I've been working busily on some new designs for The Selkie's Haunt. As the website is now informational only, it is important that I share some of these designs here on the blog and also on the site itself. Sales are steady and I'm very pleased with the reception my designs have had, both at events and through my stockists.
So, without any further ado, here are some of my new designs. I can't list all of them here, so if you are interested, drop me a line and I will send you the e-catalogue!
NEW BRACELETS
This bracelet is called "Red Creek Coins" and features beautifully marked Red Creek jasper, carnelian, and hand-forged "coins" of soft golden bronze. The bracelet measures 8.5 inches and sells for £42.
"Lavender Smoke" is the name of this lovely copper bracelet that features A-grade smoky quartz and A-grade amethyst, with beads of pure, bright copper and a copper toggle clasp. This bracelet 7.5 inches and is priced at £50.
NEW EARRINGS
These lovely copper earrings are called "Morocco" and feature focal beads of bayong wood, accented by rings of copper and bright blue stabilised turquoise beads. The drop on these earrings measures 1.5 inches and they are priced at £22.
These beautiful bronze earrings are named "Jewels Beneath a Full Moon" and feature hand-forged and planished disks of bronze. A dangle of AA-grade pink topaz and A-grade chrome diopside complete the design. The drop on these earrings is 1.5 inches and they sell for £24.
NEW NECKLACES
This lovely necklaces features round beads of Robles wook, with fluted beads of copper and faceted beads of A-grade rhodalite garnet as accents. This necklace measures 18 inches and sells for £64.
This necklace, also featuring wooden beads, is called "White Sands." The wood here is natural, untreated white wood. The beads that separate the wood are pure copper beads and A-grade amethyst and carnelian. This necklace measures 18 inches and is selling for £68.
These are just a handful of new designs currently available. To see all current offerings, please drop me a line at catalogue@selkieshaunt.com and I will forward the e-catalogue to you within 24 hours. The catalogue will arrive as a PDF, so you will need Adobe reader on your computer in order to access the files.
As of yesterday, June 1, the website for The Selkie's Haunt has changed from a transactional website to a catalogue request/information website. And because the brand's presence on the web is going to change, the necessity to blog more frequently is obvious. I have become pretty good about blogging for Ailleas Designs. I must put that same resolve to work for The Selkie's Haunt.
So, the change. The reason I have changed the site from transactional to information is very simple. My jewellery sells best from events and stockists and it makes no sense whatsoever to tie up my stock in hopes of web-based sales. I sell a great deal of the copper and bronze jewellery over the course of the year. But I sell where people can see the jewellery for themselves. I have long held that jewellery is best marketed where and when it can be seen, held, even tried on. Of course, for those who do buy from the web, they have always had my assurance that if they change their minds, a return and refund are without question. I am so sure of my work that I am happy to offer a return period not of the required 14 days, but a full 30 days.
The website will be updated from time to time with new pieces, but the main source for finding the newest designs will be on the brand's Facebook page, through this blog, and through the brand's newsletter. I've included a link to the newsletter registration at the bottom of this blog. I highly recommend you subscribe. New designs will show there first and you will be able to purchase pieces once they have been unveiled. It is my hope that my loyal customers, and any new customers, will find this a better and more personable way to purchase my handcrafted bronze and copper jewellery.
Over the past three months, I have been working hard on new designs - drawings at first - that will be made into reality during the months of June and July. I am very excited about these new designs; they will be far more complex than designs I have made thus far. I am very excited the new direction my work will go. I am hoping that I may be able to secure a gallery for an exhibition once these pieces, and similar pieces for Ailleas Designs, are available.
As with any art, we evolve as time passes. I look back on early designs and find that I have strayed from the original sculptural aspect of my work. This is something I wish to revisit, but with the added skills that come with six years of creating unique and bold designs.
Please do visit the website, sign up for the newsletter, and subscribe to this blog. You won't miss a moment of what is happening with this brand of beautiful bronze and copper jewellery. As an added bonus, I will be making a bespoke piece of jewellery for a subscriber chosen at random when the number of newsletter subscribers reaches 150. So, subscribe to not only be kept abreast of what is happening, but to have a chance at owning a piece of jewellery made with your choices of metal and stone and your input on the final design. Now that is an awesome prize!
It has been a very long time since my last post here. It has been a very hectic six months and I have been spending far too much time on Ailleas Designs. Poor Selkie's Haunt had become the red-haired stepchild. But, no more. It is time for The Selkie's Haunt to receive the same amount of attention and so it shall.
'Wisp of Smoke' - A bronze necklace featuring a
phantom quartz focal and AA-graded smoky quartz
and garnet, along with crystal quartz.
I have recently started using some wonderfully unusual stones for focals in necklaces. I found a source in the States - a woman who prepares the stones and is able to drill them for me. So far, I've had some lovely stones of phantom quartz, super seven stone, charoite and moss agate, amongst others. I'm really thrilled with these stones and they inspire me to create beautiful pieces. In addition, I've recently started buying some stones from a gem merchant in Jaipur, India. So now some of my designs are including A-AA graded stones. These are usually just small stones that I use for accents, but they give the pieces lots of sparkle.
