More Rings, from Helenite to Labradorite and Love Knots!

I have been working on building up my stock for Valentine's Day, so that everyone can find something You-Nique for their sweetheart, (or themselves)!

These are some of my newest ring designs, I tried to vary sizes, style and colors a bit so that there would be something for everyone... or close to it. I hope that you like them!

PLEASE ALSO SEE THE INFORMATION ON MY "RING IN THE NEW YEAR!" CONTEST, where you can win a custom sized Love Knot Ring!







This is a set of three stacking rings in sterling silver.

Two of the bands are a single wire that have been lightly planished, (hammered / pounded). The central band is a twisted wire that I planished more heavily, to lower the profile. These can be worn with other stacking rings of a similar gauge.

< == CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BUY.






This is the newest design in my "Burn All the Letters" love knot ring line. I handmade this ring from rope patterned sterling silver wire.

It is very sturdy, for an open design, and would make a wonderful promise ring, engagement ring, wedding band or Valentine's gift to your special someone!

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE PLEASE CLICK ON THE PHOTO. == >








This is a 5mm faceted Rhodolite Garnet, (AAA quality), that I have set onto a stacking ring band of beaded sterling silver.

Thing handmade ring is designed to be worn with other stacking rings of a similar gauge / thickness.

The stone is gorgeous! It has a deep wine / purple color and wonderful clarity.

< == FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO PURCHASE THIS RING, CLICK ON THE IMAGE.






Those are just a few of my new items! Some of these are a part of my Valentine's Sale, also!

Thank you for stopping by! - Che' of CheDesigns.Com

New Year and New Rings!

I made up some new rings recently and posted them in my Etsy Shop. This is a direct link to my in stock Rings.

I tried to vary the sizes, a bit, so there would be something for everyone, or close to it, (from size 5 to size 9 with these recent listings... I have other sizes in the older listings, also... up to size 14)!

This is my first Sgraffito enamel ring. I was going for an ancient look, reminiscent of Egyptian designs and Roman glass, with a hint of Babylonia as well.

The enamel is built up in repeated firings, by hand, it is a very time consuming process but the effect is very unique!

Sterling Silver and Fine Silver with red, green, yellow and black glass enamel in the handmade bezel, soldered to a handmade ring.

To see more information please click here or on the photo.




This is a Chalcedony cabochon, with a rectangular shape. It has a pillow top and a gorgeous milky blue color... looking like mist over a beach in the morning. The band is sturdy, half round shaped, with a floral motif and is sterling silver.

The bezel is handmade from fine silver, which I pout notches into and engraved lines around. The stone was hammer set and the whole ring has a satin finish with buffing on the texture's high point. Please click here to see this ring, or click on the photo.





This is a hand made sterling silver ring that is from the "Pounded Pebble" line. The pebble was made by me melting my recycled sterling silver scraps into a ball and then planishing, (hammering / pounding /forging), it into a flat pebble shape. I then soldered this onto a sterling silver beaded band.

The whole ring has been satin finished and the pebble's face has been buffed, to bring out the shine! This ring is designed to be stacked with other rings, of a similar gauge. Please click here, or on the image, for details and to see more stacker rings!





This is a handcrafted Biwa Pearl, fine silver and sterling silver designer ring!

I used a lovely gray / purple / perwinkle Biwa pearl as the focal point of this ring. It has a luscious color and sheen! I hand made the band, from sterling silver sheet and wire, which I formed and bent then fused together, giving the metal an organic feel.

I handmade the bezel out of fine silver and soldered it to the band and then set the gorgeous Biwa pearl bead / cabochon into it. For more details on this ring please click on the photo or here.



This is a stacking ring set of three sterling silver stacking bands. The first has a fantastic, brilliant olive green 4.5mm round faceted Tourmaline set onto a rope patterned sterling silver band. The second is a simple, slightly planished, (hammered/forged), band and the third has a handmade "pebble" on it of recycled sterling silver.

This ring has multiple finishes, from sating to buff, and the gemstone / Tourmaline has been hammer set and then the bezel was hand textured with tiny marks, all around! Very unique and a wonderful gift for Valentine's Day or ANY day! Click here, or on the photo, for more details.





