ahh, i love my birthday and yesterday i got what i really wanted. a bit of sleep. it was too tempting, so cozy as i lay down with the kids for afternoon nappy time. too be honest, i think i am fighting the cold they both have had…garlic warrior here i come!

 
yes, tired but inspired. we cleaned the studio yesterday and as the sun gleamed through the doors today i took a moment to bask in the sun and be thankful for my hammers, my rolling mill, anvils and various implements of fire. reflected on the creations of the past year, who they were created for, the challenges through which i have grown as a smith and an artist. how funny to hear me define myself and yet how affirming.

 
one of my favorite custom engagement rings is back in the studio as i create a matching wedding band in 18k yellow gold. stunning ring. such weight in solid platinum with really beautiful, conflict free diamonds, (yes, very conscious of conflict free mining, the kimberly act as ’tis called in the industry). the diamonds in this ring are actually man made diamonds. perfect in every way.
 

one of my favorite ever engagement rings

 
continuing work on a really meaningful commission brought on by the life chain project. sue and i are designing her life bracelet. each charm made individually to celebrate and aspect or person in her life. to celebrate her 50th in march. so enjoying it, but no pictures yet.

 
for my birthday gift to myself i am making the aquarius pendant for my astrological symbol jewelry. the symbol makes me think of lightening and at the same time, i love the intimacy between the two lightening bolts, nestled together. i haven’t finished it, but hoping to in the next couple of days.
 
so thank you for sharing my happy birthday to me musings. i am so very very blessed.
spread love, share peace, and be so very well,
heather

My first glowing jewelry testimonial of 2010–Thanks, Mark, there’s not much that makes me happier than responses like this from clients like you!
 

Heather,
 
Susan opened the box containing the 22 carat om pendant on Christmas afternoon and was completely blown away! She absolutely loves it and has not taken it off since she put it on Friday.
 
She has excellent taste and gave me (and you) the best complement when she said, “This is so beautiful. It is exactly what I would pick out for myself.”
 
Your suggestion to go with the rawhide necklace was perfect and it really looks good. I took some pictures and I will try to get one to you this week, but I just wanted to say thank you for helping me to make this Christmas extra special.
 
Your work is exquisite and we will be back!
 
Take care,
Mark

 

Yes, I am still finishing the last few jewelry orders for holiday gift giving in the studio and have been pressed for time with holiday preparations for the kids, in-laws visiting, etc– but this email I received today is too good to wait!
 
I love getting feedback like this on my work (for obvious reasons) and sharing someone else’s words is the best way to share with you why I love my work and why I love working with my clients.
 

Heather,
 
It just arrived and it is beautiful! I can’t wait to give it to her, she will love it.

 
Thank you for rushing the shipping, I do appreciate it. I also enjoyed talking to you and will definitely keep in touch…
 
I’m still having trouble seeing snow on the beach (it just seems wrong) and we did get over a foot! The next day the sun was out and it was the coolest sunset with the water and snow all lit up in a golden glow. I hope you, John, and the kids have a fantastic Christmas and New Year! Good health!
 
Mark

 
Thank you Mark and all of my wonderful clients this holiday season- it is truly my pleasure to get to know you and create for you at this special time of year. I wish you all a magical holiday and fabulous 2010!
 

22 karat gold om pendant

i make peace signs every week. next to my custom designed jewelry, peace sign jewelry is my most popular request.
 

so what makes this particular peace sign so special?
 
the man who it was made for.
 
one morning a couple of weeks ago, i received a call from a gentleman looking for peace sign jewelry. he had a 60 s peace sign back in the day, is well versed in the history of peace sign, and has a deep respect for custom made jewelry. what makes him so special to me? the grace and eloquence with which he conversed and the profound message he shared.
 
nine years ago my new friend went into the hospital for routine surgery. a grave error occurred and he was given a large dose of a medication, not meant for his condition. the medication went to his brain and emergency brain surgery was performed.
 
his speech is slow and labored, he has difficultly giving simple information such as his address and phone number. and yet, he is so kind and forgiving. his message to me was simple. never, ever, underestimate the power of the brain. in the initial stages of recovery, he could not communicate at all, yet he could understand everything. (bear this in mind if you ever are visiting someone in a coma!).
 
be so gentle with those who seem less intelligent, for inside there may be someone who understands and feels so much more than they are able to express. the brain is so complicated…
 
so when i forged my new friend his 60’s peace sign, i wanted to add something special, to let him know that his message touched me in a special way. i am a cancer survivor, as they say, and i am one of the “lucky ones”, so i wanted to thank him for sharing with me.
 
i forged a handmade “s” clasp and welded it onto the chain. it is a little expression (and we didn’t even photograph it), but he should receive it on monday.
i so hope that his new custom handmade jewelry, forged by fire brings him as much peace as the information he shared with me.
 
peace, love and compassion to all,
 
heather
 

its getting busy here with holiday decorating, kids’ winter fair at the Waldorf School here tomorrowand holiday gift orders shipping depsite not getting as much time at the bench as I would like.

