News — In the works at AHD

Well, I've made progress over the weekend on the sapphire necklace.  No sapphires yet, but we're getting there!  Sometimes it's such a challenge to take the vision in your head and make it work in reality.  This took a great deal of trial and error, but I'm very pleased with the way it looks so far.  Thankfully, two of my stepkids were with us this weekend.  If it weren't for my third-hand, that of my ultra-cool stepdaughter, Amani, I would not be this far into the process!  It's been a very fiddly job (more so than many of my pieces,...

A couple of weeks ago, I received an e-mail from my very first Etsy customer explaining that she had lost one of the freshwater pearl and blue topaz earrings she'd purchased from my shop and asked if I could possibly replace it for her.  Of course, I happily obliged and I thought to myself, "Now there's a benefit of buying handmade!"  To replace any mass produced item, she would have had to buy another pair.As we went over logistics of matching her lone earring, she mentioned another item in my shop.  "If you ever make the freshwater pearl and chalcedony...

Yes!  They are finished.  It's been a busy couple of weeks, but I did complete my new earring design incorporating aquamarine and prasiolite faceted briolettes.  I'm really pleased with the way they turned out.  Once the sun comes out again and I have some decent light, I'll take better photos.  It's been raining or at least cloudy here for a while now!  Maybe it's a theme...I love the rain, but I like these raindrops better!

I spent a good portion of yesterday attaching the briolettes to the earrings.  It's time consuming, but I enjoy it.  I do get frustrated when I chip a stone with the wire or do something foolish like wrap the loop without attaching it to the chain (it happened...chalk it up to distraction).  Nonetheless, they are going well and I'm pleased with the way they're turning out.  I find it greatly streamlines my process to work in stages.  I cut several bits of wire at a time, then thread them through the stones forming the loops all at one time, then...

I'm so glad that things are back to normal after the holidays and I can start to apply my focus to new designs.  My Etsy shop is empty and it seems every item on my website is marked "Sold," not that I'm complaining!  I've had some beautiful new gemstones come in over the past month and have been dying to work with them.  I've missed having the time to sit down and produce new pieces.  I'm not one who can do a little here and there.  I have to sit for hours, working as close to completion as I can...