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Artisan Jewelry by Michaela Batstone

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Nocturne Collection, Part II

November 24, 2021 ·

Goodness, I love working with labradorite. Labradorite is an iridescent gemstone with a fascinating schiller or metallic luster when viewed from certain angles. The base color of labradorite is a smokey gray, but when light strikes the stone in a particular direction, it displays striking rainbow-colored reflections. Most typically, these metallic tints are violet, blue gold, and green.

It took a few weeks, but I managed to catch quite a batch of spiders! And in this offering, I have spiders made of pure labradorite magic, all autumn flash and misty grays. It was difficult, but I was able to get them all to stop scuttling for just one minute so I could take a family portrait.

I also grabbed a few copper maple leaves as they came twirling to the ground. Oh, and a few festive moons as well. Part II of the Nocturne Collection is pure autumnal magic.


Arachne Necklaces (ver. I)

There will be 18 necklaces available.
Price: ranges from $155 โ€“ $185 depending on size and stone

If you are familiar with Greek myth or have read Ovidโ€™s โ€œMetamorphoses,โ€ you likely know the story of Arachne. She was the daughter of a fabric dyer who specialized in purple. She herself became a gifted weaver, and pridefully challenged Athena to a contest.

Arachne mocked the gods in her tapestry, and Athena was enraged, even moreso because Arachneโ€™s tapestry was irrefutably better than her own. She destroyed Arachneโ€™s tapestry and struck Arachne in the face.

In shame and fear, Arachne ran away and hanged herself in a tree. But Athena took pity on her, and at the last moment transformed the rope into a cobweb and Arachne into a spider.

Such a tragic tale, but it suits these necklaces I think.

Purple, the color of Arachneโ€™s youth; though not every stone in these pendants is purple, most have at least a bit. Each stone is webbed with fine black lines, and a single spider hidden on the backs of each pendant.

Moody, somber magic caught in a pendant.

There are three different versions of the Arachne Necklaces, each with different embellishments and styles of pendant backs.

In this first version, surrounding the pendants are either carefully textured branch borders, or beaded circlets.

The backs of the pendants feature the impression of a large web, and then a little spider has been carefully placed.


Arachne Necklaces (ver. II)

There will be 16 necklaces available.
Price: ranges from $145 โ€“ $185 depending on size and stone

Spiders are such beautiful, unusual creatures. There are so many mesmerizing aspects to them, even just the mere fact of their weaving intricate, lace-like webs to catch prey.

The way they can float on the wind using a wisp of delicate silk as a sort of parachute.
The bizarre little hopping some of them do.

They are endlessly strange, unsettling, and elegant, all at once.

Surrounding the pendants are either carefully textured branch borders, or beaded circlets.

The backs of the pendants have been textured and a spider has been cut to reveal the stone beneath.

Spiders made of shimmering stone.


Arachne Necklaces (ver. III)

There will be 14 necklaces available.
Price: ranges from $135 โ€“ $165 depending on size and stone

This design consists of rare colors of labradorites, ranging from purple to orange to a rainbow spectrum.

The gemstones are simply set in a straight bezel.

I have sawn out the backs of the pendants revealing the backs of the stones, and gently attached textured spiders overlaying the window.


Poppy Rings

There will be 50 rings available,
ranging from 4 – 11 with multiple rings in the most requested sizes.
Price: $85 per ring

As promised, here are the Poppy Rings! Well, as many as I could fit on one hand, anyways.

They range from US sizes 4 – 11 with half and quarter sizes between. I tried to make multiples of the most requested sizes, hopefully I made enough for everyone that would like to pluck one.

If you are planning to try to pluck a Poppy Ring from tonightโ€™s collection release, remember that these fit true to size.

They are on half-round bands for comfort, that are not too wide. So look for your true size in the listing title.

I always list the ring size in the very beginning of the title, just to make it easier to find the right one.


Moon Festival Necklaces

There will be 8 necklaces available.
Price: ranges from $125 โ€“ $145 depending on size and stone

What a joy these necklaces were to make! They feel so magical and jubilant, just like the feeling of bright, autumn harvest festivals and nighttime carnivals.

Shadowy and bright all at the same time.

They feature crisp labradorite moons set at a jaunty angle.

And below each moon hangs a sparkling sunstone, glittering with a thousand tiny candles. The warmth of the sunstones beneath the cool labradorites strikes a pleasing balance!

