Custom Orders

Recently I've had many requests for custom orders. I love to do these, as they allow me to work with someone else's idea and put it into a tangible, shiny piece they (or someone they know) can wear. But custom work doesn't come without challenges. I need to make sure that I take into consideration the requestor's personality and taste without compromising my own creative spirit. A recent request was for a pair of bracelets (male/female) as a Valentine's Day gift. The idea was to create two pieces out of the same piece of metal and make them 'fit' into one another. After drafting a few designs, the requestor chose a design and I got to work. Below are photos of the pieces in progress...

Stone Setting

This weekend I set my sights on finishing a project for a friend of mine. I had put it off for awhile because it included setting 3 stones into a pendant that I had yet to design. So far, this has been one of the more challenging pieces I've made. I've only set one stone prior to this (shhh, don't tell my friend) and was pretty nervous that I'd mess it up. 5 hours later with 3 semi-precious stones partially set into the pendant, I'm pretty happy with the results. I now have to complete the setting, polish it up and I'll be ready to mail the necklace off!

My car door was frozen shut this morning

Why I hate New England winters: reason # 2345

Last week it was in the 50's, today it's in the 20's and my driver's side door is frozen shut.

I yanked, I pulled, I jumped up and down in frustration, I asked nicely, but nothing, really - nothing, would open my driver's side door this morning. So I had to go Dukes of Hazard style through the passenger side, over the center console, knocking my knee on my stick shift, leaving a salty, muddy footprint on my dashboard just to put myself in the driver's seat...all while some guy in a van across the parking lot watched me.

In other news:
I've made 8 of the 10 pieces I will be sending to OAK next week. A photoshoot is taking place on the 27th and I'm hoping that a few of these pieces will be featured.

Woooo hooo

Let me say it again - waaaaaahooooo! I just found out that some of my pieces will be carried at a store on Newbury street. I am so excited to have an opportunity like this to show off my jewelry! Now I just have to make everything...

Ok, I did it...

My patience flew away in the bitter arctic wind, I set my sense to the side and my fingers hit the keys on my keyboard with a fervor that only comes with wasting time at work. I just bought a kiln. Yeah, that's right. An oven. But not just any oven. This is an oven that heats up to over 1500 degrees. Now I can FINALLY practice my enamelling and granulation work. Watch out world, color is coming your way. I just hope I don't burn my apartment down in the process.

Finding Inspiration in Argentina

I closed my eyes and heard the bouncing, screeching sound of rubber against asphalt as the wheels of the plane made contact with the runway. I closed my eyes and thought - am I really back? It was a bittersweet arrival. I was completely exhausted and in desperate need of clean clothes but I had just spent ten inspirational, friendship renewing days in a country I never thought I would ever step foot in. The people we met in Argentina were kind, helpful and accomodating and I was sad to leave the experience and people 10,000 miles behind me. But experience enables perspective and my ceaseless canon powershot gave me 872 pictures I will always have to replenish my memories. And to top it all off, I came back full of ideas for new jewelry. Over the next several weeks, I hope to have some beautiful Argentinian-inspired pieces. Stay tuned...

Ok, I am here...so now what?

I posed the question to some of my etsy.com comrades as to whether or not it was a good thing for business to start blogging. The overwhelmong response surprised me - just about everyone who responded had a blog. Have I been living under a rock? I mean, really. I like to think of myself as hip and up on the latest trends. I didn't know it was so popular. So here goes...I intend to use this for my jewelry escapades (hence the title Alloy). But my apologies if I go astray from time to time...

For starters, you can check out my website:

www.mezzedesigns.com

or my etsy shop:

www.sauterelle.etsy.com