We're Open (Almost)!

 With the weather getting steadily better we are planning on opening on Monday, April 22.

This is shaping up to be a very special year. First off, we have a ton of new items, many featuring jewelry made from local stones shaped in my lapidary shop- The Lap of Lapidary.

Here's a pendant made from an amazing piece of local jasper, with a unique copper setting and a premium leather cord.

Another great pendant made from local agate with a sparkly quartz core.

We also have a whole new line of earrings featuring my own copper filigree design with premium beads and crystals. Here's how they look in real life.

We also ship so if you see anything you like or have a particular gift in mind, just let us know.

Soon the machines in the lapidary shop will be humming so if you have ever wondered how rock is cut and shaped and find yourself on Digby Neck, come on by.

And now for the really exciting part. Because we are getting up in years (way up!) we realize the shop can't keep going for ever. So if you visit, you will note that most items are discounted!

We look forward to seeing you if your travels take you to the unique part of Nova Scotia known simply as "The Neck"

Have a great summer!

Lots of New Pieces For The Shop

 We'll probably be putting our sign back up and opening the shop soon so we've been really busy creating pieces to fill the empty spaces and I thought I'd catch you up on a few.

I made this set from a large piece of red jasper that a customer sent so the Real Artist could use it for paint pigment. It turned out beautifully- a little too perfectly as it turned out as it sold as soon as I posted it on Instagram!

I wanted to create earrings using a copper filigree bead cap I have and this was the first pair. They also sold as soon as I posted them so I've been making more (pics will follow in the next post). The stone is a beautiful piece of local agate/jasper and I hung it on a very special sterling silver chain. It's still available.

This is another local agate that I set using a perimeter groove so as not to disturb the gorgeous patterning. I used German silver (non-tarnish) wire and hung it on a really nice sterling silver chain.

This (local) piece of plume agate is one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever worked with. It seemed to call for brass wire to compliment the colour of the stone so that meant that I had to make a set of brass findings and a neck clasp. Whatever it takes I say.

 

 The patterning and colours are outstanding but again I made the mistake of posting it on Instagram and it also sold!

Next time I'll post a few more including the Boho Earring line I've finished.

Hope to see you at the shop but if you see something you like, we ship!

It's Earring Time!

One of the downsides of living in a house built in 1849 is a leaky stone wall basement. But in between mopping it up, I've had the time to work on earrings.

The first order of business was to make a second display. I used the same format as for the guitar string earring display

 Then I started to fill it. The first creations were a set of three using sterling silver sea themed pieces in beautiful abalone frames the real artist had kicking around. I used non-tarnish silver wire but sterling ear wires. The first features a whale tail.

Next came the anchor.

And finally, the shell. (sorry for the bad pic)

Now I am starting on the local agate and jasper I finished and drilled last summer. I plan on dressing them up a bit with some of the beautiful copper beads in my inventory and I'm pretty happy with the first pair.

So much for my day job. Normally, I make Viking Knit Chain in the evenings using 24 gauge copper wire but I am currently experimenting with a slightly thicker 22 gauge and really liking the result.

The real artist, not to be outdone, has finished her first sketch book using her home made dyes This beauty is totally hand fashioned, including the binding and we might have a few in the store by next season.

Stay healthy and sane!

What's New at The Artist's Mark

 I haven't posted for some time because we have been so busy. Lots of work to do to get ready for winter plus we celebrated our 52nd wedding anniversary few days ago. But we have had time to do some new pieces.

This is the time of year I make my Viking Chain. Here's how it looks when I weave it on the dowel (about 8 inches long)

And here's how it looks after I have drawn it through successively smaller holes in my draw plate. Now about 17 inches long. This one was done in 24 gauge copper but my next attempt will be with a thicker, 22 gauge wire.

I have also been collaborating with Vickie on some pieces. Vickie is a master of polymer clay and has developed several of her own techniques while perfecting museum quality jewelry. This time we used one of her beads, featuring a technique she calls her "Burlesque Blend" and hung it on an upcycled guitar string. Vickie also fashioned the wire work and bead work while I did the connectors at the back

I was able to use the original "eye" and attach another to make a really unique clasp.

I have also been making a lot of earrings and while I won't show them in this post, I will show you the display we made using some cool driftwood and plastic mesh. I even added some hooks at the bottom to hold three necklaces and eventually everything on it will be from the "Phoenix" collection featuring upcycled guitar wires.

 

Next time I'll feature more individual pieces.

Cheers!

Winter Comes to Digby Neck

 Well, it had to happen. Apparently global warming doesn't know Digby Neck exists! We have had much colder weather than normal along with snow, high winds and the inevitable power outages and missing roof shingles.

But in between dealing with this:

we've been able to get a fair bit done in the studio. Vickie has been working primarily on art but also a bit of polymer clay. One of these is a real polar bear claw and the other a clever Vickie "fake" care to take a guess?

I've been doing a lot of work with reclaimed copper and some beautiful and unique components I recently purchased.

Also copied a design based on a silver spoon by creating a copper spoon using a technique called "chasing"- quite amazing actually to think how you can "move" metal.

As you can see Vickie is getting me out of my comfort zone- even getting me to embrace the beauty of oxidized copper patina.

And finally I got around to making myself a bracelet using a length of copper Viking chain.

So we are keeping busy and looking forward to getting into some exciting new areas in the near future.

And remember: It doesn't matter if the wine glass is half full or half empty as long as you have the rest of the bottle!

Latest Creations

While it has been a pretty benign winter to date, it is still too cold to do much in the lapidary shop so the focus shifts to the jewelry bench. Over the past months, we have been busy creating items for sale on our new on-line venture- The Seawall Emporium. First, we created a number of pendants featuring beautiful petrified wood from Arizona.

Then we started working on copper pieces and made everything from the simple to the complex.

The REAL Viking artist taught me how to make Viking Chain and we made several beautiful bracelets.

And recently, we started working with an exciting new material- used guitar strings! These strings are amazingly complex and have characteristics that offer exciting design opportunities.

We were so excited we formed a new collection- The Phoenix Collection- to celebrate the potential for this upcycled material. It can be used for lightweight earrings (above) as well as more elaborate pendants and necklaces (below). In fact, we're just starting to explore the possibilities!

And we even had time to create some commissioned pieces.

So what's next? Well, the days are getting longer and soon we'll be back on the machines. I have a big backlog of rock to be slabbed. We have decided to open the Artist's Mark Shop this summer and while we don't expect as many visitors as in previous years, we look forward to meeting some new friends so if your travels take you to Nova Scotia, look us up!