SATeam Wrist Candy Holiday Giveaway

The SATeam Wrist Candy Holiday Giveaway has begun!!

I belong to the Starving Jewelry Artists Etsy Street Team (SATeam). It's a group of jewelry artists that all have an Etsy shop. It's a way for us to help promote each other and hopefully get sales!

I also belong to the WHOA Team, which is a group of Equestrian Artists, each of which does some sort of artwork/jewelry that's specifically HORSE related. I'll have to do a blog on that group sometime.

Not long ago, the SATeam decided to come up with a Christmas/Holiday promotion, and asked anyone interested to contribute a charm for a bracelet they would assemble and GIVE AWAY!! I contributed two charms.

One of which is shown in the photo above, front and center! That sterling Christmas tree right in the middle, is one I made! I can't believe that one of my charms made the center of one of the promo shots... I also made a cute little gingerbread fella, but I don't know where he got to. Probably on the other side of the bracelet...

Anyway, I wanted to help promote the Bracelet Giveaway, and announce my sale, too. During this event, I'm offering a 15% discount on anything in my Etsy store. So, without further ado, here's the promotion information:

The Starving Artists Etsy Street Team is a having a sale – this isn't a normal sale, but a super DUPER sale, so if you're planning your Christmas shopping – now is the time to get organised and get in early!

Several members of SATeam put their talent together to create this beautiful holiday themed charm bracelet, and it's looking for a good home on the wrist of one of our fabulous customers.

Every time you purchase an item from one of the participating stores, the participating shop owner will put your name into the draw to win this stunner.

You might even find some special deals at some of these participating stores:

• Galadryl
  
  
• Beadles
  
  
• Beadles and Stones
  
  
• Accent Yourself
  
  
• Erika Price Designs
  
  
• Luna Cat Jewels
  
  
• Azoho
  
  
• Danagonia
  
  
• MC Stoneworks
  
  
• Angie's Jewelry Design
  
  
• Beaded Spirit Designs
  
  
• Studio DTQ
  
  
• Jewlie Beads
  
  
• Antoinette Design
  
  
• Pixe's Treasure Chest
  
  
• Milena's Supply Shop
  
  
• Two Silver Moons
  
  
• Heavenly Flower
  
  
• Dancing Wind Designs
  
  
• The Family Jewels
  
  
• Elegance and Sparkles
  
  
• Jewelry Tales
  
  
• Bead Origami
  
  
• Rock n Wow
  
  
• Nicole Hill
  
  
• Jenni Leigh Creations
  
  
• The FamiLee Jewels
  
  
• LA Valley Girly
  
  
• Meredith Hilt Designs
  
  
• N Valentine Studio
  
  
• Wirestorm Creations
  
  
• Two Belles & a Bead
  
  
• Feathered Gems Jewelry
  
  
• Northern Girl Jewelry
  
  
• Artisan Handmade Jewellery
  
  
• Willow Branch Musings
  
  
• dianne karg baron
  
  
• Bead Sire
  
  
• Mary's Garden
  
  
• BEB Designs
  
  
• Cat's Wire
  
  
• This n That Creative Arts
  
  
• Shiny Adornments
  
  
• Beads by Melissa Vess
  

The sale started today and runs until December 6, 2009, so on your mark, get set, and GO! Enter early and often! Items included in this sale can also be found by searching SATEAMWRIST.

So, avoid the stores and the last minute rush – you KNOW that online shopping is now the best way to organise your Christmas list. Get organised early and visit http://www.starvingartiststeam.blogspot.com/ you won't be disappointed and as an added bonus, with each purchase, you go into a drawing to win this stunning bracelet.

Featuring artisan handmade creations by the Etsy Starving Artists Jewelry team. SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current etsy shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com.

Heavy Copper Cuff on Etsy

Here is one of my latest postings to Etsy. This piece was started during the Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour this past summer. I was set up at the Round Hill Arts Center since my studio isn't finished yet. I had a booth of my jewelry for sale and was doing metal smithing demonstrations.

This was a really nice HEAVY piece of copper that worked perfectly for doing demonstrations of annealing and shaping metal. I kept bending it, re-firing it and just playing with it. All of a sudden the design just sort of formed on it's own!

Heavy Copper Cuff Bracelet

This is one chunky cuff bracelet! It's made out of solid 6 gauge Copper wire giving this cuff some real heft! The copper was soldered together into a sinuous curved design. The bracelet was then patinated and sealed with an archival wax to protect the finish and retard oxidation.

The center focal curves are 2" at the widest point, and the arms of the cuff turn in opposite directions to easily slip on your wrist.

This bracelet is totally adjustable, fitting either a man or a woman. Give me your wrist measurement at purchase and I'll size it accordingly.

Check out my Esty shop for more photos of this and other jewelry items. I'm hoping to keep adding new pieces to my Etsy shop every couple of days...

The Happy Birthday Money Clip

Being a jewelry artist is great when it comes time to give a girl friend a gift. Most of my friends are happy to get something I've made for them. Unfortunately, I'm still stuck when it comes to guy gifts. Most of my male friends wouldn't be too excited to receive jewelry.

A good friend of mine had a birthday coming up and I wanted to give him something he'd hopefully like and use. I came up with the idea of a money clip with an equestrian theme. Mike breeds and trains horses, so usually anything horse related is a hit.

I came up with this horse head design, and made it out of sterling silver sheet metal. It's all hand sawn and soldered. I was tickled to finally be able to use my new logo stamp on the back.

I gave the money clip to him this past weekend and I think he liked it!

Where's the Champagne?? Let's Launch this Ship!

"Meredith Hilt is a Virginia based artist who makes her home in the Blueridge Mountains. Although born in Virginia, Meredith's life has taken her through Europe, the United States and Asia. After graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh (PA), she spent years in the trenches of graphic and web design. Meredith now paints, and creates unique jewelry for fun and pleasure. Her speciality is designing fine jewelry of precious metal and wire, using metal-smithing techniques. Her artwork can be found in boutiques and galleries in Virginia and Maryland."



Well, the above blurb is the commonly published Artist's Bio I use. But gosh, it's hard to sum up your life and artistic ambitions up in one paragraph!

In the past, my skilled abilities have mostly been devoted to two dimensional skills. Graphic design and paint are normally limited to canvas or paper, and the Internet to a flat screen. While I love to relax by painting (when I can) I find that my creative juices have been devoted exclusively to jewelry lately. I've discovered a whole new world of fulfillment! Where my artistic Muse was occasionally delinquent in the past, I'm now almost overwhelmed by jewelry ideas on a daily basis! I see possible jewelry pieces while looking at leaves, trivets and even cars! I've taken to carrying a sketch book with me to scratch down ideas as they pop into my head. Now, if I can only find the time to actually be able to produce them all!

I hope, with this blog, to be able to give some insight into my creative world and also to keep you up to date on things. I'll post about what I'm working on, my latest inspirations, my Etsy shop, upcoming classes and how my relationship is progressing with my Muse.