keep calm & carry on

New on my etsy listings is this necklace, featuring a hand stamped pendant, smooth rutilated quartz with lovely metallic striations, two beautiful sparkling geodes and quite a bit of cable link silver chain- 32 inches. This one hangs to my belly button. :-)

I stamped Winston Churchill's famous quote on what has to be called a "slab" of silver, as it is 14 gauge- quite substantial. It is textured with various hammers and as I always do, add patina and a good rubbing to soften it up and let it shine, all at the same time. The geodes I purchased at a rock show a while ago. The open slice is agate with crystals, the reddish orange one is carnelian with crystals. They just bling bling in the sunlight!

For those who look at that smooth stone on the left and say, "what the heck is rutilated quartz?" Well....

Rutilated quartz is a form of the mineral, quartz, that has attractive, needle-like inclusions of rutile. It is often cut and polished to use in jewelry and is prized as a metaphysical stone. Rutilated quartz is mined in many countries, including the United States, Australia, Norway and Brazil.

Close up of that lovely geode. I just love agates! http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com

in beauty may i walk

The beautiful Navajo Beauty Walk poem is the inspiration for my latest creation. The main premise of the poem I've stamped on lightweight brass disc, with added texture and lovely patina.

I do so love Ellen Dooley's incredible lampwork glass beads. These worked perfectly for the natural earth elements theme of this piece. Isn't this cool green just lovely, and the brown speckles make it all the more beautiful.

A first for me-- and I am totally in love-- Saki's bronze metal toggle. And of course, another gorgeous speckled lampwork bead from Ellen Dooley.

River rocks are so soothing. This one is super smooth to the touch.

In beauty may I walk... see it for sale on http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Every year in Richmond, the area below downtown called Shockoe Bottom becomes a way-station for migrating Purple Martin birds on their way to South America. Every year Michael and I manage to miss them for one reason or another. This year we made a point to see this spectacular spectacle, and with my parents visiting we had added incentive since my dad is a professional wildlife photographer.

Richmond train station, Shockoe Bottom at dusk.

The Martin's are quick and difficult to catch on camera. This is one of my favorite shots my dad took, right before several thousand birds spiraled into formation and dove into the trees next to where we were all standing. Every night at least 15,000 birds take their nightly snooze in the trees at the Farmer's Market at Shockoe Bottom. It was an awe inspiring experience and we are heading down there again this evening to take it all in, all over again.

My Boy Mango

Yes, I am blogging about my cat. Here he is in his favorite spot (other than tucked under my arm) on my side of the bed waiting for the sun to come back out. He is a sweet and sour boy, my Mango. You never know what you're going to get but when he's sweet, he is very, very sweet.
The Mango Kitty Condo.
Since I have no jewelry to show, owing to life in general and getting ready to host relatives from Germany in particular, I can at least show my latest most fabulous find. Every Saturday morning until the first weekend in October there is an antiques market on Monument Avenue in a parking lot. It is within easy walking distance from our apartment and my new favorite haunt. Here is a swatch of 12 and a half yards of vintage 1960's lightweight home dec fabric I scored for twenty bucks. My husband was kind enough to haul it home for me, still on the huge rolled bolt. But I carried our old dog Lucy, who wilted in the heat and pooped out early. Hmmm.. who got the better deal? Anyway, isn't this fabric the greatest? There are more colorful combinations, this is just a piece. I foresee zippered bags, wrapped bags, shoulder bags-- bags, bags, bags! :)
One last shot of my fat little pink-bellied boy. All 23 pounds of him. :)

true to thee

What are we true to these days? I have heard nutty things lately. A friend recently told me his dream came true-- something he never thought he would accomplish. I couldn't imagine what it was! Then he told me-- he installed a dedicated movie room in his home, complete with 110 inch projector television and state of the art sound system. He is thrilled. I was completely dismayed. Is this what we've come to for dreams come true?

I am true to these things: home, family, pets, friends, art. Long walks and cool evenings. Good books and great coffee. Viewing a gorgeous piece of artwork. Hearing from a friend or calling or writing a friend after a long absence in communication. The joy of accomplishing a long worked piece of needlework or a well wrapped piece of wirework, where all the elements come together just well enough to incite a smile. These are my small and large joys in life, and so many other things- all simple, all true to me. What are you true to these days?