In addition to new stones and new designs, I've added two new stockists. Lael Crafts Gallery is about 40 miles away on the road to Ullapool and the Aultbea Hotel has very kindly given me two shelves of the display cabinet next to their checkout area. Both places have sold pieces successfully and I look forward to a new year of more sales with both of them.
Today, I made some major changes to the website. If you wish to see these changes, please go there by clicking the link here. I will be making some more pieces in this next week to bring the numbers of available items up in order to provide more variety. Prices are extremely good for the quality of the materials used. (A recent blog I wrote for Ailleas Designs about pricing went down a treat and was reblogged by other artists. You can find it here.)
I am very proud of the business I have built with both my brands. While I have limited advertising funds just to Ailleas Designs, I am thinking about trying to get some exposure for The Selkie's Haunt as well. I do love the designs and the stones and the fun I have working with unlimited amounts of metal since there is no hallmarking law for the use of copper or bronze. And my designs are going to become more sculptural, more fine art inspired, as time goes on.
Please check out the site and the lovely pieces currently available. And know that more will be added shortly.
(I should also add that I am limiting my events in the first part of the year. My husband was diagnosed with coronary blockage and bowel cancer in early October, so things have been a bit tense and my business, to say the least, has had to take a back seat to getting him well. Surgery was in November and he starts chemo next week. Any and all supportive thoughts, prayers or vibes are most welcome.)
I have been a very poor blogger. I can't believe it has been as long as it has been since my last post. Of course, if you are a friend or acquaintance, you know that in November my husband and I were hit doubly when my mother and his father died within four days of each other. From mid-November, it was all systems go as we traveled to the States for two weeks for my mother's memorial service and in order to take care of her final business. We returned and immediately drove from Edinburgh Airport, where our car was parked, down to Sussex for my father-in-law's funeral. So, whilst my blogging absence is excusable, it is something that must be remedied.
In addition to going through all the family stuff. I have been very
busy with my sterling and gemstone work and this page has been the main victim of my 'busy-ness' in other areas. But I am going to attempt to resolve that by making myself a schedule that will
include the very important part of my business that is blogging!
If you have checked out the offerings on
the Selkie’s Haunt website (www.selkieshaunt.com),
you will note that I am continuing to work with the beautiful lampwork glass
beads of Anita Lawrence. I love Anita’s work – the abstract use of colour to
create amazing depth and intensity of colour and design. I have two large
rectangular beads of Anita’s to work with and hope to be working with those
very soon.I also have some wonderful
new focal beads of natural stone, so those will soon be gracing the pages of
the website.Look for new pieces that
showcase ocean jasper and African green opal, amongst others.
I intend to work more with copper sheet in
the months to come in order to create more geometrical and dimensional
jewellery. Working with copper and bronze is very rewarding and whilst the
stones aren’t as sparkling and enchanting as the AAA-grade stones of the
Ailleas Designs by Martha Mawson, I get great enjoyment from the work. I can do
more with the metal because I am not constrained by weight limits regarding
hallmarks.
I also intend to create some beautiful bracelets
in the weeks to come. At this point, there are no bracelets available on the
website. I simply haven’t had time up to this point, but my scaling back on
markets means I have more time to create. I couldn’t be more thrilled than I am
with the proposition of spending more time in my studio creating beautiful
jewellery.
I am going to close this blog by
highlighting one of my favourite new pieces. This necklace with matching
earrings is called ‘Purple Rain.’ The focal bead is a stunning rainbow fluorite
with its shades of purple and green. The necklace is made up of A-grade
amethyst cubes, deep purple amethyst rounds and beautiful green fancy jasper.
The earrings are comprised these same stones. Be sure to see the listing on the
website for full details and price.
As always, I thank you for your interest in
The Selkie’s Haunt and hope you will find a piece of jewellery there that
speaks to your heart.
Several months ago, I purchased a lovely lampwork bead from a very talented glass artist who happens to have a website that is hosted by the same company that hosts my website. I immediately fell in love with her focal beads and when I received the bead, I was not in the least disappointed. Like most items of jewellery, the bead was even more beautiful 'in person.' The necklace that resulted from the partnership of Anita Lawrence's lampwork bead and my stones and wood is, if I say so myself, quite beautiful. I call it 'Blue Jean Baby.' The colours of the lampwork bead lead me to choose nangka wood and lapis lazuli for the necklace.
'Blue Jean Baby'
Soon thereafter, I found myself looking at Anita's offerings again. I purchased a second lampwork and then another. After creating two more beautiful necklaces, I made the decision to purchase three more so that I could offer a lampwork collection of six necklaces. Each necklace will have complementary earrings to make a coordinated set. I am so pleased with what has resulted and photographs will be taken very soon.
The lampwork beads, all abstract and full of colours and textures, are created with great care and talent by Anita. Her website, Birtle Bead Studio, displays her lampwork beads and her own lampwork jewellery. I highly recommend you see her work and read about her beautiful lampwork creations. I am so glad I found Anita and I hope to have a long and successful partnership with her.
