Holy dowel!

I spent a little time in Home Depot today buying paint to finish my studio's makeover and picked up these awesome wood dowels.  These are great for forming wire for ear wires, hoops, jump rings, etc.  I plan on using the largest diameter to make a pair of rose gold hoops.  And yes, I did buy one in every diameter!  I don't think the lady who checked me out had ever seen anyone so excited to buy a bunch of wooden poles...

This week in the studio....

I received some colorful, beautiful quartz gemstones....

Some of these beauties will be making their way into new designs for next week.  I've already used the green  drops in a version of my popular Ophira earrings and the beautiful blue elongated drops in a new pair of Peyton earrings.

Last night I took the very grainy shot below of some work in progress.  I finished up 2 orders and managed to make 1 and a 1/2 pairs of earrings.  The one I am holding is a new version of my Satchel earrings - I'll finish the set tonight.  The pair sort of hidden by my hand are the Peyton earrings made with blue quartz.

The muse is definitely with me this week!  I can't wait to share the final pics on Monday.  Till then, have a great weekend!

Catching Up

It's been a month since I last posted?  Yikes!  I've been a busy little bee.  I took some time off from the shop and the day job to spend time with my son for Spring Break.  Then I took a little more time off and spent it working in the studio - bliss!  Here's a tiny glimpse of what I've been up to...

I bought some pretty, sparkly gemstones!

I started experimenting with mixing leather and gems.  Still a work in progress, but I think the end results will be lovely.

I spent too much time watching the kitty sleep...but he's too cute to resist!

More work in progress

A finally, here's a few completed projects (there are too many to list)...

You can see all the new pieces here. 

Spring 2013

I love this time of year when things begin to grow and bloom, the temperature is just right, and the sky is a lovely bright blue.

This Spring, I've gathered a mix of lush emerald greens, vibrant pinks and oranges, and sweet pastels to celebrate the season.  I hope you'll enjoy the new designs!

To kick-off the new season, I'm having a sale!  Choose your coupon code - SPRING (for 15% off any purchase) or FREESHIPPING (for free shipping - includes international orders).  Sale ends March 11, 2013.  The coupon codes are for use on both my website, www.KristinaHenning.com, and Kande, my Etsy shop.

Kande Earrings with ruby zoisite

Kande Earrings with hot pink quartz

Ashley Necklace

Olivia Earrings with opal quartz

Green

Do you ever get fixated on a color?  I do all the time.  This month its green.

Kassandra Earrings

Green quartz, smoky quartz, pyrite, tigers eye & silver

Riley Earrings

Emerald green quartz & silver

Exciting News

My Delilah Earrings are featured in Bead Style's 365 Earrings, Special Edition. January 2013!  Thanks so much Naomi for giving me this great opportunity!

Delilah - Pink amethyst, antique pink glass seed beads, sunstone,silver and gold

New Pretties

What's new in the studio this week?  These drops of chrysocolla set with gemstones - white topaz (left) and pink sapphire (right).  Such yummy colors!  I already have big plans for the one on the right, but I think I might have to keep the one on the left for myself.....

Studio: Before & After

I started the day off at 8 a.m. with a fresh and organized studio; ready to "wrap the day away.

Twelve hours later - my fingers are all cramped up, my studio is a disaster zone, and I have a teacup full of sparkling gemstone creations.  A great day!

New Gemstones. Winter Sale.

Well, the holidays are definitely on the way! Things are crazy-busy in the studio, but in between orders I'm planning out new pieces for 2013.  I'll try to pop in here and share news when I can...like these sparkling beauties that arrived the other day...

Olive quartz, ametrine, and teal quartz

If you're looking for a gift or want to treat yourself, drop by the shop for my annual Winter Sale...

Save 15% off orders at KristinaHenning.com or at my Kande shop on Etsy.

Lapis & Gold

With the holidays rapidly approaching, things have really picked up in the studio.  I'll be posting sporadically over the next two months as I try to keep up with things - sorry in advance!

This past weekend, I wrapped up a pair of lovely lapis drops for these earrings...

Peyton Earrings with lapis and gold

From time to time, I thought it would be fun to show pictures of the different gemstones and metals that I use in my jewelry in their "natural state" - before they're cut, polished, heated, etc.  Sort of like a view of each in the wild!  I did some searching and found these beautiful examples of lapis and gold au naturel....

Lazurite from Sar-E-Sang, Kokscha Valley, Badakshan, Afghanistan - Arkenstone

Gold from Colorado Quartz Mine, Mariposa County, California, USA

Gorgeous, huh?  I found both of these specimens on a fabulous site called Arkenstone.  If you're a rock lover like myself, you could search their website all day and never get bored.  Check them out if you get a chance at http://www.irocks.com/index.htm.

Elizabeth Necklace. Ametrine.

I wrapped up some lovely projects this weekend including the newest version of my Elizabeth necklace.

In case your wondering, the purple and yellow stone is called ametrine.  Ametrine is a naturally occurring mix of amethyst and citrine.  It is one of my favorite gemstones.  Here's an example of what it looks like in a more natural state...

 

Image via Pinterest

Now I'm off  to clean up my studio. I found myself in a bit of a creative whirlwind this weekend and moved into each new project without putting up the elements from the previous projects.  Now the top of my jewelry bench is a sparkling, cluttered mess!

Work in Progress. Green and Teal.

I thought I'd try something a little different here on the ol' blog - sharing pics of works in progress.  These will be quickie shots taken with the Instagram app on my phone to keep them spontaneous.

So here we go...

I was almost through with this design before I got struck by the idea of a work in progress shot.  This pair of earrings includes green tourmalinated quartz, antique leland slag in teal, vesuvianite, labradorite, moss aquamarine, peacock teal quartz, freshwater pearls and silver.  I made all the fine silver head pins myself with a torch.  I also made the ear wires (no pictured) by hand. Tomorrow morning I'll oxidized the silver in this pair of earrings and then buff it.

It was a wonderful day in the studio!  Along with the earrings above, I finished two more pairs of earrings with cascades, two more Hudson necklaces, two pairs of Peyton earrings with carnelian and lapis, and a pair of Gesine earrings with a huge pair of marquis carnelians - the unwrapped drops are a long 2 inches!  My thumb joints are killing me but I'm happy as can be.  I'm hoping to be able to finish an Elizabeth necklace with a large teardrop of ametrine in the morning.

Hopefully the sunny weather we had today will hold out for tomorrow afternoon's photo shoot.  The last couple of Sundays have been overcast and the photos haven't turned out as well as I had hoped.  If the weather cooperates, I'll reshoot some of the previous pieces while I'm at it. Look for the new pieces to start making their way into the shop on Monday.

Now its time to head off to bed so I can get an early start in the morning.  Good night all!

Bead Style Magazine. September 2012.

Finally, I can share my big news!!!  I was asked to create a necklace and earrings project for the September issue of Bead Style Magazine.  I just got the advance copy yesterday and I am thrilled with the way it turned out.  I even managed to snag a little spot on the cover!  The Bead Style Magazine September 2012 issue will be available in stores on August 4th.

 

News from the Studio

I spent the entire day in the studio this past Saturday.  It was wonderful.  I was able to wrap up a few projects and photograph the week's work.  Its been a while since I have been able to spend so much uninterrupted time working and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Here's what I was up to last week....

I also managed to wrap up the website's move to a new server.  I still have a few tweaks to make over the next month or so, but I love the new layout. Check it out if you get a chance.  I'd love to hear some feedback.