"Burn All the Letters" ring, now with a thicker gauged band, for larger sizes or people that work with the hands! On the right you will see the new design, (shown in a size 9), with the thicker gauge and on the left you will see the original design, (in a size 5). I can make the original any size but even when the ring grows the knots stay roughly the same size so the ring may not appear the same gauge or thickness.

By gauging up the wire a little I can make larger rings have the same appearance and be a little more durable, for those who want to wear their rings 24/7! Click here or on the photo for more information.




Last, but not least, is one of my favorite rings from this group. This is a trillion shaped Garnet cabochon set into a handmade bezel of fine silver. I soldered this to a sterling silver beaded band and buffed the setting up, to really highlight this gorgeous little stone!

The red, in this Garnet, is a deep wine color and is quite stunning!

This ring is designed to be stacked with other stacking rings of a similar gauge. Please click on the photo, or here, for more details and more stacking rings for sale, hand made by me in New Hampshire!



Thank you for stopping by my blog and taking a look at my handmade fine jewelry. Have a lovely day and please feel free to share this, like it or +1 it, (all linked below)!

"Ring in the New Year!" CONTEST

I am holding a contest for people to win one of my best selling rings, (custom made to their size; 4 - 9). This ring is handmade from sterling silver and has a large, single knot in it's center. I call this design "Burn All the Letters", as it reminds me of one of my favorite Indigo Girls songs, under that same name.

This ring retails for $24. Please see my shop policies on creation time etc., *before signing up for the contest*. This contest will be open for U.S. customers, over 18 years old, only and there will be one winner!


TO ENTER:

1. Simply like my facebook page, (Che' Designs), and post/link, in the comments area of my facebook page, which item(s) in my Etsy shop is your favorite and why.

or

2. If you are already a fan of my facebook page please post the above info. and share it on your facebook page.


The drawing for this love knot ring will be held on January 31st, 2012 so don't delay! I will contact the winner, via e-mail or facebook, upon winning!








Contest details, again: please feel free to share!

1. Direct link to the giveaway (specific blog post, etc.): http://che4u.blogspot.com/2012/01/ring-in-new-year-contest.html
2. Link to a picture of the prize: http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.232694609.jpg
3. Prize: Sterling Silver Knot Ring made in your size, (4 - 9)!
4. Prize value: $24
5. Number of winners: 1
6. Ending date of the giveaway: 01/31/2012
7. Where it can be won: U.S. only
8. The prize is from: shop name Che4uDesigns
9. To enter this giveaway, you can: Like my facebook page and leave a comment/link about your favorite item(s) in my shop.
10. Anything else you want us to know: Thank you!
11. Email to contact me.
12. I hold a BFA from Maine College of Art in Metalsmithing and Jewelry and have been a work-at-home mother since 2001, selling my handmade costume accessories and fine jewelry online!

New Year and New Work!

I hope that you are all having a wonderful New Year and a Happy 2012 thus far!

I have been busy working with my favorite materials: enamel, sterling silver, fine silver, copper, gold and gems.

[My favorite gemstones tend to be opalescent ones, like moonstones, labradorites, chalcedony etc. or fiery ones, like garnet, sunstone or fire opal etc.. I have a "fire and water" thing going on, I supposed. My favorite paintings have dark blue or indigo and warm yellow or orange also.]



I have been playing with some new enamels, since my last update. I have all sorts of fun opaque colors that have come in, from Tangerine Orange to Deep Red, Translucent Orchid to Cobalt Blue and, of course, Black and White for the purists out there!

Most of my enamel fine jewelry is for sale right in my Etsy shop, I also do custom requests, as the queue allows. Please feel free to stop by and take a peek around. My work is handmade, by me, in New Hampshire (USA). I do *not* order pre-made items and just tweak them, I design each piece from scratch and am a metalsmith / silversmith. I love to design custom pieces for my customers so please drop me a line if you'd like something You-Nique!




Some other things that I have started selling are handmade sterling silver hoops, (1" and 1.25" right now, though other sizes can be custom made), with or without glass rondelle / donut beads. These are a lot of fun and the beads can be mixed and matched, as needed, (or removed if you'd like your hoops without beads for a night)!




























