Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Let's go to the Beach

Beautiful!
Erika Price of ErikaPriceDesigns has made another fantastic Etsy treasury which features The FamiLee Jewels. I think she knows the Jewels well because her Treasury is titled Let's Go to the Beach!
One of Bonnie's aquamarine seaglass necklaces is featured!
This is a timely treasury because for the month of July, The FamiLee Jewels will be offering 15% off all of our beach glass and beach shell jewelry as well as our fabric bangles.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Purple Mountains and Amber Waves

The FamiLee jewels have been included in an Etsy treasury west.

Bonnie's Ruby Sunset bracelet has been been featured in Purple Mountains and Amber Waves by etsy seller Psalm104photograpy.

Psalm104photography's shop holds beautiful images for sale as photographs or as digital images for your personal use. I am particularly fond of the wide open spaces in her beach pictures, my favorite being rustic beach chair. It reminds me of vacationing at Sandbridge.

Thank you for including us in your lovely collection!

Copper

Copper, as bright as a newly minted penny or as verdigrised as the Statue of Liberty, has long been used as an ornamental metal. It enjoyed a popularity in the 1970's when it was valued for it's natural color, earthy quality and it's healing properties. Today's high precious metals prices find it making a comeback in handcrafted as well as manufactured jewelry.
Copper is one of only a few metals that occur naturally as an uncompounded mineral.
Native copper, that which is found not chemically bound to another element is still found in mining regions. These native specimens are not plentiful enough for commercial manufacturing use but are valued as ornamental pieces.
The layer that is formed on copper due to oxidation with exposure to air provides protection against corrosion. This layer begins as a dark copper color and enriches to a deep chocolate brown. Oxidized copper often exhibits a verdigrised patina which is actually a layer of copper carbonate.
In the United States copper is mined in Michigan and Arizona. It also occurs in large quantities in Germany, Russia and Australia.
Coppers discovery is dated at around 9000 BC in the Middle East. The oldest known copper work is a pendant found in what is now Northern Iraq that is dated to 8700 BC.
Prior to that time gold and meteoric iron were probably the only metals used by humans.
The Egyptians used copper widely and discovered that by adding tin to copper, creating bronze, made it easier to cast. By 2500 BC this knowledge had spread to Europe and was so widely used that this era became known as the bronze age. Pre-Colombian Americans used copper for decorative purposes as well as for weapons and armour. This use developed independently in the America's around that same time.


Random Copper Facts:
Copper is associated with the Goddess Venus in mythology.

Copper is a conductor of electrical energy and heat. It is believed by spiritualists that it also conducts spiritual energy between individuals and crystals.

Copper is believed to hold healing powers for the mind and body. It is considered particularly useful in relieving the wearer of joint pain, increasing self esteem and freeing the wearer of mental burdens.

Copper is considered a lucky metal.

Some people experience a green stain on their skin when wearing copper jewelry. This phenomenon is related to the body chemistry of the wearer and is due to the acidity of a persons perspiration. These stains can be washed off with warm soapy water or they can be left on the skin so that the copper may be absorbed overnight.

Copper is bacteriostatic. Doorknobs that contain copper will disinfect themselves of many bacteria. The anti-bacterial properties of copper are effective against many common and antibiotic organisms. Copper tubing used in air conditioning systems has been found to suppress Legionnaire's disease.

Copper jewelry is quick to tarnish but is easy to clean and restore to it's original appearance.

The following cleaning instructions are recommended by EHow editor Nicole Harris.

Make a solution out of warm water a few drops of lemon or lime juice and a tsp of salt.

Dip the tarnished copper jewelry into this solution and soak for 3 minutes.

