Yearning for spring part2

I can't seem to stop making spring inspired jewelry. I'm in love with all sorts of forms and shapes. They seem to speak me at the moment, so I decided to just go with the flow. I have two other similar pieces on the go in a smaller style and perhaps a pair of earrings in a similar shape. I'll have another shop update either tomorrow or saturday. I like to use natural light to take pictures of my jewelry and most often the sun is down already by the time I get out of the studio. I am looking very much forward to longer days.

Feeling also very much inspired by make more elaborate copper pieces. I want to make copper hip again. I think we should really wear more of it. Some people are very skeptical about wearing copper, but I have several items of this beautiful metal, and my skin never turns green. I use a jewelry polishing cloth to brighten the items up once in a while, which seems to work just great! 

I forgot to mention on my last post that I am not accepting any more custom orders until further notice.  This will give me a chance to catch up on ongoing projects I have put on hold for quite a while. Plus I'd like to make a couple additional pieces for Sugar Shop in Oslo.

I see it's almost 11PM here and I should get a shut eye so that I can get an early start in my studio tomorrow! Oh gosh, it's almost friday again!!! Thinking about going out for lunch with the J-man tomorrow. Craving a caesar salad. 

See ya tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!

xx

Sabine

Fresh from the bench

Custom order bracelet in sterling silver and amber

Custom order bracelet in sterling silver and amber

A stunning hand cut and polished rhodochrosite is set in sterling silver.

Custom order bracelet in sterling silver and amber

Custom order bracelet in sterling silver and amber

Autumn Mist necklace in sterling silver and smoky quartz.

Autumn Mist necklace in sterling silver and smoky quartz.

Lotus leaf pendant necklace with beautiful rose cut chalcedony

Lotus leaf pendant necklace with beautiful rose cut chalcedony

Lotus leaf pendant necklace in sterling silver and baltic amber

Lotus leaf pendant necklace with beautiful rose cut chalcedony

Custom order: Prehnite and sterling silver

Custom order: Prehnite and sterling silver

More to come tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!

xox

Sabine

Good day

Helloww all,

I guess rainy days are paying off in the studio. Just finished a couple of items today that I think look absolutely stunning. I purchased some Paua shell cabochons last week. The colors are so deeply saturated, anything from deep indigo to green and turquoise.
One is a pendant necklace and the other one is a ring featuring some handmade organic elements. The only thing I did not make on this ring is the bead cap. Both of these lovely items are oxidized and brushed to bring out the details. I'll be making more like these ones. Hope you like 'em as much as I do.
Now I am going to bake some breads. Again, I'm on a baking frenzy as well. Often, while I have items in the tumbler or in the pickling pot I bake. I feel really lucky to combine my two loves, even though only one of them brings me an income. I can actually not remember the last time I felt bored. Boredom is a complete foreign word to me. There is always something interesting to do or to learn. I like to fill my days with as many joyful things as possible. Yes, I admit it's not always doable, especially when my regular day job takes a lot energy out of me. However, for me it's important to not throw away precious time. It's a learning process and I have to remind myself, still.

I'll be posting some bread pictures later!

Til then take care and don't forget to have some fun!

xx,
Sabine

Rings

Although the weather is screaming for me to go outside, but I have been stuck inside with a nasty cold the last four days. I think the last time I was sick was about three years ago when I was working as a kindergarten assistant. I think the stresses of the move and all that comes with it weakened my immune system. Plus I haven't been eating too healthy either. Things are going to change. I am also glad that I found a job at a huge local hotel. I will be doing all sorts of things. Mainly being a assistant for the head of the housekeeping department. I will be starting on the 3rd of June. I guess I will only be working 80% so I can continue with my first love which is metalsmithing.
This morning I decided to spend some time in my studio instead of moping around feeling sick. I find if I spend time focusing my energy on something I love I get better much quicker. That's why I always think that making jewelry is like therapy for me. I just get lost for a few hours and I am in the zone. It's such a happy place and I often have to make myself quit. My jewelry holds so many different emotions that I feel at the time I create a piece. It makes a piece of jewelry very personal actually.
I have a ton of new cabs that I am going to put to good use in the next little while. I found this awesome jewelry supply shop about a 40 minute drive from here. I'm hooked!

Going to continue working a bit more and then I will have to find something to make for dinner.

Have a lovely sunday everyone!

xx
Sabine

I'll leave you with pictures of the three rings I created today ( they are all listed in my etsy shop now ).

