Holiday Shipping Update!

If you need your gift delivered in the United States before Christmas, please place your order before 12/19/11 to get it to you in time! International orders should be received by 12/15/11... Thank you! Merci! Danke! Arigato! Xie xie! You get the point :-)

Happy December!

Gift giving is in full swing, and our hearts are swelling! Your thoughtfulness for your loved ones is inspiring and we wish for an abundance of support and health to surround you this season. Happy December!

It wouldn't be the holidays without a Hydraulic Press!

Please welcome our newest member of the team, Thor, Jr.! We'll call him TJ for short.

With the strength of tens of thousands of hammers per square inch, Thor, Jr., was once home with the incredibly talented Cynthia Eid, metal art master and educator. Since spending time with Cindy this past weekend and learning about all of the amazing ways to create gentle jewelry with this heavy piece of machinery, there was no doubt that the hydraulic press was and is a direction that would help evolve the next line of Sara Danielle jewelry!

Top: Sara & Cindy - passing the TJ Torch!
Middle, Left: TJ, lookin' fly...
Middle, Center: Sample pieces from the weekend, made with TJs help
Middle, Right: More sample pieces
Bottom, Left: Layout for embossing copper sheet
Bottom, Center: Embossed copper in the hydraulic press, ready for free form and 2000psi!
Bottom, Right: Crunch! The embossed copper and its embossed (weakened) spots "gave in" to allow this amazing, organic form.



There will be plenty of pieces created with this beautifully made piece of equipment, and we hope you'll stay tuned to see how TJ helps us get things done around the studio!

Holiday time means plenty o' parties!

The beginning of the holiday season always bring a plethora of in-home jewelry parties, fundraisers and celebrations. Here are some shots from a party last week that was low-key, stress-free, and super friend-ly!



And no, this one was not posed!



If you would like to host a jewelry party with Sara Danielle, email us at sara {at} saradanielledesigns.com! Party proceeds can benefit your favorite non-profit or cause, and you have a wonderful excuse to open up a bottle of wine with your good girlfriends! Onto the next party...

A Week of Wolf and Her Wax

I have just returned from learning from the most amazing and patient teacher I've experienced to date, Ms. Kate Wolf. That says a lot, considering the last 6 months of my life have been a whirlwind of education and total immersion!

This last week was total bliss, 8 hours per day of laughing, smiling and learning... and not to mention carving wax and working it on the lathe and on the bench pin. My instructor, or should I say, Role Model, did not disappoint and showed me what is possible in the realm of mixing beauty with personality. Not only does she have one of the most desirable skill sets in the industry, along with incredible business sense and reach, she has a potty mouth and sense of humor to match. She enthusiastically relayed her mantra that you learn better when you're laughing. I can't wait to visit her at her Portland, Maine, studio again soon.

Among the items I learned to carve from wax (later to be cast into whichever metal I desire) were bezels - fancy and round - vessels with matching lids, hollow forms, mirror images for earrings and the like, and a shadow band...

Stay tuned for the new techniques to arrive on the website, in their finished form, very soon! The only question is, which project to begin first!

Here are some highlights of the past week ~


The entryway to Kate's studio...


Tibetan prayer flags just outside...


The beautiful studio...


Kate being Kate, with her huge crab claw...


She could carve better than the rest with one hand reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands...


My bench for the week... Missing it already!


The beginning stages of a lid to a vessel I later created...


This little guy later became a bezel for an onyx cabachon...


Seat is cut, trying to get it as flat as possible before putting the stone in to check for fit...


Now that it fits, it's time to mill off the extra height...


Sunset at Ferry Beach with my wonderful hosts...


A Thursday walk through Kettle Cove State Park...


Taking it all in...


Sunset at Kettle Cove, thankful for the experience...

...And looking forward to the next Open Studio where I can go back to work with Kate again. There is still SO much to learn, and the desire to take it all in couldn't be stronger.

Let's hear it for boundless creativity and curiosity!

Being Little, Busy, Evolving Bees

If you've been having a busy few days/weeks/months/year/life :), we are right there with you. Seasons change and so do schedules and activities... isn't it just the best to evolve right in front of our own eyes?

We at Sara Danielle have been growing, loving, hugging, learning, enjoying, experiencing, laughing, spending, creating, hammering, meeting, setting, printing, computer-ing, you name it! With all of these new updates, staff, machines (don't worry, the staff are NOT machines!), we are looking forward to a very fun upcoming season and hope that you'll be along for the ride as our lives in the jewelry lane continue to go go go!

Here are some fun shots of what we've been up to.

