Autumn Bradley Jewelry Design

See you at the 2012 Academy Awards!

2012-01-22T19:37:00.000-05:00

Busy, busy, busy.

Ok, so next up is the 2012 GBK Productions Academy Awards Celebrity Gift Lounge!

After my participation in the Emmy's Gift Lounge I decided I needed a little break and I would just do the press bags for the Oscars. Even though it was much less stressful making 10 pieces of jewelry instead of 100, I kind of regret it and have been feeling a little left out. But whatever, I have the MTV Movie Awards coming up to keep me warm :)

Anyway, back to the Oscars.

I immediately knew what I wanted to create for the press bags. This is very unlike me, by the way. I usually analyze things to death before I make a final decision. But, I knew I wanted to do an Old Hollywood star with a modern vibe.

And this is what I came up with...

I was super happy with the outcome and once it was approved by the powers that be at The Artisan Group, I banged out 10 more, packed them up, and shipped them out.

If you would like to purchase your own little bit of Hollywood you can find my Stargazer Necklace here.

Good luck to all my fellow Artisan Group members who are participating in the gift lounge!

What to do with all that leftover wrapping paper...

2012-01-08T23:27:00.001-05:00

The holiday chaos is finally over and now it's back to the grind!

One of the first things I'm working on this year is my "green-ness".

While I've always been environmentally conscious I've never really made this a focal point of my business.

Since, I've recently teamed up with The Artisan Group to be a part of their Earth Day 2012 Celebrity Gifting Event, I figured this would be a great way to get the ball rolling.

I started by adding a sustainability pledge to my website. I guess I thought everyone was eco these days and things like this weren't necessary. But, you know what they say about assuming...

Then I started thinking about what I could make for these gift bags. Some of the celebrities who received them last year were Adrian Grenier, Pink, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dave Matthews, Ellen DeGeneres, Orlando Bloom, Edward Norton, Sting, Kate Bosworth, and Drew Barrymore, to name a few.

I wanted to make something meaningful and eco-friendly without being too crunchy.

An idea came to me to use my Awareness Ribbon in a bracelet but I wanted to incorporate the color green as well. So I taught myself to make beads using scraps of paper. I know this sounds weird but they turned out really cool. I used some left over green wrapping paper (thanks mom), thread, glue, and sealant. I combined the beads with my hand cut Awareness Ribbon made from recycled sterling silver and 100% natural eco-friendly hemp. Then using my hemp weaving skills acquired from hanging in Phish show parking lots, Hookahville festivals, and afternoons in the quad of the OSU campus (had to throw a little crunchy in there) I came up with this...

It's comfy and casual and when I look down and see it on my wrist, it reminds me to do my part.

One down, 29 to go.

It's All About The Handmade

2011-12-05T22:05:00.001-05:00

What does handmade mean to you?

To me, it means a product with a story, with soul. Something created with thoughtfulness and love. I know it's one of a kind and that an actual person worked hard to make something just for me. And because of all this I have decided to buy handmade for all of my holiday gifts this year.

I'll give you all a sneak peek at some of the awesome handmade goodies I've picked up so far...

Yummy bath products from Starlet Glam Bath & Body

and one for myself :)

A luxurious set of hand crocheted washcloths from Tina Dean Designs

And this super cool set of 4 bots by Gary Hirsch

(pretty sure I'm going to keep one of these for myself too)

So if you want to give a unique gift with a personal touch instead of some lame machine made crap that will end up shoved in the back of a drawer you know where to go...

The Artisan Group for THE best handmade anything...

Or you can visit any of the artists listed below for some of the most fabulous handmade jewelry. And don't forget to stop by their blogs to read what handmade means to them

Mary Anne Karren - silverpearlmetalworks.wordpress.com/

Jessica @ Abella Blue - www.abellablue.com/blog
Stacy - formandfunktionaccessories.blogspot.com
Elizabeth Brown – resurrectionsilver.blogspot.com
Lilian Genebra - www.girllovesglitter.blogspot.com/
Pennee- All Wired Up Jewelry Designs - allwiredupjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/
Claire English - brightstar109.blogspot.com/
Gayle - thisartistsjourney.blogspot.com
Nancy - nancysjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/
Amy Estelle - amyestellemetalworks.blogspot.com/2011/12/handmade-holidays.html

My Style Rocks

2011-11-28T20:58:00.001-05:00

You know that friend who will tell you the truth when you ask "do I look fat in this?"

