French Expression of Love Steampunk Coin Necklace

"L'amor che move il sole e l'altre stelle."

A love that moves the sun and the stars...

Our earthly dream of finding our split apart soul mate and once united together we would possess a love that could move the sun and the stars...oh, it's so deliciously romantic, don't you think?

A watch part was used to create a bezel for the beautiful coin (I brought home from Europe) with a cute little gear symbolizing the mechanics needed by fair maiden to find her one true love.

The blue carved gem symbolizes devotion, the red garnet drop symbolizes passion and the golden chain reflects the sweet bondage of union.

The watch part was riveted in place and I hand stamped a signature on the back.  In hindsight a year would have been a nice addition.

Summer is On here.  It's blazing hot at 102 degrees with a nice breeze and the humidity is relatively low today so it reminds me a bit of Arizona in the Summer.  Which is practically in the desert, so it's hot.  I have been busy in the studio this morning and this afternoon errands have kept me out and about in the heat.  Everyone seems to be moving a bit slow today.

We have a big weekend planned for the celebration of the Fourth of July which will include a huge family dinner and grilling for 15 campers that will set up tents in the West pasture.  We will watch fireworks on the fourth and cheer and applaud loudly for our favorites as they explode in the sky.  It's so much fun, you can hear the sound of car horns tooting away for those that are watching from the air conditioned comfort of their cars.  It's one of our favorite holidays.

We'll all say, "Happy Birthday, Grandma" as we remember my grandmother saying that it was so nice of everyone to celebrate her birthday with her by having a fireworks show in honor of her birthday every year.

I hope you have something wonderful planned for the weekend whether you are in America or elsewhere and may you find a

the love that moves the sun and the stars...

Blessings my Friends - Julie

Cuffs, Cris Car and Cupid's Gems

Another metal cuff, from the bench this week.  This cuff is made from patinated steel, brass and a luscious pear gemstone.

The Cupid's Gems show over the weekend was so much fun.  I loved seeing all the familiar faces, getting all those great hugs and getting feedback on my new jewelry designs.  Feedback is so important to good design for me.  I really need the feedback from customers to know what resonates with them and what is just not interesting to anyone but me.  This happens as I have a very quirky sense of style that just doesn't hit with everyone.

My Silversmithing Instructor, Genevieve Flynn stopped by to see me and two of her other students at the show.  She is brilliant and I just loved seeing her.  She was such a sweet surprise at the show.

I had alot of fun putting the table design together for the show with loads of mirrors, vintage boxes, books and a corseted mannequin.

This is the mock up of my table for the show that I staged the day before the show in my dining room to see how many pieces of jewelry I could comfortably fit on the table.  I added a vintage wooden thread cabinet that allowed me to add alot of pieces to the table.

and it was just cool.  Form and function, I love that!

This is the first in a series of cuff bracelets that I have planned for the upcoming weeks.  I am excited to continue creating and sharing them with you.

On another note, it's that time of year, to clean up our diets and get back to our exercise routines after the holidays.  I like to juice several days each week - it's delicious and super good for you.

Here's one of my favorite juicing combinations that I call a Green Booster.

1 pear

1 cup sugar snap peas

1 bunch kale

1 inch fresh ginger root

4 drops euchinacea

I am currently enjoying Cris Carr's latest book, Crazy, Sexy, Diet filled with not only recipes but the how, when and why of the human body and how to boost your immune system and balance your internal pH.  My sweet friend, Stacey Bruce recommended it to me and we picked up our copies together at the Barnes and Noble Bookseller a couple of weeks ago.  Thanks, Stacey!  We all need those personal cheerleaders in our lives that encourage us to be better to ourselves.

I hope you are all warm and well.  It was 9 degrees here today.....brrrr.  Only 40 days until the first day of Spring...

Blessings - Julie