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Moonspinner

Artisan Jewelry by Michaela Batstone

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Hand-forged artisan jewelry madein a little metalsmithing studio in Maine.

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Latest from the Blog

North Wind Collection, Part II (Final Preview)

North Wind Collection, Part II (Third Preview)

North Wind Collection, Part II (Second Preview)

North Wind Collection, Part II (First Preview)

North Wind Collection, Part I (Third Preview)

Unless otherwise noted, all images, designs, and writing is property of Michaela Batstone. All rights reserved.

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Oh, friends! I had told you this amethyst collecti

Oh, friends! I had told you this amethyst collection was going to be simple and small, featuring only a few handfuls of pieces. Well, I lied.

Not exactly lied, I suppose. But I got carried away and this is turning out to be a big, beautiful, full-on collection.

There will indeed be simple, understated designs. Small gemstones and whisper-thin chains, straightforward designs without too much embellishment.

But then I also made perhaps the biggest, boldest, multi-stone ring I have ever made. Some designs will only have a few pieces available, and other designs will have a few dozen.

I just realized how much gorgeous amethyst I had squirreled away over the past eight years, and now I am in a proper purple haze!

Keep an eye out here because I am going to be sharing designs and asking for ring size requests.

It is looking like this collection will be debuting in either mid-July or mid-August, all depending on how quickly my hands can work!

💜 The next collection will be an amethyst colle

💜 The next collection will be an amethyst collection! 💜

It had been a little while since I have worked with this stone, though it is one of my very favorites.

For this collection, I combed through my gemstone cabinet for the most saturated smooth stones and sparkly faceted ones. Some large, some dainty.

I am keeping the designs quite simple with this offering, for all you who want an understated splash of purple on your ears, neck, and fingers.

What do you think? Do you like amethyst?

The air is muggy and hot here at the moment. The s

The air is muggy and hot here at the moment. The sun positively toasted me yesterday while I sat outside with a book. And it looks like it is only getting warmer as the days go on.

I revel in days at the ocean and the susurrus of wind through birches, but I would be lying if I said I didn't already miss winter a bit!

How about you? Does your heart lie in summer or winter?

Everything is in the mail sweet friends! With the

Everything is in the mail sweet friends!

With the help of my fella and some Australian sitcoms, all your orders got gently tucked in paper and tied with a bow. And they are winging their way to you as we speak!

And wouldn't you believe it, I already am started on my next collection. A simple offering. A small offering, well, small for me.

Any guesses as to the stone the collection will feature??

Through much of the second half of my North Wind c

Through much of the second half of my North Wind collection, I had off and on insomnia. Agonizing difficulty falling asleep, then instantaneously wide-awake at 3:00 a.m. or so. OOPH!

There aren't many positive parts to going through bouts of insomnia. However, this particular sunrise was worth that night of troubled sleep.

Thank you, my sweet friends, for your support of t

Thank you, my sweet friends, for your support of the final North Wind offering! So many familiar names, so many new faces. My heart is full!

I will be starting to ship orders out tomorrow, as well as sending along shipping refunds for those who placed separate orders.

I see that people are still placing orders, so I thought I would give a bit of time before I start shipping, that way all the separate orders you place can get packaged together.

💙💙💙

✨ Alpinist Rings ✨ Each ring features a singl

✨ Alpinist Rings ✨

Each ring features a single dark blue kyanite gemstone, the color of the sky on those impossibly clear days. The band is a sturdy, wide band that has been given a hammered texture, rough and weathered. And the bands have been given irregular, undulating edges to resemble a mountainous skyline. Peaks and valleys, saddlebacks and passes.
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✖️North Wind Collection Release: PART II - Sunday, May 16th at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy shop ✖️

Also, a little reminder that you can sign up for t

Also, a little reminder that you can sign up for the newsletter if you want to have previews delivered to your e-mail inbox.

I know that a lot of you miss my posts because of the algorithm, so the newsletter is a good way to stay tuned.

It's a good thing to every now and again visit the pages of your favorite accounts and give the most recent posts some likes and saves. This lets the algorithm know you want to keep seeing their stuff.

