Some friends of mine are currently climbing Kilimanjaro, so I thought why not find out what jewelry (yes I am obsessed) gets created in that part of our big bright beautiful world.

Apparently color plays in a lot (borrowed from  here:  http://interesting-africa-facts.com/African-Jewelry/Maasai-Bead-Jewelry.shtml ).

• Red - stands for bravery, unity, and blood. Red is the color of cows blood. Often a cow is slaughtered when the Maasai meet and therefore unity is associated with red.
• White - represents peace, purity, and health. The association with health comes from white cows milk which the tribe drinks to stay healthy.
• Blue - represents energy and the sky. Rain falls from the blue sky which provides water for the cattle.
• Orange - Symbolizes hospitality. The association with cattle is that visitors are served cows milk from orange gourds.
• Yellow - like orange yellow also symbolizes hospitality. The animal skins on visitors beds are yellow.
• Green - symbolizes health and land. Cattle graze on the green grass of the land.
• Black - represents the people and the struggles they must endure

And this artist has a very modern take on the traditional designs:  http://influxjewellery.com/matthieu-cheminee/

Im coveting this book, and placing a request for my local library to order it :  Jewelry Techniques of West Africa,  by Matthieu Cheminée

One of our favourite stones - Tanzanite comes from the region.    

Etsy has a fantastic range of Kilimanjaro inspired jewelry too

Now I'm sitting here getting bitten by the travel bug!

Kwaheri & Nakupenda  (Goodbye, and Love!)

Dawnings

March 2nd 2015

What a few weeks!  Did you miss me?    Had to get the computer rebuilt and so I missed our chat.    I have now made arrangements so I won't leave you lonely again!

This weeks coffee assisted wandering across the inter webs included too many funny pet videos (don't judge me)  and a rehash of the melted silver in pine needles technique (my first few tries are ....not great) and research for a few custom orders.  When I started this adventure in jewelry I didn't even think about custom orders  but they come in and I am thrilled.    With Mothers Day approaching I have orders coming in and its so much fun figuring out how to put things together.    This afternoon I will be making up two more necklaces and two pairs of earrings to join the pretty pile of chiffon bags by my front door waiting on pickup and mailing!

I won't be making these however: http://youtu.be/e4A720TeqWc  Nope!  The top ten most expensive pieces of jewelry in the world are a little teeny tiny bit out of my range.    

I also wanted to fix up a ring that lost a stone...so practicing my setting techniques. This blog is good for that:

http://www.jewelrymakingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2012/07/25/intro-to-stone-setting-essential-tools-for-setting-stones-in-bezels-and-other-settings.aspx

And lastly I wanted to share my treasure hunt updates.  I was perusing FreeCycle and decided to post an ad asking for broken and unwanted treasures - and in return I would donate to the food bank.  And it worked!!   I have been the lucky recipient of quite a few bags of treasure and the Food Bank is getting its donations regularly.      Plus these kind folks get to declutter, and avoid landfill!  Win!!

I thought that was pretty sharp of me,   patting myself on the back and avidly waiting for yard sale season to start!   Do you have any ideas how I can source supplies?

Hope your March is off to a good start....I will be choosing a local charity to donate a Dawnings creation to for our March good will gesture.    Ideas?

Chat soon!
Dawnings

p.s.  Here are some of this weeks creations - available on Facebook or Etsy.

Sunday Feb 7 2015


What did we see on this mornings coffee round up?   Glad you asked!

Well, did you see these glorious gems and beads at the Tuscon show?   I am in awe of the (what seems to be miles of..) beads and sparkly things.  Check them out here:  http://www.tgms.org/show-2015/  I follow these guys on Facebook and am wondering how I get there next year!

And look at what this artist does with old tires!      http://yonghoji.com/db/?ckattempt=1

Toby Malms mother and child sculpture...me want!  His stuff is simple and elegant and eloquent  http://www.jernmalm.com


Do you like the delicacy of silver filigree?  

See how its done here:  http://youtu.be/pLShQYztBHI

Not sure I will ever try it but it really is beautiful!

