Cristina Hurley Jewelry Design

2011-11-28T10:57:00.000-08:00

Artists Crossing Holiday Party!

Cristina Hurley

If you love holiday shopping, and you love fine, handmade crafts and gift, look no further than Artists Crossing in the downtown crossing area of Boston. Members of Boston Handmade are displaying their work there through the holidays!

Some of the artists include Jessica Burko of Reclaimed to You,

and Nancy MacCallum of Nancy Rosetta.

If you are feeling festive, make sure you stop by the shop on thursday December 1rst. They are having a 3rd Anniversary Party, from 4-8pm. you might even get to meet some of the artists!

Here's the location:

Artists Crossing

505 Washington Street

Boston, MA

Happy Holidays!

Like their page on Facebook

New inventory has arrived in the Shop!

2011-11-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

New Inventory Has Arrived!

Cristina Hurley

http://www.cphurley.etsy.com

I'm really looking forward to a great holiday season in my shop, especially with all of the new inventory that is starting to come in from my fellow Boston Handmade members! they make such beautiful things, and my shoppers are already commenting on how nice the items are, and how cute the shop looks.

Jessica Burko of Reclaimed to You dropped off lots of beautiful hand knit scarves and hats! Go to her site for other fine pieces, artwork, and paper goods.

Jennifer Tang of Majenta Designs, makes beautiful asian inspired pendants and purse hooks.

These pieces are by Karen Mahoney, of City by the Sea Ceramics. Raku and other techniques are used to create these unique pieces.

Beautiful jewelry inspired by nature by Nancy weller, of Nancy Rosetta. She uses different metalsmithing techniques and materials to give the pieces great color and dimension.

And of course, there's always me! I am making new designs every day and getting very excited for people to see them. you can even see me making jewelry in my shop! It's also my studio.

Come visit us Wednesday through saturday, 11am-6pm...

3 Rockland Street

Canton, MA 02021

781-562-0421

Hope to see you!

Change is Good

2011-11-09T12:52:00.000-08:00

A Much Needed Change

Cristina Hurley

my etsy shop

I had a very busy and rough couple of weeks, which culminated in a big craft sale which was a bit of a disappointment. The next day, I decided that I needed to change things up a bit in my shop/studio.

The easiest and most effective way to revamp a space is to paint... So I decided to paint half of this wall with paint I had been using to paint in the shop. I painted and then decided to add some custom hand painted swirls...
I love swirls, they are organic and fun to do freestyle. No need to mark or measure, I just began swirling out from the straight edge I had painted the wall up to.

The swirls are all over my shop in different ways, so I thought they would look nice and add a bit of whimsy to my decor.

Cool! the swirls are all done! they only took a couple of hours or so. The paint dried quickly, so I began to hang up what had been on the wall already. In this case, a display with some jewelry in it.

All done! All I had to do was put everything back, and I decided to rearrange the furniture and displays. I think it looks nice!

And that's just one wall!

I made changes in the entire shop.

Stay tuned for the next chapter...

The window wall!

Cristina

2011-11-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

1 Year Anniversary Open House this Saturday, Nov. 5th!

Cristina hurley

http://www.cphurley.etsy.com

Come join me this Saturday, November 5th to celebrate my 1 Year Anniversary in my studio/shop!

I've been working hard to spruce up the place, and have really made it into what I imagined my little shop would be.

There will be refreshments, music, a free raffle, tarot card readings, and much more!

Come visit anytime during the hours of 10 am and 6pm. You will get to see some of my new designs too!
Cristina Hurley Jewelry
3 Rockland Street
Canton, MA
781-562-0421

Hope to see you! It will be lots of fun!

Anniversary Open House, This Saturday nov. 5th!

2011-11-02T10:49:00.001-07:00

1 Year Anniversary Open House this Saturday, Nov. 5th!

Cristina hurley

http://www.cphurley.etsy.com

Come join me this Saturday, November 5th to celebrate my 1 Year Anniversary in my studio/shop!

I've been working hard to spruce up the place, and have really made it into what I imagined my little shop would be.

There will be refreshments, music, a free raffle, tarot card readings, and much more!

