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Steerhead Wall Art
I wanted to post a picture or two of the steerhead wall pieces I like to make. I buy frames from flea markets, secondhand shops and other like institutions and back them with masonite and paper, then attach the steerheads and finish with acrylic paint. The story behind them is that about 17 years ago I was teaching high school art in a small east Texas town and there came a day when we needed to decorate our door for an alma mater contest. Being a Longhorn, the inspiration for the steerheads was born and we won the contest. Not wanting to throw away the precious little creations I decided…
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Our Bazaar Experience
The bazaar is over, has been for a couple of weeks now, and we were very pleased, selling more than twice what we sold last year, and continuing to sell for Christmas via the website. Since this is all new for us, the show once again was a learning experience as we figured out what works and what doesn’t. We had several returning customers, and all but one of them (and she promised a buy through the website once she knew a bracelet length) bought again. One customer even told us we were the next James Avery! I took that as a compliment, but I doubt that will happen–it isn’t…
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New Grasses Necklace
This is the necklace I am working on now; it is the partner to the Grasses bracelet that was previously posted. I am lengthening it because the beads are large at about 8-9mm wide. Some of the chain from the bracelet will be attached near the clasp so that the necklace will be adjustable. This isn’t the greatest photo because the detail is not apparent on the pendant. It is the same image as is on the bracelet, just stuck onto a bigger disk and embellished with my little star button. I am fairly pleased with the outcome but am reserving full judgment until it’s completed. I love the calcite…
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Alone Star Jewelry
We haven’t posted anything to the blog lately because life has been throwing us lots of the stuff. School, children, relatives, church, and the list goes on and on. Lisa is a working mom although she is lucky to work from home a few days a week; Shauna is a stay-home mom but that doesn’t mean she gets to work on jewelry every day. The bazaar is coming up at the first of December, the show we did last year as a first, and after that perhaps this blog will move a little bit more. The writing is fun and useful, so we don’t plan to abandon this part of…
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On the topic of jewelry auctions on eBay
There has been much discussion about whether or not it is in the best interest of a jeweler trying to increase sales to post pieces in online auctions at eBay. We considered this and actually ran some auctions which you can see from our previous posts. We sold some of our jewelry in this way, but below our retail prices. The bump in hits on our website after the auctions did not increase much above the norm. We haven’t posted any new auctions because we have been mulling over whether or not the fees and the discounts are worth this form of advertising and the perceptions that come with it.…
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Spring in Texas earrings on eBay
Another great auction that is currently active! Our handcrafted Spring in Texas dangly daisy earrings are so fun to wear! They sway and sparkle in .999 pure silver below sterling hoops. Get them at a good price while you can!
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Shell Drop necklace on eBay
This beautiful, handcrafted necklace is currently featured in one of our auctions on eBay. What a wonderful opportunity to get an Alone Star original piece of jewelry at a great price!
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Ocean Sunset bracelet on Ebay
This bracelet is currently featured on Ebay. Jewelers selling their work should consider the advertising value of posting jewelry there. Click here to view this auction.
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This bracelet will be on the site very soon. It’s made of PMC and a couple of strands of hammered sterling chain. The plate image is grass–Texas highways are resplendent with many varieties of grass gracing the ‘scape if the highway department doesn’t mow them and the livestock doesn’t eat them–my favorite colors are the bleached-out-like-blonde-hair and that lovely soft cinnamon that I recall from a certain hill in Bastrop on the way to the house; I’d breathe thanks to the mowers for letting it grow it was so pretty. Originally this bracelet was made from silk cord to hold the plate, but I didn’t like messing with cleaning the…
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Ocean Sunset bracelet
Imagine that you’re sitting on the sands at the beach. It’s dusk and the seagulls and pelicans are flying overhead. If you’re lucky, you may see a Magnificent Frigatebird soaring in the distance. The sun is setting in golden hues, sparkling above the blues and greens of the ocean. This is what I think of when I wear this bracelet.