Our new postings are up on Facebook - we had fun with bangles this week.  Let us know what you like?

Bangles, Bangles, Bangles! 

Remember the leather we recovered from the
furniture store....isnt it beautiful!

Here is what we made with it this week

Looking forward to chatting with you!


Dawnings

Sunday January 18 2015

Our coffee ramblings this weekend, well let me see.

I was at my work table yesterday talking through designs with a close friend and another lovely friend dropped by.

It hit me then how lucky I am.    

When I started Dawnings a few months ago I thought it was just me,  muddling through things, discovering what it takes to run a business.  But a talented graphics/human factors person guided me through branding, design and logos,  and all around me friends and family watched and searched for things I can use in my creations,  offering advice as I went. My talented sister talked me through some design and creation challenges and we have some lovely conversations re things we can make.      Yesterday my friend who does staging came by and guided my table displays for my upcoming craft fair, and home show.  She even volunteered to come for the day at the next craft market for moral support!   And then (told you I was lucky) another friend who runs her own business gave me advice on accounting etc.   My new friends on Linkedin advised on my blog giving me handy tips, and discussing such topics as pricing and challenges in our hand made world.  Then to top it off husband made me displays which look exactly like I wanted out of used floorboards!

So,  at the end of the day as I looked at my new table display and started inventory of what needed doing next I really felt blessed.       I am really enjoying this journey Dawnings is on, and am glad you are here with me!

To cap it off this quote passed by on Twitter as I was updating this morning;

Among Life's precious jewels, Genuine and rare, The one that we call friendship Has worth beyond compare. ~ Author Unknown

Feeling blessed?  Share with me in the comments below!
Ciao
Dawnings


https://www.etsy.com/se-en/shop/DawningsCustomDesign

Wednesday Jan 14th 2015

Good Morning, and what a frosty morning it is!   What was I thinking when I chose Canada as my new home I wonder, when the Bahamas or Turks & Caicos could have been my destination - sun, sand, sun, did I mention sun?

Whats it like where you are?   Hope you are warm and toasty.

Here is a sampling of our recent items, we are ramping up now for a home show (never thought I would do one of those but here goes!  Friendly faces and a glass of wine will make that adventure easy! I will post some pics!)   And we finalize a date this weekend for a craft show we are doing just in time for Valentines!

So, stay tuned Dawnings friends,  lots of lovely sparklies being created as I make sure I have enough things to fill up a table!

  Chat soon!
D

Sunday Coffee Roundup Jan 11 2015

This morning I had some lovely conversations with creators and artists on Twitter. This kind of surprised me because sometimes Twitter feels like I'm in a room of people all talking at once, so its nice to make a personal connection!

I didn't find much on my treasure hunts this week,   sometimes I luck out, sometimes I don't.     I usually have a few items in a box that I can use so I am not stuck!

We are bit random this morning, listening to Amos Lee and mellowing out.  

Where do I find my materials?  I get asked this all the time.

I try very very hard not to use new items, except for pierced earring wires and threads.

I am a constant presence at charity stores, vintage flea markets, yard sales, freecycle and kijiji.  I join every Facebook group I can find in order to trade, and discover items.    Friends and family are always dropping off little bits and pieces.      I pick up belts, keychains, necklaces, chains, bracelets, loose beads, findings and connectors everywhere I go.  

As you can imagine,  it takes a lot of time to dig through all that and find the right bead, finding, chain, stone and then clean it, polish it, take out chips, or dents.   Fix chains and findings,  partner things and take them apart when they don't...click.   The best part is when I can create my own with pieces and solder, wire or link them somehow.

My favourites since I started are the found leather pieces from a furniture store that I still have so much exploring to do on,    the copper heat sinks (I love the colour!) and the spoons.       Who knows what will show up next!

When a piece does 'click' Im always so pleased,  the goal is to reuse things that would be thrown away, discarded or otherwise ignored.    Anything to avoid the landfill.