The one who will make sure you look smoking hot when you go out together because she's not a jealous biotch?

The one you actually want to go shopping with?

I have this friend and her name is Jennifer Barrett.

Jennifer owns a company called My Style Rocks. Not only does she sell kick ass clothes and accessories on her website, she makes house calls! She can organize your closet, style you for a special occasion, or totally revamp your look. And she's so not one of those annoying salespeople who are all "oh my god, that looks AHmazing on you!", when you totally have muffin top and know that's not true.

Jennifer can also help you pick out some killer gifts for the holidays. Check out her site and don't forget the fanpage for deals and exclusives on looks like these...

Why are Jessica Alba and Hilary Duff so happy....

2011-11-14T21:52:00.002-05:00

Why are Jessica Alba and Hilary Duff so happy?

Because they're getting giant gift bags filled with handmade goodies from members of The Artisan Group!

I'm excited to announce that I have been given the opportunity to include one of my pieces in these gift bags.

Jessica just recently had a baby and Hilary is due in March. So I created a family tree necklace for each with gemstones representing their kid's birth months.

Sterling Silver Family Tree Necklace for Jessica Alba

This piece is sawn entirely by hand so no two are exactly alike, even if I tried. But who wants the same exact thing someone else has anyway, right?

I have to say though, that after the second one of these in a row my wrist was starting to click and my hand was cramping.

But it was a labor of love.

Too Cool

2011-10-31T19:58:00.001-04:00

I like being scared. And I regularly seek it out.

Whether it's watching The Strangers while I'm home alone and being totally freaked.

Or paragliding off the side of a mountain in Maui (i'm afraid of heights).

Or snorkeling in the Caribbean Sea while hanging onto the leg of a very nice local gentleman and hyperventilating into my mask (i can't swim).

Sometimes it's more of a personal challenge type of scare. Like what I did this past Friday. I went to the Henri Bendel Open See. This is where designers of various clothing, accessories, beauty items, etc...have the opportunity to show their goods to the Bendel's buyers. I'm not exactly a Bendel's type of girl but I knew I had to try.

I claimed my spot on line on 5th Avenue at about 6am. It was 37 degrees. Not terrible, but when you're standing on the cold cement for 3 hours in the dark it starts to hurt.

Most of us came prepared for the cold in cute but warm outfits. And then there were the people who just came cute. They were miserable in stilettos with no jackets for hours and hours on the cold NYC sidewalk. But I gotta say, they looked good!
When they opened the doors at 9am the line moved pretty quickly. I was lead into the basement of Bendel's and ushered into a waiting room. When my time to see a buyer came I wasn't the least bit nervous. I kind of had an idea of how it was going to go down anyway. She quickly scanned my bio and line sheet, took a look at a few pieces and said..."It's very well made and edgy. But you have this cool factor. And that's just not us."
So that's that. I'm too cool for Henri Bendel's :)

And for all my loyal customers who are like way cool too, use coupon code cool15 for 15% off your entire order from now until Sunday 11.06.11.
http://www.autumnbradley.com/

Holiday Shopping Guide For People Who Hate The Mall (aka men)

2011-10-05T16:51:00.016-04:00

If you're reading this and you're a dude, you're thinking that it's waaay too soon to be talking about the holidays. But seriously man, if you just get it over with, you won't have to scramble around at the last minute and pay for expedited shipping and all that. The other thing you're thinking is that you don't have the slightest clue what to buy anyone.
I'm here to help.

Your list should include your significant other, mom, sister, grandma and any other ladies in your life that will make things miserable for you if you don't get them a gift, or if you get them a crappy gift like a toaster. You could get them something like...

A beautiful hand-dyed scarf

A glittering gemstone bracelet

or a lovely handmade box

Your list may also include another dude. Maybe your dad, brother, grandpa, or some other manly man. There's plenty of gift options to make it seem like you didn't try, but that don't suck. Like...

A portable speaker for the music lover

or a hat for the outdoorsy type

And you may need a kid gift. There are endless options for kids but these will insure your "cool" status with them.

