Giveaway Winner

Hello everyone!

I know I am late. I was supposed to have the drawing yesterday, but I wasn't able to get to my macbook.

First of all I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to participate on my giveaway and for becoming a blog follower and ( or ) a fan of my facebook page! Thank you so much!

I used a random number generator to choose the winner!

*drummroll** and the winner is : Sharon Siqueiros ( Nr.52 ).

Congratulations Sharon! Please send me your address so that I can ship this necklace off to you. It might even get to you by christmas! 

By the way: I have gotten a couple of requests for the vanilla cookies recipe. Just haven't had a chance to convert the recipe. But I will do it either tonight or tomorrow for sure. 

Again, thanks to everyone!

xoxox

Sabine

City Scenes

Shared a nice couple of hours with my honey today. Had lunch at a local cafe and did some christmas shopping.
I try not to get stressed out purchasing presents. It just puts me in a bad mood and that is not the way it is supposed to be. I wouldn't want to receive a gift from someone that they purchased during a highly stressful time. I like taking my time, finding something that has some meaning and that the person receiving it will find useful.
Tonight, despite feeling a cold coming on, I am going to bake some more cookies. This time I am whipping up a my mothers vanilla cookie recipe. It is a traditional german cookie with real vanilla beans. They melt in your mouth. Actually just writing about them makes me drool..
I will be posting the recipe tomorrow. It needs to be converted first since all measurements are in grams instead of ounces and pounds.


On jewelry news: I have added a few more items on 50% percent off in my Etsy shop. There are some great items to be had. Check them out!

In the meantime be well and enjoy the season!

xoxo
Sabine


Here a couple of pictures that John took today when we were out :

Winterwonderland

Brrrr...baby it's cold outside. Yesterday it was a whopping minus 69 F or minus 21 Celsius! Winter has definitively arrived here in the beautiful city of Sandefjord.
I am thinking about starting to decorate the house a bit. Since we won't be having a tree ( lack of space ) I am thinking about having tons of candles and other items I have collected from all over the world. I really have to contain myself when I'm out shopping now since I can not pass on any shop that offers christmas decorations. Said lack of space is a major issue. We will have to be on the lookout for a new place in the coming year.
Today I am baking gingerbread cookies. Brings me back to my childhood, growing up in the south of Germany. We always visited these lovely christmas markets that are very common in Germany. The smell of freshly baked gingerbread, roasting chestnuts and sugar glazed almonds really is magical.

The view into the yard from our porch this morning

This year I will be giving homemade presents to friends and family such as Linzertorte, different cookies,chocolates and jam. 

I will take some pictures of my finished products and post them sometime in the next few days along with some recipes.

Backyard view this morning

The Harbour in Sandefjord, taken yesterday.

On another topic: I am working on new items. Not sure if I will be able to post them before sunday since I have quite a workload that needs to be finished by friday.

The incredibly high silver prices really make me grinch. I really hope they will come down soon. However, I think this is a great time for me to challenge myself to come up with fun and innovative designs using my silver scraps. I have a couple of super cool earrings in the works. Can't wait to show them off.

Here's to wishing each one of you a very warm and cozy wednesday!

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Sabine

Time for a Giveaway

First of all I'd like to thank each and everyone who has purchased something in my Etsy shop during my SALE in the past couple of days! I really appreciate each purchase, small and large. So thank you so much for your support. You know who you are! :)

I am thinking about keeping the 50% off sale going until the end of next week. There are some super good deals for people to snaggle up.  Will be nice to have some of my "older" stock cleared out so that I can have tons of brand new items to show off in January. My design style needs to change a bit. I need a makeover and am working hard to come up with new designs with some very beautiful cuts of stones. 

I have also changed my company name now to "Echoes of Norway". It ties it all together, my inspirations  which mainly come from living in such a beautiful place and the man in my life who challenges and supports me and pushes me to continue on my jewelry venture. I'm truly lucky to have the life I lead. 

So, today I offer a giveaway for a lovely necklace that includes a bezel set ruby and a turquoise cabochon. All sterling silver construction.

It comes with an 18" inch long sterling silver rolo chain.

The finish is bright and shiny and a tad oxidized to offset the colors of the stones.

In order to enter the giveaway for this necklace I'll need you to do the following:

1. Leave me a comment on this post,

telling me how you found out about my jewelry.

