Patina White

isn't it grand?

hey there show & tell friends! the past couple weekends @ shady hollow have been quite grand. grand with beautiful weather & grand with excited jam packed crowds of shoppers.

ironic that i took {3} orders for custom necklace requests from some very grandparents. the first called for a large heart with a bitty birthstone cluster to represent all the grandbabies. and this gal was thrilled to see my handstamped NANA tag. the number 7 bubble and cross pulled the look all together for a unique cluster {below}. lucky #7!

the next was a grandma of six that wanted a similar yet different effect. this one called for a glass collage with a birthstone ring of little ones + a simple #6 stamped disc. i love this one too! and hope that the proud grandma does as well!

last but certainly not least...a sweet grandma wanted not {1}, but {2} necklaces to proclaim her love. so i layered up a special saying to their family...i love you to the moon and back...with a crystal moon + silver star. then staggered it with the second grouping of sweet rhinestone initials dangling from a small heart with a "go with everything" pearl accent. she'll be back to see what i came up with this coming sunday!

and speaking of sunday. this will be the last sunday of the shady 2011 season! we will end the summer with a bang...being open saturday, sunday & ending labor day monday! can't hardly believe we are near the end! but this ending marks the start of another chapter for patinaWHITE and that's my holiday event the first two weekends of november! isn't that a GRAND thought?! 

to sign off today i have to show off some grandfolks close to my heart. grandpa and grandma in their early days. {below}. i love these photos and it delights me to have them with me in spirit!

as always i truly appreciate you popping by my little corner of the world wide web. and be sure to have yourself a...

very GRAND day!

 

living a charmed life

hello everyone! as i have been putting together some necklace ideas for a "shady sunday"...i was lovin' them so much i had to show 'em off.

these tiny double sided initials {below} & sentiments are as sweet as candy. and look just as great in mommy clusters as they do w/ a random mix-up of charms. you will want to eat them up!

case in point..note the wire flower cluster {below} with the candy initial accent. i told you they were "sweet"! the other combos are pretty darn cute too...

new on the home-front would be these diminutive bubble dot initials {below}. with a vintage type font on the front with a whimsical variation on the reverse. you decide how you want to show it off!

another little combo {below} that i thought was simple and to the point. love the earthy hues...

pucker up you pup fans. an always favorite saying {below} is combined with some touching accents. s.w.a.k.!

live the life you love~love the life you live. another favorite quote can be found front + back on the slim glass collage charm {below}...and the hand-forged "chiclet" added a subtle pop of color. i {heart} this combo too!

so if you are in the neighborhood of shady hollow any given sunday thru labor day...AND you are looking to live a "charmed" life...be sure to stop by! we will fix ya up! plus you just never know what other treasure may await!

thanks for tagging along...happy day to you!

 

monkey see...monkey do! {a shadow of itself}

happy friday all! not so long ago i started a new category - monkey see...monkey do - where i draw from subject matter around me & do my own inspired spin-off.

well a favorite necklace from my collection happens to be behind the creative spark to reinvent a "shadow of itself".  monkey see...

a shadow of itself...the silhouette {below} provided the vision i needed. though i admired the turquoise i knew i could create something equally as interesting in another media.

with that...i did some metal-working combined with a vintage button + smokey hued pearl chain which brings us to the...monkey do...

i knew i would never part with the original...and this "shadow of itself" will be a hard one to put up for adoption. but share & share alike...i would like to think it will premier @ shady hollow's grand reopening in may. or possibly a shadow of the shadow?? guess time will tell!

wishing you a wonderful start to your weekend!

 

a time {2} believe

happy friday everyone! 

ok...i have exactly {10} minutes to squeeze this post in & i intend on doing it without being late to another pending appointment. seems like i always try & get "one last thing" done before i must fly out the door. i am not the best @ multitasking either as i am easily distracted.

case in point. new necklace design i was working on. requires a little time spent "baking" in the oven. ok...temperature is ready & with a shove of the cookie tray + swing of the door i am off to answer a couple emails. as i happily "chat" w/ some longtime customers i suddenly remember that i am "baking"! a dash to the kitchen w/ me musing "who could possibly say they burned their JEWELRY"! 

leave it to me. *sigh* but all is not lost today. infact the itty bitty snippet of paper actually looks good now that it has become...shall we say..."browned"! even the spattering of micro air bubbles from a bit too much heat lend a vintage look. 

maybe that's exactly what i meant to do! pretty lovely if i do say so! {below}

oh yes! the heart locket is a recent arrival too! they will be part of the line up @ shady this spring! nested inside it's ornate case is a functioning clock! {below} beauty and function rolled up into one cute package!

now i do believe it's time for me to scoot. before i once again push myself to the edge of lateness...and thank goodness no necklaces were harmed in the creation of this post!

have a great weekend all!

everything's coming up roses

greetings everyone! the weather here the last few days has been glorious! the sunshine + a bargain buy of a dozen roses sparked the creative energy i was needing to make some baubles i am so very excited about!

