Kinda Buggy. It's a really fun treasury and I think he's in good company. :)

Fits & Starts

2010-08-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

Went to a gem fair yesterday and came home with a few goodies, although mostly I just restocked some supplies. Gem fairs are always so fun, even if a lot of the stuff is the same time after time. I always look forward to seeing some of the vendors and seeing what new things they are excited about. I got some fantastic crystals to make into pendants that I think are going to be very nice.

I got some new things made and am sifting through and editing photos so can get them listed. One of them is this -

I suspect the pendant is some kind of calcite or maybe even chalcedony shot through with streaks of carnelian but that's just a guess. Whatever it is, I think it's gorgeous. I paired it with serpentine, carnelian, red jasper and some fire agate and gave it a silver wire bail. I'm quite pleased with it.

I've also added a new street fair to the summer line-up. I'll be at the Multnomah Days Festival in Multomah Village in Portland on August 21st from 10-5. I've decided against vending at the Hawthorne Street Fair this year but I will be going just to hang out and have fun.

I said what now?

2010-06-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

HAHAHAHAHA! OK, so making plans to post on a weekly basis is obviously a lot easier than actually doing it, it seems. Why is it so hard? Not really sure.

So summer has finally arrived in Portland - YAY! The warmth feels sooooooo good. I've been inspired to sketch out several new designs and now all I need is find the focus to sit down and make them. Not easy when the sun has come out to play. :)

The craft fair I did this past Saturday was a mixed bag. Attendance was, if I'm entirely honest, absolutely dismal. I have to admit I was pretty bitter about it at first. I mean, I gave up going to the Annual Family-Friends Summer Solstice Camping Trip to attend on the chance that it would be a source of some dearly needed income. It was not. At all. That was a hard pill to swallow. However, with a little perspective, I realize that it did give me time to sit with and think about my jewelry for awhile. I polished silver til I got cramps in my forearms. I reconsidered and reorganized my displays. I found several pieces that I really want to rework differently and thought about how I could improve things overall. I feel like I'll be better prepared for the upcoming Mississippi St. Fair because of the time I've spent thinking things over and that is a good feeling to have.

I'm really excited to get to work on new pieces. I've cleared and organized my workspace so that it no longer resembles a picture out of an I Spy book and I'm ready to go. :D Look for some new things coming soon.

2010-06-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, time really flies! I can't believe it's been so long since my last post. Not good. Time to get back on track here.

I guess the first order of business is an update on craft fair appearances. So far it looks like this:

*Creston-Kenilworth Craft Fair, June 26th, 10-3
*Mississippi Street Fair, July 10th, 10-9
*Woodstock Festival, July 17th, 10-6
*Belmont Street Fair, September 12th, 10-5
*Last Thursdays on Alberta Street starting in June

I haven't decided/heard yet, but I'm also considering these:

*Division/Clinton Street Fair, July 24th, 10-6
*Hawthorne Street Fair, August 15th, 10-6 (this one is a big maybe)

I've been working on some Spring/Summer designs that I've really been enjoying, including some more delicate necklaces that I've fallen in love with. Everything here in the Northwest is so green. I mean, it's June and it's still raining almost every day and I feel ungrateful complaining because everything is so lush and beautiful but, um, some sun would be nice too. Everyone needs their vitamin D. I am noticing more than ever before the effect that my environment has on my work. I'm drawn to greens more than usual and I've been using a lot more light stones, including, to my surprise, more rose quartz and moonstone. I still want to do some of my larger, bold designs but I think they'll come out later on as summer starts to get a foothold and things heat up. For now, things around here have an almost fairy feel to them so that's what I've been paying attention to.

A Crystal Fairy Blossom Necklace

Ocean Shades

So, I promise not to be such a stranger. You can look forward to more frequent posts as I try to make blogging more of a priority around here. My goal is to shoot for a weekly kind of thing, more or less. Hope you all have a wonderful day. :D

Tis the Season!

2009-12-03T15:49:00.000-08:00

Well, this cold/flu season has been brutal but I'm trying to stay hopeful that eventually we'll all be back on our feet. I hope all of you out there are staying well and taking care of yourselves. I've got some more jewelry up in the store and will be making more pieces in the days to come. Also, I'll be vending in person, here in Portland, at Sunnyside Environmental School's Holiday Bazaar this Saturday the 5th from 11-4. Come by and say hi if you can! 3421 SE Salmon St.