New Kenpo Collection

2011-09-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

When Two Arts Collide

Cristina Hurley

http://www.cphurley.etsy.com

There are I two things I enjoy doing more than anything else in this world. I want to tell you a little bit about both because in some ways they are different and yet so similar to me.
One of them is making jewelry. I am very lucky to have found my creative calling at such an early age. It has been one of the most rewarding and satisfying aspects of my life. When my mom signed me up for a jewelry class back in 1990, I had no idea it would change my life forever, and put me on such a wonderful path of self discovery. Not only did I find my creative outlet, but I found what I wanted to do for a living, and what made me truly happy. There is nothing I can think of that makes a person more fortunate than finding a career in something they love to do, something they would even want to do for FREE.

Sterling Silver Universal Pattern Keychain

The other is Kenpo karate, something I began to do relatively recently, and to my surprise I have grown to really enjoy. Kenpo has begun to give me that same feeling of fulfillment that making jewelry does.
What is so intersting is that I feel as though I did not find kenpo... I am starting to believe that Kenpo found me. I wasn't looking for anything new to learn but I now know that I had become complacent, and that I needed a new outlet for my creativity; I needed to grow and learn something new. My husband took me to a class at the kenpo karate studio he went to, and I figured I would give it a try. It was really hard but I wanted to give it a chance. It was definitely not second nature to me but my teacher, Craig Lowe, and the other students, were helpful and encouraging.

Universal Pattern Pendant

I've found something new and exciting to be passionate about, but I don't have to give up one for the other. Instead, I have found inspiration in one, kenpo, for the other, jewelry. I have been inspired to make pieces using the beautiful images created by the founder of this martial art, Ed Parker. One is the Universal Pattern, shown above in the silver and red pieces. you can see so many different shapes in the pattern. I find it to be so beautiful, and just had to do some pieces using it.

Sterling Silver Dragon Pendant

Kenpo also uses animals as symbols, the two most common being the tiger and the dragon. The tiger represents strength, the dragon wisdom. I was inspired by this to make this dragon pendant pictured above, and am working on designs for the tiger pendant as well.

I am so thankful to have these two arts in my life, both stimulate me mentally and physically, but in different and yet complimentary ways. I find so much inspiration in both, enough to probably last a lifetime!

Photo story: Creating an Engagement Ring

2011-09-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

Custom Silhouette Charm Necklace Contest

2011-08-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

Contest Title:
Custom Silhouette Charm Necklace Contest

What you’ll win:

A handmade Custom Sterling Silver Silhouette Charm Necklace in the shape of your choice. The Charm will be designed uniquely for you per your description in your winning entry. The silhouette shape can be geometric, an animal silhouette, a letter or number, or a symbol you like, anything that can be made into a Silhouette Charm. (Click here to see an example of a shiny Butterfly Silhouette Charm Necklace that I made recently.) It can be oxidized (blackened), or have a shiny or matte finish. The Charm with be around 1" in size on a chain available in either 16" or 18" inches.

How to Win:
Write a sentence stating your description of the shape you would like a Custom Charm to be made in and post it to your Blog, Twitter, or Facebook with a link back to https://sites.google.com/site/customsilhouettecharmcontest/ then email churleycontest@gmail.com with your entry, OR just email your entry to churleycontest@gmail.com.

Contest Rules:
Three (3) winning entries will receive a Custom Sterling Silver Silhouette Charm Necklace, handmade by me! Winning entries will be selected at random. The contest ends on 8/31/2011 @ 11:59pm!

I was a Featured Customer!

2011-08-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

I love wall decals and have a couple up in my shop. The company who did the decals contacted me to do an interview and put a very nice article about me on their blog!
You can see the article here:
http://dalidecals.com/backlot/customers/featured-customer-cristina-hurley/
Decals are a great way to decorate a space without having to do a lot of work, they can be of almost anything you can think of. They come in many colors and sizes.
Check out the article, then check out Dali Decal's Website!

When Two Arts Collide

2011-07-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

When Two Arts Collide

Cristina Hurley

http://www.cphurley.etsy.com

Sterling Silver Universal Pattern Keychain

Universal Pattern Pendant

Sterling Silver Dragon Pendant

Event Today

2011-06-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's finally here. My Summer Solstice Soiree is today from 11am-6pm!

The shop's looking spiffy for the event. There's still time to stop by and enjoy the refreshments and fun. Tarot card readings will be available from 3-6pm.

We're offering 10% off, if you mention this blog!

Summer Soiree

2011-06-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to stop by the studio this Saturday from 11-6. There will be food, Free Tarot card readings, fun and more. The studio's really coming together for the event with it's new paint job, and all. :)

Party Info HERE

We'll be partying rain or shine!