Fabulous glazed earthenware beads (to die for!) by Gaia. Glazed earthenware building pendant by the ever-talented Mary at Jubilee. Stamped pendant is my own. Lampwork bead, unfortunately, is of the set I cannot identify the maker. Saki silver toggle.

Available at my shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

sometimes i fly like a bird

I finished another necklace yesterday and it is now listed on my shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com (SOLD 7/27/10). Again, it is highlighting unusual and wonderful beads and charms that I have stowed away for years. This incredibly lovely lampwork disc bead was purchased at the Whole Bead show in New York City in March 2008. To my intense dismay, I remember the woman's face who created the bead and I remember purchasing a small king's ransom in beads from her, each one even more beautiful than the last. But I have no record of her name, a receipt, credit card slip, business card or anything so I cannot give her proper and due credit for her wonderful work. *sigh* I'll pay more attention if we get there again later this year.

The entire necklace is 22". The beads are large turquoise czech seed beads, freshwater pearl and then a terrific Thai silver curved tribal tube bead, which I have also sequestered away for a while. :) I am a certified pack rat, I guess, but it's lovely to put all these beautiful components together on one piece.

Hand stamped sterling with patina by me. It's from a song, don't you know it... sometimes i cry, sometimes i fly like a bird. Well, I do sometimes cry but I like the fly like a bird part better these days, so the rest got left on the cutting room floor.

A close up of this wondrous bead. I am lucky to have about eight more of these, but this is the only one of this size and lovely dusky rose hue.

It's off to the grocery with my old and trusty dog Lucy and then? A shared ice cream cone! I don't mind dog slobber too much. :)

Happy creating, everyone! I am working with copper and bronze for the rest of today.

enigma necklace

It's been too hot to do much other than hang around the apartment. Owing to the incredible temperatures, amazing even for summer in central Virginia, we have been forced to limit our activities to quick runs to the grocery store after dark, hasty doggie pee pee's outside in the front courtyard, and household chores and laundry. In essence it has been rather nice, other than our AC blitzing out for several hours last night (thankfully repaired running constantly now). I have had time other than household tasks to take a few well needed naps, put things away in our new place, make some little quilted bags, work on needlework and also make some jewelry. Here is the first piece I had time to photograph just before dark tonight.

This is such an amazing bead, I have held on to it like a lucky talisman for a while, not sure what to make with it. Another necklace was taken apart, added to and re-worked to include this inscrutable double sided face as the focal piece. Enigma can be found on my shop page http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com (SOLD 7/25/10).

Each side of the face is ever so slightly different. It is quite extraordinary, handmade by sweet relish charms, which you can find on etsy.

Details of lovely faceted stones and pearls. I do so love a jangly necklace. :) Keep cool and have a creative weekend!

new published work, be-dazzled bezels!

I have a new published piece. It is a necklace called "sticks and stones" and you can see it in the August/September 2010 issue of Step by Step Wire Jewelry. Two of the components of the necklace, I thought, might not be something everyone would want to bother to tackle, so I am offering these two components as a package deal on etsy. See the finished necklace in the magazine on page 18. See the components for sale on my etsy site: http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

I've been enchanted and consumed with the idea of creating hand stamped bezel pendants. These are my first efforts and are also for sale on my etsy site. There may be an easier way to make these buggers but I did it the old fashioned way, entirely by hand. Hand saw the copper, rounds and tubes, cut a bale. Then solder. And perhaps re-solder. And in several cases, reposition the entire piece, add more solder and end up with too much solder evident on the finished piece. Ah well. I had fun making them, with minimal flung curse words.

Each bezel has a stamped word or sentiment that is dear to me... "home" is one of my favorites.

I found this gorgeous piece of weathered red painted board on the beach last visit home. It works fabulously well as a jewelry prop. My husband is used to me dragging large and unusual props home, usually dropping sand, dead bugs and other unmentionables with them.

Lovely texture and patina. I love copper. It's so wonderfully earthy. We are moved again to a nice modern small apartment, and even in the midst of the rubble, I feel fabulously back in the game again. :)