As many of you are already aware, I’ve been on hiatus from my jewelry business, Sarah Michaela Designs, for some time now. I’ve been diligently focused on getting the teaching studio (aka my new business) Quench Jewelry Arts, up and running. I have managed to find time for a few major projects including this beautiful  1 carat, cushion cut diamond engagement ring for Mark and Mandy. A big thank you to Andy Bugher for his expertise in all things fine jewelry! And congratulations to our newly engaged friends!
To those customers that have been waiting patiently for custom work, personalized charms and everything in between…..A BIG THANK YOU for waiting so long. I’m now focused on the holiday season and I look forward to fulfilling all those custom design wants and needs.

From now through December 15th, personalized charm orders are 15% off for the package which includes a charm, chain and birthstone (reg $168) and 10% off for charms that are in addition to an existing charm orders.

If you have any questions or have a custom design need please send me an email at: sarah@sarahmichaeladesigns.com to discuss and/or set up an appointment.

November is the month where we are reminded that we have so many things to be thankful for. I’m especially thankful to all of my wonderful (and very patient) customers who are the reason I do what I do. T H A N K  Y O U!

Hey everyone! It’s that time of year again…Art-A-Whirl is this weekend!!! It’s one of the largest studio art crawls in the US. We have lots going at the Casket Arts Complex so stop by! Fri 5-10, Sat 12-8, Sun 12-5!

I will be showing in my new studio at the Casket Arts Building where I also launched a new business this spring, Quench Jewelry Arts, with fellow jeweler and friend Marisa Martinez.

It’s the Grand Opening for Quench as well! We will have live jewelry demonstrations going on, drawings for door prizes, a kids activity table and so much more! Visit the new blog for specifics. I look forward to seeing you!

Ohhhh…it’s been way too long since I’ve posted anything noteworthy here. My apologies!

But now I have something amazing to blab about! My friend Marisa and I have started our new business, and it’s called Quench Jewelry Arts. We’ve been talking for years about joining forces and offering jewelry classes and workshops. We wanted a place large enough to host birthday parties, bridal showers and the like. A place where guests could nosh on cake AND make a silver ring. A place for budding jewelers to utilize equipment and a real jewelers bench. Well, it’s finally here!

In October we acquired a beautiful 1700+ sq foot studio in the Casket Arts Building (the same building where we had our individual studios for the past 4 1/2 years). We’ve made lots of progress in the past few months and still have plenty to keep us busy for many months to come. We know that it will take time before we iron out the all the kinks.

We had our first Sneak Peak Preview Ladies Night this past Friday and it was a huge success! Thank you to all that came by to support us and to the lucky ladies that found an open seat to make a complimentary pair of earrings in one of the 2 classes going on that evening.

Come to the studio this Thursday – during First Thursday at the Casket Arts Building – and see what we have going on. It could be a simple jewelry demonstration or an impromptu class for you to participate in! We’ll announce it soon!

If you are interested in classes for March, here’s a sneak peak of what’s going on! Send us an email at create@quenchjewelryarts.com.

Gearing up for Art-A-Whirl at the Casket Arts Complex this week!!!

Art-A-Whirl is the annual Open Studio Tour in NE Minneapolis….this weekend, May 20th – 22nd. Over 700 artists throughout the Arts District will participate…and you’ll find close to 125 of them at the Casket Arts Building, the Carriage House, and the Factory. All 3 buildings are located in between Jefferson and Madison on 17th Ave in NE Minneapolis.

Stop by my studio, #211, to see new work….each piece is handmade and one-of-a-kind.  And while you’re there check out the new collection of chunky, heavily textured and oxidized jewelry. The bracelets like the one featured below have handmade rotating links and box clasps….and other movable parts.

On Friday evening see Potluck and the Hotdishes belting out tunes in the main lobby of the Casket Arts Building from 7-9pm. This will be great fun! Don’t miss it!

Other events include the NE Sculpture Tour which will also include live demonstrations and more music at the Carriage House loading dock on Friday, May 20th. Visit www.casketarts.com and www.nemaa.org for more information!

Ready Just In Time!

The Face It Foundation crew hits the road this week to kick off their Bike Tour in San Francisco. They will be biking all the way to Boston raising awareness for Face It and the growing number of men who face depression every day. Be a part of it all…order this sterling silver pendant to show your support. Visit www.faceitfoundation.org for details (coming soon!). Proceeds go to the Face It Foundation!

See how the pendant was made….visit the previous blog post!

Last week I was asked by Mark Meier (Founder) and Bill Dehkes (Director of Operations) to design a commemorative pendant for the Face It Foundation. Their mission statement: “Through education, online tools, and peer support, Face It works with men to understand and overcome depression.”