Hope to see you there!

~Cristina

MAP

My Website

New work

2011-06-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

Summer Solstice All Day Soiree

2011-05-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

School's almost out, summer's almost here....and who doesn't need a good party? Channel some good energy and come party with us as we celebrate the coming of the summer season. Mystical, magical things could happen! Refreshments will be offered. Free Tarot Card readings from 3-6pm! Party Info HERE

We'll be partying rain or shine!

Invite your friends it's an open event!

Hope to see you there! MAP

~Cristina

My Website

A Mess of Rings

2010-11-22T07:58:00.000-08:00

A Mess of Rings!

Cristina Hurley

http://www.cphurley.etsy.com/

I love to make all styles of jewelry, but one of the styles I love to make the most is rings. Rings

are like sunglasses; even if you are a conservative dresser, you can wear a ring

that stands out for that extra bit of flair you might want to express, without getting to wacky.

they can be super simple, or totally outlandish. They can mean nothing, or everything to the wearer.

I am making a ton of rings right now. I noticed when I saw this mess of them on my bench.

Enjoy the process!

Drilling to set stones

Hammering a ring to the right size.

Forming a ring to shut the seam.

Filing a setting.

sanding the inside of a band.

Thats me with all my rings! :)

New work

2010-10-01T05:45:00.000-07:00

New work

Cristina Hurley

http://www.cphurley.etsy.com/

My recent move to my new studio/shop has inspired me in many different ways. I had not considered the possibility that my new space would help me so much, not only with my productivity, but also my creativity. Being in a different environment has produced some new work that I am very pleased with. Here are some examples.

"Susan's Star" Sterling silver and diamond.

Ptolemy Bracelet" Sterling silver, oxidized, set with CZs

"Nova Bracelet" Sterling silver, oxidized, set with CZs

"Obelisk Necklace" Sterling silver, Black Czech Crystals

I am still working a lot with the black and white theme, I enjoy the contrast and it really makes the metals and the stones pop! All the pieces were hand fabricated in my studio. although labor intensive, I really enjoyed making them and am very happy with the results.

you can see all these pieces and more in my new shop, located at

3 Rockland Street

Canton, MA 02021

781-562-0421.

2010-06-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Eco Friendly Jewelry

Cristina Hurley

http://www.cphurley.etsy.com/

You might have noticed lately that there is a Green Movement going on all over the world; the jewelry industry is no exception. Many jewelers have become very aware of where their materials come from and how they are brought from the earth to our benches. In recent years you may have heard about conflict free diamonds and the like, but many jewelers are now turning to recycled and lab created materials to produce "fine" jewelry. Many even call it "Green Jewelry" in light of the popularity of the term. Green is not just a color of an emerald anymore. It means so much more.

There are many different sources for alternative materials out there now, and there are many alternative materials to choose from. For example, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires can all be grown in labs. They are natural, but grown by people instead of dug out of the earth.

Refined and recycled metals can be bought from different sources. One company, Hoover and Strong, sells mine-free recycled metals. They are my favorite source for metals.

There are also different types of synthetic stones out there, such as Cubic zirconia, which are also lab created and look just as great as diamonds, without the conflict or the cost.

Here is an example of a recent set of rings I made:

Anti Wedding ring set in Silver

These rings are made from recycled sterling silver, and set with Cubic Zirconias for some sparkle. They are then oxidized using an Ecofriendly technique which involves a hard boiled egg.

Pretty cool huh?

there are even entire jewelry sites dedicated to selling green jewelry, like the company Green Karat.
They are dedicated to selling what they call "Ecologically Responsible Jewelry".

So the next time you look for that perfect piece of jewelry for a friend or a loved one, make sure you go Green!

you can find the rings pictures above at this link:

Boston Handmade Treasury.

2010-04-13T05:37:00.000-07:00

I'm a member of a fabulous group here in MA, Boston Handmade (http://www.bostonhandmade.org/), and made a treasury on Etsy.com to represent art from the different artists in the group. They are a fabulous talented group of people, check it out:
www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=95218
:)

thanks!

Hoppy Easter!

2010-04-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

Well, despite my unfortunate circumstances of the week, I had a pretty nice Easter Sunday today. I figured I would focus on the positive, and not let my bad week get me down.

