45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50

I've taken a loooong break from blogging and there's a 6 week back up of brooches...

With 2 weeks left in the etsymetal brooch-a-week challenge year, here are brooches #45 -50. 

#45 is a lightweight sterling silver dotted "wreath" in time for the holidays. Well, it was in time for the holidays when I completed it 6 weeks ago...

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#46 features a dark Montana agate set in sterling with three 14kt gold rivets

#47 was a commission using the customer's ocean jasper and coral. It's designed to be converted to a pendant as needed!

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For week #48 I created a little Cherry Creek jasper tweeter perched on a stick pearl

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Brooch # 49 is a lovely taupe fossil palm cab.

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#50 is a piece of Hell's Canyon petrified wood paired with a lovely little golden South Sea pearl

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This week's brooch is already in the works, Montana agate paired with a very pretty Oregon sunstone...

Home Sweet Home

etsymetal Project Runway Challenge, Season 9, Week 12

                                                                                           Imperial jasper with carnelian drops in sterling and 14kt gold

For last week's Project Runway challenge the designers spent a day on NYC's Governor's Island, in search of inspiration for the creation of a mini collection. For the etsymetal challenge, we followed those same guidelines, using Governor's Island or a hometown park for our inspiration.

My neighborhood park, Maddax Woods, along the Willamette River is a constant source of inspiration and rejuvenation, not to mention our go-to dog walk destination... Goat Island, in the first photo, is a Great Blue Heron rookery. Flores is imploring me to hurry it up!


My challenge entry this week is a pair of earrings using a gorgeous pair of Imperial jasper in mottled greens evoking the cool understory along the path. The beautiful red band running through it reminds me of the Willamette river that borders the east edge of the park as well as the beginning of our Fall colors. The conical carnelian drops, echo that color perfectly!

                                                                      
Our final challenge will be to do a mini collection, just as the final 4 Project Runway designers are preparing to show their collections at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Stay tuned for that! Meanwhile check out the etsymetal blog with all of the current and past team challenge pieces!