Snowflakes - Uniquely Beautiful

Here we are in our studio, in Portland, Maine, in the middle of an old-fashioned Nor'Easter snow storm. Looking out the window, I'm watching snowflakes flying everywhere.  I can't even imagine how many snowflakes there might be right outside my window, let alone all over the state of Maine and beyond, today. Afterall, Maine is known as a Winter Wonderland Winter Photo Gallery.  I guess it's no wonder images of snowflakes are swirling in my head.

 

You've probably heard it said, "No Two Snowflakes Are Alike."  This is hard to imagine when you consider how many snowflakes have fallen over time, in so many places.  Some of us like to imagine how this could be.  Others of us want "just the facts, Ma'am."   So consider that David Phillips, the senior climatologist with Environment Canada, has estimated that the number of snowflakes that have fallen on Earth over the course of time is 10 followed by 34 zeros!!!  How can this be, we might wonder?  If you are one who must have the facts, you'll enjoy National Geographics' report, No Two Snowflakes the Same.

As I watch the snowflakes fly around, somehow I am content with the thought Mother Nature seems to always find a way to make everything in nature uniquely beautiful, especially snowflakes.

 

Now you, or someone you care about, can have your own uniquely beautiful, sterling silver snowflake to wear close to your heart, forever.

 

Sterling Silver, Stones and Rings, Oh My!

The Christmas Season always brings a frenzy of shopping and gift-giving.  Most of us are caught up in the here and now of finding just the perfect gifts for the special people in our lives.  Stonewood Jewelry (www.stonewoodjewelry.com) has just what you are looking for.

At the Stonewood Jewelry studio, the elves have been making sure Stonewood Jewelry has the one-of-a-kind, handcrafted jewelry you are looking for.  Garlands of sterling silver wire flow about the studio waiting to become unique, beautiful silver jewelry: silver earrings, silver necklaces, silver chains, silver bracelets, silver rings. And when the glistening sterling wire is wrapped around the natural stones, seashells, Maine sea glass, wood and semi-precious gems beautifully crafted by Mother Nature, it becomes the most beautiful collections.  Collections of natural stone jewelry--natural stone necklaces, natural stone rings; Maine sea glass jewelry--sea glass necklaces, sea glass pendants, sea glass bracelets, sea glass rings; wooden jewelry--wood necklaces, wood bracelets; semi-precious gem jewelry--necklaces, rings and brooches shining in every color imaginable. Alongside the bright silver wire garlands, are strands of beautiful shades of copper, bronze and brass wire twisted into garlands of mixed metals casting a glow, as they wait to become their own collections of dazzling and unique necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings.  Our studio is wrapped up in the beauty of nature.

Give the beauty of nature to someone you love.  Thank you for your patronage throughout 2012. 

Philadelphia & Grand Lake Stream

The Philadelphia Gift show certainly lived up to its reputation as the largest Eastern regional wholesale gift show!  Hundreds of vendors and thousands of retail buyers filled three enormous halls in the Oaks, PA Expo and Convention Center.  Our booth location in the Handcrafted aisle allowed us to connect with those buyers specifically looking for products made in the USA.  The new sterling silver earring, necklace and ring designs we introduced at the show, were in demand with retailers, as were our new mixed metals and stainless steel earrings and rings. Watch our online store for more new Stonewood Jewelry designs.  We are adding to our line all the time!

We'd like to extend a hearty welcome to all the retailers who have joined our expanding community of Stonewood Jewelry retail customers.  www.philadelphiagiftshow.com

From Philly, we headed to Grand Lake Stream, Maine for the 18th Annual Grand Lake Stream Folk Art Festival. This was our first year as an Exhibitor at this event.  Grand Lake Stream is four hours northeast of Portland. The area is well known among fishing enthusiasts, who frequent the many fishing resorts in the area. There are several beautiful lakes, with shores dotted with camps and cottages enjoyed by Mainers and summer visitors from many other states.

The Grand Lake Stream Folk Art Festival draws large crowds of people who come year-after-year to see and buy the handmade fine crafts of about 60 Exhibitors.  We met so many wonderful people and made many new friends.  What a successful show on all fronts. People couldn't get enough of our new mixed metal cuff bracelets and rings, and our sterling silver and one-of-a-kind necklaces were  show favorites.  We are really looking forward to next year's Festival!
 www.grandlakestreamfolkartfestival.com

Traveling to Philadelphia

Today we took off for the wilds of Phoenixville PA!  It turns out that this little burg, 28 miles outside of Philadelphia, is the location of the Philadelphia Convention Center.  And that's where this year's Philadelphia Gift Show is being held.  It took us 9.5 hours to drive here, with an hour for a couple of pitstops, and another hour sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic in Connecticut and again in New Jersey.  For all those people who thought they could leave work today at 2:00 PM to get a head start going to the Jersey shore for the weekend, about a gazillion other people had the same idea!  We've got to look into some different routes for us to get home on Wednesday.  All suggestions are welcome.  If we use your route suggestion, AND it's better than the route we took to get here, the winner will receive a coupon for a free pair of earrings, your choice.  Go to the Store to see our latest creations.

Set up is scheduled for Saturday, with the show running from Sunday through Wednesday.  The show is the largest regional wholesale show, so wish us luck.

Natural Obsidion Collection

We just finished two great summer shows:  The Bethel Art Fair, in Bethel, Maine, and the Norway Arts Festival, in Norway, Maine.  During the Norway Arts Festival, we met Ed Lyons, of Oxford, Maine.  Ed is a Veteran of the Korean War.  He served our Country, proudly, and we'd like to sincerely thank him for his Service.

Ed shared many interesting stories with us about special trips he has taken with his son. One trip was in search of petroglyphs (rock drawings) by the ancient COSO people who lived in the Mojave Desert of California, in the southwestern U.S. The COSO are an indigenous people of the Americas.   This region experienced volcanic eruptions during its geologic past, leaving behind vast flows of sharp, black volcanic glass known as Obsidion. The COSO people and later Native Americans used this Obsidion to make arrowheads and cutting tools.  Ed brought back a collection of beautiful pieces of natural black Obsidion as a memento of this special trip.  At the end of his story, Ed handed us several exquisite specimens of Obsidion from his collection.  He said, "I know you will make beautiful jewelry with this amazing glass formed by nature, so long ago".  Thank you, Ed!  We are honored you have entrusted us with this very special collection of Nature's artistry.  Watch for news of our future Obsidion Collection! 

Later this week we are off to the Philadelphia Gift Show, one of the largest regional wholesale gift shows on the East Coast.  We will be there from July 22-25. Stop by Booth 1823 and say hello!
Go to: http://www.philadelphiagiftshow.com/Content/16.htm

On July 28-29, we'll look for you at the Annual Grand Lake Stream Folk Art Festival, in Grand Lake Stream, Maine. Don't miss this fabulous show!! 
Go to:  http://grandlakestreamfolkartfestival.com/exhibitors.html