Bundle up and stay warm! :D

Elegant Smokey Quartz and Silver Fancy Dress Necklace

Elegant Labradorite and Silver Fancy Dress Necklace

Brass Filigree with Rubies, Black Spinel and Mystic Green Topaz

2009-10-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

I'm having a big Fall/Halloween Sale! Come check it out - I may have marked down something you've had your eye on. :D www.LaurasDesigns.com

Getting a Jump on Halloween

2009-09-05T00:21:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to announce that I've got the first of the Halloween designs up on the site. I'm ridiculously tickled with these necklaces. I think the maniacal giggling while making them just adds to their appeal. Throw in a little blood of the maker (brass wire can be tricky) and you've got the perfect Halloween accessories. MWUAHAHAHAHA!! Behold ~

Mr. Happy, the Happiness Beetle-
Now, personally, I think these would be great to wear whenever and wherever. They are absolutely unique, interesting and sure to be noticed. I just love them. I still have a black scorpion who is waiting for some stones to arrive and I have a few other little fun ideas to get started on so there is more to come, but for now, these are available in the Etsy store - www.LaurasDesigns.com :D

End of Summer update

2009-08-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like Summer is winding down, despite my every effort to deny it. I love Summer and I'll miss it. Fall is another favorite of mine, though, so it's not all sad. In July we had a serious heatwave and I decided it probably wasn't in my best interest to sit out in 105 degree shadeless sun at Last Thursday. August saw my one street fair canceled due to too many jewelry vendors at the event, so that was disappointing. Thankfully, August also saw a few challenging and fun commission pieces to keep things interesting.

The first interesting piece was a shamanic ritual amulet using goldstone and feathers from a red shafted Northern flicker woodpecker. The brass around the amulet and a stylized hook clasp were shaped, hammered and then carefully antiqued to mach the warmth of the chain links. Other stones used were onyx, carnelian and yellow calcite. I am very pleased with how well it turned out. The necklace was actually slightly altered and I wasn't able to get pictures of the final version before it was delivered but this is a good representation.

The next piece, and possibly my favorite, was a piece of rainbow obsidian that is securely surrounded by antiqued brass wire sculpted into a unique windblown tree with a pentacle on the back. This one took a few attempts to get just right but I'm totally in love with it. I'm definitely going to look for more stones to do this with.

September will be busy with school starting, a street fair and an indoor craft fair among other things. I'm also going to be busy getting Halloween and Fall pieces made and up on the Etsy store. A couple of friends think I'm crazy but my favorite bit for Halloween are these insects/arachnids I found encased in lucite. I think they're awesome and I refuse to believe I'm the only one that these appeal to. I guess if I'm wrong I'll have a lot of bug jewelry to wear and keep all for myself. This is an idea of what I'm talking about -

You can't tell me that isn't cool!! Next up is the black scorpion. I can't wait!

I'll not be down at August's Last Thursday today since I have a serious backlog of photos to take and I really need to buckle down and get them done. The next vending date for me is the Belmont Street Fair on September 12th from 10 to 5. Friendly faces are always a welcome sight!

Hope you guys are enjoying these last days of summer as much as I am. :D

New Stuff up in the store!

2009-08-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

Whee! OK, with the August lull, I've been uploading some things onto the Etsy store. Bunches of new stuff and more still to go! Check it out - LaurasDesigns.com :D

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LauraSalisburyDesign

Division/Clinton St. Fair

2009-07-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

This one was easier since I had a little experience with it this time. We got set up and were ready to go with plenty of time to spare. I didn't have the greatest spot and it was organized so the vendors were all spread out in small clusters on side streets over many, many, many blocks. Add to that an extremely hot day and I didn't see very many people at all. No one wants to walk that far, especially in the heat. I'm not sure I'll do this one again but, hey, live and learn, right? I finally called it at around 5:00 and packed it all up. When I got home, I had an epic water battle with my 7 year old son which made me feel a lot better.

August is kind of a dead zone and we're in the middle of a heat wave here so I may not do much of anything until the street fairs in September. Which means...website updates!! I can finally get around to listing all of my new stuff in the store - yay!

Mississippi Street Fair

2009-07-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I was really nervous about this street fair. Not only was it my first street fair but it's the biggest one in Portland. My friends had gone to the Oregon Country Fair for the day, the tables didn't fit in my car and I had family visiting from out of town. Solution = put the family to work. Mwuahahaha! We got it all set up and were ready in time. What a day! There were so many people! When I stepped outside my tent and looked down the street, all I could see were tents and people as far as the horizon. It was so awesome! Everyone I met was super nice too, despite the fact that we were all melting from the heat. Always a plus. My favorite compliment was when a girl came in and said that my jewelry was the kind of jewelry she has in her head and has always wanted to see. :) I highly recommend attending this street fair if you're in the area next year - it was a blast. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to leave my tent much so I don't have many pictures, but I did get a few.

June's Last Thursday on Alberta St.

