I said what now?

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.

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

Etsy Buy Handmade LauraSalisburyDesign