Merry Christmas 2011

  

Merry Christmas!

The time has passed so quickly, so many projects started and finished. I'm looking forward to celebrating this Christmas with my family and then on to a creative New Year!

Thank you for making my year a year to remember!

Open Studio 2011

Andrea Peters and Christine Peters Hamilton

welcome you to visit the first-ever Open Studio & Sale

Where: Andrea's studio, 20 Hiawatha Trail in East Boothbay

When: Sunday, December 11th, from 11-4 and

Monday, December 12th, from 11-3.

For more information and/or directions

call 207-446-4865.

Looking forward to seeing you!

New Photos

I am so excited!  I finally had some professional pics taken and they look great.  Thank you Robert Diamante for doing such a beautiful job.  These will be used for show applications and advertising.  Here are some of the flower series: 

What do you think?


And here's some from the reticulation series:
 

 
I can't wait to see them printed on 8 1/2 x 11 inch photo paper--they are going to shine!

Busy, Busy

I know it's been a while since I posted, but I've been really busy.  Here's a sampling of projects I've been working on. 

I turned these felted mice into holiday ornaments--they're for sale at the Center for Maine Craft in Gardiner.  I love making felted things--it's another way that I keep my hands busy and my creativity flowing.  I can do things at night when I have little energy or concentration for creating jewerly. 

Another project keeping me busy is a fun quilt class at Alewives Fabrics.  This is the first quilt that I've made in years and it's the first one I've sewn with my machine.   Last night was the last class, 4 weeks flew by, but I love what I've done so far.  Just look at those fabrics!!!

I have made some new jewelry too, but you'll have to wait 'til tomorrow to see.

The Inspired Hand V

Look for 3 of my cuff bracelets on display at The Inspired Hand V show, January 20 - March 16, 2012.  This is a juried exhibition of work by members of the Maine Crafts Association.  The show will be held at the University of Southern Maine-Lewiston-Auburn College, 51 Westminster Street in Lewiston.  I am honored and pleased to be included in this show.

Earring Commission

Well, this morning I was able to cross these 2 pairs of earrings off my to-do list--yeah!!!!  A client approached me earlier this summer to recreate a pair of earrings she loved from an oversized, photocopied, black and white picture.

We talked about making one pair in gold-fill with cubic zirconias and a second pair in sterling silver with peridot and the only change in design was that they had to be clip-ons.  The lower stone we decided would be 10mm and the top 6mm.  I did the pricing and specs and got to work in late September and here's how things came together.

I started with the sterling pair--I was able to buy the bezel settings and then fabricate the rest.  They went together beautifully and are quite striking.

The second pair I was a bit more concerned about because I have never worked with gold-fill and I really couldn't find any findings that were pre-made except for the clips.  So, I had to fabricate all the pieces and hope for the best.  They went together better than I imagined until the very end when I struggled with one of the little 6mm stones--ugh!  One earring was complete and the other had to wait until I was fresh again the following morning and what a difference it made.  Here they are.

Now here's a comparison to help with scale:

I had to imagine the actual size of the original earrings because this picture was soooo oversized.  I think they look great and I hope she'll be pleased!   

Pearls for Charleston

Now that the fall is here, I've been madly working on some new pearl jewelry to go spend the winter at Coco Vivo Gallery in Charleston, SC.  Here's a sampling of some of the new designs:

EARRINGS

NECKLACES

hand-sculpted fine silver starfish on freshwater pearls

And these new bracelets:

coin pearls with hammered silver links

freshwater nuggets with silver links

Stop on by 25 Broad Street in Charleston, South Carolina and see!

Great Show--Thank You!

What a wonderfully exciting, successful, and tiring weekend exhibiting at the Laudholm Farm Crafts Festival in Wells.  I had been working so hard to prepare my booth and it really paid off.  Here's what it looked like:

Anita, my good friend (from The Creative Turtle), took time out of her busy schedule to help me set-up and work the show.  Thank you!  Thank you! 

I'd also like to thank all the people I met and showed my jewelry to and for all the wonderful comments and feedback.  And a great big thank you to ALL who helped me prepare and encourage--y'all know who you are.  This show was a great experience and I hope to be back next year!

Preprations

I can't believe August is over.  Only one week away from my first big retail craft show at Laudholm Farm in Wells.  I've been so busy not only creating new jewelry, but I've been sewing and building and putting everything together in order to have my booth set-up ready to go.  Things are looking really good for the display and my "what to bring" list is getting long, but it will all be worth it.  The show is Saturday and Sunday, September 10th and 11th from 10-4. 

Lots of new jewelry including flower earrings and reticulated bracelets--you'll have to come to the show to see!

Hoops

The trunk show was a success--thank you for all the support and encouragement! 

It's been a great, but exhausting week and I'm finally back in the studio where I'm creating some new hoop earrings for a couple different clients.  I love hoops, but I very rarely make them, so this is the perfect excuse to have some fun.  And these are what I've come up with so far:

The scale is hard to tell here, but the upper left pair is 1 3/4 inches from top to bottom.

This pair of hoops was designed for a client who loves large earrings and does not have pierced ears.  While clips make it more accessible for large earrings, hoops in the very design are more difficult to work in the mechanism. 

I hammered 2 pieces of 22g sterling sheet that is 3/8 inch wide.  I first formed the outer hoop and bent the face to house the clip finding.  I then formed the inner hoop to add interest to the earring from the side. 

They make quite a statement!

The next two pairs of hoops were designed with specific criteria.  The first being 1/4 inch wide with sterling balls soldered on the face.  They hang 1 3/4 inches long. 

Simple, yet striking. 

The second pair is just over 1/4 inch wide and slightly concave with silver bars piercing the hoop and each bar is balled at both ends.   These hoops are also 1 3/4 inches from top ball to bottom ball.

The design creates an interesting focal point and adds a contemporary flair to the average hoop earring.

I can't wait to make more!

Tourmaline Slices

This week has been really good for me.  I've been ticking off all my to-dos and am feeling great to be accomplishing things.  Today, I finished up a new necklace of tourmaline slices with a hidden box clasp in a flower.

You can have the flower be hidden at the back of your neck as a regular clasp, or it can swing around and be a focal point.  Look at all the colors in the slices--just beautiful!

More to come soon!

Annual Trunk Show and Sale!

You are cordially invited to a fun evening of Wine and hors d’oeuvres featuring

Christine Peters Hamilton’s

“Almost Annual” Jewelry Trunk Show and Sale

And introducing a new line of spectacular lamps, floor cloths, furniture, and more by Diana Kerr.

This one of a kind event will be held at

at Gleason Fine Art, 31 Townsend Ave., Boothbay Harbor

On Tuesday, July 26, 2011 from 5 to 7 pm

Please feel free to bring a friend.

Questions? call 207-633-6849