I hope all my blogger friends out there, whether you celebrate Easter or not, have had a lovely day and enjoyed the sunshine, if your in my neck of the woods!
BUZZZZZZZZZZ

Spring cleaning sale

2010-04-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all, I have been forced by the weather to Spring clean, which I kind of never do, so I figured I would also do some spring cleaning of my inventory.

Mind you, it's still all great stuff, I just want to make room for the new stuff.

Here's the link and no need to do anything special, I've made all the changes...

http://www.cphurley.etsy.com/

Happy Spring!!!!!

I spoke too soon.

2010-03-31T07:36:00.000-07:00

I live in a sub level apartment and it totally flooded.
Other thing to do when it rains:
Bail water for hours in your bathroom so it doesn't spread to the rest of the apt.
Yuck.

What to do when it rains.

2010-03-30T06:18:00.000-07:00

When it rains like this, I can really get in a zone making jewelry. Creative spurts abound along with the raindrops. this set reminds me of rain falling from clouds...

New Design of the Week!

2010-03-29T07:38:00.001-07:00

Falling Water Pendant and Earrings

Sterling Silver, Orange CZ, Handmade findings and chain.

This Fluid yet sturdy design was inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd wright, one of my favorite artists of all time.

New Design of the week!

2010-03-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

Sterling silver Scheherazade Necklace and earrings, in Sterling Silver and dark blue apatite.

I love the sky

2010-02-25T06:36:00.000-08:00

I've always been one of those kids that plops down on the grass on a clear starry night and gets inspiration from the cosmos. I've tried a few different things to express this and am very happy with my latest attempt at capturing the night sky.

It's almost impossible to mimic something so natural and perfect.
We have it in us though, the universe createdus and everything in it. We are made out of it.

Lets see wear my spacewalk takes me.

My daughter's Etsy shop.

2009-09-22T07:08:00.001-07:00

My daughter Dana has her own Etsy shop. The chirping began a bit before the summer, she had hand painted a tshirt and decided she wanted to start a tshirt business on Etsy. Summer was coming and I had planned nothing for her. So I figured we would get creative.

She really took to it wonderfully. I thought she would lose interest after a few weeks, but she didn't. She made so many images I still haven't been able to scan them all to the computer. She designed a business card, and I found a special offer for free cards, just paid shipping. She got into our local newspaper, the headline read "Young entrepreneur combines her love of art with desire to help animals".

The reason for this headline is I also figured I could teach her a valuable lesson about giving back, in particular to her community. I told her to pick something she loved, cared about deeply. She said animals and I suggested our local animal shelter. We both agreed it was a great idea. So we decided to give 1 dollar from each sale to the shelter.

I am very happy with the results so far. She's using her talents to create something people like a lot. She's learning she can make money doing something she enjoys and loves doing, drawing. She's told me she wants to be an artist when she grows up. She has new ideas for other products, soon to be revealed for the holidays. She is even doing a show this weekend! She'll have her very own table at our Block Party in Canton, MA on Sept. 26th.

I could not be more proud of what she is acheiving with such a small, cute idea- an idea which began with her watching me work on my own shop.

Like mother like daughter, I guess!

If you would like to see Dana's designs, go to http://www.scribbyworld.etsy.com/

My new idea/collection is on track!

2009-09-17T04:49:00.000-07:00

As I always love to say, I've been chained to my bench lately. Not physically of course, just metaphorically, working away at all my commisions and projects. What I'm also doing is trying to bang out a few new designs.collections for the holiday season, and this is one of them.

I've always loved fluffy fuzzy soft things, whatever they may be, anything in nature that had some sort of tactile feature that made them touchable and fun. Like a rabbit ear- you know, those plants with fuzzy leaves on them. Don't get me wrong actual rabbit ears are cool, but those leaves are SO cool My daughter and I stop and feel everytime we see them.

I also love all the feathers i find on my morning walks. I don't keep them, but i almost always pick them up and feel them. This inspired my new collection. I hought, "how would one actually feel a piece of jewelry?" Now I'm sure many successful artists have pondered this question, and made wonderful pieces, with texture and bumps and whatnot. I wanted fuzzy jewelry that wasn't silly.

So I think I came up with a successful solution and I am very happy with the results. With the thread, I can do any colors that i want, and i hope as I go that they become more elaborate and rich with varying colors, like a Monet, or a Vangoh. I love color too and I've always wanted it to be rich in my work but not with an abundance of beads, and I'm not a very good enameler, so that was out.

