FALL UPDATE - THE HOLIDAYS ARE SNEAKING UP FAST

Hello everyone...
    We are happy to say that we are FINALLY getting a little rain here in Millville, Ca. Such a BLESSING.  
   PLUS: since the creek which runs alongside our property, (Clover Creek) now has more water running downstream. The Fall SALMON RUN has started

 Both of us so enjoy watching them jump and swim up stream....a struggle of new life. Giving us inspiration to create new designs for you to enjoy.

 

   WELCOME TO OUR HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:
                              LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EACH OF YOU SOON:
 
      
                          

                              NOV. 21, 22, & 23 2014

                                  GIFTS "N" TYME

               575 THIRD ST., NAPA, CA. 94559    

FRI. & SAT. 10 AM - 6 PM / SUN. 10 AM - 4 PM 

  Same location: Booth 17 near kitchen 

NEW CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL FOR US 

                              NOV. 28, 29, & 30 2014

                          COUNTRY CHRISTMAS FAIRE

                          NEVADA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS

            11228 MC COURTNEY ROAD, GRASS VALLEY, CA. 95945

 

                                         DEC. 6 & 7 2014

                             ART IN THE CELLARS

                                BARGETTO WINERY

                 3535 N. MAIN ST., SOQUEL, CA. 95073

                           SAT. & . SUN.  11 AM - 5PM

        WINE CLUB INVITATION ONLY    SATURDAY 6 PM - 8 PM         

   Contact: Jerry 530-339-6450 to find booth location

        Fran 530-604-3649 Questions

                                 

                     *images are subject to prior sale*

                

HELLO EVERYONE:

   WE HAVE POSTED OUR 2014 SCHEDULE OF FESTIVALS TO OUR WEBSITE(www.wearablemetalartbydesign.com) NOW. STOP BY AND TAKE A LOOK TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR A FESTIVAL NEAR YOU.

HELLO 2014 HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

Dec. 2013 Front Yard with Charlie and Lucie

Early December 2013 an Alaskan cold front dipped down into Northern California. This was our front yard...6 inches of the cold white snow over night.
Makes for a beautiful photo...also deep creeping cold. Due to the low temperatures for the next week or so, it stayed around for over 2 weeks in shaded patches. My bones really felt that cold and it was hard for me to get around.

  Now that 2013 is coming to a close it is time again to announce our annual sale.  Etsy Store: www.wearablemetalartjfh.etsy.com      USE COUPON CODE: SALE2013
during check out for a 30% DISCOUNT ON LISTED PRICE  We have a great selection this year, please check it out. I will be highlight some of the items with photos while writing this blog update.

Madagascar Garnet & Jasper

    As I am writing this, Jerry is recuperating from foot surgery. He had been putting off the needed surgery for several months. Mainly because I need help most of the time to get around now. And of course to finish up the last of the 2013 holiday show festivals. His doctor said today that all is progressing fine. Should be another 2 weeks before he can walk with his Christmas present from his doctor. A pretty black boot with Velcro straps.

Hello Everyone.....

   As you know it has been a long time since we last wrote a post to our blog. We really do not want to loose our extend family and friends. I just had much going on in my life for me to write. For that I am sorry.

   Now for an all NEW YEAR 2013 ....It's a new year and we're looking forward to making new and exciting jewelry and we'll start working in the studio after a few more days of relaxing from the holidays
 
  At this time of the year we have our ANNUAL SALE on our Etsy Store : 

              www.wearablemetalartjfh.etsy.com 

         

    This year's sale is the best ever!... Just use coupon code: CC78901  during check out for 30% off the listed price.
  I have added many new jewelry pieces to our store, and will be adding new jewelry each day or two. So please bookmark the site and keep checking back to find the special piece made just for you to "wear and enjoy".
 
  Now for a brief update on us.....

 

 Just a couple days before Christmas 2012 we got a our first snow storm in 7 years. I know, I am just a kid at heart....I was so excited that I filled my memory card up with photos! 

 But I remembered fast when the cold creep  into my bones that it is great look OUT at it from a warm home.

     Jerry's view coming up to our gate upon returning from Redding. This ended up being the heaviest snow fall in a long time. But....didn't stay around long, as the snow turned to rain that night melting away the snow ;(

 

 

  Come January and February each year I am working on the years' festival applications. As always it is a time consuming task and a puzzle of which festival(s) would be best to apply for. Our schedule should be similar to last year, if accepted to the festivals we have applied. The jury selection is done each year by the festival committee panel.  I will be posting each confirmation as received, then when all the acceptance confirmations are received near mid April we will post our entire Spring  Festival schedule.  We are looking forward to seeing each of you in the near future at the festivals.

