Happy Valentine’s Day from Alone Star Jewelry

Well here we are in a brand new year! It’s hard to believe that Christmas went by so fast and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! I must admit that I’ve had a harder time this year getting back into the swing of things after the holidays. It would seem that I didn’t get enough R&R time or maybe I realize the importance of having time to yourself to just piddle around or sneak in some more quality time with your family. It always goes by much too fast! But, having said that, it is the new year so move forward we must. I’ve never been good at forcing myself to sit down and just produce something new and fabulous (written with a smile!). No, I’m more the type that thinks on designs and then runs to grab my sketchbook to draw something down before I forget it! It’s the inspiration in me and I can feel when it’s waning and when it’s kicking into high gear. It’s a great feeling when it kicks into high gear because when that happens, I normally spit out several pieces all at once. I’m right in the middle of a high gear period and wanted to share a few new creations.

Shauna has previously talked about cold connections in our blog and it must have had a subconscious effect on me because that’s the direction I have gone! I really like mixing media and have done so again with three of these new pieces. For example, the Corset brooch (shown above) is cinched up with blue Tenara (Gore-Tex) thread and adorned with tiny freshwater pearls.

The In Stitches brooch (below at far left) connects Argentium silver wire with waxed linen, and finally, the Laced Up brooch features braided gold Strinth cord. It’s also new for us as these are our first brooches! I also tossed in a couple of other pieces to round things out. The Silver Band is a simple but classic wrapped ring that is held snugly together with a piece of Argentium wire that has been balled up on each end. The ring didn’t need anything else, in my opinion. In this case, less is more! The Just Fun earrings are a work in textures where the design flows from one earring to the next, making each earring unique. These earrings are made up of independent pieces – domed discs, flower and heart, which spin freely on the handmade earwires that connect them altogether.