Statistics for men with depression:

• Roughly 12% of men experience depression in their lifetimes
• Men are less likely than women to seek treatment for their depression
• Untreated depression is the primary cause of suicide
• Suicide is the 7th leading cause of death for men in the U.S.
• Unprecedented rates of suicide and depression are rising in the U.S. Military
• Today, 68 men will die by suicide, leaving behind spouses, children, friends and family

I’m honored that Face It approached me to design the pendant. My goal is to have it completed (and reproduced for retail sales) by the 2011 Bike Tour happening this May. Mark and his team, which includes his teenage daughter Anna, will be biking from coast to coast.  “Along the way, the team will reach out about the impact of depression on men and those who care about them. The team will provide education on the importance of recognizing depression and addressing it with a comprehensive approach.”

Here you can see my design process…or, rather….playing with different shapes until something strikes my fancy. Copper is cheap and easier to work with during the initial phase. I’m working on a dog-tag type shape with a “rough” texture.

The texture is created by the technique of reticulation. It requires repeated steps of heating sterling silver to bring the fine silver to the surface, cooling briefly, and then pickling (soaking in a warm acid solution). Rinse and repeat…7-10 times.

You can see the unpredictable reticulation results on the oxidized piece on the right side of the “before and after” photo. But I think this texture is just what this pendant for the Face It Foundation needs! Stay tuned…I’ll update with my progress soon.

PROGRESS REPORT as of 3/25/11: Pictured below you’ll see the larger reticulated sterling sheet, cut into 2 pieces. I’ve fashioned a bail from another thinner piece (which is still oxidized from soldering the inside square edges). I haven’t decided if I want a more rectangular pendant or dog-tag size. I pierced the “it” out of another piece of plain sterling sheet, although this likely isn’t the final. And last but not least….the “FACE IT” will probably be hand stamped under the “it”, as long as it shows up during the mold and casting process. Stay tuned…you never know…the whole project could take a completely different turn!

PROGRESS REPORT 3/31/11: A closer look at possibilities. Everything is still in the rough stage…crooked edges, sharp corners and obviously not oxidized to bring out that great texture!

It’s time to meet with the great guys over at Face It to talk about the components of the pendant…what they like, what they don’t like…and what the next step will be. Stay tuned!

PROGRESS REPORT 5/7/11: DEADLINE

We’ve been working at a furious pace these past few weeks. The pendant is as complete as we can get it before the Face It crew hits the road for the Bike Tour this week. After the final design elements were ok’d I went to work on soldering all the pieces together.

Afterward a mold was made. Layers of rubber are packed into a mold frame with the model and placed in a Vulcanizer under pressure and heat for about an hour. Cutting the mold take practice and skill. I don’t profess to be an expert at mold cutting!

Cutting the Mold

When the model is finally freed from the mold you’re ready for the next step. I took the mold to a local business that can shoot the mold with wax. They made 20 wax models to start with. I don’t have photos to share of their process. But I can explain as best as possible.

10 waxes are made and then placed on a “sprue tree.” The tree is then placed in metal flask. Investment measured, mixed and poured over the wax and allowed to set up. Then the flask is placed in a kiln for the “burn out” process. What’s left is an area for the molten metal to be poured where the wax once was.

Below you’ll see the pendants on the sprue tree after the lost-wax casting process. The investment has been cleaned off and the rest of the cleanup can begin.

Each pendant is cut from the sprue tree by a jewelers saw. All rough edges are filed and smoothed out with various burs. I placed the pendants in a rock tumbler with stainless steel shot to remove any remaining investment and dirt.

Then each pendant and chain is placed into an acid solution that oxidizes the metal. Steel wool is used to remove the oxidization from the pendant to create contrast. The words on the front and back are left darkened to create impact.

The pendant and chain undergo a final cleaning and then they are ready to wear!

And last but not least…the professional image taken by Paul Najlis of Najlis Photography in Minneapolis.

Cache Invite

Spice up a November weekend enjoying the bounty of the Casket Arts and the Carriage House Buildings in the heart of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. Local artists will be showing their collection of jewelry, textiles, glass, mixed media, pottery, photography, sculpture & more. It is a treasure excursion worthy of a visit!

Over 100 artists will host a studio tour and sale November 19 & 20, 2010, along with a benefit sale supporting Ampersand Families adoption agency.

Many of the building’s artists have contributed artwork for a special sale benefiting Ampersand Families, one of the few non-artist tenants in the Casket Arts Building. Ampersand Families recruits and supports permanent families for older youth and champions practices in adoption and permanency that restore belonging, dignity and hope.

In addition to live music by prominent local acts, several new additions to this year’s event include a fashion show, art film screenings, and artist demonstrations and workshops.

