Janie Jackaroo

I've started the work.

I'm going home to my roots.

I'm studying my turquoise stones wondering how to use them.  I pulled out my leather and laid it in my lap.  I ran my hands across the grain.  I smelled it's sharp rugged smell.

It's going to take some time.  Some careful thought and meticulous craftsmanship.

I'm trying to tap into my Great-great-grandmother's moxie. Surely she passed some down the line?

I'm giving myself all Summer.

I sat at my bench and held my ball hammer in my palm.  I arranged my blades and mallets.

I thought about what I want this collection to mean to me.  What I want it to express.

I decided it was beauty in strength.

I want to honor my grandmother and other woman who settled the west.  I want to honor their strength and to see if I can emulate that strength in my own life.

I'm calling this jewelry collection Janie Jackaroo.

It will be ready to debut this Fall. Stay tuned.

most images from here.

gimme a scollar hollar

1. white chenielle scollar, 2. Aqua cordoroy scollar, 3. chocolate wool scollar, 4. Black chenielle scollar, 5. Printed Linen scollar, 6. Teal chenielle scollar, 7. black and white chenielle, 8. Moss chenielle scollar, 9. Chocolate and grey scollar

Okay girlies, and some husbands. (I learned this last weekend that some husbands read my blog.  It makes me oh so happy and a little embarrassed at the same time. I mean, I've talked about my boobs and everything.  Sheesh.)

Here is what I have to sale by way of scollars.  Some of my favorite pieces sold and I plan to remake them in all my spare time. But until then, there are some great pieces left to buy.  They vary in price depending on what I used. Some have vintage brooches and silk, others have cashmere. They start at $35 and go up.

If you want one, first off please know you are a fashion forward individual. Kudos for your good taste.  After you blow a few French air kisses to yourself, shoot me an email and let me know the piece you would like and I'll send you the price and reserve it for you if you decide to buy.

I'm seriously so excited about my scollars. They look so cute worn with a sweater or over a coat.  They are just chic. Plain and simple. And wouldn't you just agree?

Here's to fabulous Fall fashion! I can't get enough of it.

rouge scollar

I did some research. Really. I did! I've been known to crack a book  computer open every now and then and poke around a bit.  I wanted to know what neck fashion was like in 1868.

Yes, these are the kind of things a girl like me researches.  Inquiring minds...

Anywho, I didn't find out a whole lot.  Men were busy wearing ascots, women on the other hand, well, they didn't have any one fashion that was universal.  Some women wore these funny little lace pieces that I think are rather unoriginal and scratchy looking.

Long story short, I'm rewriting history. The new Secondsister accessory is the the "Little Women Scollar", and boy is it smart. (ha ha) It's half scarf, half collar. It's purpose is to dress up a plain sweater or coat and keep your neck warm at the same time.

I'm creating my scollars with the best of materials. Wool, silk, cashmere, chenille, all the good stuff. Some have vintage buttons and old rhinestone jewels, others are simple and tailored looking. 

I think they even out my Winter collection nicely. The "Heart of India" collection is still growing and I'm loving the direction it has taken me. 

More than anything, the Secondsister Winter collection is about beautiful embellishment, intricate details and vivid color working together to make statement piece accessories.  

The Winter collection will debut at Spark on the 10th and 11th of September.  On September 13th I will post photos of the remaining collection here on Suaviloquy so that readers will have a chance to buy before I post them to the shop later in the week.

If you are in the Salt Lake City area during September 10th-11th come to Spark!  There are only a few remaining tickets so don't procrastinate.

Cheerio dear friends! Here's hoping for delightful week, where the work load is light and the fashion is smashing.

(That was me trying to sound British in honor of the Little Women scollars.)

heart of india

It's August, you know. In case you weren't aware. Not that I think you wouldn't know the month. It's just that personally, I rarely know the date and on the occasions when I must write a check or sign a legal document, I am forced to embarrassingly look up and say to the person before me, "It's the third right?" Which really messes up the pulled-together, on-top-of-it persona that I'm going for.

So it's August, which for me means I have about a month to finish off my Winter jewelry collection, get it photographed and packaged.  I have a pretty good start.  I have a mini collection within the general collection called "Heart of India". Above is a sneak peak of some of the earrings from that collection.  It's all about bright color and gold tones.

