PebblesatmyFeet's Blog

Pockets stuffed with pebbles...I've got to do something! Amazing and ordinary adventures of a mountain-dwelling jewelry artisan
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Brass and Oxidized Brass-plated Jewelry - Some Historical Notes and Guidelines for its Use and Care

Published: 05-18-2013 03:24pm
Posted In: The Pebbles Particulars
For some of my jewelry items, especially those with an antique look, I use solid brass and brass-plated components with an aged (darkened) finish. The findings I employ are high-quality commercially produced and finished, with the exception of wire parts (eye pins, some head pins, ear wires, wire wraps, jump rings) that I make from solid brass wire and antique myself. Moonstone and pearl choker and earrings set with antique brass plated and solid oxidized brass components from Pebbles at my Feet.  Today’s commercially produced brass jewelry findings embody the expression “best of both worlds”. Authentic antique stamping molds from... » Read More

Extreme (or not so) Makeover: Handcrafted Jewelry Studio Edition. Don’t Deactivate, Do-over.

Published: 05-09-2013 01:07pm
Posted In: Pebbles' Products
The glorious (read that “wet, slushy, muddy, snowy”) spring weather here at 9300 feet above sea level has provided me ample time for indoor activities. I’ve been tending to my ArtFire studio – housekeeping if you will – by re-shooting some photographs, merchandizing the pages, and rebuilding some items that didn’t please me. I posted to my Facebook page about two earring “makeovers” and thought I’d elaborate here and see what my readers think about the results. As a new online seller, I’ve learned that photographing my products to display them at their best is of paramount importance. I’ve gotten better at it over ... » Read More

Jewelry that Fits is Jewelry That is Worn: Adding to the Conversation

Published: 05-01-2013 11:07am
Posted In: Pebbles' Products
If your jewelry fit peeves include bracelets too long, necklaces too long, rings slip off your fingers, then you need to consider the artisan jewelry options on ArtFire. For this post I searched through just a few studios on ArtFire for copy and examples of fit or adjustable fit options in handcrafted jewelry.  Many item descriptions include text such as “message me for a custom fit”, or this one from O. Sebastian! Studio “This listing includes lengths of up to 16" and I will happily custom fit the length for a perfect fit.”  for her Nexus choker, or this one from Irish Expressions  “This particular bracelet will fit wrists fr... » Read More

Jewelry that Fits is Jewelry that is Worn. A Post for Handcrafted Jewelry Customers and Artisans

Published: 04-29-2013 11:29am
Posted In: Pebbles' Products
How jewelry fits, and specifically, how jewelry fit ME (or rather, never seemed to), was one of the motivating factors in my developing my craft. In fact, the first jewelry-making skill that I acquired was shortening necklace chains. Maybe it’s because I’m a small lady, but it seemed I always had to alter necklaces to happily wear them. I’m also a very active person who doesn’t like to fuss or worry about her jewelry. I want it secure and well fitting so I can forget about it – even in dress up I want to wear my jewelry, not have it wear me! The thought that others out there might have their own fit peeves helped me to develop ... » Read More

Introducing Pebbles for a Cause. Spring 2013: Choose Orange to Support Leukemia Awareness and Research

Published: 02-14-2013 12:18pm
Posted In: Pamela's Pebbles of Wisdom
Inspiration for handcrafted jewelry designs and their execution can come from many sources. Sometimes, when making gifts or commissions, the inspiration is the intended recipient; their likes, physical attributes, and my emotional connection to them. Often, it’s a color scheme or a particular stone or a wire art design kicking around in my head. In this post, I’ll talk about one kind of inspiration: how circumstances, life experiences or people inspire me to create artisan jewelry. Pebbles for a Cause A year ago this month, my husband’s son died of a rare type of blood cancer, Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia, CMML. He’d been... » Read More

How I Drill Holes in Tumbled Stones, Supplemental Information

Published: 11-16-2012 10:01am
Posted In: The Pebbles Particulars
Thank you everyone, for your comments and interest in my last post about drilling holes in tumbled stones. I’m very happy for the feedback. This post will be an update to the last one. There were some questions about what the drills look like and what I mean by “collet”. So, here goes! Your Dremel tool (and probably flex-shafts are similar) will have a screw-nut at its “nose” that holds the various attachments you can get for the tool. A collet slip-fits inside this nut. The collet has a central hole into which you slide your attachment – be it a drill or a polishing wheel, cut-off wheel, etc. The diameter of the cen... » Read More