1st things 1st ~ the day after valentine's means stores are still overflowing w/ a plethora of rose bouquets. though not something i usually pick up...i could hardly resist a dozen lime-hued lovelies for a mere $7. brought them home and removed all their foliage to reveal the sculptural beauty of the stems. i love their raw simplicity grouped in vintage lab vessels {below}

ok...i have to tell ya. i am pretty proud of how the following creation turned out!

first because i don't dabble in bracelets much but felt like working outside my "comfort zone".

second...if you know me...i tend to collect bits & baubles for projects but then "save" them. but not today! i reached deep into my jars & pulled out some cherished objects. 

i shall call her roses-n-relics....and hopefully will find a good home for her...that is if i can reach the third step of actually letting go! 

another rosey patinaWHITE original is my hand-forged organic pendant {below}. i am wearing her now as i type. doesn't mean i won't be offering her up for adoption...but i am in the process of some serious bonding! and to further reinforce the bond i've named her hewn heart.

i will end today with a "good" tiding....and let my little printer's blocks perched atop a wire flower frog do the talking....

thanks for stopping by...and make it a great day!

mom o' many hats

well here we are @ the end of the week! with that brings the meets & games that moms around the nation haul their families + themselves to....rootin' & holler'n for their loved ones! and tonight in detroit lakes...the swim team's moms will be decked out in their custom necklaces i created for many of them!  

a few swim fans {below}...hang'n out on a seemingly fit vintage swim basket! 

hows about this swim mom? she must be one busy chick! she had me do up one of my exclusive "flag tags" for all her "hats"! and of course the discs with the kiddo's names! plus can't forget the gem to add a little sparkle...go BIG red!

the very idea of everything a mom does exhausts me! i have always thought of mothers to be superheros! forever leaping & bounding around! here's one more necklace for a wonder-woman i did up {below}

my "hat" goes off to all you "super" moms! you make the world a better place! no superpowers needed...just a healthy dose of love & patience. and maybe a nice cape!

with that i must run...faster than a speeding bullet...i best make my delivery so these ladies are ready to save the day! or @ least look cute trying!

have a great weekend everyone!

when life hands you lemons...make glitter!

hey everyone! you know how the saying goes "when life hands you lemons...". well that can have multiple endings. and why not glitter? so just how does one get glitter from lemons? read on my friend and i will tell ya!

this was a scene from our home a few days back. {below}

a hasty shove of our coffee table & my lovely ornament-adorned stand took a tumble. she humpty'd dumpty'd right on the floor. no king's horses & no king's men came to the rescue. rather i sat there in utter shock @ the mess that lay in front of me. should i shout? cry? throw my body to the ground kicking right there with the wreckage? as tempting as some of those options sounded...I feared frightening my poor dog resting in the corner. and really what good would any of those actions do?

so i walked over to the kitchen...grabbed {2} ziplock baggies...doubled them up & put the pieces i could safely salvage inside. then proceeded to the next steps...

1st STEP - inflict a few good blows to bag on the counter...{never said i wouldn't release some frustration!} i ended up with small to medium sized chunks of ornies in the bag.

2nd STEP - out comes the rolling pin {one used for crafts...save your good one for those cookies}. roll over & over the bag. pulverizing the contents inside. but watch your bag...you are working with sharp bits and pieces here.

3rd STEP. roll it some more. trust me. you want it to continue to break everything down. do you see where i am going here? you're actually making some glass "glitter"! if you haven't priced out german glass glitter...check it out in a google search sometime. you'll too will be banging bags of ornaments on your counter causing the family to really question your motives!

after many passes with the rolling pin...i emptied the contents out into the bowl you'll see {below}. handle with care...remember...it's still glass!

lemons no more! looks pretty good considering where i started. now...what to do with my new found wealth of glitter? no time like the present to get back into the swing of jewelry r&d. so i took some tiny dimensional hearts....glittered them up like nobody's business & encased one w/ some beveled glass thus making a happy ending {below} to a somewhat "messy" beginning! 

and you know what else good came about?? my floor has never looked better! clean & dust {+ glass} free! so take those lemons handed your way. and make your glitter. or lemonade. or learn to juggle. whatever the case may be try to make the best of the situation handed you!

hope you have a "sweet" day!

a homemade holiday

hello everyone! can you believe that another christmas has yet come & gone so swiftly? many of you may still be picking up the scraps of paper + scotch tape that are scattered around. me? i'm still working on sending out our last round of cards. in my defense...the inside simply states "season's greetings" which doesn't specifically pinpoint a season. therefore these actually could be "early" in anticipation of spring!