I have started working with PMC again, (precious metal clay). I have been using the Copper clay, as I like it the best. I have posted a few enamel and PMC pieces as well as some gemstone and PMC items. It is a lot of fun to work with, my two favorite mediums rolled into one, ceramics and metal!















Above is a pendant out of copper PMC with enamels in it's recesses. To the right is a pendant out of Precious Metal Clay, (PMC), with a 3mm faceted Apatite gem and three glass beads. Both are strung on colored cotton and ribbon cords.







For the organic, but minimalistic, jewelry lovers I have started a line that I call "Pounded Pebble". These are items made from sterling silver, that I have melted and forged, (hammered / pounded), into a new shape. The ring set, toward the top of the page, has one of these stacking rings in sterling silver and below you will see one of the items that has become a best seller, from this line, my Pounded Pebble handmade designer earrings in sterling silver.

These little studs are quite adorable on and are organic but not over the top or sloppy. They have a crisp look, like a pebble that is shiny from wear and becomes visible as the tide goes out.

New Season and New Work!

Greetings blog readers! I have been busy making new designs and improving old ones. I have started working with PMC and CopprClay, which I haven't worked with since college, (our professor, Tim McCreight, was the metalsmith that worked with the original PMC developer). We got to beta-test the first PMC, which has improved greatly since then!

I have also been etching copper again, something I used to love to do in college, I will post photos of my CopprClay and PMC Silver as well as etched jewelry as I get them.

As for my enamel work, I have expanded my color range quite a bit, adding one or two clear colors and a few opaque as well. I have tried to take a few shots of multiple colors together and I have added my Elemental Post Enamel Earrings to my shops as well as some new colors and sizes of them.

Here are a few examples of the enamel pieces in various colors and styles, (all fine silver bases with sterling silver posts):






















Here is my new, semi opaque, green color:

Some of my favorite pieces are fused items, where the metal has been heated until it melts and bonds together, without solder. It's a tricky process but gives a wonderful organic look to the pieces. Here are some earrings that I had fun making, with Peach Moonstone cabochons, fine silver bezels and gold toned Glass Beads:



























Labradorite and Rainbow Moonstone are two of my favorite stones, which I use regularly. I love the flash of color, usually aqua but sometimes golden amber. They are wonderful gems! Here is a simple stacking ring that I made, with a rope band of sterling silver and a Labradorite cabochon in it's center:

Last, but not least, I have added some very cool glass beads to my hoop repertoire! Now many of my handmade, hammered / planished sterling silver hoops will come with removable glass rondelle beads! Interchangeable for varied looks to mix and match your favorite outfits. Here are a few examples:
















































That's most of what I have been up to, at the jewelry bench, and there's plenty more to come! I am looking at re-organizing my work space to make it more efficient and, hopefully, a little brighter also. Thank you for stopping by!

IF YOU'D LIKE TO PURCHASE ONE OF THE ITEMS SHOWN: please check out my Artfire Shop or drop me a line for a custom item. Have a wonderful day and I look forward to speaking to you soon!

Valentine's Day is Coming! Lovely, non-edible, Sweets for your Sweetheart!

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With Valentine's Day coming up quickly I have added some loving gift items to my shop. There will be something there for everyone's sweetheart, (or yourself)!

(Read the section on STYLE, below, if you are unsure of hers).

For those that don't know their love's size necklaces and earrings are a good option, as one size fits all. If you can match their taste then all will be well in the land of romance! Here are a few of my favorite "one size fits all" gifts for Valentine's Day:

These are sterling silver and enamel post earrings, handmade with wonderful little hearts, shaped out of rope patterned wire. I call them "Heartstrings".





Next up is a copper pendant that has the words: "MY LOVE IS UNBREAKABLE" stamped around it and a heart stamped in the center, (from a stamp that I also made).

Unique, fun, colorful and great token of affection, this piece is sure to make your Love say, "wow!", (and maybe even tear up... tears not included). :)








If your special someone likes the basics then these hand formed and hand crafted, forged, sterling silver hearts with hoops may be just the ticket!

Lightweight, fun, yet simple, they will go well with any outfit and are feminine without being overly "girly".