How I Drill Holes in Tumbled Stones for my Handcrafted Jewelry

Published: 09-16-2012 10:26am
Posted In: The Pebbles Particulars
I like using tumbled stones in my handcrafted jewelry. As I wrote in an earlier post, I like their natural free form shapes and the degrees of polish possible when I process stones in the rock tumbler. For many of my artisan jewelry designs like simple pendants or my Pebbles’ earrings, the stones need to be drilled.       My husband and I have a full woodworking shop.  However, I knew our woodworking drill press would not do for tumbled stones. You see, you don’t actually drill through a stone like wood rather you grind the stone away. It's more like drilling concrete or tile. You need higher speeds and (obviously) smaller d... » Read More

A Sunday Walk in South Park Colorado to Photograph Wildflowers

Published: 08-12-2012 01:37pm
Colorado boasts some incredibly beautiful wildflower walks and hikes. Notably, the high alpine regions are lush with wildflowers in mid summer and attract tourists. Crested Butte, an old mining town and now popular ski resort, holds a wildflower festival every July. It is in the higher and damper areas like this that the lovely Columbine – Colorado's state flower - is found. Last summer (2011) Hubby and I camped near Crested Butte Mountain Resort in July and were astounded by the bounty of wildflowers. I took this (and many others) portrait of our state's flower while there. Everywhere you looked there was a “calendar shot” begg... » Read More

What's in a Name: Naming my Handcrafted Jewelry Studio

Published: 07-28-2012 11:31am
Posted In: About Pebbles at my Feet
What’s in a name? How did I come up with Pebbles at my Feet Natural Stone Adornments? Pebbles at my Feet, to me, captures the joy of discovering something “special”. Pick up a pebble; discover a gem. Who doesn’t recall as a child running to Mom or Dad with a perfectly tumbled beach pebble, palm-sized skipping stone, or sea shell? “Look what I found!” Bursting with pride and in awe of your treasure you hold on to it, not really knowing why. You found it. You found beauty in it. You probably put it in a shoebox and moved it several times. I know I did. If you’ve read my bio on Artfire, you know that I grew up around beau... » Read More

How to Shop for Handcrafted Jewelry on Artfire: Let One Studio be Your Guide to the World of Handmade

Published: 07-25-2012 04:30pm
Posted In: Artfire Specific
If you’re new to shopping online for artisan jewelry you’re probably overwhelmed at the sheer numbers of items available. How do you find an item that you or your giftee will like? How do you create searches that will narrow results to manageable numbers? I wrote this guide to help shoppers learn how to shop on Artfire.com and to provide some specific hints related to shopping for handcrafted jewelry on Artfire. First of all, thanks for reading my blog and importantly for your interest in supporting artisans by buying handmade. However you found me – maybe I’m a friend of a Facebook friend of yours, or maybe a Google search land... » Read More

Use and Care of Copper in Handcrafted Jewelry

Published: 07-14-2012 09:03am
Posted In: The Pebbles Particulars
Copper was likely the first metal that early humans discovered and worked. Copper beads estimated to be from 9000 BC were unearthed in northern Iraq. Copper could be found (in its native metallic state) on the surface of the ground and man began to hammer it to work it. It is generally accepted that by about 5000 BC man had extensive knowledge of working copper and was learning to extract it from ores. Between copper and its important alloys, bronze and brass, it is safe to say that human civilization has relied on this material for its technological advancement. Early uses for copper include ornament, containers, currency, tools, and arm... » Read More

Tumble-polishing Stones for Handcrafted Jewelry

Published: 07-06-2012 07:56am
Posted In: The Pebbles Particulars
I like to use tumble-polished stones in my jewelry. I like their free form shapes and the luster - sometimes satin, sometimes very glossy - that stones processed this way can display. Here are just two examples of Pebbles at my Feet tumbled stone jewelry.       Today I tended a batch of stones that have been tumbling in my rock tumbler for a little over a week. It occurred to me that my readers might like to know something about the process and about the tumbled stones that I use in making jewelry. Rock tumbling is not for the impatient! While the automated process uses a piece of equipment, a rock tumbler, to accelerate w... » Read More

A New Life for Some Old Gems: Making jewelry from floating opal and aurora borealis orbs

Published: 07-04-2012 02:53pm
Posted In: Pebbles' Products
In my Artfire studio, I’ve just opened a shop section called “Something Old”. If you’ve read my bio on Artfire, you’ll know that my dad was a lapidary hobbyist throughout my early childhood (late 1950’s – 1970). His father was too. Remnants of both granddad’s and dad’s lapidary pursuits found their way to me a few years ago. With the task of clearing out the basement of the old family home, much of this was “just too much to deal with” at the time and so a lot got discarded. What I ended up with – a few cabochons that dad had worked, some lapidary rough, tumbled stones, some findings, half-drilled and undrilled gem... » Read More
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