2. Put a link and a comment on your own blog regarding this GiveAway,

and leave me a comment here so I know you did so.

Don't forget to include a link here to your own blog so I can check it out.

(Value: 1 Entry)

3. Post a Facebook comment regarding this GiveAway,

and leave me a comment here so I know you did so.

(Value: 1 Entry)

4. Tweet about this GiveAway,

and leave me a comment here so I know you did so.

(Value: 1 Entry)

5. Become a fan of Echoes of Norway on facebook:
Echoes of Norway

and leave a comment for me here so that I know you did so.

(Value: 1 Entry)

6. Become a follower of this blog, and

(you guessed it) leave me a comment here so I know you did so.

(Value: 1 Entry)

You have 6 total possible ways to enter this GiveAway.

Enter via one, two, or all of them!

Please leave a SEPARATE comment below for EACH ENTRY you choose to make.


The drawing will be on December 12th.


Thanks for participating!

SALE!!!!
Receive a 20% discount in my Etsy shop right until December 24th, 2010.
Just use the code " December 2010" upon checkout. The discount will be deducted during checkout! This offer does not include items that are already marked ON SALE"!

Thanks! Happy shopping!

xx- Sabine

Something to get your dance move going

I'm in love with this song. I actually recommend buying the whole album! Love listening to it while cycling on my stationary bike.

Enjoy your monday everyone!

xoxox- Sabine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxZq-lwrsLQ

Vintage stones

A friend of mine gave me a whole bunch of beautiful faceted gemstones. She told me that she has had them for over 25 years and never knew what to do with them! She never had them appraised either and had no intention of keeping them. She once received them from a neighbor.
I just had them appraised and also to find out what kinds of gemstones all of them are. My oh my...what beauties. Today I started using them. I had so much fun making settings. They are quite a bit more time consuming and intricate to make, but well worth the effort.
I am hoping to have some to show tomorrow.
Right now I am going to head to the shop to purchase some chocolate. I am making an almond cake with a ganache topping. Just finished watching the "Top pastry chef" season and am all inspired to bake. Sometimes I think it would be fantastic to own a little pastry shop, but then I remember the hours I used to have to start work and I quickly change my mind.
I don't bake very often, and if I do it is mostly bread or bread related products. John will be taking the almond cake to work tonight. They seem to be all cakeholics where he works and really appreciate someone making some goodies. So, it really gives me chance to use my other passion which is pastry.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Thanks for reading!

xx- Sabine

A few new items

Hi there,

Just a quick note to let you know that I am having a huge sale over at my Etsy shop. I am working on some new items over the next couple of weeks and would like to clear some rom.
Most of the sale items are marked down between 30-50%. Great time for doing some of your christmas shopping!

The picture below shows off some of the new items I finished today. I am still having some bracelets, a couple of rings and a couple more necklaces that I am working on. Right now it is just a time issue. I can't seem to squeeze in enough time to play with my muse. I have been sketching out some cool new ideas and hope I will get to start working on them next week. Can't wait!

Right now I am making Norwegian style ribs baked in a brown sugar-honey mustard marinade...the whole house is smelling and my mouth is watering. I better tend to the stove....

Have a lovely lovely weekend everyone! Hope to see you in my shop! :)


xoxox

Sabine

Waiting..

Hi!

I guess I was a little über-ambigious with my shop update. First off all I didn't get the silver sheet that I ordered. It came to the post office this afternoon, however, I won't be able to pick it up until tomorrow. I did start however on some really lovely small pendant items. Unique, simple and fun. They will be very affordable.
There will also be a couple more picasso jasper earrings, bracelets and necklaces.
I have this intense need to create something unique and more challenging, to explore techniques I haven't used before. After all, to have a unique style is very important in this business. Not easy to achieve, but I'll never give up learning new things.

I might have a tiny shop update tomorrow, but can't promise anything. I'll preview them here first though!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog!


xoxo
Sabine

Productive weekend

Well hello there! Long time no see!
It's bee a tad busy here the past couple of weeks. Much to do these days,  however, things have slowed down a bit now and life is getting back to a more steady rhythm.
I had such a great time this weekend in my studio, full of creative ideas. The muse was working non stop. Actually I could just keep on going, but since I have spend the majority of my two days off behind the bench I neglected those ever so fun chores around the house. It's a dreary fall day here in Sandefjord and while waiting for the tumbler to finish I decided to make a apple cake, well two in fact! Yummy moist apple cake with sugar glaze....oh can't wait for dessert...vanilla ice cream and warm apple cake...
I really shouldn't indulge, but cakes are few and far in between here in our household. I just love baking.

