Breast Cancer Awareness Jewelry

Enameled Breast Cancer Ribbon Earrings, $18

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month - what have you done to support the cause? Maybe you've signed up for a walk, made a donation, or set aside time to volunteer. With the newest breast cancer awareness handmade jewelry collection now available from Ash Tree Designs, you can promote awareness every day. Pictured above are adorable pink enameled earrings on silver, measuring 15x9mm in size: the perfect size for subtle stud earrings!

Breast Cancer Charm Bracelet with Mussel Shell Charms

I created a series of awareness pieces that do their part, while looking fabulous. Above is one of my famous cluster charm bracelets, featuring silver ribbon charms in a sea of pink mussel shell links secured with a toggle clasp. Below, you can also see these same ribbon charms on a pair of matching earring studs, which are suspended in front of the same pink mussel shells. 

Antiqued Pewter Ribbon Charm Earrings with Pink Mussel Shells

All of these designs and more products that have been made to promote awareness to find a cure are available at 6 In the Shipyard retail store in Hingham, MA. You can also find a small selection available at the Ash Tree Design online shop.

Antiqued Pewter Awareness Ribbon Charm Earrings

Whether you are embarking on a breast cancer awareness walk and looking for a fun way to coordinate your group, or wish to give a gift to a brave survivor, purchase these beautiful pieces. Bulk orders accepted and encouraged - so email me, or stop by 6 In the Shipyard to get started!

Evil Eye Jewelry

Introducing the latest in Ash Tree Designs: Evil Eye Jewelery!

The inspiration for these pieces came from a belief in Greece which I had learned about in my visit there last year, and had further researched recently. Evil Eye jewelry works when the wearer is given the "Evil Eye", or a look of envy or ill-will from another: the wearer's "eye" then looks back at them, neutralizing the negative energy and keeping the wearer safe. 

Evil Eye Bracelet, $8

 

Many people in the Middle East believe that receiving envious stares from other scan bring you bad luck. The most common Evil Eye bead is a beautiful blue color, because in the dry land of Turkey, "blue" water is precious and life-giving. I use a large blue bead for my most basic piece, the Evil Eye Bracelet, $8 which is threaded on a black cord adjustable with two slip knots.

 

Evil Eye Jewelry Now Available from The Ash Tree!

In addition to the simple Evil Eye Bracelets now available from the Ash Tree (and can be bought at Ash Tree's 6 In the Shipyard Hingham store location!) there are also many other colors of Evil Eye jewelry available. Red, another popular color, is often associated with luck and good fortune.
 

Shop all Evil Eye products in Ash Tree Handmade Jewelry online, or stop by the 6 In the Shipyard in Hingham, MA to pick up a good-luck, good-karma jewelry piece of your very own! Makes a great gift for guys, too :)

Blue Striped Shell Earrings

These Blue Gray Striped Earrings are my most recent creation and now available for sale on Etsy. The instant I saw these shells while shopping for routine calligraphy supplies one day, I was drawn to them. I love using shells in my handmade jewelry, and the unique look of these was very interesting. The blue-gray iradescent shell with contrasting black stripes really draw the eye in and pop. I used a freshwater pear to offset the darkness of the shell and to make the earring glow. And, I am going to admit, the shell reminded me of cinnamon toast crunch.

Look at the cereal.

Now look at the earrings.


Not quite as delicious, and shameless, I know. But beautiful nonetheless. These are also just one of the hundreds of pairs I make every year, using all different stones and shells, pearls and quartz, and sell for a reasonable $10. So make your purchase on etsy or stay tuned for the craft show nearest you if local!

Sidewalk Sale: A Great Success!

I just wanted to thank all who came and checked out my work at the Sidewalk Sale last weekend. I hope that you all got something nice, for Mom or yourself!

It was a smashing success! I doubled (and then some) my profit from last year - which was amazing considering we had a freakin scary torrential downpour with scary thunder. Due to my busy-ness, I sucked at documentation :( But my table display was great!! I had a black tablecloth with my handmade jewelry scattered around. I also had my new handmade journals that I blew out of - once I make more, they will definitely be for sale on the website! Lastly on display I had a representation of my handmade sail products, like the sail notebooks and wallets.
As always, I had my embroidered necklaces, which did fairly well - the biggest hit were my $8 earrings, which were the perfect Mother's Day gift at the perfect price :D

I also did some trading at the very end, which is my favorite part - I traded earrings and necklaces for some awesome ceramics: I got two bright blue mugs, an earthy colored mug, a bowl, and a sterling silver wire ring. Fun!! (Pictured below is a piece by Sara Eustis: I custom made a pair of earrings for her mother for Mother's Day, and she traded me a mug that was similar in style to this vessel - I love the look of her pieces!!)

Here were some of the advertisements that we received for the event!

Boston Globe – Thursday, May 6

“Bargain Bin”

Circulation: 264,105

Going.com e-newsletter

“10 Things Boston is Doing this Week”

Style Carrot blog

“ARTevent: SMFA Sidewalk Sale”

SMFA Sidewalk Sale!

So I've signed up for the SMFA Sidewalk Sale, which takes place this year May 7th and 8th, 9:00-5:00. We set up on the street right next to the school, Museum Road, across from the MFA on Huntington.

It's really cool, there are tables with art from all over the school's majors and departments, usually reasonably priced - just before Mother's Day! How totally perfect is that?! :D


As for what I'll be selling this year: I've got my famous embroidered necklaces that I'm trying to move, so ALL EMBROIDERED NECKLACES are selling for $5.00 this year so I can get some fresh designs! I also have my reasonably priced earrings for $10.00, and some wire necklaces, bracelets, and sea glass rings. And, as always, now is your chance to get your own sail wallet for $30! I've also got the other sail canvas products, sea glass mirrors, and handmade cards.

Additionally, I'm introducing some products I made in my classes this semester that I'm really excited about. First off, I've got really cool ceramic pendants for necklaces that are glazed with these beautiful hues and colors that are worth checking out. I've also got some handmade journals that I LOVED making in my Book Arts class.

So come stop by and see me!!

Earrings, earrings earrings!!

I have to say that the most popular item I have now are my earrings. They are unique, one-of-a-kind designs that I make sure to set at a reasonable price. It's important to me that people be able to afford my pieces, especially in an economy like this.

How I got started with these was actually due to my negligence of my own jewelry. I know, bad. I'm always losing earrings, misplacing one and having to trash the other. So while shopping for perhaps my 8th replacement hoop earrings, it occured to me how picky I was in terms of my style. Basically, I know what I like and I know that I could make it.

Consequently, I had an internship at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA at this time, and right down the street is a Beadworks Shop that I happened to stumble into.

I. Was. So. Excited. There were beads of every single color, and I tended towards the natural stones and textured beads the most. From there, I started small, buying beads for one pair of earrings at a time on my lunch break like once a week. It was fun mixing and matching beads, colors, styles, textures, and I always created things that I would wear.

So for about a year now, I've had a mobile rack of earrings that I take to shows, all pairs priced at 10.00. I've noted what is popular, but I always like coming up with something different.

I've actually also been tossing around an idea for my etsy site: that being a "virtual earring rack", in which case I would photograph my earring rack full of approx. 30 earring pairs, then as they get sold I would update the photo. I'll let that cook for a while and may implement it later, so stay tuned!