A new Idea

2009-08-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

I have not been at the computer too much, or the bench recently either for myself, but now I am back on track with my work and working on new ideas. Here is my most recent. I am pretty happy with it and it looks different from my metal work up to now. I have wanted to experiment with different materials, for color, other than stones, beads or enamels. I love the feathery feel of this pendant. I'll be working on more of this line and putting it up soon.

Fenway July 6, 2009

2009-07-06T13:16:00.001-07:00

SCORE

2009-06-18T08:29:00.001-07:00

I need to tell you all about a wonderful project I have discovered recently. It is a non profit organization called SCORE, and they help people like us start or build businesses. These are retired, successful business people that want to help you MAKE IT. whether it be a small start up, or you have growing pains, they give you all the information you need to do whats right, and steer clear of common business mistakes. All you have to do is call you local chapter, they are all over the US. Make an appointment and ask all the questions you want. It is totally FREE. Free people! they even gave me Quickbooks! FREE! It is amazing.

Here's a link for you:

http://www.score.org/index.html

Call them- you have NOTHING to lose! they even do free online counseling for any questions you may have.

Good Luck Fellow artists!

2009-06-17T16:28:00.001-07:00

I'm at karate today for the first time in a month I think. Jewelry keeps me at home too much sometimes....

This is what kept me away.

2009-06-16T10:32:00.001-07:00

I've been too busy to blog

2009-06-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
I guess in some ways good, some ways bad. I did a good amount of commisions...I did a couple of shows, made a couple sales on Etsy, thats a good thing.
My studio is a mess. thats a bad thing.
My laundry is sitting on the couch. Hey, at least its CLEAN laundry, and its folded.
There is food in my fridge, and its not old moldy food.
The dishes are clean, thats good too.
Have not sat at the bench yet today. Thats bad.
I did go to SCORE though, they are amazing. Everyone who is self employed needs to look into SCORE.
I'll try to blog more.
:)

St Patrick's Day Giveaway!

2009-03-08T07:15:00.001-07:00

1 bracelet with clover

chicbeadsbygermaine

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5277658

1 pair earrings

Jane Deaux

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5338038

Teresa Smith #1

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5351339

Teresa Smith #2

Teresa Smith #3

1 Sterling silver ring with Peridot

Sally Jewett-Brocado

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5584912

1 clover pendant, 18 inch sterling ball chain

by Lori Magno

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5912617

Small Clover Drops

Cristina Hurley

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5513114
(4 prizes will be given by me: Ask for Peridot or Aquamarine!))

My Birthday is on Saint Patrick's Day, and I am in the mood to do something fun! So I thought a giveaway would be perfect! The Etsy team, Metalsmiths in Action(MSIA), and I have joined forces to bring you a fun St. Patty's Day giveaway....

Here are the rules:

1. Look in all shops in the MSIA Etsy Team artists featured here. Look for the special icon... You will know it when you see it!

You can find the MSIA etsy stores here:

http://team.etsy.com/viewteam.php?id=418

2. Find ALL 3 St. Patty's Day motif icons, copy and paste the listings(or mention the listing ID numbers) to an email. Email the listings to me, at

mailto:mcristinahurley@hotmail.com, along with...

3. Your top 3 choices for your prize in your email by artist name, with your best email address to contact you, so I can let you know if you win!

4. Once you have selected your prize, the artist you selected will contact you for your shipping address.

5. Leave a nice comment here!!!!!!!!

All winners will be contacted starting on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day... The contest will continue until all prizes have been won!

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

(O' The Irish!)

Cristina

Win a prize from a talented fellow jeweler!!!!!

2009-03-06T09:09:00.000-08:00

Go to this link for a chance to win a beautiful ring by Chocolate and Steel!

http://chocolateandsteel.blogspot.com/2009/03/giveaway.html

Good luck!

Some more photos....It's not easy! But I think I've got the hang of it.

2009-02-26T08:42:00.001-08:00

Been a while...

2009-02-26T08:33:00.001-08:00

I know, I know, it's been a while since i posted. I am really busy trying hard to reshoot ALL of my pictures of my jewelry. I actually sat down and figured out the best setting to take the pictures on. I had been assuming the pictures would just be good on auto. WRONG. I thought the ISO had to be high. WRONG. The shutter speed did not matter, right? WRONG. I wasted a lot of time taking bad pictures and wondering why my pictures looked sucky.

