CYBER MONDAY Holiday Jewelry Sale on Etsy

I must admit that I am NOT crazy about the saying "Black Friday" or "Cyber Monday".... they don't sound very festive or full of holiday cheer.  But since I decided to put on a little holiday sale I figured I should also reach out to those who use those types of terms to find great deals.  SO, I am putting on my first ...

ETSY  SALE!!!  

November 28 thru December 4

Selected items are ...

 TEN PERCENT OFF!  

That is a really great deal since I am also adding ...

 FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING! 

 and ...

  FREE HOLIDAY GIFT WRAP!

.....AND.....

if you go to the top of my Etsy Shop and click the Facebook "Like" button, which will update you on all my latest jewelry listing and news, I will give you an extra 5% off your purchase (sale and non-sale items) ... but you must contact me through Etsy so I can give you the coupon code to use at checkout.

To reach my shop, you can click on "Etsy Sale!!!" above, or click on my jewelry photos on the right side of my blog.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING HANDMADE!

Workstatte Wonders

My class in metalsmithing three weeks ago at Precious Metal Arts in Santa Monica was really fantastic.  They have a great facility and the teachers, Peter and Nancy, are lovely.  Just getting a taste of basic metalsmithing (sawing/cutting sheet metal, soldering, polishing, hammering)  has me motivated to learn more.  And luckily there are more classes!

I am also inspired by the metalsmith artistry of early twentieth century artist Josef Hoffman from the Weiner Workstatte in Vienna.  I just had to share some images with you all.  The Weiner Worskstatte was born in 1913 out of the Arts and Crafts movement in England of the late 19th century by artists who were rebelling against the machines that displaced artisans during Industrial Revolution. The artistans wanted to show that a machine cannot produce the same beauty and quality in an item as a person can.  And they definitely proved their point!  

There is an interesting article about the Workstatte in the New York Times, called Rage Against the Machine with Artisans and Beauty.   

And, a book I've been dying to purchase, Weiner Workstatte Jewelry.

"Industry has operated against the artisan in favor of the idler, and also in favor of capital and against labor. Any mechanical invention whatsoever has been more harmful to humanity than a century of war."
~ Remy de Gourmont ~