the other night i did something illicit, and so delicious…
 
at the stroke of midnight with my trusty garden clippers in hand, i snuck out to the magnolia tree in the island on our street and clipped lovely large branches for a huge vase in our foyer.
 

and i thought, hooray for spring.
 
at the expense of sounding dramatic, i am overflowing with gratitude. it’s warm again (somedays 84 degrees some 44 degrees…) and everything is in bloom, and our garden is begging for the rototiller!
hunter played outside all morning with friends and after fabulous dinner with more friends is finally sleeping like, well, a baby :)
 
and you guys, who read my musings, have been so fantastic–
 
with my last post, i asked and you answered, and i’m really genuinely grateful!
 
it seems that the overwhelming response to the question, “what piece of handmade jewellery would you like to see a special on this spring?” is, wishbone pendants!
 
sounds good to me. i love these little guys.
 

i’ve been making these wishbone necklaces since the day in 1998 that my dear friend robert sent me the wishbone of a cornish game hen and asked me to cast him one in sterling silver. since then i have made so many different versions, including platinum and gold, some with flush set diamonds.
 
it makes sense– with mother’s day just around the corner (and the mother’s day gift decision), what mom doesn’t have wishes to make?
 
i was just reminded that graduations abound this time of year, too, so i’m sure many of you have multiple good reasons for your choice :).
 

and of course wedding time is here for many (at least i seem to be awash in wedding rings) and i’ve always thought wishbones make great bridesmaids gifts. weddings are all about good wishes.
 
so i would really like to express my gratitude for you guys, for spring, and for the magnolias with a special offer for all my facebook fans, my twitter peeps, and all of you really awesome people who have actually asked to receive my newsletter (click here to be one of these fab people).
 
so for all of you:
 
30% off all wishbones until may day!
 
Tomorrow, John will be sending all of you (on Facebook, Twitter and my newsletter list, anyway) a special link to my wishbone pendants (in my new online shop!) and a code for the discount. (The discount code will be good until midnight next Monday, May 2 for all you procrastinators.)
 
the heady fragrance of magnolia was intoxicating…i think i am to rendezvous with the lilacs tonight.
 
be so well and bring in the spring!
 
heather

i smell spring.
and i am smelling it from our “true” pittsburgh home,
goodbye townhouse rental, hello 1903 victorian just east of downtown.
snow abounds, and yes, recedes and disappears in the sun.
hooray as hunter, logan and i would say!
we are inheriting the last third of a community garden and damn, to my kids and i love to dig, sow and reap.
we will have pumpkins this fall, just you wait…

in this garden/backyard of ours i envision a fabulous wee smithy of sorts, next to the pumpkins.
basically an amish barn that takes up residence in our backyard, providing a safe for me to work with fire.
a place in side for jewellery, outside adjacent, my 250lb anvil and my forge.
a smith adjacent to a jewellery studio!

grateful inside and out that our move is complete and psyched about setting up my new temporary studio (till i get this barn you know). back to work with a wave of really cool new clients (return of some old) and some new newsletter subscribers (thanks maureen-burke.com, for featuring the “life chain”!).

and i am thinking…
i want to send out a newsletter as a house blessing, create something for you guys, whilst manifesting a barn raising for me :)
but i would like your opinion.

what would you like to see me run a special on right now?
mother’s day, graduations, spring! all on the horizon,

would you like to see some OM pendants, wishbones perhaps…
on sale as they say?
so happy to hear anyone’s response.

it would be great to finally have the opportunity to finish the astrological pendant line.
john is a huge proponent of these little guys and i daresay, they are so simple and pretty, charms indeed.
was thinking that i could offer a really great discount to all who commission the first of their sign (leo and sag are the only ones finished).
any and all thoughts are so welcome and appreciated.
i love making OM’s, wishbones and peace signs, but perhaps you want a discount on custom creations or just good old peace signs?
so many possibilities….:)

now i must to garden exploration with my wee companions and baby wolf. the snow is melting so that i can actually see soil.
hooray

shine sun, shine
xo
heather

Heather–

She loves it! loves the weight of it, the design,the length, everything….

… I presented her with the ingot and chain you made and the response was extraordinary and surpassed all my expectations.

Heather, you truly captured the essence of what I was trying to say with this gesture, to say nothing of the craftsmanship and beauty of the piece in and of itself.

To me that is an example of the difference between an artist and some one who is good at crafting jewelry you are truly an artist and I believe the result was a product of my just getting out of the way and letting you create once my desire and some background information was conveyed.

Thank you so much and congratulations on a job done so very well!

-Glenn Prickett

custom pendant

testing jewelry photo slideshow display and organization feature with my hand forged peace sign pendants. check it out:

[album: http://www.heather-reilly.com/sdmetalsmith/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/peace-sign-jewelry/]