Thursday, January 3, 2008
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a great holiday season. It went by in a whirlwind, most of the time I didn't know it I was coming or going. I want to thank everyone for making this holiday season my most successful yet! It was a very exciting time but I am glad things have slowed down so I can focus on creating some brand new items. Here is a sneak preview :)
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Sterling Silver Earrings
I have a new obsession. Hammering! I have been busily trying some new designs with sterling silver wire and my hammer. My boyfriend is about ready to go mad. Just like anything new I learn how to do, I want to do it 24/7!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Caring For Your Handmade Jewelry
Hi everyone! Today I want to talk about how to care for you handmade jewelry.
With a few simple steps you can keep your handmade jewelry looking as great as it did the day you purchased it.
Daily Care
To keep your handcrafted jewelry clean and in good condition, gently wipe off residues and oils with a soft, 100% cotton lint-free cloth after each wearing. Apply perfumes, make-up, hairspray or other products prior to putting on jewelry to prevent damage to softer stones and build-up on your jewelry. Once a month, clean your jewelry using a soft bristled toothbrush and a drop of liquid dish soap or hand soap (never use toothpaste or other abrasive cleaner as they may scratch metals). Use care around delicate wire work to avoid getting fibers tangled. I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY GEL, LIQUID OR PASTE JEWELRY CLEANERS. Be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly prior to re-storing. I also do not recommend wearing your jewelry while swimming, showering or playing sports. Excessive sweat, lotion or perfume can adversely affect some dyes and finishes that are used.
Tarnish Prevention and Storage
TipsTo help prevent sterling silver from tarnishing, store your jewelry in a plastic zip-lock bag. Simply placing your jewelry back in the bags and sealing them when not in use will help retard the tarnishing process. Store each piece individually to prevent soft stones and metals from being scratched by harder stones. I recommend a silver polishing cloth that is pre-treated with a polishing agent.
See Tarnish Removal
Cleaning Instructions
When your jewelry begins to tarnish or become heavily soiled you may soak your jewelry in warm water with a mild liquid soap for 2-3 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and allow your jewelry to dry completely on a lint-free cloth before re-storing it in your bags.Be very careful when using any soaking method to clean jewelry that has soft stones (amber, azurite, calcite, chrysocolla, fluorite, lapis lazuli, malachite, pearls, rhodochrosite, sodalite and turquoise are all soft stones which should be cleaned with care). Extended soaking in any solution may harm the polish on the stone. With these soft stones it is preferable to simply wipe the stones down with a little soapy water rather than soaking them. Because they are very porous they absorb liquid and can become discolored by any chemicals - even soap. Pearls are especially sensitive to acidity and humidity. It is recommended that you wrap pearl pieces in jeweler’s tissue and store directly in a soft bag as moisture can build up in a plastic bag and damage the pearls.
Tarnish Removal
To remove excessive tarnish from sterling, we recommend a jeweler’s cloth such as the Sunshine Polishing Cloth, an aggressive metal cleaner may do the job too well, removing the dyes and changing the overall appearance of the piece.In general, the use of a home ultrasonic cleaner is not recommended. Most of the stones used in our jewelry designs can be damaged by ultrasonic cleaners.With a little care and the cleaning methods described above, your handmade jewelry will maintain it’s original beauty throughout the years.
With a few simple steps you can keep your handmade jewelry looking as great as it did the day you purchased it.
Daily Care
To keep your handcrafted jewelry clean and in good condition, gently wipe off residues and oils with a soft, 100% cotton lint-free cloth after each wearing. Apply perfumes, make-up, hairspray or other products prior to putting on jewelry to prevent damage to softer stones and build-up on your jewelry. Once a month, clean your jewelry using a soft bristled toothbrush and a drop of liquid dish soap or hand soap (never use toothpaste or other abrasive cleaner as they may scratch metals). Use care around delicate wire work to avoid getting fibers tangled. I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY GEL, LIQUID OR PASTE JEWELRY CLEANERS. Be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly prior to re-storing. I also do not recommend wearing your jewelry while swimming, showering or playing sports. Excessive sweat, lotion or perfume can adversely affect some dyes and finishes that are used.
Tarnish Prevention and Storage
TipsTo help prevent sterling silver from tarnishing, store your jewelry in a plastic zip-lock bag. Simply placing your jewelry back in the bags and sealing them when not in use will help retard the tarnishing process. Store each piece individually to prevent soft stones and metals from being scratched by harder stones. I recommend a silver polishing cloth that is pre-treated with a polishing agent.
See Tarnish Removal
Cleaning Instructions
When your jewelry begins to tarnish or become heavily soiled you may soak your jewelry in warm water with a mild liquid soap for 2-3 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and allow your jewelry to dry completely on a lint-free cloth before re-storing it in your bags.Be very careful when using any soaking method to clean jewelry that has soft stones (amber, azurite, calcite, chrysocolla, fluorite, lapis lazuli, malachite, pearls, rhodochrosite, sodalite and turquoise are all soft stones which should be cleaned with care). Extended soaking in any solution may harm the polish on the stone. With these soft stones it is preferable to simply wipe the stones down with a little soapy water rather than soaking them. Because they are very porous they absorb liquid and can become discolored by any chemicals - even soap. Pearls are especially sensitive to acidity and humidity. It is recommended that you wrap pearl pieces in jeweler’s tissue and store directly in a soft bag as moisture can build up in a plastic bag and damage the pearls.
Tarnish Removal
To remove excessive tarnish from sterling, we recommend a jeweler’s cloth such as the Sunshine Polishing Cloth, an aggressive metal cleaner may do the job too well, removing the dyes and changing the overall appearance of the piece.In general, the use of a home ultrasonic cleaner is not recommended. Most of the stones used in our jewelry designs can be damaged by ultrasonic cleaners.With a little care and the cleaning methods described above, your handmade jewelry will maintain it’s original beauty throughout the years.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians. I hope everyone is enjoying the extended weekend. I have dedicated this day to tidying up loose ends and making improvements to my shop. Here is sneak preview of some items I have been working on.
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