The macro lens has not been found, which is why some of these images are … less than stellar. I couldn’t wait any longer to get them up! Right now they are only posted on my Etsy shop (where you can currently use the coupon code “20AUGUST” for 20% off your order!)

These are a few pieces of my new Signal collection:

I have more of these coming!

Things have been a whirlwind lately, what with our home going under contract, arranging movers, locking down interest rates, last minute travel to Denver for house shopping, etc etc ETC!! Things are *ca-ray-zee*!!

One thing is sure — My shop will be closed about 3 weeks, from Friday, June 17 to Monday, July 11th (this may change depending on how many boxes get unpacked once we arrive!)

All that in mind, I think now is a great time to have a jewelry sale! All finished jewelry 20% off, from now until I close Friday 6/17:

http://www.rainestudios.net

Recently I received an email from a friend and customer pointing out that what looks like my Shenandoah earrings have been published in the latest Step By Step Wire magazine. The earrings project in the magazine is called “Lace Skirts” by Lauren Anderson, who goes by The Chainmaille Lady on artfire and Etsy.

pg 23 in Step by Step Wire magazine

raine studios’ Shenandoah Earrings

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I taught a class for this pendant this past weekend, as my final class in VA! The ladies were all so sweet and fantastic, joking that they would miss me so much they’d have to road trip out to wherever we land in the Denver area so they could keep taking my classes! It was a great class, but very bittersweet. I’m going to miss teaching at Star’s Beads!

This can be worn on a chain as a pendant, or you can make two, attach earwires, and wear them as earrings! I also have a matching bracelet that I also sell a kit for. I’m hoping to post a bracelet tutorial as well, but it will probably not be for a while. One can use this tutorial and easily adapt it for the bracelet if wished.

If anything is unclear or needs more direction, please let me know so I can improve the tutorial! If you make something, I’d love to hear your feedback and pictures!
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Amy: Here, look at these photos. One of these 6 photos have got to go.

James: The first one.

Amy: The first one? NO. No. The first one is NOT going. Look, there’s no other photos like that one. It’s got to stay. Look at these last 3, one of these three have got to go.

James: Then why didn’t you say one of those three had to go, instead of one of all six had to go?

Amy: Because I thought you would have enough SENSE to see that it would HAVE to be one of the last three!

James: …

Amy: …

James: The middle one.

Amy: Yeah. The middle one.

fini.

And here, I show you, the photo that got axed. Bid it adieu. It shall live here, but not with it’s sisters on Etsy or my website.

Farewell, sweet photo.

As you may or may not know, James and I will be moving our family to Denver, CO this summer. (ahem. I haven’t been that prolific on this here blog, of late, so if you didn’t know, uhh…. now you know! We’re plannin’ a move, and are very excited about it!)

Which means this will be my last term teaching at Stars Beads in the Washington DC metro area! (Northern VA to be exact.)

I decided to make my very last class at Stars, a project that is very near to my heart, and also one of my best selling kits – the Shenandoah pendant. In every one of my classes, there is always someone that spots this piece and asks when it will be taught in a class. For some reason, I’ve always held back on making a class for it, but if you are one of these folks who have begged me for it — now’s your chance! I decided I might as well go out with a bang for my very last class at Stars — my “going away” class, if you will, we will be making the Shenandoah Pendant.

I’ve also added another new class – full persian. This one will be lots of fun, I just love this weave, it’s so slinky and SEXY!

I’m also doing some old favorites — Celtic Visions bracelet, and the Celtic Visions Star Pendant, and Byzantine Love Knot bracelet.

With the price of sterling silver reaching for the sky, I will be bringing project kits in sterling, copper, and jewelry brass to all my classes so that you can pick whatever metal you like, and even mix them up.

Hope to see you there!!

Saturday, January 22, 10-2pm Byzantine Love Knots Bracelet class Stars Beads Vienna, VA	Saturday, January 29, 10-2pm Celtic Visions Bracelet class Stars Beads Vienna, VA	Saturday, February 12, 10-2pm Full Persian Bracelet class Stars Beads Vienna, VA
Sunday, February 13, 12-4pm Celtic Visions Star Pendant class Stars Beads Vienna, VA	Last Going Away Class! Sunday, April 3, 12-4pm Shenandoah Pendant class Stars Beads Vienna, VA

November kicks off a first for one of the Etsy teams I’m a part of — CREST (Capital Region Etsy Street Team!) a blog CARNIVAL!

This first month’s topic is: “How did you get started in your craft?”

I had started with simple stringing — beads on beading wire, remaking projects from a book.

It was when I took a class at a local bead store, Stars Beads. It was a simple wire wrapping class, which was a fantastic way to learn the basics of wire wrapping, loops, wrapped loops, clasps, pins — you name it! It was a fantastic start, and like a race horse champing at the bit, I wanted more.
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I love making chainmaille jewelry, and I love teaching it as well. Full caveat, I sell my own jump rings and kits, so I offer this free chainmaille tutorial to be able to point my customers and students to use as a reference. More tutorials will be forthcoming as my time allows.
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Yesterday, someone purchased this lovely copper byzantine romanov bracelet from my Etsy shop. It was one of my (rare) one of a kind pieces, and also was one of the first chainmaille pieces I made. I must say, I’m quite attached to it and a tear almost came to my eye when I sent it off into the postal system! An entirely different feeling from seeing it languish at craft shows wondering, “Why doesn’t anyone else love it as I do?” — see, I’m fickle and just can’t be pleased, Regardless, I’m sure it will be cherished by it’s lucky new owner!

This is the bracelet – I named it Autumn Splendor. It really is “micro” chainmaille, as the rings used are quite tiny – 20 gauge wire, wrapped around a 2.75mm mandrel, and then precision cut with my saw. The entire piece is really sweet and dainty, especially with the little swarovski crystals I used to compliment the copper colors.
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Since the last 3 posts is probably the MOST I’ve written in my blog for the last YEAR combined, I think I should probably keep up the momentum, don’t you?

Least you think the only thing I’ve been worrying about is copyright issues, I have a craft show in ONE WEEK! And 2 more coming after that, though not all at once, thank goodness.

And.. ahem.. I haven’t really been worrying about it ENOUGH!

EEP!
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