Friday, August 20, 2010
Caoimhe Lily is on SoopSee!
I've consolidated my jewelry pics and blog to make it easier to find everything in one place. That place is Soopsee, and you can check out my new website here at www.soopsee.com/profile/CLjewelry!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
The Family Heart Garden & Copper Wave pendants
I have created a new set of designs this week. These copper pendants are different, because they are rectangular instead of my usual circles.
The first is the Family Heart Garden. I hand stamped the pendant with a lovely garden of tiny hearts reaching for the sky. The hearts can symbolize your children or family members, and the flying angel heart can symbolize a loved one that has passed and is watching over their little ones from above, or the hearts can simply be enjoyed for their whimsical modern beauty.
Here are two examples of the Family Heart Gardens:
The next design I will share today is the Copper Wave Pendant. I hand crafted this beautiful pendant from a piece of copper sheet. After filing the edges and sanding it to create a smooth surface, I annealed it by applying heat from a torch and then bent it into a wave. I also tumbled it to harden the metal (so that it won't bend out of shape) and give it a polished look. The pictures do not do this piece justice, the copper is bright and shiny which makes it hard to photograph properly.
The wave pattern was stamped using a unique stamping tool that was hand carved by a metalsmith named John Peter. During his lifetime, John created many stamping tools for his own projects, in all different shapes and sizes, and I recently acquired a few of these one-of-a-kind stamps, as I mentioned in a previous post. I used one of these special stamps to create the pattern that you see here:
If you are interested in buying one of these family pendants or a limited edition wave pendant, please look for them on www.CaoimheLily.etsy.com or convo me on Etsy for details.
The first is the Family Heart Garden. I hand stamped the pendant with a lovely garden of tiny hearts reaching for the sky. The hearts can symbolize your children or family members, and the flying angel heart can symbolize a loved one that has passed and is watching over their little ones from above, or the hearts can simply be enjoyed for their whimsical modern beauty.
Here are two examples of the Family Heart Gardens:
The next design I will share today is the Copper Wave Pendant. I hand crafted this beautiful pendant from a piece of copper sheet. After filing the edges and sanding it to create a smooth surface, I annealed it by applying heat from a torch and then bent it into a wave. I also tumbled it to harden the metal (so that it won't bend out of shape) and give it a polished look. The pictures do not do this piece justice, the copper is bright and shiny which makes it hard to photograph properly.
The wave pattern was stamped using a unique stamping tool that was hand carved by a metalsmith named John Peter. During his lifetime, John created many stamping tools for his own projects, in all different shapes and sizes, and I recently acquired a few of these one-of-a-kind stamps, as I mentioned in a previous post. I used one of these special stamps to create the pattern that you see here:
If you are interested in buying one of these family pendants or a limited edition wave pendant, please look for them on www.CaoimheLily.etsy.com or convo me on Etsy for details.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Don't Eat the Beans
I've been away from my work bench the last few days, just spending time with family and taking a break from jewelry making (aside from sending out orders, of course). I have some new blog entries in mind for this week, and a new copper technique that I will be trying out soon, so stay tuned for that. For today though, I'm just taking it easy. I'm about to go cook some enchiladas and spanish rice, and then play with Caoimhe for a while before bedtime.
She still isn't old enough for preschool board games like Candyland (she's just under 2 years old), but I found a game today that I thought she might be old enough to play, it's called Don't Spill The Beans. It's just a little wobbly pot that you put plastic beans into, and when it gets too uneven it spills over. Easy enough for her to do, so I was excited to get it. But when we began playing, she kept asking if she could eat the beans and refused to put them in the pot. It made me nervous, so I switched the beans with goldfish crackers and tried again to get her to play, but she ate those up lol. So, we're going to have to play it after dinner when she's not hungry. :)
Enjoy your evening,
Nickie
She still isn't old enough for preschool board games like Candyland (she's just under 2 years old), but I found a game today that I thought she might be old enough to play, it's called Don't Spill The Beans. It's just a little wobbly pot that you put plastic beans into, and when it gets too uneven it spills over. Easy enough for her to do, so I was excited to get it. But when we began playing, she kept asking if she could eat the beans and refused to put them in the pot. It made me nervous, so I switched the beans with goldfish crackers and tried again to get her to play, but she ate those up lol. So, we're going to have to play it after dinner when she's not hungry. :)
Enjoy your evening,
Nickie
Friday, June 11, 2010
One new stamp, and five on the way!
It's been over a week since my last entry, and a while since I've updated with any new designs. I have a few new things in the works, as I received some new charms in the mail today, but they're not ready to share yet. I do have a bracelet that I will soon be talking about here, and if you're a Facebook fan you've already seen it (if you aren't a Facebook fan, see my previous entry for details). It's a wicked dragon wraparound cuff, but because it deserves its own blog entry I will save it for tomorrow.