Oh well. The pictures are way better, here's a few...

This is the best part...

2009-01-29T07:19:00.000-08:00

...of what I do for a living...

If you look closely at her hand, she has her new Butterfly Ring on, this is the same one from my earlier post.

It was a gift for a friend of my mother's

I think she was pleased!

Happy customers = Happy Cristina!

Blog feature!

2009-01-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

I just found out I was featured on another blog, a very interesting one. In the true spirit of

Helping those who help me, I wanted to feature it back.

Here you go, enjoy!

http://www.thecarrotbox.com/about/index.asp

A great blog dedicated to Rings!

Cristina

New Year- New Ring!

2009-01-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

My Beautiful chinese lion

2009-01-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

We went to Marble House in Newport, RI on our way down to NYC for a short trip. It was built behind Marble House, a famous mansion built by the Vanderbilts in the early 1900s. A very cool place.

Dana loved the lions and decided she wanted to be one for a bit, can you tell which one is her?

My newest piece from my newest line

2009-01-07T08:15:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone,

Happy New Year!

It's great to be back into my normal routine, especially putting my child on the bus in the morning! I have had not time to post with everyone being home for so long... Now I'm playing major catch up! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Here's a newbie I wanted to show everyone. I'm enjoying this line and plan on doing more with it. I will try to show one in progress in the next few days.

have a great day!

TEMPTED2

2008-12-16T07:05:00.000-08:00

Please contact me- you are the giveaway winner! I tried the email you gave me and it comes back to me.... I would love to be able to send you your gift by Christmas! Congratulations again!
:)
Cristina

We have a winner!

2008-12-15T06:44:00.001-08:00

I am happy to announce the winner of my blog giveaway!

The winner is..........................................................................

Tempted2!

Please contact me via email for your shipping address- I tried the one you gave me with no luck...

Congratulations!

:) Cristina

Treasury #2!

2008-12-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

I was picked to be in a treasury! It's only my second so far, and they make me so so happy....
:)
Check it out!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=25506

2008-12-06T07:04:00.000-08:00

See this piece ?

<-------------

Its the finished result of the last post, about my bench. I always love how organized and geometric my work is, but how messy my bench seems. I know I spoke about it in the last post, but I just think its curious.

I think it came out really good... What do you think?

Wanna See?

2008-12-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

My Messy Bench?

I clean it a lot, I really do, but my bench is my sketchbook, and I work furiously on it everyday, so it gets messy really quickly!

Right now I am working on a Temple necklace for a very nice lady. She is going to give it to her best friend. Isn't that nice? I love making pretty things for friends. I'm making pretty things for several of MY friends right now for Christmas. Some are gifts from me, some are from husbands and boyfriends, one is for MY best friend! In these trying times, I always can sit down at my messy bench and forget about everything for a little while.

I'm glad my bench is messy. It means I'm using it to its fullest potential. Does that mean my brain is messy too? Or could it be messier? HMMMMMMMM......

I had a friend come over the other day, and she got sucked into my bench. Not ONCE did she say "Geez! You're really messy!" or "don't you ever clean?!" Nope... She said "what this you're working on?" and "OOOH, I love that stone!" and this is going to be really cool!" she made my day!

Is YOUR bench messy?

A New Idea II

2008-11-29T09:02:00.001-08:00

Here is the first piece i have created from an original I had designed, as a ring, for a friend of mine. The pieces were just perfect for a set of hoops.

Lets see where this takes me...

Cristina

Jumping on the SALE bandwagon!

2008-11-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't LOVE a good sale?

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5513114
I'm having one, of course, and invite you to take a look!
I have a ton of beautiful, mostly one of a kind pieces in my shop.
Everything is hand fabricated by me.
You will NOT be dissapointed!
:)
Happy Holidays!
And don't forget my giveaway, here on my blog!
See post below...
XO
Cristina

Metalsmiths in Action Contest! Really Fun!

2008-11-27T07:32:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER!

Hello everyone,

Metalsmiths in Action Team

is doing a fun contest, which I am participating in...

Go to this link to enter and the rules.

Its a fun one, like a scavenger hunt!

http://metalsmithsinaction.webs.com/contest.htm

ALL the Prizes are beautiful jewelry from some VERY TALENTED people!

Good luck!

Cristina

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

I made a special treasury!