Sun, warmth and inspiration

Gosh, I can't even tell you how nice it is to have made this move here to lovely Sandefjord. Today we have 22 degrees celsius! It has been the warmest day of this year so far. Right now we have a full blooming cherry tree, an apple tree and some other lovely bushes in our backyard. Birds chirping and neighbor cats making their presence known. It is almost like paradise and reminds me a lot southern Germany where I grew up. I have been feeling so incredibly inspired lately that I have a hard time staying out of my studio. I think I am going to work on some earrings for the rest of the week. Perhaps a couple of rings as well.

Okay, off to finish some more of my projects I started earlier today!

Below is my latest piece I just finished. It is composed of sterling silver and a chrysoprase cabochon.
I purchased this stone, along with a few others alike in a German mineral store last summer. This stone is just so incredibly beautiful and organic. It is smooth, but left purposely in a non glossy polish. I think this stone goes well with the rustic, organic setting. An oxidized and selective brushed finish brings out the details.


xx,
Sabine

I'm back

After a long hiatus from blogging I have decided to start up again. One of the major reasons that kept me from keeping my blog updated was my last day job that took a lot out of me mentally and physically.
However, things have changed. We finally moved to the south coast of Norway about 6 weeks ago and I absolutely love it. I am still looking for job to get me started here. My clientele regarding my jewelry is not big enough yet here that I can afford to work from home full time. So I am hoping to find a full time or part job for the time being. Not easy, especially being a foreigner. It is extremely difficult here in Norway to find a job if you are a foreigner. The jobs that seem to be the easiest to get are cleaning jobs which always seem to be filled by foreigners. Sad really, but it is reality. There are so many unbelievably talented and educated people from all over the world, yet they can't seem to find work.
Anyways, I am going to leave that subject alone and hope I will find something decent that won't wear me out too much so I can still follow my first passion which is metalsmithing.
In the meanwhile I am using my time to further my jewelry business. I was so happy last week when a local boutique decided to sell my jewelry! Great start, right?
I have also opened up my Etsy shop again and hope that I will make some sales there as well. Not easy selling on Etsy these days with sooo many jewelry designers. On the other hand it pushes me to work harder and come up with different designs. There are so many unbelievably talented people that one has to really stand out in order to make sales.

On this note I will attach some of my latest pieces and hope that you all will like the direction I am going with my jewelry designs.

xx,
Sabine

New lovelies

Yeah I know it's been a while since I last blogged. I think I am hit with the sleepy sickness. Perhaps it's the season, especially now that the days here are getting much shorter. Pretty soon we'll be having the arctic darkness again which I usually embrace because I thrive creatively during the winter months, however, I think this is the first year since having moved to the north of Norway that I am feeling the effects of the approaching season. I could take countless naps throughout the day. I think I might have to pull out my daylight lamp again and see if that will help.

I have however been very busy in my studio. I am almost caught up with all of my custom orders and will be able to spend some more time behind my messy bench. I am waiting on some gorgeous Picasso jasper cabochon and beads that I'd like to incorporate into some earrings. I hope they'll get here in the next couple of days so I can start filling up the shop. I will be offering some smaller and more affordable items as well.

Here are my two latest pieces:

A picasso jasper necklace that I bezel set and oxidized to bring out the gorgeous color of the stone. This is a beautiful stone and I thought it would look best in a simple setting.

The other one is a shadow box ring featuring a stunning green-blue turquoise cabochon that is set in a pure silver bezel. For a more rustic look I added a textured band around the baseplate. This ring is oxidized as well and given a nice smooth finish.


I hope these two beauties will find their way in the hands of a new owner that will love them just as much as I do!

Happy sunday everyone!

P.S. I will have some pictures of Tromsø in the next couple of days!


♥
Sabine

Leafs

I guess the many walks I take got me inspired to make some rustic nature inspired pieces. I have more on the way, but I thought to give you a little sneak peak to what I have been up to lately:

One necklace features a hand sawed oak leaf silhouette pendant with a 14 carat gold pebble along with some textured marks to outline the design and give it some definition. Reminds me of those crisp cold winter nights here with the moon illuminating the rugged terrain.
The other necklace is flanked by a hand sawed Gingko leaf and a stunning orange carnelian cabochon. This also has been textured with tiny hammer marks and some "grass" on the bottom.
Then we have a pair of the sweetest earrings ( well in my humble point of view ) that are my new favorites: A pair of hand sawed oak leafs that are shown off by a molten sterling pebble. Just delightful and so unique. If they sell well I will make more of them.

All of these pieces have been oxidized and given a nice selective brushed satin finish.

Hope you'll like them as much as I do!

I'm going back behind my bench now and try to finish some more pieces I have started earlier today! It's just going to be a wonderful creative day! I think I will just skip my walk today ( it's raining ) and listen to Michael Bublé's new album while I saw away....sounds great, doesn't it?

Hope you are all doing just swell!

Love,
Sabine