i wanted to make enough time for these pictures though, because every time i forge a new bar bracelet, i am so glad i still make them the old fashioned way, one at a time from flat bar stock with hammer and fire. i even roll out and hammer the links into shape, and of course every volute-style clasp starts as straight round stock, too.

this is why every forged bar bracelet i make is unique, and invested with more of my personal energy, care and love that might be apparent at first glance.

so here are pictures of the bar bracelet i just shipped a week ago, along with the had sewn leather pouch that i ship my custom jewelry in, a great detail for unique holiday gifts.
 

new wide bar bracelet December 2009

 

Wide bar bracelet and pouch

its a beautiful sunny fall day and we’re headed to the park, but i wanted to get this new piece of custom jewelry inspired by my LifeChain project published here because Sue just received on Friday after Thanksgiving and loves it!

its a great illustration of new ways to think about old jewelry.

i’d already written these notes about it, too, so now with a picture, here it is:

languishing in a jewelry box no longer!

from a marriage long dissolved,

the wedding ring made anew through hammer and fire.

Sue sent me her 14k white gold, standard comfort fit wedding band and told me to “hammer all the bad energy out of this wedding ring” and create a circular pendant.

i used a heavy torch on the gold, and hammered it hard into a new kind of circle.

we decided upon 9 diamonds in varying shades of blue, green and purple…nothing too saturated in color, pastel hues, ocean hues…

from a parcel of over 100 diamonds, i selected these nine diamonds….this took the longest time and i am really pleased with the palette.

when i was all done, the piece was rhodium plated.

a strip of black rawhide looped through the circle (a 14k white gold lobster clasp will be affixed to the rawhide once she wears the pendant for a few weeks and determines the exact length at which she would like the pendant to hang).

i think this is a really sexy, really powerful symbol of rebirth, growth and ultimately an expression of self.

what do you think?

new rave, same wishbone.

this was just written last week on my Facebook Fan page by a client I’d lost touch with some years ago, about the wishbone necklaces i made for her back then– you’ll see why I want to share it with you now!

*scroll to the bottom for this year’s special holiday shopping offer for my subscribers!*

the studio is starting to get busy with orders and questions about holiday gifts and gift ideas, so i thought i’d write quickly my holiday gift ideas for you before getting back to new custom jewelry projects and photos.

my holiday gift guides

we’ve re-established my online shop for my handmade jewelry each of my handforged peace sign jewelry pieces (including the earrings!), rune symbols and wishbone necklaces that have been my top holiday gifts in past seasons.

online payments for my shopping cart are securely handled by PayPal, where you can use any major credit or debit card as well as your PayPal account.

this year i’m pleased to add a new series of pendants in time for the holidays: the om pendants designed for my fellow yoga fans and practitioners.

like my other handmade jewelry, the om pendants are made one at a time on my studio and are available on different chains and lengths to order. my current favorite combo is the 22 karat gold om pendant on rawhide, a nice juxtaposition of purity, luxury and simplicty.

in time for christmas?

always!

one of the reasons i recommend the pendants is that they are simple enough to finish and ship quickly, even at the last minute. I usually ship for the holidays up until December 15 or so by my usual means, USPS priority mail with insurance and tracking.

doing any holiday specials this year?

yes!

every year i do a special holiday discount offer for memail subscribers, and this year i’m extending it to my Facebook Fans as well.

its called Gold Friday:  you can save from $60 to $260 on all gold jewelry in my online shop this Thanksgiving weekend only.

so join me on my Facebook page for handforged custom jewelry or sign up for my list below before midnight on Thanksgiving, and I’ll email you the special code along with all of my longtime clients, friends and fans first thing on Gold Friday morning! (screw Black Friday– there, I said it.)

its finally time for the zodiac signs!

the pot of gold idea i wrote about last time is a recent idea that will serve for a long time, i think, but i’m probably more excited right now about the zodiac symbols, handforged sterling silver pendants in the style of my peace pendants or om pendants.

my zodiac signs are the other way around: an old idea I’ve really wanted to do for a long time, just recently getting an opportunity to come to fruition, starting with the sagitarius sign.

for the record, the first zodiac symbol pendant i forged was a custom job, and one of my most successful jobs ever, because i got it just right for a very thoughtful client.

here’s the actual first zodiac symbol pendant, a leo sign.

yellow gold leo sign

here’s the testimonial, which shows exactly why this was such a successful project for me, because my work for him was such a perfect gift for her.

Hi Heather,

I just want to let you know that I received – and love – the Leo pendant…. Thanks, also, for the personal note that you included….

… turning 21 is a big milestone for us. I wanted to mark it with something special and nothing off-the-shelf would’ve adequately expressed the occasion.

Thank you for forging my feelings into something that will mark and enrich us for the years ahead.

Warmest regards and best wishes,
Mark Morgan

i’ve always been moved by this piece and this testimonial, and as a true to form aquarius, have wanted to share it with everyone else somehow, so this is the beginning of that: the handforged sterling silver Sagittarius symbol zodiac pendant, just in time for Sagittarius birthdays starting November 22 (through December 22).

sagittarius zodiac

this is just a preview, i may have to work on John for a better photo before they go online on the shop- i’ll post here when they do.