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Archives for April 2017

Rainfall and Turquoise

April 20, 2017 ·

Rainy days are rather divisive, as far as weather goes. You are either of the sort who revels in squashy armchairs and mugs of hot chocolate, thankful for the proper atmosphere to start something by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Or you are the sort that feels as though you’ve been callously robbed of a day, and no amount of salacious television can make up for the time lost out-of-doors.

I fall in more with the first set. As I sit at my writing desk, through my open window I can hear the splatter of rainfall on our doorstep roof and see the flowers of the maple tree shuddering with each collision. I can see below my window the narcissus buds reaching up through the mud, and know that the magnolia around the corner is reaching down with the wind to hand passersby her sumptuous blooms, audacious tree that she is.

For me, these wet days of black umbrellas and bangs stuck to foreheads are restorative, because you can practically hear all green things taking deep, thankful gulps.

After the rain, we gather up our mitts and bats and head to the baseball diamond by the lake. It doesn’t matter that our feet will sink into the mushy earth at home plate or that our baseballs will get sodden past the point of usable. And if it begins to rain, we will lift our faces and relish it, as though we are just another patch of greenery.

With the soft greens of forget-me-nots under the hedge and the gentle blues about to appear in robins’ nests, I’ve created a turquoise ring fit for springtime.

For this blooming turquoise piece, I’ve used a Pixie variscite set between two soft green Carico lake marquise stones accented by a few sterling silver pebbles. It is set atop a double, half-round band and has been oxidized.

This ring is born of springtime, an ode to gentle rains and robins singing thoughts of summer. And you can find it here.

Lately:
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Listening – to Vaughan Williams, specifically “The Lark Ascending.” When the cherry trees throw up their frothy blooms and the birds begin trilling new songs, there is not a more fitting song.

Reading – a hefty book called The Glorious Constellations: History and Mythology in preparation for a new series I am working on. It requires a few new metalsmithing skills and tools, so it might be a little while before I debut it, but I can tease it, right?

Appreciating – Tolkien, always.

Filed In: Inspiration, Jewelry, On the Bench, Uncategorized / Tagged: art, artisan, artist, artists, inspiration, Jewelry, lifestyle, metalsmith, metalsmithing, naturalist, nature, springtime, studio

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Greens upon greens upon greens in the northern for Greens upon greens upon greens in the northern forests of Maine. 🌲🌿🌳
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#livefolk #staywild #quietinthewild #exploretocreate #countryliving  #folkgood #livesimple #optoutside #foundforaged #earthspirit #natureinspired #getoutside #forestlife #forestcore #wearewildness #intothewoods #seeksimplicity #hikenewengland  #appalachiantrail #hikingmaine #maine
Thank you to everyone who raised their hands on my Thank you to everyone who raised their hands on my call for how many of these necklaces to make. It is such a help! 

If you have a preference, do you prefer oval necklaces, or teardrop shaped ones? It's now time for me to choose from my gemstone collection. 

I think I will be able to make juuuust enough necklaces, though as always, everything will be first come first served.

Stay tuned for more previews!
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🌲 North Woods Collection: Date TBA 🌲

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#agate #mossagate #terrarium #forestcore #handmadejewelry #mainemade #madeinmaine #forestjewelry #gemstonejewelry #maineartist #artisanmade #artisanjewelry #mossagatenecklace #madewithlove
🌲 A call for ring sizes for the first design of 🌲 A call for ring sizes for the first design of my North Woods Collection! 🌲

Generous slices of moss agate, each unique and holding tiny forest-like worlds. Set atop an undulating bark edge base, textured and sawn to look like a tree slice. 

These also have a secret message inside the band.

I have about a dozen more of these in the making, all with wonderfully different gemstones. 

If this ring calls to you, let me know your ring size! They will still be first come first served, but I will try to make the most requested sizes. 
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#moss #mossterrarium #mossagate #agate #agatejewelry #gemstonejewelry #gemstones #terrarium #terrariumjewelry #mosslove #mainemade #madeinmaine #maineartist #forestcore #forestlovers
🌲🏔 We have begun hiking (in most cases “re 🌲🏔 We have begun hiking (in most cases “rehiking”) the Maine 4,000-fters with the goal of consciously ticking them off starting now. 