I try to periodically do this with makers I follow as well, otherwise I don't see their work in my feed. I cant tell you how many times I have missed a Pitch Pine mug because of this. 😭 Ooph, I miss chronological feeds.

✖️IMPORTANT REMINDERS FOR THE RELEASE!✖️
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🔸 All the pieces I have been previewing the last several weeks will be in tonight’s 7:00 p.m. EST shop update. It is first come first served, to give all a fair chance to claim the pieces that are calling.

🔸 Remember! Etsy won’t reveal my new listings for you right at the release time, you have to refresh and reload my shop page, sometimes a few times, before they all show up. It even does the same for me!

🔸 Etsy is often slow with populating my shop after I publish my listings, I believe because I list so many pieces at once! I have been told this is because they work out of the cloud now rather than dedicated servers.

So if you want to try for a piece at release time, start on the home page and move through the pages from there. If you click on the collection section on the left, sometimes it takes 15 minutes or so for listings to show up. A very strange glitch, but it happens. Refresh often!

🔸 Make sure you look at all the photos of the pieces you are looking to purchase, because I try to photograph these pieces from every angle, in my hand for size reference, and in natural light, so you can see exactly what you will receive. I want you to be sure you are purchasing the perfect pieces for you!

🔸 That being said, an item isn't "yours" until you complete checkout. Meaning that other people can purchase items you are looking at, or that you even have in your cart. This is an Etsy feature that I cannot change.

🔸 My advice is that if you have a piece you have your heart set on, complete checkout with that item first. And then go back for the other pieces you want. Checking out separately allows you to claim your pieces more quickly, and you have less of a chance of a piece being scooped out of your cart. Following the release, I will refund any shipping overages for multiple orders.
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I hope you are able to claim the pieces that have been calling to you!

✨ December Flight Necklaces ✨ An owl in fligh

✨ December Flight Necklaces ✨

An owl in flight, clutching a sparkling winter gemstone.

This small owl is hand-forged from solid sterling silver. It features a tiny flying owl silhouette set against a black background, like an owl in the night sky.

Below each owl is a faceted winter gemstone (kyanite, gray moonstone, or quartz) to sway gently like a last leaf in the breeze. And the back of the pendant has been textured on granite to resemble a winter stone.
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✖️North Wind Collection Release: PART II - Sunday, May 16th at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy shop ✖️

As you likely know, this North Wind Collection is

As you likely know, this North Wind Collection is my last annual collection for a little while.

I do love working within the seasons. I love tucking unmade design ideas into my gemstone cabinet with the comfy knowledge that I will pluck them back out next year. And I love wandering around within a color palette. I could truly get lost in prehnite and aquamarine.

But since I can’t seem to help myself in making the annual collections enormous (the thought of only choosing two or three designs for a Mossflower Collection? EEP!), moving the recurring collections to an every other year schedule feels more comfortable. That way I can lose myself in Tolkien and prehnite as much as my little green-loving heart desires, but also allows me to create my other dreamed up collections that have been tucked in my sketchbook for years.

And so, since the North Wind won’t be whipping through my studio for a few years after this next release, I hope that you are able to catch whichever wintery piece makes your soul sing!
———————————————
✖️North Wind Collection Release: PART II - Sunday, May 16th at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy shop ✖️

✨ Alpinist Rings ✨ As always with my wide ba

✨ Alpinist Rings ✨

As always with my wide bands, I give the size that it reads on the mandrel. But since it is wide, it will fit snug. Therefore it is recommended to purchase a ring that is listed as 1/2 - 1 full size larger than your regular size. I prefer my wide bands a little looser so my hands can breathe, so I go a full size up.  For example, if you are usually a size 7.5, look for a ring that is listed as a size 8 or 8.5 (depending on how snug you like your rings).

I also made them directional, meaning that the bottom of the band is a bit flared. Our fingers are tapered and so the ring will fit more comfortably this way.
———————————————
✖️North Wind Collection Release: PART II - Sunday, May 16th at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy shop ✖️

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