   As things are shaping up Jerry may be doing some of the years' festivals alone. As my health issues are limiting my ability to get around. I will be keeping our ETSY STORE up with new postings as much as possible. We are hoping that it will make it easier for you to shop. As for custom work, it will be only done as time permits and I am able to work on the bench. I am hoping that later in the year I will be up to doing much more. 

   Jerry designed and made some new RINGS that were very popular late last fall. He will be doing more of these in similar design format. Plus more new designs that he has been putting together.

 I am sketching up new designs too, between the two of us we plan to have a whole new group of exciting pieces for you to see at our spring festivals.

 I am going to post previews here as they are finished.

So till next time....Fond Regards

  

   

 

  





Mighty Cold Morning

Now this is cold...10 degrees at 7am! Clover Creek froze on both sides. Earlier before I took these pictures around 11 am, it was almost across the whole creek on the surface.
  Been awhile since I last posted on the blog. I have basically moved over to Vertical Response. If you are thing of using an email program for your business. THIS IS THE ONE! Very reasonable in cost and works easy.
   We are now in our "off" season till middle of April. This is the time we spend making new items for the upcoming season of shows.
However, this year it is Jerry making. As I am having surgery on my foot finally. Major stuff so I will be in a wheel chair for the next three months. Not exactly what I was hoping...but it should get me walking again...I hope. And, while I am out of "shape"...I needed to close the Etsy shop temporary. As you  all know, Jerry does do computers.

  This also an update on Lucy and Charlie...they have grown into great pals for all four of us. Hard to get good pictures...finally got Lucy but Charlie was avoiding the camera.
   Well, wish everyone a terrific year.....
Fran 

Bodega Jazz, Art, & Wine Festival

    This weekend is the Bodega Seafood, Jazz, Art and Wine Festival
Held at the Watt's Ranch, Hwy. 12 @ the SMALL town of Bodega, just 1/2 mile East of Hwy. 1.
     We invite everyone to come over to the coast and join us. Weather should be great, sunny and in the low to mid 80's. That sure looks cool, compared to the inland temps we are reading this afternoon.

Working our way North up the coast

 We are back at the Sonoma County Westside Park in Bodega Bay now. Will leave on Friday for Gualala and our next show Art in the Redwoods @ the Gualala Arts Center.
   Last weekend we were at the 12th Annual Scotts Valley Art and Wine Festival, held in Scotts Valley, Ca. @ Sky Valley Park. Enjoyed seeing all our friends there and meeting new ones too. This years weather was fantastic, just a little fog in the am, then bright sunshine in the afternoons. With a light breeze to keep it cool.

   We met up with Bill and Susan Dakuzahu Fri. evening for dinner. Susan is a website engineer and has been working at building a new website image for us.  It has been in need of some "help" for awhile now and I feel that she has done a great job, click:wearablemetalartbydesign.com   and take a look for yourself at the difference she has made!
 We are now working on re-vamping and building an Email marketing plan called: Vertical Response.  Will sending out our new Newsletter later this month. 
    Also, take a look at our Etsy Store. I have added some new items. The following are just a couple of them:

Pretty colorful pin......
On the left top a free form designer cut cabochon of Spectorite, middle: 5mm round facet London Blue Topaz; right top another free form designer cut cabochon of Lemon Opal from Idaho. And finally, a beautiful free form designer cut cabochon of rare Sugilite from Africa. All three of these beauties are bezel set in Sterling Silver, surrounded by textured and tooled silver background and a small added Copper wire design.....$268.00

 These earrings are: matched pair of Mave Pink fresh water pearls, 3mm round facet garnets, and a free form designer cut match pair of rare Sugilite cabochons. Bezel set in Sterling Silver, with a free form wire design. These have heavy duty posts and large adjustable backs included. ...$175.00


  We  invite you to make that beautiful drive up  Hwy. 1 to the little town of Gualala this weekend and join us at the 50th Annual Art in the Redwoods @ the Gualala Arts Center. Know you will enjoy yourself....check out their website:gualalaarts.org.
   See you there...........

Back Home for a few Days

 

 Had a visitor this morning . Can't think of why or

   what he was looking inside for. Maybe just to say welcome back home.

It is Garlic Time

 First, a big THANK YOU to  Bargetto Winery for hosting the Summer Fine Arts Festival. The live music was wonderful to listen to and the Gypsy Pizza Oven made great tasting pizza. Jerry and I ate way too much, but we couldn't help ourselves, best pizza that we have had.