What a gift it is living in this area for the summer. Towering granite cliffs and each road a tiny corridor through endless green. 

It seems every moment my fella is dashing out the door to mountain bike or hike part of the AT or fly fish his favorite river or go running on the trails.

And I have been gathering up the entire valley in my arms, the one our cabin is nestled in, to spin it into a bold, rugged collection for you.

We been relishing all the clearwater, bluebird-sky moment of these north woods. (Despite those early summer black-flies.)

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#livefolk #staywild #quietinthewild  #countryliving  #theartofslowliving #folkgood #optoutside  #earthspirit #appalachiantrail #getoutside #forestlife #wearewildness #naturelove #intothewoods #seekthesimplicity  #wildandfree #natureisbeautiful #naturesbeauty #beautyinnature #mainelife
I am gathering up the forests of northern Maine an I am gathering up the forests of northern Maine and translating them into a big, earthy collection for you. I hope you will love it!🌲💫
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#moss #mossterrarium #mossagate #agate #agatejewelry #gemstonejewelry #gemstones #terrarium #terrariumjewelry #mosslove #mainemade #madeinmaine #maineartist
🌲 I have been soaking up so much chlorophyl, I 🌲 I have been soaking up so much chlorophyl, I must be nearly drunk on it by now! 

Being in this cabin near the Bigelow Preserve has been like a tremendous exhale. The first thing we did when we got here was to turn off the alarm clocks on our phones, and now summer stretches out like a yawn. I feel like I am 8 years old again with a summer vacation just beginning.

#moss #mossagate #naturelover #wildflowerseason #getoutsidemore #mosslove #mainelife #naturegram #beadedlily #lilygarden
My endless thanks to those of you who plucked some My endless thanks to those of you who plucked some amethyst earrings! About three dozen pairs were claimed, and are waiting to be packaged up. 💫
💫 Everything is in the Etsy shop, sweet friends 💫 Everything is in the Etsy shop, sweet friends! 💫

The easiest way to see everything, is to click the * Violet Linings section on the left in the Etsy shop! 

(Direct link to the shop is on my profile.)
Goodness how these earrings glow! For these summer Goodness how these earrings glow! For these summery earrings, I sawed a tiny window from the back of the sterling silver base so that the light comes pouring through while being worn. I hope you love them as much as I do!
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🔮 Violet Linings Earrings: TONIGHT at 7pm EST in the Etsy Shop 🔮
💜 👾 Amethyst Vines and Stranger Things 👾💜
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Goodness how I love these earrings, I am wearing my pair as I write this. 

Light and long, they twirl with the wind and make the gentlest susurrus. These will all bloom in the shop in two days!

Until then I will be eating vegan peanut butter cookies and rewatching Stranger Things (currently on Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer) before we hop onto Season 4. Have you watched it yet? (No spoilers, please!) 

Also, I rather enjoy giving my posts chapter titles, a la Stranger Things.
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🔮 Violet Linings Earrings: Sunday, June 5th at 7pm EST in the Etsy Shop 🔮
“Morning Glories” by Mary Oliver Blue and dar “Morning Glories” by Mary Oliver

Blue and dark-blue
rose and deepest rose
white and pink they 

are everywhere in the diligent 
cornfield rising and swaying 
in their reliable

finery in the little
fling of their bodies their 
gear and tackle 

all caught up in the cornstalks. 
The reaper's story is the story 
of endless work of 

work careful and heavy but the 
reaper cannot 
separate them out there they 

are in the story of his life 
bright random useless
year after year 

taken with the serious tons 
weeds without value 
humorous beautiful weeds. 

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🔮 Violet Linings Earrings: Sunday, June 5th at 7pm EST in the Etsy Shop 🔮
We are fully ensconced in a cabin for the summer, We are fully ensconced in a cabin for the summer, tucked against the Bigelow preserve in northwestern Maine. 

Long verdant days tinged with birdsong, and crisp nights, full of stars and mountain wind. 

And coffee has never tasted so good.
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