You may also have noticed we don't package in boxes, or on earring cards etc.  Thats on purpose as I'm trying not to add to the garbage!  I also hunt for reusable boxes and we use chiffon reusable bags so we keep the whole 'green' thing in mind.
Other coffee morning randomness:

I also discovered some awesome how to's on YouTube;

Molten silver with pine needles....interested?  I was, whoever thought of this was a genius!  The results are beautiful.   http://youtu.be/e0FxQpBb_n0

Love the celtic?    This awesomely simple tutorial by Jocelyn D shows a gorgeous celtic wire bangle being created.   http://youtu.be/RoEelDwyXO0

And this one by CSL designs is so elegant!  http://youtu.be/zH8P0IyEmNY

Go on - give one a try!  You know you want to!


Where do YOU get inspiration?  Where do YOU find materials?

Hope you have a great week!  I posted a few new things - you can find them on Etsy.  Hope to connect with you soon!
Dawnings

Guest Artist:  CADIA

Hello Everyone,

This guest artist has some of the most beautiful creations I have seen, I am coveting SO many of these pieces!

Artist:  Cadia

Website: www.oficinadiecipercento.com

Facebook Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/OficinaDieciPerCento?ref=hl

Biography: Born in Benevento, but Florentine by adoption.  Cadia's obsession for the goldsmith's art has led her, since adolescence, to follow an educational path to become a goldsmith jeweller.

Cadia started her training in Florence, around the age of sixteen, with a course of wax sculpture then she continued with a two-years jewelry course at the Goldsmith centre "Il Tari" in Marcianise (Province of Caserta).  Afterwards she continued in  in Naples, with a Diploma in Applied Arts (Metals branch), then in Vicenza with the qualification of Goldsmith operator and finally in Florence for a Master's degree in Culture and Style of Fashion and a specialisation course in ancient Florentine goldsmith's techniques. 

Nadia has for six years been assistant of two goldsmiths in a Professional institute (Metals branch), dealing with everything concerning the jewelry environment: projects (freehand drawing with pencils and watercolours or with design softwares as Rhinoceros), and objects production (both unique pieces that serial ones).

She participates in several competitions both national and international, in trade shows abroad, and she's presently working on her new Gothic-inspired collections.

 Moon Bubbles rings: 

Bronze ring, galvanic rhodium plating and liver of sulfur oxidised crust.

Nabucco collar:

Bronze collar with bath in 18K rose gold, Honey colour crystal multifaceted Cabochon-cut, treated leather string.

Nabucco ring:Bronze ring with bath in 18K green gold (Etruscan gold), Citrine quartz multifaceted Cabochon-cut.

Semi earring: silver sterling earrings with synthetic gold leaf.

I think you will agree Cadia has a beautiful eye for these things!  Check out her site!

Chat soon!

Dawn

ps Oh, and our weekly postings go up tomorrow - stay tuned!

Jan 4, Sunday

We posted our new items this morning to the sounds of Abba (don't judge, you probably know all the words too!) and we are now going out to play in the snow!

Check them out... https://www.etsy.com/se-en/shop/DawningsCustomDesign


And after that - back to the task at hand!    

Work in progress, stay tuned! 

What are YOU up to today?

Distracted Much?

Today, today I was going to make rings. All day.  Yep, rings. Rings for your fingers, rings for your toes.   My new ring mandrel arrived this week and I thought whohoo!  I had been waiting on that for a while, and now I can get going.....and yes I did.

I made ..... earrings, three necklaces, and seven silver bookmarks from old spoons.   Hmm.  Did you see a single ring in that list?   No me neither.

Ah well,  I suppose we wait till the muse strikes us.     And on the plus side I practiced with the silver spoons, something I have been wanting to do for a while.     I picked up a dozen pretty souvenier spoons at the charity store to practice on before I use the really beautiful antique sterling spoons I have sitting just waiting to be upcycled!

So, tomorrows posting will have all this and the other items we made all this week.   I am bound to slow down a little once I'm back at work next week but its been a great two weeks just making' and mending' and fixing'.

Chat tomorrow,  posting day!

In other Dawnings news we applied to three craft fair this week - wish us luck in getting chosen!

Chat soon!
Dawn