  Again, our wonderful friends, (clients) made our weekend. We send a thank you to each one of you. Wear and enjoy your new jewelry.

Bargetto Winery - Summer Fine Arts Festival

 Had a great (short) "lay-over" in Bodega Bay @ Westside Park. Rested from our last show and even managed to sneak in a few hours work on my portable bench in our motor home. Early this morning we headed South and  arrived at the Pinto Lake RV Park in Watsonville, Ca. around 2pm.
 Thought I would make an advance look at some of the new work that Jerry and I have just finished for the Summer Fine Arts Festival @
the Bargetto Winery,
3535 Main St.. Soquel, Ca.
   Show is Sat. and Sun. 11am - 5pm
Everyone is welcome, free admission, and food and beverages will be available.
 

Owhee Jasper Pendant

Ocean Jasper, Moonstone, Pearl Earrings

 

 

Owhee matching earrings

Varicite Pendant, has matching earrings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Metal Art Pendant (new style)

This is a new style for me
all metal art with Amethyst and Peridot


     On right is Varicity from Austrailia, Pearl and Mint L.G. Sapphire 






  There will be some wonderful artists present. Many of them good friends from the (former) Mt. Art Guild. Looking forward to having you come by, visit and shop at the show.
  This is a link to one of the artists: pattylakinsmith.blogspot.com
 See you this weekend!
If you need directions, call us on our cell: 530-604-3649

Patty Lakinsmith: Another Sneak Peek

Patty Lakinsmith: Another Sneak Peek

Mendocino Trip

Steele Wnes

Thursday, July 14th we headed out on our trip to Mendocino, Ca. for the MAC Summer Fine Arts Festival.  When we stopped in Corning for gas Jerry noted that a tire on the motor home looked "funny". So we headed over to the tire shop where we found we needed to replace 4 of the 6 tires on the rig....ouch that cost a buck or two!!

Steele Wines

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stopped over at the Steele Winery in Kelseyville, Ca. steelewines.com , off of Hwy. 29 for the night and a short visit. Naomi Key and Pam Shine are great hosts, even had hot coffee for us early Fri. morning.  
  We drove on around Clear Lake and over to Hwy. 1, headed North to Willits, Ca. There we turned west on Hwy. 20 and down, up, down, up and finally into Fort Bragg, Ca. Continued south on Hwy. 1 to Mendocino. Just a beautiful scenic drive.

MAC Art Center

Art pieces are put out all over the garden area

Fri. afternoon I wondered around the center snapping shots here and there. Then around 4pm we started setting up our booth for the show.
We enjoyed the show and visiting with our friends, however, financially we did not do well. So, even if we enjoyed ourselves not sure that we can come back again next year. :>(

Jerry in kayak

Sunday evening after the show we headed south again on Hwy. 1 around 7 miles to a small campground on the banks of the Albion river: Albion River Campground www.albionrivercampground.com We elected to camp there Sunday and Monday nights. This is a beautiful place to camp with lots of fun things to do. Like taking a kayak out.  

This is all for now. Will continue the "story" as we travel on to the next show: Summer Fine Arts Festival, Bargetto Winery, Soquel, Ca. bargettowinery.com
 Have a great evening, hope to see you soon. 

Getting Ready for lots of shows!

  Hope all of you had a safe enjoyable July 4th weekend. We were in Chester, Ca., (near Lake Almanor) for their annual one day festival hosted by the local Lyons Club. 

   Iam putting the finishing touches on our new work that we have just finished. As we will be heading out on Thurs. for the Mendocino show. Afterwards we have planed a slow drive down the coast hwy. 1 to Bodega. After a couple days there will drive on down and over to Watsonville, Ca. where we have reservations to stay at Pinto Lake RV Resort for a couple weeks. While we are doing the Bargetto Summer Arts show. Then finish off the month with the 3 day Gilroy Garlic Festival.

     The following are  highlights  of what I finished up  over the past few days.

Long designer cut cabochon of an interesting coco brown agate. This is thought to be a fossilized wood. I have bezel set the stone using 30 gauge sterling silver bezel wire. Extending the back 24 gauge sterling sheet on the left side and bottom so I could add texture and tooling. Also added an edge of 16 gauge round wire to this and in a free form design around the piece. The bail is tooled and is large enough for an omega or larger chain.

approx. size: 4 1/2 in. long by 1 1/4 in. wide set price: $375.

Matching earrings are below

Here are the matching earrings to the above pendant. As you can see I have added similar texture and tooling in the design around the bezeled cabochons..