Remove the jewelry and rinse thoroughly. Repeat if some tarnish still shows.Use a jewelry polishing cloth to finish cleaning the copper jewelry and to clean around any gemstones. You can also use the polishing cloth to keep the luster bright on your piece between cleanings.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

3 Etsy treasuries in one week!




Wow! The FamiLee jewels have been featured in another fantastic Etsy Treasury this week.
Erika Price of Erika Price Designs is an Etsy seller and fellow Starving Artist's team member.
Erika is a jewelry artist from England that designs in Lamp work beads and sterling silver. Her beautiful pieces are instantly recognized on etsy as she photographs all of them on the keys of her piano.
Erika creates jewelry for the love of the craft and donates all of her profits to charity.
You can see Erika's beautiful work in her etsy store at http://www.erikaprice.etsy.com/ .
Erika featured Bonnie's Lime Resin and Brass necklace in her treasury I Love Lime.
Thank you Erika for including us in such a lovely and lively collection.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Fabric Bangles featured in a treasury.


Colorful fabric bangles by the FamiLee Jewels have been featured in an Etsy Treasury.

Effulgence is it's name.

According to Dictionary.com effulgence means Extreme brilliancy; great luster or brightness.

Thank you Beadsire for including us in you lovely collection. Beadsire is a fellow member of the Starving Artist's Team on Etsy. She is from Brisbane Australia and makes beautiful jewelry out of wire and gemstones. You can view her work at http://www.beadsire.etsy.com/ .

Friday, June 26, 2009

Peace bracelet featured in a treasury

Peace - a message bracelet by The FamiLee Jewels has been featured in an Etsy Treasury called appropriately Peace on Earth.

Peace is an oxidized bracelet that Bonnie created to look like an old treasure.

Thank you to etsy seller 3dragonflies who created the treasury. We appreciate her including us in such an amazing grouping that celebrates the beauty of earth and sky.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Treasure Hunt

The FamiLee Jewels are shopping for treasure again. Mom and I went to the Innovative bead Expo in Albany NY last month. We left Fred minding the store At The Warehouse so that we could go together.
We left for the Expo with our GPS, our lists and lofty intentions of sticking to the budget.
Beads in aquamarine, ocean jasper and labradorite stopped me in my tracks right inside the door. Soft blues and water greens with soft flashes of gold, turquoise and warm brown called my name.
Richly glowing amber beads in yellow golds from lemon to cognac whispered to me.
There were crystals, seed beads and gemstones in every color of the rainbow.
There were metal beads in silver gold and brass.
There was glass.....lamp work, dichroic and faceted.
The antiqued brass findings and beads looked perfect for our Salvaged Style pieces and we were tempted.
I am happy to report that we almost kept to the budget.
The only disappointment for me was the lack of a tool vendor. I would love to see a good variety of metal working and wire wrapping tools in person and be able to speak with someone that is knowledgeable in their use.
Find of the day: Guilders Paste---to colorize my salvage pieces. Stay tuned for photos of that experiment.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Further Feathering

Fred's latest creation for Feather the Nest is this fabulous tray feeder with planter top. The tray will hold a 5 pound bag of seed. The top is planted with succulents so they require minimal maintenance and are winter hardy. They are available through our store At The Warehouse, and by special order for local pickup.
LLast winter after the twins were born and Fred and I decided to open Feather the Nest we ordered 2 dozen birdhouse gourds to use in our creations.
In the process of drilling and cleaning out those gourds we collected and entire mixing bowl full of seeds.
We are planting them today in the hope of harvesting our own crop of gourds for next springs birds.
Can Bonnie and Fred make these houses out of those seeds?????

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Words to Live By

When you want to wear your heart on your sleeve try a Message Bracelet on your wrist by The FamiLee Jewels instead.
Bonnie has taken metal disks with inscribed messages and linked them with chain maille to form bracelets.
Peace, Serenity, Passion, and Live Life are just a few of the attitudes represented.
The rings used in the chain are twisted wire for an old world look. The bracelets were oxidized after completion to give them an appearance as old as the words of wisdom they offer.

Peace
Destiny
Live Out Loud
Passion
Serenity
Live Life
Gratitude.
Whether you are feeling the emotion or reminding yourself of a goal these are wonderful words to Live by.

The bracelets are made to fit up to a 7 inch wrist.
Length can be adjusted on request.
Appropriate for man or woman.

www.TheFamiLeeJewels.etsy.com