I am expecting a shipment from Mood in New York to arrive any day and then I will go to work, snipping and sewing and gluing and such.  All this will take place, of course, after the babies are asleep into the wee hours of the morning.  I'll be like the elves from the Brother's Grimm fairytale of the shoemaker. Except I won't be naked. No, no. That could be catastrophic with all the needles and glue used in my studio.

Oh and there has been a wee bit of sketching going on over here as well. I might just have to make up my own desktop to share with you for this brand spankin' new month.

a little locket love

When I was a teenager, I wore a locket everyday. For a long time it was empty, with no photo inside. Eventually I got a boyfriend and I put his picture in it.

He cheated on me and made out with a eighth grader. It broke my heart and I removed his photo and cut it into tiny bits. We reconciled but not really. I mean, how do you really get over something like that when you are sixteen and naive to the cruelty of the world?  

Boys came and went but the locket stayed empty.

And then I met Sugar Daddy. Journey's end in lovers meeting. Bill Shakespeare said that. My husband's photo is still in it today.

I just wish I could find the damn thing.

1928

Bijoux d’Odalisque

earrings nation

baby jewlz

And yes, more polymer clay jewelry from yours truly.

Again, if you see jewelry posted here that you would like, please leave a comment with email or contact info and I will reserve it for you. The necklace above is $35.

we call it sea foam

Happy Fourth! I hope you are having a festive day with lots of sunshine and treats.


I have a couple little goodies to offer you on this fine holiday. The two hundred and thirty-fourth birthday of our Independence.


First and foremost,  I want to share with you a little recipe of an all-time favorite candy of mine. It's an old fashion candy, and I like to think an all-American candy but, alas, its origins are unknown. However, the city of Buffalo New York has taken claim to it.  But truth be told, the recipe has been made all over the globe and has various names.


It is known as Violet Crumble or Honeycomb in Australia, Cinder Toffee in England, Sea Foam in the United States' Pacific Northwest, Molasses Puffs in St. Louis, Missouri, Hokey-Pokey in New Zealand and Fairy Food in Chicago and Wisconsin.


I've been wanting to make this recipe for some time now and I thought that, by golly, if the Fourth of July isn't a good time for sea foam candy then what is?

So here it is. A recipe that I hope you make and love as much as I do.

Sea Foam Candy

1 c. sugar
1 c. Karo syrup, light
4 tsp. sifted baking soda
2 bags of chocolate chips

Heat sugar and syrup on medium heat to 290 degrees, using candy thermometer. Remove from heat. Briskly stir in sifted soda. And I do mean briskly. This recipe is like a science experiment. As soon as you add the soda the sugar puffs up like mad. Pour onto a three foot strip of aluminum foil shiny side up. Cool completely. Cut or break into pieces. Melt chocolate. Dip sea foam pieces into chocolate and cool on wax paper.

There are lots of different, more precise recipes. Some use vinegar which I think might make and consistency a little more dense. I found this recipe worked pretty good and the candy was delicious.

I packaged it up special for my loved ones.  

The second item of business today is another necklace that I am previewing here on the blog before I list it in the shop. I had several girls contact me about the last necklace after it was already reserved so I thought I'd offer another one. I am thinking that I might preview my jewelry here on Suaviloquy more often. After all, if one of my readers wants some Secondsister goodness, then she should get first dibs.


This piece is called "Teal Lagoon". It ties with a ribbon so it is adjustable. It is backed with cream leather. It is $70. Same as last time, if you want me to reserve it for you, leave a comment. I will be listing it in the shop on Tuesday.





Now get out there and eat yourself a burger. Or if you are a veggihead, an apple pie. For heaven's sake do something American!

redemption

One year ago I wrote this letter. Today I write this:

Dear Sara,

Or Bead Shop Girl as I think of you in my mind.

I can't tell you how happy I am that I followed my whim to do a little bead shopping today.  I can't tell you how good it felt to finally apologize for my brash behavior one year ago. I can't tell you how overjoyed I am that you have a baby boy. And our son's are the same age. Imagine that.

Life is strange. God is good. Beads are addictive.

Maybe some day we will meet up outside the store and our son's can play in the sand and we can talk shop.

Sincerely,

Happily,

Contentedly,

The girl with the Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag.

