Heart 'n Art New Pearls

June 2004 Edition

We'll be in the heat of the summer before long and looking for things to complement our lighter clothing. The shells and coral say "summer" and I've been working on some new things for you. The shell heishi and Hill Tribe silver anklets are great for when you might not want to wear a lot of other jewelry and they say that your style sense is not ho-hum. I made a new style in May using pink shells but I also have other colors. There are a couple of new earring styles that are a nice match and great for the summer. Next month, look for Hill Tribe silver watches. I just ordered a plain watchface with a large square dial that I think will be a perfect complement for the simple ethnic appeal of the handmade silver.

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NEW MATERIALS

FOSSILIZED CORAL: I bought an exciting new material called "fossilized coral". It's actually coral rock --very hard and smooth. The cutaway of the rock shows remnants of the wagon wheel-like skeletons from the sea creatures that inhabited it who knows how many years ago. It comes in a range of colors from nearly white to a medium brown tone and sometimes bits of rust, gray or sage green. There are two necklaces this month that illustrate how using different shades of the same material in the same design have a different look. I'll be looking for more of this material in different shapes on my next buying excursion. I have some

Zuni bear shapes that I used for earrings and little pendants that you'll see on the site next week. CORAL HEISHI: There are a few new designs with coral heishi and freshwater pearls this month. The supply of this material is very limited so there are just one or two of each piece available. The coral is a salmon color even though it might look orange on your monitor. I'll buy more if it becomes available, but that's unlikely since the unusual materials are usually only found once. The material is so nice, I'm actually keeping a bracelet and necklace for myself!!

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ORGANIC MATERIALS HELPFUL TIPS

SHELL WEAR AND CARE: In case you aren't already aware, I string everything on a marine grade stainless steel cable that's coated with nylon. This means that you can wear these items in salt water!! Just remember the shells are organic material and will bleach out with chlorine just  like your cotton, silk, or linen clothing. If you wear the shells in the ocean or a mildly chlorinated pool, just wash them with a little dish soap and water and rinse with clear water when you get back home. The best idea is to wash with a little shampoo while still wearing them when you take your after swim shower. If the shells begin to appear a little dried out, wipe a little vegetable or olive oil on them, let it soak in, and wipe away the excess. A LITTLE STORY: I made a terrible mistake a while back and cleaned a Native American silver with red coral cuff bracelet with a

chemical silver cleaner. At the time, I didn't know not to use chemicals on organic materials. I had always heard about pearls but never connected the two. The coral became very gritty feeling and dried out. I thought the bracelet was ruined!! I oiled (and oiled and oiled) the material, rubbing the oil in with my fingers, and the coral came back to its original luster. I don't think it could take that kind of abuse more than once and I certainly learned my lesson! Now, I keep the silver in a tarnish free box but will use a little toothpaste (the cheap gel stuff with no grit works best) on my fingers and rub it into the silver parts and then just wash the toothpaste away with a little dish soap and rinse. Save your old battery operated toothbrushes for this. Just put in a fresh battery and you'll have a great tool for really getting into some of the tougher spots.

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Enjoy June… Hope that you can make it to one of the craft shows that we will be presenting at!! --Rhodie and Paul

Stay tuned...
 

 June 12, 2004; 10 AM to 6 PM - Saturday Market Celebrate Harvard - Yale Regatta - New London Waterfront Park; New London, CT 06320 (map) (web)
Admission: free

June 26, 2004; Sat. 10 AM to 5 PM  - Arts & Crafts in the Rose Garden -, Elizabeth Park, Hartford, CT 06107 (map)