all that aside...i love to make gifts for the special folks on my list. and this holiday was no exception. thought i would share a few with you today now that there is no worry of spoiling the surprise!

mom-in-law receiv'd a new necklace design that may make it's way into patinaWHITE's line-up. i get many requests for custom jewelry & this is the time of the year that i am actually able to tinker! love the look of the two tone metal...highlighted with the grand-kids!

we've been "framed"! we also gave her a frame that works splendid as a chalkboard! a fun family photo + a message = a personal gift!

my sweet niece recently took up playing hockey so i thought a "hockey girl" necklace {below} would be in order! the addition of her initial, uniform number + school colors made this a fun cluster necklace i hope she cherishes! she did put it on right away and was wearing it the next day which is always a good sign!

dad-in-law is always up to trying my experiments from the kitchen! recently found me a recipe for cheesy chicken tortilla soup that turned out {if i do say so myself} MARVELOUS! so good, in-fact, that i had to convince hubby it is the season for sharing since he would have greedily kept it to himself! i had a little fun with the packaging too! a jar full of YUM...

this necklace {below} was created for a longtime childhood friend. in my book...she is a top contender for mommy of the year so i stamped a sterling disc with her children's names and rested it behind a rhinestone initial for her. 

i feel blessed to have the ability to provide heartfelt, homemade goodies for my loved ones! i was also lucky enough to be the recipient of some homemade gifts. my mom made up some "pain is good" pepper jelly {below|.

most people would call the fire department after a small sample. me...i just call her for yet another jar since i have consumed vast quantities of this delectable spread. oh, yes...see the colorful heart tin it rests on? it was full of her yummy fudge. note the past tense "WAS". very kind of my hubby to share part of his gift with me. once again reminding him it's the season for sharing...sometimes against our will! now i must skedaddle...i have to finish those seasonal greeting cards of mine. after-all...spring is right around the corner don't ya know?

happily handmade...and always happily yours!

be aware...think pink!

happy monday everyone! chances are pretty good that you have experienced dealing w/ breast cancer @ some level. whether it be a personal battle or that of someone close to you...it hits home for many of us. and october is, of course, breast cancer awareness month. 

as i have been getting things in order for my studio event...i was inspired to put together a couple necklaces to honor those brave souls. the first {below} is a collaged SURVIVOR skinny stick w/ HAVE FAITH on the reverse...it is accented with a pink ribbon gem cluster + hope charm. a combination sure to pass on a message of FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.

a recent addition to my bauble family was a rhinestone encrusted charm w/ enameled pink ribbon. to accent it...i hand-stamped a sterling silver disc w/ a motivational message for a simple yet powerful statement {below}. you go girl!

so ladies...please remember to treat your body like a neighborhood watch program. being on the lookout for any suspicious activity. do it for you...do it for your family...do it for your friends. being aware is the first step.

and to end today...an always inspiring quote...

never, never, never give up.  ~winston churchill

THINK PINK!

rock*star glam

happy monday everyone! with the onset of patinaWHITE's holiday event ... there has been a flood of new goodies arriving that i am pretty excited about. of course jewelry always tops my fav list. so i thought i would give you a sneak peek @ some of the baubles that await! 

this season the layered look is still going strong. i've been riding this "wave" for years now & will probably be the last one "hanging 10" as i am all about "more is better"! you too can be a part of the "chain" gang w/ the number {below}.

or what about this beauty {below}...tastefully "overdone" w/ rhinestones & crosses! if it can make this rusty metal look this good imagine the possibilities!

maybe you'd like to "rock" out a bit with a long & lovely adornment? the druzy agate inspired centerpiece is in good company with a multitude of cross charms hanging out. {below}

why stop @ just a necklace when you are going all out glam this season? well i'm happy to oblige your other needs in the form of stacked bangles and unique bracelets! {below}

bingo was your namo! you'll be the winner with one of the MANY burnished metal necklaces...but be sure to give yourself enough time to ponder on which 1! {or 2 or 3!}

get a punch of color and texture with rock chip necklaces enhanced with over-sized metal pendants. with all this rocking and rolling go on lately i was inspired to create a one of kind guitar pick that i perimeter stamped with an appropriate verse...

not just for little kiddos anymore! "bib" necklaces are a fantastic way to dress up a simple tee or glam out a glitzy dress. you decide! 

so are you ready to channel your inner "rocking" spirit? well...then be sure to swing by & visit patinaWHITE's studio event coming up here the first & second weekend of november. click NEXT EVENT @ the left for more tidbits on that!

thanks much for stopping...wishing you a great start to a new week!