hazel's 7th birthday party!

i don't know why, but for some reason this birthday, seven, really hit me.  she seems as though she's officially made the transition now from little girl to just girl.  i means, i know she's still little, but she is so grown up now.  it is very difficult to explain.

 she helped me make the cake (wearing the fabulous new apron that emily's sister made her)

 it was a beach cake since we had a "beach" party at the river.

 some friends arrived with a little more style than others...

 hazel and annabel

 the favorite activity by far was "fishing".

 seven.

 (the camera lens was stuck for the cake-cutting.)

 but i wanted to show you what we used for a server...

and oh, how we love patty!

happy seventh year to my amazing hazelnut.

new pieces and telluride

 finally, some new pieces.  it has been a very busy summer so far, and i feel i have very little to show for it.  here are a few pieces though.

 love this new bloom where you are planted necklace,  with a beautiful feathery prehnite...

 and a tiny aquamarine bloom, riveted in place.

 this little chrysoprase balance ring

 such a creamy and dreamy stone

 the love ring, with a beautiful high domed amethyst

i gave this one a shine because it just seemed like it needed one.

 this is the remember to dream ring,

with a beautiful high dome apple green prehnite

 this one also has a shine.

 and a new resolve ring,

with an amazing labradorite

 and a delicious wide hammered band

 and lastly, a new your authentic self ring,

with the most beautiful rose cut, high domed rainbow moonstone

 and a nice wide band as well

and i had my first telluride farmer's market yesterday!

i hope that you are all doing well!

bees knees, riverfest, salt lake city, and CSA

yesterday, glenn and i played on the side stage at the dolores riverfest!

bees knees!

 it was the biggest crowd we've ever played for, by far, very nerve-wracking, but so much fun.

 riverfest is a blast!

and last week i went to salt lake city to visit emily and to go see blind pilot/ the head and the heart/ and the shins.

 the show was amazing.

 you can read all about it here if you'd like. 

and the girls had such a great time with emily's kids, sammy and sadie and ella.  thank you, emily, for everything!

and, i just want to share with you that we had our first CSA delivery yesterday.  in exchange for some wedding rings and wedding jewelry for a local farmer, we are getting a full-season CSA share, including eggs and homemade granola.  so wonderful!  thanks so much, michelle!

golden sparrow design!

i am very excited to announce the opening of my new etsy shop, golden sparrow design!  i all of a sudden began getting lots of requests for custom gold wedding rings, various widths, thicknesses, types of gold, etc. and i realized that gold rings were taking over my silver sparrow designs etsy shop.  that is not my intention for that shop; that shop is for my creative silver jewelry.  so, we now have golden sparrow designs.  i am very excited about it!

when i first started making silver "custom rustic wedding bands" people started asking me if i could recreate the same rustic, hammered look in white gold. i always told them no because i was afraid of "the other white metal".  however, after enough requests, i finally decided to give it a try. 

with a very trial and error process, i painstakingly learned the art of working with gold as opposed to silver. it is a very different experience. i did a lot of research and asked for a lot of help. eventually i started to get the hang of it and i now feel like i have mastered the skill. i never thought it would happen, but i now love working with gold as much as i love working with silver!   so, this new shop seemed like the obvious next step for me.  i hope that you will direct people there if they are getting married and looking for a ring.  some of my bands will remain in the silver sparrow shop for a while, but eventually they will all move over there.  i love the idea that i am making a piece of jewelry that symbolizes a couple's love for one another, and is a potential heirloom to be passed down for generations to come.  i am thrilled about my new shop.  please wish me the best of luck in my new endeavor!


(this also kind of explains my last post, with the gazillion explanations about gold...  that is linked in every listing in my new shop.)


p.s. both shops are having sales right now to celebrate!