*************************************

Now here's another little matter I've been meaning to address. It seems whenever I post photos of jewelry on Suaviloquy that I have added to my shop, someone buys it and my most favorite people of all, you readers, don't get it in time. And then I have people saying, "So where's the such and such you said was in your shop?" 

So.

I'm showing you this piece that I just finished that I haven't added to my shop yet.  If you want to buy it, leave a comment and let me know. I'll reserve it for you when I add it to the shop on Thursday.  It's called "June Bloom" and it has a vintage brooch and a really cool old vintage button. The brooch is missing a couple rhinestones which I decided not to replace because, well, I want it to look old. The flowers are cotton and silk. It is backed with silver leather. The oval rings are shell and the beads on the strand are smoky quartz. It's $90.00.

welcome to my studio

My studio has been "under construction" for so long now, I can't remember when I started.

What I do know is that it will never be done. I don't want it to be. If it is to be a space to call my own, then it must change with my whims. I'm a fickle gal. One day I love something and the next I'm over it. This is why I can never ever get a tattoo. What a fiasco that would be.

So here it is, as it is today. A little cleaner than usual because well, I knew you'd be looking.

spankin new

New month!

New jewelry collection!

New iMac?

I hope so.

Please visit the Secondsister shop. I will be loading new jewelry into the shop over the next week or so. I really want that new Mac. I'm saving up like a little kid who wants a bike. It's old school but it is uber satisfying. Help a sister out and buy some jewelry would ya? 

life

Ello' there!

I'm busy busy busy over here in our little home by the sea. I've got jewelry orders rolling in left and right,(and thank you very much for that because it makes me feel like a supa star), and a little trip to Utah for the Casual Blogger Conference this weekend where I will be speaking on niche blogging (whatever that means, I can't believe I actually fooled people, adults!, into thinking I know what I'm talking about) and there's always the babies to keep me hopping. By the way, why am I not losing any weight with all the running around I do? Riddle me that!

Secondsister Summer collection will hit the shop on June 1st. It's a rather small collection but what can you expect from the woman who lives in a shoe? I nearly didn't have a Summer collection at all. I know. Can you even imagine?

And then there's Finnigan Seamus. Finnigan, Finnigan, Finnigan. Whatever will we do with him? He's been so naughty these last few days and he has the gall to look me smugly in the eye even as he reeks of deviant deeds involving the trash. And why, oh why was the trash left to his leisure? And please do tell me why he insists on sleeping by my side of the bed so that the pungent smell of sour waste wafts my way all the live long night. Where's the justice in this life I'm living?

But I digress. Here's a little peek into what's to come. I finally decided to bow to the recession, that pesky damn recession, and design some pieces that are easy on the pocketbook. If we are all going to be poor, at least we should look good don't you think?

envy

I'm not a butterfly girl per say. I'm not a heart girl either. You can keep your sweet little hearts thank you very much. I won't be needing them on my clothing or anywhere in my house.

But lately, well lately, I've been a little fascinated (is that the right word?) by these winged creatures. They keep popping up in everything I create. I think it might boil down to envy.

Just watch a butterfly as it flits about your garden. They are so carefree, light and graceful.

For a girl with her feet firmly on the ground (surrounded by laundry) it seems impossible to ever be so blithe.

So I will continue to create my little butterflies and maybe if I work hard enough and long enough, someday I will be an old grandma on a porch and when a butterfly flutters by I will be able to say that I am as carefree as he.

she sells sea shells...

Funny how a little girl, born in Utah, was destined to be a beach babe.

Or maybe it isn't strange at all. Her family is beachy through and through. She must have picked us with this in mind. It's still a little chilly at the seaside, but that doesn't stop us.

It's been a while since I had a give away. Let's have another, just for kicks. Waddaya say?

Leave a comment to enter to win the above necklace. It is made with rough cut aquamarine beads and silver. The center stone is amazonite. If you take a fancy to this piece, and really pine to win, twitter about the giveaway and I'll throw your name in the hat twice. Blog about it and you are in it thrice. Make sure to let me know your doings so you get your rightful comeuppance.

And if you aren't lucky, don't despair. I'm unlucky too. You aren't alone. Pop over to the shop and see what lovelies are to be had there.

Beauties such as these "Mermaid Earrings":

Oh and FYI, embroidery patterns coming soon to a blog near you. In keeping with today's theme, here's the mermaid from my High Seas set.