Looking for something fun to do in NE Minneapolis the first week of October? Get the girls together or make it a date night and have dinner at one of the local eateries (the Modern, Sample Room, Red Stag, Psycho Suzie’s, Shaw’s, Mayslacks, or Anchor to name a few) but be sure to swing by the Casket Arts Building after for the First Thursday Open Studio Event on October 7th from 5-9pm! This is also during American Craft Week so we’ll be featuring several guest jewelers in addition to our tenants including:

Barbara Bloy (www.bbloy.com), studio #304
Brittany Foster (www.brittanyjewelry.com), guest artist, 3rd floor lobby
George Sawyer (www.georgesawyer.com), studio #125
Kerri Norman (www.sterlingsunjewelry.com), guest artist, 2nd floor lobby
Kristin Berwald (www.bionicunicorn.com), guest artist, 1st floor lobby
Marisa Martinez (www.meztizadesigns.com), studio #217
Sarah Sitarz (www.sarahmichaeladesigns.com), studio #211
Soren Priede (www.sorenjewelry.com), guest artist, 1st floor lobby
Tasha Rae Jewelry (www.tasharae.com), studio #314

Additional artists include Jill Hunter who handweaves gorgeous silk scarves, shawls and accessories…just in time for the cooler temps! Several others may be added as we near the date!

Stop by my studio to say hello, grab a nibble and do a little shopping! I’ll be announcing my holiday specials! I look forward to seeing you!

Is it true that it’s because we love it? Because today I’m not loving it!

Sometimes running a small business “is the berries,” as my mother would say. I am not that polite. Some days it just sucks. It’s hard being the designer, fabricator, polisher, price tag lady, shipping lady, inventory control clerk, bookkeeper (who am I kidding?), accountant (ha!), marketing guru (not!) and everything else that comes with owning and operating a small business…especially one that involves art! My true desire is to CREATE!

Most mornings I wake up feeling the need to create something….ANYTHING! But lately the demand (my own personal demand, mind you) to have shiny works of greatness for the next big art fair is blocked! I can’t make a thing lately without it turning into a big-ol-pile-o-poo! Is it the heat?

For the first time in the 3 years I’ve been in this beautiful studio I need to place a complaint, I have kept my mouth shut too long! The heat has finally taken it’s tole on my patience…and if you ask my husband it’s likely my kindness too. So if my boss is listening she’d be smart and pay attention! We need an air conditioning unit before one of us cracks! Most think this is a simple fix…but if you knew my situation you’d understand it’s just not as easy as putting a window-unit in. And actually, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest I’m starting to feel better already. It’s definitely not as hot as it was just a few days ago. And I shouldn’t really complain….we are fortunate in so many ways. Don’t we take everything we have for granted every single day of the week anyhow?

Whether it’s the heat or something else, I’m still feeling blocked. Works of greatness are not being tagged by the price tag lady…so what will I have under my tent for the next big fair? One can only hope that the next week brings something brilliant to my workbench. Or something nice enough to get past the picky, quality control inspector.

Is August really here already? I can’t understand what happened to the last 2 months! Oh yes, I spent 5 out of 8 weekends under a tent in sweltering heat, hours and hours of rain, massive downpours, a tornado siren and even the threat of a hurricane in downtown Madison, WI (those weather guys!).

With that said….I must love what I do. I just don’t always feel it. So cheers to 6 more days of productivity! If you’re curious to see what I’ve accomplished by then, stop by and see me @ booth #2207 next weekend at the Uptown Art Fair. And maybe….just maybe….it won’t rain.

Signed,
The blogger too

The Midsummer Art Festival in Sheboygan was a well organized event. The staff was great, the show featured unique work but the crowds were small and unfortunately the sales just weren’t there. I do suggest stopping by the Kohler Art Center if you’re ever passing through! And it’s located right on Lake Michigan…a great place for sight-seeing.

We sat through rain early Sunday…then it cleared up a bit but was extremely humid. The excitement of the weekend was wrapping up on Sunday while the tornado sirens were blaring. After break-down we stopped by a restaurant located on the canal for a drink and a bite to eat. Ahhhh…..the cold adult beverages we devoured after wrapping up!!!!

UPTOWN ART FAIR in 16 DAYS!

Only 16 days until the Uptown Art Fair. This is the first year I applied to the show and I’m excited to say I was accepted by the jury. For the last 4 years I’ve participated in the Loring Park Art Fair and I LOVE that show. It is well organized, in a beautiful setting and near the action of Minneapolis! The Uptown show is located on Hennepin Ave and “The Mall” located on Logan. I’m in booth #2207 on the Mall! Stop by to see my  new work! Make a day of it and visit Loring and Uptown. Many of my artist friends are participating at both shows! But if you have an opportunity and want to see & purchase some amazing work…. swing by to see Will McCarthy at Uptown. He is an amazingly talented painter. We are fortunate enough to own some of his work!

For those of you just visiting the blog and my new website…hop on my mailing list! As fall approaches I’ll be sending out emails on special events, fall/holiday deals and anything else newsworthy.