2008-11-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

For some special items:
Actually my favorite item, the PYRAMID.
Check it out,
I want to give back to my etsy community, so how about a little promotion for some other people!
:)
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=23279

A new idea...

2008-11-25T13:27:00.000-08:00

I have always been interested in things that are opposite from each other, contrasts, things that are so different from each other, they create a balance, a natural order of things. Nature does it quite perfectly. I am exploring some new design ideas based on a project I did a very long time ago, a very organic ring, very different from what I do now.
My jewelry has always been very geometric, very confined to straight lines and squares, very mathematical, but without the intention of being so.
I wonder what I can do, what i could create, if I thought the exact opposite, and designed pieces that are very organic in nature...
I will keep you posted on my progress on my new idea, I'm very excited!
:)

Parties parties parties

2008-11-22T21:26:00.000-08:00

Will the parties ever end? And they have only just begun....

Cristina Hurley Jewelry Giveaway Contest!

2008-11-20T21:38:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone!
In the spirit of the upcoming holiday season, I have decided to do a giveaway contest!
One lucky winner will win this beautiful set, A pair of sterling silver earrings, and a sterling silver Pendant, From my Star Charm line, with gorgeous faceted Labradorite Briolettes! This set is valued at over $100.00 and will be a perfect gift for yourself or a loved one.
Simply post on this thread, become a follower of my blog and include an email address where i can reach you; I have preselected a winning number, and if you are that post number to this thread, you are the lucky winner!
Thank you for participating, and GOOD LUCK!
Contest entries deadline is Dec 15th, to allow time for shipping by Christmas, if it is a gift. Also, I should mention that the set will come in a very nice box with a ribbon!
Thank you again!!!!
Cristina Hurley

Did a show tonight, and I'm so tired!

2008-11-20T21:36:00.000-08:00

I enjoy doing trunk shows, but they are so unpredictable... And it is FREEZING up here! So the turn out was not so great. But I'm not complaining, I did ok...
Good night every one!

My Website!

2008-11-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,
I just wanted to mention that my brand new revamped website is up and running. I took a lot of time and hard work, but it was worth it! there are still things to iron out, and tons of content to add, but I am soooo happy with the results!
Please visit the site:
http://www.cristinahurleyjewelry.com/index.htm
I will be working hard on it through to the holidays.
There are lots of pictures, but even more to add!
:)
Cristina

I'm in a treasury on Etsy!

2008-11-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

Please look before it ends today, Thanks!
Thank you to expressyourself for including me in it!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=32802
XO
C

A big deal to me

2008-11-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

As a mom, and a jeweler, this is a BIG deal:

My daughter, who is turning 8, got her ears pierced this weekend!

She was very brave, and I was very proud. My mother and I made a big deal about it, and taking her became quite an event. She got nervous at first, but when we asked if she wanted to do it another day, she said "NO WAY! TODAY!"

It has also opened the creative doors for me, I started thinking about all the designs I could do for her, and her friends, and children in general.

It may not seem like a big deal to some, but all us girls who do have our ears pierced can probably remember the day we had it done, if we were not babies. In some cultures it is customary right at birth, in others they would not even consider it. It brought up a very interesting dialogue between mom and I, about when I did it and where, and how some cultures do and don't, etc.

So tell me, when and where did you get yours pierced? Was it a big deal? Were yours pierced at birth? I would like to know!

My web sites and other sites of interest.

2008-11-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of my website, and also of different sites I am a memeber of.
www.cristinahurleyjewelry.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5513114
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cristina-Hurley-Jewelry-Design/37562137796?ref=nf
http://www.flickr.com/groups/metalsmithsinaction/
I'll be adding as I go!
I think this is enough for now!
:)
Cristina

Hello, this is my new Blog!

2008-11-12T06:43:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,
I'm jumping onto the blog bandwagon! I am very excited to share my news, artwork adventures and thoughts with all of my friends out the in the world. This is a very exciting time for me, I have really decided to take the plunge and dedicate myself fulltime to my craft and my business.
Making jewelry has made me very happy since I was a teenager, and has taken good care of me, through good times and bad times. It makes me almost as happy as having a wonderful family. It is true that if you have a good home, a good family, and a good job, you have achieved true happiness, and anything is possible.
I will try to post often, please come visit me as much as you like! And take a look at all of my endeavors...
Take care!
XO
Cristina