A one of a kind Monster Doll

Their very own crayon tote

Or a killer tutu

And it never fails that you find yourself in one of those stupid Secret Santa gift exchanges at the office because you didn't want to be the only one who didn't participate and look like a cold-hearted grinchy asshat. So here's a couple of under $20 options...

Everyone loves a candle

Or be different and give a crazy little lovebot

No doubt there will be others on your list but this will get you started and help you avoid the dreaded mall. So when your buddy tries to convince you to go to the mall with him the weekend before Christmas you can say, "Nah man, I'm good". And he will be soooo jealous.

All of these amazing products were designed and handmade by the super talented members of The Artisan Group. Click here or on the gift guide button below to see tons of other options from The Artisan Group members.

All Things Emmys - Part 4

2011-09-21T23:10:00.002-04:00

These past few days have been filled with excitement (holy cow a ton of celebs and press are going to see my work!), nervousness (holy cow a ton of celebs and press are going to see my work...and they might think it sucks), and anticipation (holy cow a ton of celebs and press are going to see my work and maybe take a cool photo with it but I won't know until later in the week because Valerie and Nikki like to torture us).

They don't really like to torture us, they had legit reasons.

But finally, today is the day! I couldn't be happier with the feedback and photos I got from the GBK Productions Emmy Gift Lounge. This entire experience with The Artisan Group has been amazing. I was totally scared in the beginning but the advice and support I received, not only from the founders Valerie and Nikki, but from the other members was priceless and just beyond words. Love to you all, my fellow TAG members!

And now for the good stuff...

Anthony Anderson, known for his roles in Me, Myself and Irene, Scary Movie IV, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle...and a million other roles, posed for a photo with my guitar pick skull necklace

Michael Trucco of Fairly Legal, BattleStar Gallactica, Next, and too many other movies and shows to name, also posed with the necklace.
"Oh, wow! This necklace is great!" -- Michael Trucco

Timm Sharp from Six Feet Under and Enlightened was kind enough to pose with the necklace as well.

Nasim Pedrad, from SNL, liked my horseshoe earrings so much she asked to take them home!

And Nia Peeples tweeted me a personal thank you!

So yeah, it's been a pretty good day :)

The Artisan Group represented over 20 handmade artists at the 63rd PrimeTime Emmy Awards GBK Productions Gift Lounge. Check out their amazing work...

http://www.makeitmineparties.com//

http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlefreeradical

http://www.zazzle.com/fancybelle

http://awejewelry.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ajsweetsoap

http://www.bellaromaboutique.com/

http://www.doodlehouse.com/

http://www.rezipit.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/IlenePriceDesign

http://www.etsy.com/shop/atutudes

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LCVintageJewelry

http://www.thelonelypixel.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ellemoss

http://www.etsy.com/shop/thelightfantastic

http://www.ocstylescreations.etsy.com/

http://www.aromatichealthshop.ca/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/papermusedesigns

http://www.13blackcatsdesigns.com/

http://www.seeingisbelieving.etsy.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetstellas

http://www.strandedtreasures.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/wagsandwiggles

http://www.honeyprint.com/

http://www.tinadeandesigns.com/

http://www.zazzle.com/beezkneez

Dark Star

2011-08-28T19:56:00.001-04:00

Some dear friends of mine recently lost their beloved dog Dark Star. She was a sweet loyal girl who lived a long happy doggie life.

My friends asked me to make something to honor Dark Star and remind them of the joy she brought to their lives. After a bit of collaboration we came up with something that would work for both of them. I just hope that I was able to bring their vision to life and do their ideas justice.

Here's to Dark Star! May her light shine in your hearts always.

All Things Emmys - Part 3

2011-08-18T13:03:00.002-04:00

Holy crap it's done!! After approximately 230 working hours, I have finished all my pieces for the Emmy Awards and they are on their way to California!

So, as of my last post the 100 horseshoes were all soldered. I still had to sand, oxidize, buff, and attach the chains. Then I put each one in little folded tissue paper boats along with a bio/product card and packaged them up in my custom made black velvet pouches.

I also made 10 extra horseshoes for the press bags, and one more horseshoe necklace, a pair of earrings, and a guitar pick skull necklace for the display.