With many events taking place throughout October, November and December, I have been busy creating more pieces for both The Selkie's Haunt and for Ailleas Designs. I have added new stones to both collections. One of the lampwork necklaces features beautiful, tiny genuine turquoise faceted rondelles. Because of the size of the rondelles, the stones have been stabilised for strength (turquoise is a very soft stone), but it is genuine gemstone quality turquoise and you can see that in the vibrant colour. Another new necklace for The Selkie's Haunt features a stunning African green opal. I am excited about all the new pieces and promise they will soon be posted on the websites so you can see them.
In the meantime, please visit the websites to see what is currently on offer. Christmas is not that far away and it is time to start thinking about what the special ladies on your Christmas wish would love to find under the tree or in their stocking.
One part of the business of creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces of jewellery is the process of choosing the stones to be used in the designs. The first part of this process, for me, is finding the right supplier. I research all my suppliers, making sure they have excellent reputations for honesty and integrity. There are a lot of fake stones out there and I don't ever want to be required to question the authenticity of any of my designs. The stones have to be right and true. Once I have chosen the supply partners with whom I want to work, the next stage is to find the right stones.
When choosing stones, I like to find pieces that are unusual and unique. To a certain extent, you can say all natural stones are unique - no two are ever the same. That is the joy of working with the products of Mother Nature rather than the products of laboratories or factories. But I like to find focal stones that have that 'wow' factor. When I see a stone, I know immediately whether or not I want to use it. There is no hemming or hawing. And sometimes I find a stone when I don't have the funds with which to purchase it. Fortunately, the suppliers I use will allow me to reserve stones so that I can purchase them within a specified time. What do I look for, specifically, when I am shopping for focal stones or even for the smaller stones that act as complementary parts of a design or used for earrings on their own?
Firstly, I look for the right size. If I am looking for a focal stone, I try to find stones that are about 2 inches or more in length. A focal must make a statement and it can't do that if it is too small to be seen or gets lost in the design. Secondly, I look for colour and pattern. Do I have stones in my inventory that will work well with the stone? Does the stone lend itself to working well with copper or bronze? Does my mind immediately start designing around the stone? If the answer is yes to these questions, then I know I simply must have the stone. It is already part of my collection before I've even purchased it.
Boulder Opal
I like to buy stones that are less known or less available. The brecciated red jasper in the 'Flame and Ash' design is a good example. Brecciated jasper is becoming more and more difficult to find. The colours in this particular piece were amazing. I knew the moment I saw the stone that I had to have it for my collection. The bonus is that it is even more beautiful in 'person.' I have recently added a boulder opal to the collection to be used in The Selkie's Haunt jewellery. Usually reserved for use in the sterling silver designs of Ailleas Designs, the boulder opal is expensive and completely unique. But the colours of this particular opal seem perfect for use with bronze or copper. I hope to start working on a piece incorporating this beautiful opal very soon. It's not time, yet, though. I will sense when it it time to sit down and work with this incredible piece of Mother Nature's artwork. As you can see, it is a stone that easily captivated my imagination. I think it was a case, this time, of the stone romancing me.
I have been working hard on new
pieces for the collections and, if you have visited the site lately, you will
see all the new earring and necklaces that have been created. I am working on bracelets
right now and having a wonderful time. I
have three each for bronze and copper - I would like to have at least six for
each category. Hopefully, they will make an appearance on the website in the
near future. I am also beginning work on brooches. These will be in a variety
of designs and uses - from substantial pieces for wearing with your coat and
scarf to stick pins that will, hopefully, have a bit of the playful about them.
I am always so inspired by the
beautiful stones with which I work. As I have with Ailleas Designs, I have
decided to concentrate on building a working relationship with just one company
for the supply of my stones. I am very happy with my supply partner and also
with the woman in the States from whom I buy an occasional specimen piece of
stone to include in the designs. (I bought the rainbow fluorite focal and
pietersite from her.) I think it is very important to know and trust your
suppliers, and I have utmost trust in and respect for my supplier. I am looking
forwards to a long and hopefully lucrative future with her.
I've included a photo of one of my
favourite pairs of earrings. These are relatively new. I love them. I had no
idea what I was going to end up with, but I think I have managed to get a sort
of cascading, organic feel from these. These earrings are copper made with pure
copper wire in both heavy and light
gauges and also with beautiful B-grade
tourmaline. Tourmaline is an amazing stone when in the lower grades. You don't
get the sparkle and transparency, but you get a myriad colours and inclusions
in the stones. To look into my container of the tourmaline used here, it is
like looking into a rock pool at low tide - the colours and markings are so
earthy and real.
I am awaiting delivery now of two
more focal stones. One is banded black agate - a truly beautiful stone - and
the other is brecciated jasper, which is becoming more and more rare. I can't
wait to get my hands on them and see what happens. The process is nearly as
much fun as the outcome.
So, until I write again, thank
you for your support and interest in The Selkie's Haunt.