What if your spouse, lover or "soul mate", (or all of the above), likes jewelry but is not the "heart / mushy" type?

No worries! These simple, elegant and classic post earrings have been a best seller of mine for years! I can make then in golden yellow, as shown, fuschia pink or robin's egg blue...

I have more colors, also, but those are the best sellers. I call them "Mini Vessels" and, with an inner diameter of 3mm, they are amazingly complex and the perfect pair for every day wear!





And now onto the RINGS!

So, you know that your special lady, or gent, likes rings but you aren't sure of what size? Well, there are a few ways of ascertaining this info.:

1) Ask. If you are good at being coy you could casually mention ring size, and try to place it into conversation without arising suspicion. You could say something like, "I heard on the radio today that the average ring size for women is now a size 10!", (it's not). Most ladies would say, "What?! That can't be right, I am average sized and I only wear a 6" etc..

2) You could sneak a ring of hers, that you know fits, and take it to a jeweler to be sized or measure the inside diameter of the ring or

3) you could slide it onto something solid that is tapered and shaped like a finger, (tapered dowel, candle stick etc.). Wrap a piece of string around the area that the ring fit and measure the length. Divide that number by 3.14 and use this chart to find her size.

If your wife is 5' 2" and 100lbs she is probably going to wear between a 4.5 and a 7 on her ring finger, (most probably a 5 or 6). If your number is way off try again. Sturdier / BBW ladies may take up to a 10 or 11.


So, now you have her size... but what's her STYLE? Look at her jewelry and pick out the items that *she chose for herself*. Don't bother looking at gifts, unless she has mentioned to you in private that she loves the ring your mother bought her etc.. Try to notice if she likes stones, enamel or just plain metal. Does she like shiny metal or satin finish? Does she like symbols, like stars, moons, hearts etc.? Does she like cabochons, (smooth topped stones), or faceted jewels? Is there a certain color that she seems drawn to?

Try to write this all down and keep the paper near you when you shop. Keep it hidden, in your wallet or somewhere safe, most women like surprises! Happy Shopping!

Here are a few rings that would make wonderful Valentine's Day Gifts!


The Classic Sterling Silver Band... originally designed by my Father, for my Mother, I have re-tooled this classic to have a more contemporary, artisan, styling!

Solitaire Stacker-Look Ring in sterling silver and Cubic Zirconia. Looks like a stacking ring but is soldered into one band with a brilliant, 5mm, cubic zirconia in it's center!

Robin's Egg enamel stacking ring in sterling silver and enamel. One of my best selling rings, colorful and fun without being gaudy or tacky!

"Double knot" ring, in sterling silver. This is a twist on a classic of mine. It has twice the wires of the original, giving it more texture and depth, while still being comfortable and low-lying... a great ring for folks that use their hands a lot, or that don't like bulky jewelry.

To see all of my jewelry please visit my Artfire Shop or my website, CheDesigns.Com

Happy Valentine's Day and remember, "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!". -Red Green (or romantic, like someone that finds handmade jewelry with her taste in mind).

Amethyst Cabochon Ring in Sterling Silver, Size 9

Click here to see this Amethyst Ring in my Artfire Shop.

This is a ring I made with a gorgeous, deep purple, oval; amethyst cabochon! The band has a lovely, floral motif and the setting is handmade with detailed silver "beading" around the stone.

The Amethyst cabochon measure 16x12mm and has a rich, violet color.

This ring is in stock. Please contact me with any questions.

Thank you!



Materials Used: sterling silver, (.925, ss), fine silver, (fs, .999), oval amethyst cabochon

Handmade, Sterling Silver Wide Band Ring... engagement, wedding or any-wear!

This is a ring that I handmade, loosely based on a ring that my Father made my Mother years ago. I have grown up admiring that ring's simplicity and classic styling.

This ring has a slightly more handmade look than my Mother's. I have hand planished, (hammered / pounded), the surface, giving it a wonderful texture. I left the hammer marks intact and then buffed the surface.

This is the perfect ring for someone that doesn't like a bulky ring... it has a very low profile and nothing to catch on items or clothing. The surface and decorative holes make this jewelry design anything BUT boring, however!



CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS RING'S ORDERING PAGE.