The display pieces will be going in the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards Gift Lounge hosted by GBK Productions. The Artisan Group will be representing my pieces along with a few other super talented artists in TAG. This gift lounge gives members of the press and select celebrities the opportunity to check out the swag and hopefully take a few pics. I could totally see Nina Dobrev in my horseshoe necklace or Ian Somerhalder rockin the skull (can you tell i like the vampire diaries?).

So yeah, I'm super excited to see where this will lead and so thankful to Valerie, Nikki and all the members of The Artisan Group for all their help and support.

And now I'm leaving for a little Caribbean vacation! I need a few horseshoeless days to recharge and let my hands heal. Then I can start on all the custom pieces my amazing customers have been waiting for me to get around to. Ariel, Adrienne, Tera, Brian, Heather, and Chris. It baffles me that I actually have a waiting list!

Love you guys!

What's Happening

2011-07-25T10:18:00.000-04:00

It's that time again...my Aspiring Metalsmiths Team blogroll. This month we're talking about what we're working on right now.

If you've been listening to me blabber on for the past few months you know that I am working on about a bazillionish horseshoe pendants for the Primetime Emmy Awards celebrity gift bags. I also have customers YAY!! So in between horseshoes I work on their orders.

My organized chaos

As you can see, I'm in various stages of completion of horseshoe pendants, 1 Star of David dog tag, and 3 personalized double disc name necklaces.

It may look like a hot mess but I know exactly where everything is. If so much as one horseshoe gets moved out of place I WILL KNOW. And heads will roll. I'm serious man.

Oh and I actually finished something last night! There are those rare occasions when I get an idea, sketch it out, and finish it all in one day.

So, besides providing jewelry for the gift bags, a few of my pieces will be displayed at the celebrity gift lounge by The Artisan Group. This lounge is hosted by Gavin B. Keilly of GBK Productions. Mr. Keilly gets his very own gift bag and he doesn't exactly seem like the skull/dog tag/guitar pick type.

This was hard for me! I thought and I pondered and I consulted and I finally gave up. And wouldn't you know, as soon as I stopped thinking about it I had an idea! Isn't that always how it works?

A sterling silver Trash Metal Collection® personalized key chain.

I had to throw a little of my "trashed" vibe in there, I couldn't help it. I hope he likes it!

Check out what my super talented friends are working on...

Esmeralda http://jewelry-by-silverblueberry.blogspot.com/

Happy Tortoise Designs http://www.happytortoisedesigns.blogspot.com/

Crow Steals Fire http://crowstealsfire.blogspot.com/

Contemporary Jewelry by Beatriz Fortes http://cjbf.blogspot.com/

steph http://stephstargell.com

Jessica @ Abella Blue http://www.abellablue.com/blog

Pennee- All Wired Up Jewelry Designs http://www.allwiredupjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/

Sylvia Anderson http://www.sylviaanderson.blogspot.com/

Stacy http://www.formandfunktionaccessories.blogspot.com/

Mary Anne Karren http://silverpearlmetalworks.wordpress.com/

Brightstar109 www.brightstar109.blogspot.com

Amy Nicole Artisan Jewelry Http://Rubymtnbeads.blogspot.com

Resurrection Silver http://www.resurrectionsilver.blogspot.com

Kwant Essentials http://kwantessentials.blogspot.com/2011/07/show-and-tell-from-start-to-finish.html

Kit and Caboodle Shop http://thisartistsjourney.blogspot.com

Julie http://jamauerer.blogspot.com

Lilian http://www.girllovesglitter.blogspot.com/

All Things Emmys - Part 2

2011-07-10T17:45:00.003-04:00

At the risk of developing rough scaly man-hands, I chose to make 100 Trash Metal Collection® horseshoe pendants for the Emmy Awards celebrity gift bags. Way back in April I made 1. No problem. As I set out to make 100 I slowly realized what I had gotten myself into. And being the procrastinator that I am the clock is ticking...louder and louder.

I've recently set aside all household duties (not that they were ever high on my list anyway), friends, family, and beautiful sunny days in order to make some progress. So here's what I've been up to...

The process begins with sawing

I saw all the horseshoes and rectangular backplates by hand from sterling silver sheet. I also threw in a couple of copper horseshoes to mix it up a little.