Classes in prong setting, micro-forming, flush setting (not pictured - yet!)... These techniques will soon be making their way into the designs you can find online:



We've been blessed to be a new addition in two beautiful stores in the San Francisco/Bay area, finding new homes on the shelves of Gallery of Jewels on 24th Street in San Fran and at Philippa Roberts' flagship store in Oakland. If you haven't seen Philippa's jewelry, please check her out as her work serves as a beautiful example of streamlined elegance.





And general fun that should never be hidden... yes, you are seeing Cal the Hedgehog dancing to his own beat, and Leslie Hartwell getting stuck in an amazing chainmaille headsleeve. Even Alex came out to play and make fun of the 7x optivisor. Can't say we blame him :)



As for all of things that weren't recorded in still images, there were many, but we invite you to stand by while creating your own evolution and checking out our new logo that will be coming online soon, business cards, and soon-to-be-unveiled work bench!

Wishing you a transformative Spring, in all the right ways that are just what you deserve.

Silverado Portland is on Groupon today!

Run, don't walk to pick up a Groupon to Silverado in Tigard, Oregon!

$25 gets you $50 worth of jewelry in the store... including Sara Danielle jewelry! This deal is not to be missed.

Groupon is my hero... maybe it can be yours today :)

How to get 50% off at www.saradanielledesigns.com!

The first person to send me the names of the 5 friends they have gotten to LIKE Sara Danielle Designs on Facebook will receive a coupon code that can be used for 50% off of your next online purchase. The 5 friends can not already be fans on Facebook - they must be new Likes.

This is a great opportunity for brides or anyone interested in purchasing multiple pieces of jewelry!

How to get 5 people to join you? Check out this AMAZING video from TED Talks for inspiration...

Inspired

Did you know that air plants make their non-parasitic homes on other plants and do not require soil? They are pretty amazing, and I was so moved once I saw them on a friends' windowsill. I fell in love and began to see them every where and began looking for them in person and online. You can find some beautiful plants for purchase on Etsy, but I found some gorgeous plants at my local Mahoney's.

I visited a second hand shop in Waltham, and quickly snatched up some beautiful containers that would complement the artistic and wild plant forms. A simple arrangement of bark and moss makes for a stunning presentation - wa la!

I had to arrange my work space immediately so that I could see them and be inspired from each glance in their direction. They have proved to be a great business partner, as they have inspired me in my latest creations. Can you see how?

Lost Wax Casting

This past weekend, I took a highly-entertaining intensive on the art of lost wax casting. I had a ball and have the pictures to prove it!



While I likely won't be doing my own pouring of 1300 degree molten metal into plaster flasks in the near future (and happily asking someone else to do it for me), I certainly will be indulging in making molds and wax models so that I can create one-of-a-kind silver and gold pieces for you jewelry lovers to enjoy.

And yes, you are seeing that right - the blooper pictures are enlarged for maximum enjoyment... handling such intense heat can only induce unbridled face-making and I wanted the world to witness the joy of a 1300 degree blaze.

Waxy endeavors to come! Stay tuned as things heat up around here...

Cabin Fever Recap

If yesterday's show at Cabin Fever was any indication on the amount of love flowing through the city of Boston, then I am *very* inspired.



Shoppers came through the doors of SOWA's Cabin Fever show from 11am - 6pm yesterday, and did not disappoint. They scooped up jewels with a smile, each person friendlier than the last.

My favorite part of a show is meeting people. Set up and breakdown I could do without, but the one-on-one time with anyone who stops for a moment to chat is so fulfilling. Contagious and uplifting, the warmth of my fellow Bostonians is what keeps my energy sky high the entire day. I meet parents of a pending college graduate who wanted to purchase something extra special for their September "baby", a new mother with her adorable months-old daughter in tow, fashionistas who recognized my work from the beautiful boutiques in Boston that carry my work, and ladies who purchase brownies from the next booth over that surprise me by handing me a full piece for myself! The love at shows, especially SOWA shows, is something to experience for yourself.

Thank you, new friends who wear my jewelry, fellow vendors with your immense talent, and the passionate organizers of the event, for making this last weekend a huge success!

Hilarious... and possibly true?

How could anyone not love the Onion?

Win a Lucky Penny Necklace!

Write a review for Sara Danielle Designs on Yelp! and you will be entered for a chance to win your own bees (haha, I meant BEADS)! One reviewer will be in a drawing to receive a Lucky Penny necklace in the stone of their choice.

Here's an opportunity you'll want to get on WRITE away!

This year belongs to you, so...

Surround yourself with those who make you feel most lit up, and encourage you to be the best YOU that you can possibly be. Make the changes that point you in the direction that you'd like to be heading... you are almost there and you can do it! This is your year!