 Size: 1 1/2 in. long by 1 in. wide. I have soldered heavy duty sterling silver posts to center back and have large adjustable backs included. 

  These two items are a set, and are priced together at $375.00

This is another pendant with matching earrings.....

Designer cut cabochon of Owhee Jasper. I have bezel set this piece, then extended the sheet silver partly up for design work to be added. Heavily textured and tooled design accents added to left side. Along with a pretty 5mm round London Blue Topaz facet.  Then I added hand made leaves and some copper wire textured for color to accent the colors in the stone. This piece has a large hand forged loop bail at the back that will fit most any Omega or larger chain.

Colors: soft gray blues with rust brown, and coco brown

                                                                                                                                           These are the matching earrings

  to the above pendant.        The "tongue" cut cabochons are a beautiful color match to the pendant stone. I have "cap" bezel set each and added design accents to top that compliment the pendant, including matching London Blue topaz.

Sterling Silver heavy duty french ear wires, with soft plastic backs.

Size: 2 in. long by 1/2 in wide

colors noted: soft gray blue; rust and coco browns 

Price: $275.00 for the set                                                                          

  These are just a few items that we will have at the Mendocino Show. There are many other items of interest. Some will be listed on our Etsy store: wearablemetalartjfh.etsy.com

I will be adding more over the next few days as time permits.

   Also, during the past month I have been working on our website again. This time I am re-vamping the entire site. As I am looking to promote custom work with our stones and yours. So, I have added a page to explain the process and will be adding several pages of some completed work over the past. With the hope that by viewing the photos you will be inspired to have something made just for you.

  The finished items that we have for sale with be listed in our Etsy Store only.

Well, looking forward to seeing you soon at one of our summer shows.

      Still cool...and have a great summer....

          

                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                    

Summer is Here

  
  We had an eventful return trip home from our last three shows. When we stopped for gas in Corning I discovered the van had a flat rear left tire...just watched it go down while the gas was pumping in. So....ended up at the tire shop to replace not one but all four tires.
   In the meanwhile, Jerry drives out the gas station drive way. Snap, bang and pop...something broke underneath the front end of the motor home. The front "sway bar" bushings gave way on the steering "something rather" *%^#
  I know that we were extremely lucky that all this happened when we were NOT on the freeway driving.....but. The repairs costs more than we made at the last three shows. Funny how that happens.

 A thank you to all of our friends and "client family". We enjoyed visiting, seeing and working with each of you at the last three shows: Art Fiesta, Sacramento; Art in the Park, Burlingame; and Summer Fine Arts Festival, Danville.

  Wow, moving from around 75 degrees, with a brisk bay area breeze, back up the our home at a warm 102 degrees last week. Was a shock on the body!  Then an unusual fast moving low front dumps over a half inch of rain and temps back down in the low 70's on Tues. and Wed. And today, working its way back up into the 90's. With a warming trend to 102-105 for the July 4th weekend and into next week. Summer has finally arrived! Knew it would happen this way....bang just in time for the holiday weekend.
  Speaking of July 4 --we will be up in Chester, for their 4th of July Art and Craft show Monday. At least we will see the beautifull Lassen area and visit Lake Almanor on our trip. Will enjoy seeing our friends at the show as we only get up that way once a year now. This is a fast moving show, held in the community park along side the Feather River in the middle of town. We expect it to be warm up there too, usually in the mid 90's when we hit low 100s. So, figure to see people drift in early around 9am to view the what we have this year. Take a short break  near 11am to see the local parade down Main St., then back down the steps to our booth in the park. Around 3pm....the show closes and we pack up and head for home. A fast one day event hosted by the local Lyons Club.
   I went to use my camera a couple so days ago. And found that the "handy" flip out viewer had flipped one time too many and broke. When I checked around on repairs, found it was cheaper just to purchase a new one. I did some research on the internet on what I needed. Off to Costco, and Best Buy to see them in person and finally purchased a Cannon PowerShot SX130. Seems to have all the bells and whistles that I need, mainly the Macro operation that I use all the time for close ups. Taking pictures of our jewelry has been a challenge for years.
   With rain that we had this week, all of the weeds around our place just grew up overnight again. They always manage to pop up faster than we can keep up with them. I took time out earlier today to spray as many as I could see in the hot bright sunshine.

While outside I thought I would try out my new camera. This is a shot of two of older oak trees on the property. They are beautiful this year in their huge grander.
  On the right is part of the gravel drive back towards our place.

  Couldn't resist taking a shot of one of our "pestky" weeds. These guys just popped up everywhere......everywhere thousands of them!


