SAVE the DATE! November 4, 2012

Annual Pre-Holiday Sale: 1-4 PM

59 Birchwood Rd  Mahtomedi, MN

If you live in Minnesota, come see the finished products from this year and learn how new materials were incorporated into this years jewelry.  If you don’t live in town, contact me to see if what you like is available.

A sampling here…

New earring design with manufactured beach glass and sterling silver hand looped earwire:

Nuggets of lapis lazuli tumbled by photographer Jim Lane for debroberts jewelry:

Beautiful hand dyed silk ribbon found at l.a.s fibers on Etsy is perfect for the green glass pendant:

 

 

This artist made copper “flower” was found in a little bead shop in Tailor’s Falls, MN.

 

 

This one was the toughest – How to show off this beautiful copper wrapped piece of quartz made by a homeless-by-choice “hippie” couple (New Treasures June 2012) in a unique way…..

Come see these pieces and more!  Hope to see you November 4th.  If you don’t live in town, contact me to see if what you like is available.

People’s “Finds”

It is always great fun when people bring me things they find on their travels to see if we can come up with a way they can be worn.   Sometimes it is a special bead they have been saving or a broken necklace that grandma owned. Often it is something found in travel and brought back to make into a necklace.

Deb traveled to Africa and returned with some gorgeous beads.  She had the following designs in mind for them and they turned out beautiful….and I learned a new way to make a versatile necklace that can be worn long or short!

Deb was also in the right place at the right time when she acquired these beads from a family friend.  These amethyst stones were featured in an earlier post from May titled “Behind the Scenes”.  Here is the finished piece.

Another friend was hanging on to necklaces from her teen years that had stones she really liked but that were too tight.  We came up with these designs so that she could wear the turquoise and amber again.

One of my more challenging orders was from my daughter Dana who found these dinosaur bones in a fossil shop.  They had already been polished, shaped and drilled but the trick was how to show the pair off in a necklace without other stones.   This brings back wonderful memories of my road trip with her through New Mexico.

This last necklace was designed around a beautiful piece of Red Rock that a Utah native had hand carved, polished, and drilled using primitive tools and techniques.  My friend brought it back with her from a memorable hiking trip in Utah’s famous canyons on Utah’s famous red rock.  A few very nice pieces of turquoise and a decorative sterling silver bail add to the design.

Garage Gallery

Jim came up with some really cool shots of my latest necklace designs – this time in his garage!   He is storing the “decor” for his new biology classroom in there so his garage is quite interesting.

I particularly love these, taken on his vintage Corvette.

Check out the gallery section to see more.

New Treasures

I did some traveling in early June, spent some time with family, and snagged some treasures.  You can expect to see these used in my designs over the next few months.  If something catches your eye feel free to contact me to make it your own.

First stop was Boulder, Co. and my sister Gail…..

Hi Gail

….and I stopped to see some cool rocks displayed on a blanket along the river.  The young couple was homeless by choice, living out hippie dreams  and digging for their own gemstones.  I thought the wire-wrapping particularly interesting and picked out this nice piece of copper wrapped quartz.

Our next walk took us to a little bead shop…..I can’t pass a bead shop without going in!  I think these lampworked borosilicate glass pieces will make very fun earrings.

Then it was on to San Francisco to nanny for my grandbaby while the rest of  our families presented at a Sports Medicine Conference.  Claire and I toured a great deal of downtown San Francisco on foot with a big red stroller.

Chinatown was a favorite stop with all of its shops and colorful signage.  I found these nuggets of tourmaline there, a size and shape I  have not  seen before.

My husband and I then drove up the coast of California  to look at the ocean cliffs and the redwood trees.  A flea market was a “must stop” in Guerneville and there I found fluorite, a favorite stone of mine, in unique shapes that I think were popular in the 1970’s.

Behind the Scenes

Not very often, but on some days I feel my age (58)….daughter Jessie thinks I should write more about what I do, current projects, shopping spree finds, etc.  But I was taught to “be humble”, “don’t stand out”, “keep it to yourself”.   I have to admit that the way my three daughters think is far healthier and way more fun!  So here goes.  I even took a photo of where I work (and it is VERY humble!). Yes, that IS a laundry basket and pile of bills in the background.