Tonight's entry is all about design stamps. These little stamps are what makes hand stamped jewelry so much fun. Design stamps usually run about $10 plus shipping, and are available in all sorts of designs. I always have a hard time resisting the urge to buy new stamps, and I've given in to temptation this week and bought six new stamps for my growing collection.
The first stamp I bought is a spiral finial stamp, and it's a fancy little thing that I will be using to decorate some of my nicer pieces. I have an anniversary gift to make this week so I will be breaking it in very soon. I've been looking forward to buying this stamp for a while now, so it's great to finally have it in my arsenal. Here's a pic of the stamp:
Isn't it gorgeous? It's one of the nicest stamps I've seen, for sure.
So now, I am currently the proud owner of these stamps (all of which are available to be used for custom jewelry requests): a princess tiara, leaf, heart, tiny heart, heart with wings, tiny star, fleur de lis, two baby feet, scroll, wavy line with dots, gift bow, flame, tear/petal shape, bird #1, bird #2, apple, and the new finial stamp.
The other five stamps that I have bought this week are not as fancy as this one, but they are just as wonderful. This is because the stamps are hand crafted and one of a kind. They are squiggly wave-like designs of differing sizes that can't be bought elsewhere, and I just couldn't pass them up. They were made by a man named John who created his own stamps by hand grinding, sawing or filing the ends of old Allen wrenches, cold chisels, and screwdrivers. These tools are made of very hard metal, which is hard as heck to put a nick in, much less shape and design. I can only imagine the work that went into these five stamps, and the many others that John made. Here is a picture of them:
Isn't that amazing? I would love to have the chance to sit and look through that whole batch of designs. It would be like Christmas morning to this aspiring metalworker. :)
Anyway, when John recently passed away, he left his stamps and several books full of amazing designs to his good friend Nik, who is planning to publish the designs into a book and is slowly selling the stamps to others who will use them. As you can see, the stamps have a real history, so I am proud to be the new owner to a handful of them.
I can't wait to see what I will be able to create!
Tonight's entry is all about design stamps. These little stamps are what makes hand stamped jewelry so much fun. Design stamps usually run about $10 plus shipping, and are available in all sorts of designs. I always have a hard time resisting the urge to buy new stamps, and I've given in to temptation this week and bought six new stamps for my growing collection.
The first stamp I bought is a spiral finial stamp, and it's a fancy little thing that I will be using to decorate some of my nicer pieces. I have an anniversary gift to make this week so I will be breaking it in very soon. I've been looking forward to buying this stamp for a while now, so it's great to finally have it in my arsenal. Here's a pic of the stamp:
Isn't it gorgeous? It's one of the nicest stamps I've seen, for sure.
So now, I am currently the proud owner of these stamps (all of which are available to be used for custom jewelry requests): a princess tiara, leaf, heart, tiny heart, heart with wings, tiny star, fleur de lis, two baby feet, scroll, wavy line with dots, gift bow, flame, tear/petal shape, bird #1, bird #2, apple, and the new finial stamp.
The other five stamps that I have bought this week are not as fancy as this one, but they are just as wonderful. This is because the stamps are hand crafted and one of a kind. They are squiggly wave-like designs of differing sizes that can't be bought elsewhere, and I just couldn't pass them up. They were made by a man named John who created his own stamps by hand grinding, sawing or filing the ends of old Allen wrenches, cold chisels, and screwdrivers. These tools are made of very hard metal, which is hard as heck to put a nick in, much less shape and design. I can only imagine the work that went into these five stamps, and the many others that John made. Here is a picture of them:
Isn't that amazing? I would love to have the chance to sit and look through that whole batch of designs. It would be like Christmas morning to this aspiring metalworker. :)
Anyway, when John recently passed away, he left his stamps and several books full of amazing designs to his good friend Nik, who is planning to publish the designs into a book and is slowly selling the stamps to others who will use them. As you can see, the stamps have a real history, so I am proud to be the new owner to a handful of them.
I can't wait to see what I will be able to create!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
And The Winner Is...
Congratulations to Patricia who is the winner of the first official Caoimhe Lily giveaway!
Patricia was the 22nd person to become a fan of the Caoimhe Lily page on Facebook. Her name was chosen by a random number generator on Random.org. Her prize is a beautiful hand crafted copper bracelet, personalized with the name of her choice. Patricia, please message me by Saturday, June 5, to claim your prize!
If you didn't win this time, don't worry - there will be more contests and giveaways to come. Stay tuned to my Facebook page, and you can also follow my blog to stay informed of special deals and new items.