I just wanted to post some of my latest pieces here:

Druzy agate set in  sterling silver. Handmade embellishments grace the baseplate. Lightly oxidized to bring out the details.

Click here for the listing!

Gorgeous Indonesian agate set in sterling silver. Handmade embellishments.

Click here for the listing!

Sterling silver necklace with bezel set lapis and three turquoise cabochons. Handmade from start to finish without the use of commercially made parts.

Click here for the listing!

Sterling silver necklace with bezel set lapis and three turquoise cabochons. Handmade from start to finish without the use of commercially made parts.

Click  here  for the listing!

Gorgeous tiger eye cabochon set in a scalloped sterling silver bezel. Features two handmade leafs that show off the chain.

Click here for the listing!

Birch leaf pendant necklace. Handcrafted from scratch. Features picture jasper beads and Swarovski crystal pearls as well as two handmade leafs.

Listing

A deep green agate druzy is the focal point of this necklace. Handmade embellishments grace the baseplate and make this pendant pop!

Listing

Blue Jean baby! A nice thick kyanite cabochon set in a simple sterling silver bezel. The band is stamped with a small ringlets design.

Will be available in the shop tomorrow. Size 8.

I ordered tons of picasso jasper cabochons that hopefully will get here this coming week. I am planning on making tons of earrings with those. Ahhhh can't wait.

How is your weekend going? What have you been up to?

Thanks for reading!

Lots of love,

-Sabine-

New organic pieces

I guess my love for nature and especially fall really shines through in my work lately. Yesterday I ordered a ton of new cabs, some of them are gorgeous colored druzies, agates and all kinds of jaspers. Most of them are quite small which I will turn into earrings. I realize that I haven't made a lot of earrings for quite a long time. It was really my intention today to make a whole bunch, but I was just sitting there feeling like I have some sort of creative block when it came to thinking up a cool new design. I did however, have no problems making new necklaces.
The one pair of earrings that you see in this batch I had made a couple of weeks ago but had forgotten to take pictures of them. They are awesome ( me thinks ). They come with oval bezel set rainbow moonstones. The patina really makes the blue-ish flash come out in this lovely stones.
They are listed here:

Here we feature a hand sawed birch leaf necklace with a 9mm bezel set mother of pearl cabochon. 

This is the exact leaf that I replicated.

Click here for the listing:

The exact same leaf in copper minus the pearl but with two "drops of dew" from sterling silver.

I lightly oxidized it for a more dramatic and rustic effect. 

Will be available in the shop a little later on today!

And then there is another organic leaf necklace, this one also boasts a bezel set mother of pearl cab. A lovely design and great for everyday wear or to a nice black V-neck.

This adorable lotus pendant necklace is set with a 7mm amber cabochon.

I obviously obsessed with botanical jewelry lately.

Most of these will make it into the shop sometime today. If not, then for sure tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!

xx- Sabine

Happy Friday

John and I have been trying to look for new spots around town to take pictures. We are still getting to know this place and there is always something new to discover. Yesterday, after I got off work we went to a local recreational park. The fresh smell of rain in this woodsy terrain still in the air, a soft forest floor and serenity. which was very much needed this week. This incredible property was owned once by the late Anders Jahre, a Norwegian shipping magnate. The city purchased it quite a few years ago. The mansion itself has been made into a museum which we'll have to visit some other time.

Here are some pictures I took of this incredible place:

Sculptures in the middle of the woods

An exhibition of marble sculptures

Rocky terrain

Exposed roots

Berries still green

John ♥

The mansion on the property. It is now a museum.

Sandefjord used to be a whaling town.

The most beautiful view of Sandefjord in pretty fall colors. Hard not to get inspired by this pretty place.

Bronze statue

Little paths leading into the forest

Luscious moss 

The gate in front of the entrance to the mansion.

Moi

I'm enjoying a three day weekend! There will be some new earrings on their way to the Etsy shop sometime this weekend!

How has your week been so far? What are your plans?

Enjoy your friday!

xx-Sabine