 

You can also see my latest project which is quite a bit prettier than the rest of the room.  A customer found these stones and I get the privilege of working with them. It will be hard to turn these gorgeous amethyst beads back to their owner!

 

May 12 Sale featuring New Designs with Java Brass

I will be out in my driveway with my jewelry on Mother’s Day weekend  (Sat. May 12, 1 to 5) to show off what I have been making this spring!  If you live in Minnesota stop by and see what can be done with Java Brass.   It is beautiful; the chain and findings are handmade for our local Bobby Bead shop by a silversmith in East Java and I have been having a lot of fun working with it.        

One of the best reasons to stop by is to have the chance to hold the necklaces so you can feel the weight and coolness of real metal and real stones.   My necklace prices are comparable to the lightweight ones so prevalent in the malls.

 

To make a day of it in the White Bear Lake area, check below for some other Saturday, May 12 events:

– Pottery Sale by Brian Mielke  (15 Birchwood Rd.  just down the street from me)
May 10 – 13   9 to 5
http://www.mielkewaypottery.com/
His pieces are gorgeous and his prices incredibly low!

– Mother’s Day Tea at the Fillebrown House  http://www.whitebearhistory.org/UpcomingEvents.html
Saturday, May 12, 2012, 1:00pm until 3:00pm (reservations required)

– Visit Lila and Claudine’s across the street from me  – just because it is the coolest yarn and gift shop around.. and you have to see their street art!
http://lilaandclaudines.com/

– Next door to Lila and Claudine’s you will find the Coffee Cottage  http://www.coffeecottagemn.com/
Great drinks, really good food – stop in for lunch!

Photos of Custom Pieces

I doubt you will be surprised to hear that I dream about necklaces!  I often go to sleep with a design or fabrication problem to solve and wake up with the solution.

I also think a lot about pieces that I love and have no photos of.   Many of these pieces were custom made in collaboration with old and new friends.

 

I am now collecting photos from the owners of these pieces and posting them on my Custom page.  I think you will agree that there is a lot of talent out there —  great ideas, fun colors, and novel use of materials and shapes.

I learn so much through my custom work.  Please keep challenging me with your ideas and keep the photos coming!  Thank you to all –

Deb

GIFT IDEAS….20% off all orders before December 23!

My annual holiday sale was a success, and it was great fun for me to see everyone……but I still have quite a few necklaces, earrings, and bracelets available for sale that would make nice gifts; many are under $30 with my 20% discount.

The photographs you see are just a small part of my inventory.  You are more than welcome to stop by and go through my pieces.  You can also contact me with your price point and an idea of the recipient’s style, color, etc.  I will take photos of  jewelry that might work for you and attach them in an email.

I can often change the length or style of a chain, change the ear wire for an earring, or find a different color pendant.  Send a photo of a shirt or neckline you want a necklace for and I will work with you to come up with something great!

(If you need something shipped, please check with the post office to make sure it can arrive when you need it)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all!

Travel Finds

Fall this year was filled with travel.   I typically stumble on some great jewelry making finds when I travel, and this time was no exception.  Go to my Gallery to see some of them in my finished designs.  Jim (photographer) really outdid himself this time, setting up my jewelry around his cute little Duluth cabin.

In September, Dana and I made the most of our road trip to deliver her car to her home in Arizona.  In Taos we found a gem seller at a roadside stand with many strands of variscite and turquoise. The stones were beautiful and the cut uncommon.  It turns out that these stones are from the 60’s and 70’s!

Rhodocroisite is the Colorado state mineral, so of course I had to pick some up when we traveled through South Park.

Just past Albuqurque is the oldest continuously inhabited community in the nation, the Acoma Pueblo. We met an artist there, C Maurus Chino, who has recently added jewelry making to his passion for painting. He made the beautiful setting for the ammonite (a fossil) using sterling silver and gem quality lapis.

My most recent trip was to Salzburg, Austria where I picked up some Swarovski crystals.  You will have to come to my home show on November 13 to see what I did with them, or ask me to email you some photos.

Fall Jewelry Sale

Print a copy of this flyer:   Fall Jewelry Sale 2011