 Now I best get back to work. Now that I have a new camera I need to design a few pieces for new custom work.
  Oh, almost forgot!!  I have started on redesigning our website: http://www.wearablemetalartbydesign.com/ . After much thought I have decided to move it in a new direction. More towards inviting custom work from you our friends, and new friends soon to be. Iam putting together several pages on custom orders, only have a couple done so far. Will add photos of both sold and un-sold work to help some of you with design ideas. I also want to add photos of some of our stone collection. I say some, as I am a stone addict and have way too many in the safe to actually display a photo of each.
 With this change, I am also going to add more items to our Etsy Store: http://www.wearablemetalartjfh.etsy.com/ .
It is our hope to be able to cut back on the number of shows that we do each month in a few years, less if it can work out. And spend more time designing and doing custom work .
  Bye for now, stay cool and enjoy the summer weather

Spring Jungle

     First, we would like to say a special thanks to all our friends and clients who are our friends! Thanks to your enjoyment of our creations, we had good sales both at Clayton Art and Wine, and Alamo's Mother's Day weekend Arts Festival. It was great to serve and visit with each of you again this year. Look forward to visiting again soon. Perhaps the Summer Fine Arts Festival in Danville, June 18/19(see our show schedule for more info).

Spring is bursting out everywhere around here. It is unbelievable that we are still having great sunny days only in the mid to high 70's, and an occasional low 80's. The weather pattern has been a  few days of soft rain showers, and back to beautiful sunshine.

 From the stark bare trees and brush of winter, our
area is bursting with green, wild flowers and...........

 POLLEN.
While Jerry and I were doing the past two shows we came in contact with what we thought  were allergies. Especially since every year Jerry usually gets them bad. By the time we were home from the Alamo show both of us were sick.  We gave it a few days and now, we had added bad chest colds, fevers, sore throats and you name it. So, off to the doctor.
Thankfully, I am now getting better and Jerry is slowly following. Seems we each had a viral infection which really knocked us to our knees. We were like hybernating bears, both of us sleeping almost around the clock. Just up for water, meds,  soup and showers. Thus why I haven't posted anything for awhile.

   Today, I am back to my bench. Still can't solder as my eyes are still healing from the viral infection.  Feels good to draft up designs for the summer shows and look out at the "jungle" above.
 
We have a very busy schedule for the summer months of June, July, and Aug. Check out our show schedule page for more information.

  Well, back to my design drafting.....
  

ON THE MOVE

 Jerry and I are now at the Sinclair Ranch for a couple days before going on to Clayton, Ca. for the Clayton Art and Wine Festial.
 As you can see Jerry enjoys working on the tractor. Here he is mowing this field, and sneezing most of the way. Up on the hill side the winds usually blow pretty fair, enough to "rock & roll" the motor home. And Spring time usually brings the season's allergies .
  We are very grateful to the owner, Sally Sinclair Brittian, who graciously permits us to park on her property between shows. Jerry and I have always enjoyed being out in the open!

  Tomorrow we will move over to Clayton, Ca. as this weekend is the 16th Annual Clayton Art and Wine Festival! Artists will be located on Marsh Creek Rd. and Main St. in downtown Clayton. Hours: Sat. 10am -7pm and Sun. 10am-5pm
We have been guest artists at this show all 16 years. The volunteer staff members are wonderful, each and every one of them!

14k&9.25 Opal & Ruby

14k & Arg.9.25 Larimar, Chalcedony, Topaz

 Look forward to seeing and visiting with everyone...Come on over and see our new Spring line. Many new items, as this is the first show we attend in the East Bay
   

Working around the yard on Easter Sunday

 Ok,  guys keep it moving!

   Lucy is checking out the new bark while watching and supervising  both Jerry and Red work in the yard this afternoon.
  It was time to re-furbish the landscape barking. Been around 6-7 years since the landscaping was done.  The older well worn bark washed across the drive and down into the berry bushes, with heavy winter rains.

  Red, our brother-in-law.
Mind you, this man is over 80 yrs. young. And he is out on the flat bed trailer shoveling bark from the trailer into the wheel barrows.
This man works everyday of the week!

With is back to you, is Jerry taking a break from the bench  to help Red put in new bark around the yard.

Beautiful, day to be outside!

Just fun'n, Jerry and Red mess'n around while they work. The two of them may "grumble" alot about working. But looking at them, you can see they enjoy it too. They got the entire flat bed unload today...but no Easter eggs were found. Guess the Easter Bunny didn't hop by.  LOL... Oh, well we are on diets anyway.

Happy Easter everyone. Hope your day was enjoyable also.