2009-07-27T21:46:00.001-07:00

This was fun, as always. The setup with the new jacks on the earring display worked like a charm and the breezes were...well... a breeze. I think I may have to start leaving some stuff at home cause the table is looking cluttered to me. The highlight of this month was the random lady who offered to buy my shoes. o_O Cute they are, but, really?? No, sorry, not for sale. So weird. Anyhoo...here's the pics (which, btw, cost me $45 to download from my phone so you can bet I'll not be forgetting my camera again!)

commissioned pieces :)

2009-06-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I finished a couple of necklaces that a friend of mine commissioned as gifts. They each have specific and yet different purposes and a lot of research went in to finding the right combo of stones and materials to fit the situations. I'm really pleased with how they turned out and I'm so thankful that I had the chance to do these cause it was a fantastic opportunity to learn and find creative ways of mixing different elements. Plus, in my search for the rubies I uncovered a couple of new suppliers that look really promising. So. Anyway.

The first one is for a woman, is about 18" in length and is made using silver hoops, beads and figure eight links and silver wire for the stone links. The stones are faceted raw Indian rubies, black tourmaline and tourmalinated quartz. The rubies are flanked by small faceted rondelles of black spinel. It was finished with a silver plated lobster clasp and a 2 1/2" extender with a black tourmaline bead dangle on the end. I chose the lobster clasp instead of a hoop and bar, which would have actually fit the style better, because this is intended to be worn while sleeping and the lobster clasp is far more secure.

The second one is for a man, is about 19" in length and was made by combining leather cord with wood beads and silver wire-wrapped links with stones. The wood beads in the center are redwood and have silver rondelle accents. The links contain bloodstone and autumn jasper. The cords were each finished with silver crimp rings and it has a lobster style clasp. In the center is a sterling silver feather hung from a silver bail. For the relatively small size of the bloodstone beads I was impressed that they had such good coloration.

and, by the way...

2009-05-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

There were so many talented artists at Last Thursday last night and it occurred to me that I want to start posting some pics of other people's stuff here too. So, to kick things off, here are some cool things that my friend Frost is experimenting with. Bicycle pouches, belts, wrist straps, bags, cell phone holders, etc. all made out of used and upcycled bike tubes and tires and truck inner tubes. I am currently sporting a fetching double-stitched bike tube wrist strap that is very, very comfy. The thing I like about them is that all of the marks and writing and whatall is still there so they are all unique.

May's Last Thursday on Alberta St. in Portland, OR

2009-05-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

Wow! Last Thursday was a blast and a half. We were thrilled to learn that the city is now closing Alberta Street to cars - parking and driving - between 15th Ave. and 30th Ave. from 6pm to 10pm. Since it was a first attempt things were initially a little messy but once the cars finally cleared out it was wonderful. :D It was sunny and downright hot but there were some nice breezes to take the worst of it away when the sun really started to beat down. The place was buzzin and I was exhausted but very happy when I dropped into bed last night. Of course, some of that buzzin might have been the 32 oz Rock Star of Doom ("massive size") that I picked up on the way there. Hey, everyone has their vices. Some of my newer pieces got some really nice, positive feedback so I am pleased that other people like them as much as I do. My new goal before the next show is to devise a method of storing and setting up my necklaces that doesn't require so much fussing and detangling, etc.. Also, I need to figure out a way to anchor my earring display to its riser so it doesn't turn into a big scary kite (the downside of those summer breezes). I tried to get a few photos to capture the fantastic energy of the night but everything was moving, moving, moving so I'm afraid they're a bit blurry. I'm already looking forward to June!

Last Thursday on Alberta St. in April

2009-05-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday was a lot of fun! I set up at a cozy spot near 24th across from a place called The Alley, the weather was absolutely perfect and lots of happy people were out and about enjoying the day. I was able to road test my new earring display prototype and, overall, was very pleased with how it worked out. Now to fine tune the design and make more. :) My next outing will be May's Last Thursday on May 28th.

Last Thursday on NE Alberta St.

2009-04-29T23:23:00.000-07:00

Looks like the weather is going to cooperate so in all likelihood I'll be set up and selling down at Last Thursday on NE Alberta St. in Portland if anyone out there feels like checking it out. :) I'll post pics if I can get some. I'm planning on getting set up by 5 or so.

and so it begins...

2009-04-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

So, I've decided to transfer my jewelry blog over here from Live Journal. We'll see how it goes. I like the idea of a fresh start for the Spring.

I went to the Convention Center here in Portland this weekend to see some fantastic exhibits by The Oregon Potter's Association, artists who work in glass, a local bead group and, best of all, a gorgeous show put on by The Creative Metal Arts Guild. Just amazing, amazing stuff. All of these people are beyond talented and it was incredibly inspiring and motivating. I only wish I'd been able to stay longer and talk to more of the artists.

I finally got some new things listed in my Etsy shop not too long ago. If I can find a replacement bulb for a broken studio light I'll get some more photos taken and there's lots more in the works so I'm hoping to get a lot more listed soon.

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LauraSalisburyDesign