Also, remember that Facebook fans will receive 10% off of their orders throughout June with the coupon code FACEBOOK, so if you have your eye on a bracelet like the one Patricia has won, or a custom personalized necklace, now is a great time to make your purchase.
Thanks again, everyone!
~Nickie
*EDIT: Patricia has decided to forfeit her prize, and a runner-up has been chosen. Congrats to entrant #3, Casey S.!
Patricia was the 22nd person to become a fan of the Caoimhe Lily page on Facebook. Her name was chosen by a random number generator on Random.org. Her prize is a beautiful hand crafted copper bracelet, personalized with the name of her choice. Patricia, please message me by Saturday, June 5, to claim your prize!
If you didn't win this time, don't worry - there will be more contests and giveaways to come. Stay tuned to my Facebook page, and you can also follow my blog to stay informed of special deals and new items.
Also, remember that Facebook fans will receive 10% off of their orders throughout June with the coupon code FACEBOOK, so if you have your eye on a bracelet like the one Patricia has won, or a custom personalized necklace, now is a great time to make your purchase.
Thanks again, everyone!
~Nickie
*EDIT: Patricia has decided to forfeit her prize, and a runner-up has been chosen. Congrats to entrant #3, Casey S.!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Giveaway #1 - Personalized Hand Crafted Copper Bracelet
Who wants free jewelry? I know you do!
I'm holding a giveaway on my new Facebook page - and you could be the lucky winner! Click on the Like button on my Facebook page, and then suggest my page to your friends. When I reach 50+ fans, I will choose one lucky person at random to win a free handmade copper bracelet, personalized with their name and any of my design stamps.
You can become a fan and be eligible for the giveaway by clicking on the Like button on my page here: Become a Fan of Caoimhe Lily on Facebook
Good luck, everyone!
I'm holding a giveaway on my new Facebook page - and you could be the lucky winner! Click on the Like button on my Facebook page, and then suggest my page to your friends. When I reach 50+ fans, I will choose one lucky person at random to win a free handmade copper bracelet, personalized with their name and any of my design stamps.
You can become a fan and be eligible for the giveaway by clicking on the Like button on my page here: Become a Fan of Caoimhe Lily on Facebook
Good luck, everyone!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Very busy week
The past week or so has been pretty busy. I've had a lot of orders go out (a big thank you to everyone who has bought something from me recently) and I've also made five or six new items. I just finished listing them in my store yesterday, with the exception of one that I will post pics of here. I'll probably add pics of some of the new items here tomorrow, as there are a couple I'm excited about sharing, but I'm too sleepy to do much tonight.
The item I want to share with you tonight is a copper bracelet that I just made this afternoon. As with many other things I create, this bracelet ended up looking much different than originally planned. It was supposed to have a butterfly design but in the end I decided it would look much better like this, and I'm saving the butterfly I cut out for a later date. Instead, I decided to go with hand stamped flowers, and the phrase "Bloom where you are planted" is the centerpiece. I used my new bird stamps, of course - I absolutely love these two designs and I've been using them whenever possible. I glued a Swarovski crystal to the center of the main flower, and the dark blue bead really pops with color against the copper, pulling the whole piece together nicely. The edges are hammered and darkened for an antique look, and overall I think this bracelet turned out quite nicely, especially considering it's the first cuff bracelet I've ever made. The bracelet is 2" wide, 20g thick, and is currently sized to fit my small 5" wrist but is adjustable.
It was rather hard to get a good pic of this bracelet because of its larger size (and I hate how closeup photos always show tiny dings and scratches that are barely noticeable otherwise) but I managed to get a few that were fairly decent. So, without further ado, here is my limited edition "Bloom where you are planted" copper cuff bracelet:
The item I want to share with you tonight is a copper bracelet that I just made this afternoon. As with many other things I create, this bracelet ended up looking much different than originally planned. It was supposed to have a butterfly design but in the end I decided it would look much better like this, and I'm saving the butterfly I cut out for a later date. Instead, I decided to go with hand stamped flowers, and the phrase "Bloom where you are planted" is the centerpiece. I used my new bird stamps, of course - I absolutely love these two designs and I've been using them whenever possible. I glued a Swarovski crystal to the center of the main flower, and the dark blue bead really pops with color against the copper, pulling the whole piece together nicely. The edges are hammered and darkened for an antique look, and overall I think this bracelet turned out quite nicely, especially considering it's the first cuff bracelet I've ever made. The bracelet is 2" wide, 20g thick, and is currently sized to fit my small 5" wrist but is adjustable.
It was rather hard to get a good pic of this bracelet because of its larger size (and I hate how closeup photos always show tiny dings and scratches that are barely noticeable otherwise) but I managed to get a few that were fairly decent. So, without further ado, here is my limited edition "Bloom where you are planted" copper cuff bracelet:
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