The backs of the pendants are left embellished and unfettered, clean and simple, befitting the moon.

This pendant has been aged and hand-polished for a textured, organic look, and to bring out the lowlights and accent the stone.


November Night Necklaces

There will be 10 necklaces available.
Price: each necklace will be $155

โ€œListenโ€ฆ
with faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
the leaves, frost-crispโ€™d, break from the trees
and fall.โ€
– โ€œNovember Night,โ€ A. Crapsey (1900)

Leaves crisping and falling from trees, another kind of memento mori.

These necklaces are made with the smaller rare purple labradorite from my collection. Set simply in pendants with small rims to allow the oxidization to frame the stones. Shadows collecting in the corners.

On the backs and built into the chains are falling copper leaves. The copper was initially given a brushed finish, but will develop an aged, weather look, just like a bright orange leaf fallen from a maple tree.

(If you purchase one of these pieces and would like a polishing cloth to keep the copper shiny, just let me know!)


And thatโ€™s everything that will be included in Part II of the Nocturne Collection! I am hoping to have a small flock of ravens and a batch of Memento Mori Earrings before the holidays!

Nocturne Collection Release, Part II: Tonight, November 24th at 7PM EST in the Etsy shop

Filed In: Jewelry / Tagged: art, artisan, artist, artists, autumn, creative process, Halloween, jewelery, labradorite, leaves, maple, metalsmith, metalsmithing, moon, moonspinner, moonspinner jewelry, nocturne, purple, spiders, sunstone

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Recent Posts

  • Violet Linings Collection
  • Revisiting Memento Mori
  • Garnet Valentines
  • The Last Flock of Ravens
  • Nocturne Collection, Part II
  • Nocturne Collection, Part I
  • Violet Linings, Part I (Third Preview)
  • Violet Linings, Part I (Second Preview)
  • Violet Linings, Part I (First Preview)
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  • North Wind Collection, Part II (Second Preview)
  • North Wind Collection, Part II (First Preview)
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  • North Wind Collection, Part I (First Preview)
  • Be My Valentine
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  • Mossflower Collection, Pt. I (Third Preview)
  • Mossflower Collection, Pt. 1 (Second Preview)
  • Mossflower Collection, Pt. I (First Preview)
  • Just a few more owls…

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Greens upon greens upon greens in the northern for Greens upon greens upon greens in the northern forests of Maine. ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒฟ๐ŸŒณ
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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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๐ŸŒฒ North Woods Collection: Date TBA ๐ŸŒฒ

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#agate #mossagate #terrarium #forestcoreย #handmadejewelryย #mainemadeย #madeinmaineย #forestjewelry #gemstonejewelry #maineartist #artisanmade #artisanjewelry #mossagatenecklace #madewithlove
๐ŸŒฒ A call for ring sizes for the first design of ๐ŸŒฒ A call for ring sizes for the first design of my North Woods Collection! ๐ŸŒฒ

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
๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿ” We have begun hiking (in most cases โ€œre ๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿ” We have begun hiking (in most cases โ€œrehikingโ€) 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!๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿ’ซ
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#moss #mossterrarium #mossagate #agate #agatejewelry #gemstonejewelry #gemstones #terrarium #terrariumjewelry #mosslove #mainemade #madeinmaine #maineartist
๐ŸŒฒ I have been soaking up so much chlorophyl, I ๐ŸŒฒ 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. ๐Ÿ’ซ
๐Ÿ’ซ Everything is in the Etsy shop, sweet friends ๐Ÿ’ซ Everything is in the Etsy shop, sweet friends! ๐Ÿ’ซ

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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๐Ÿ”ฎ Violet Linings Earrings: TONIGHT at 7pm EST in the Etsy Shop ๐Ÿ”ฎ
๐Ÿ’œ ๐Ÿ‘พ Amethyst Vines and Stranger Things ๐Ÿ‘พ๐Ÿ’œ
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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.
โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”
๐Ÿ”ฎ Violet Linings Earrings: Sunday, June 5th at 7pm EST in the Etsy Shop ๐Ÿ”ฎ
โ€œMorning Gloriesโ€ by Mary Oliver Blue and dar โ€œMorning Gloriesโ€ 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. 

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”
๐Ÿ”ฎ Violet Linings Earrings: Sunday, June 5th at 7pm EST in the Etsy Shop ๐Ÿ”ฎ
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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