Then I file them all to get out the rough spots.

Next step is to drill 5 tiny holes in each horseshoe. The holes serve no purpose, they are just part of the design because I thought they looked cool. After drilling 500 freaking tiny ass holes I began to rethink their coolness.

Now the rectangles need to be treated to my signature "trashing" technique and the backs stamped with my logo.

Ok so now horseshoes and rectangles are ready to be soldered together. But since I saw them all by hand none of them are exactly the same size. So I sort through them all pairing up the ones that look best together.

Let the soldering begin!

My favorite part, playing with fire heeheehee...

After the torching all the pieces go in the pickle pot for clean up

Take them out, rinse them off, and now I have a big pile of pendants

They still need to be sanded, oxidized, buffed, tumbled, polished, attached to chains, etc...and finally packaged. "I'll get to it, I swear. I do my best work under pressure", said the procrastinator.

Ahhh...Summer

2011-06-02T10:54:00.001-04:00

Summer is finally here! We had a pretty rough winter in New York. Blizzards, record snow fall, and freezing cold temps. But we survived and can now enjoy the crazy heat wave and 99% humidity YAY!! OK, really, I shouldn't complain.

Anyway, the sudden onslaught of oppressive heat and humidity has me reminiscing about summer and what it used to mean to me.

When I was a kid, summer vacation was just the most absolutely magical time ever. It meant hanging with my cousin who was like a sister to me, riding bikes, meeting skater boys in the cemetery, and spending time at my grandparent's.

Even though my grandparents were only 20 minutes away I would stay by them for days at a time.

I would get to play with Pete The Schnauzer

And chill with grandma and grandpa

I even remember playing in the woods behind their house for hours by myself, and this was totally fine! I guess no one was worried about creeps and kidnappers back then.

Grandma LOVED to take photos. One day she made me hold hands with the neighbor boy for a photo op. This was the first boy who ever held my hand.

I was totally grossed out but sure that we would get married someday.

When I look back now my summers seem almost Wonder Years-ish, complete with bicycles, an older sibling (cousin) who tortured me but I loved it, and my very own Kevin Arnold.

So here's to summer!!! May you ride a bike, spend time with the ones you love, and hold a boy's hand...or a girl's hand, whatever you're into.

All Things Emmys - Part 1

2011-05-07T11:56:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago the lovely ladies at The Artisan Group asked if I would like to contribute some of my jewelry to the celebrity swag bags at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards this year. Duh! I immediately said yes and I don't think I've slept since.

I'll be providing 100 pieces for the swag bags, 10 pieces for the press bags, and a couple of pieces for the display. Besides the jewelry to be made, I have a crazy long list of other things I need to do, buy, create, think about, email, blog, post, photograph, etc...not to mention my website and Etsy sales and general life stuff. Not that I'm complaining, I'm just a bit overwhelmed.

Luckily, I have the help and support of Valerie and Nikki, of The Artisan Group, as well as all the other members. They are truly an amazing and talented group of artisans that I am proud to be a part of. A big thank you to Valerie and Nikki for this amazing opportunity!

To find out more about The Artisan Group you can...

Adventures in Etching and Meeting Mr. Bucephalus

2011-04-12T19:52:00.004-04:00

When a friend asked me to make him a piece of jewelry that resembled a cave drawing I was a bit stumped. Then I thought of etching, duh! Etching metal is typically done with nitric acid or sometimes ferric chloride. Either way I know I will burn my face off.

Luckily, one of my MetalSmith teammates was kind enough to offer up instructions on using saltwater and batteries instead. While there was still a chance of burning my face off, it wasn't quite as risky as the toxic chemical route. So off to Home Depot, Radio Shack, and the deli I went. I picked up some kosher salt (no iodine), distilled water, D-batteries, and a small aquarium pump, among other things.

After some brainstorming my friend decided he wanted an image of Bucephalus on a rustic pendant. I had to Google this of course. Bucephalus was Alexander the Great's horse as well as a figurine in the movie The Black Stallion.

Photo courtesy of The Black Stallion

In order to properly etch the metal I had to draw this crazy looking horse on a sheet of copper with a permanent marker. It turned out like this.

Looks like a 3rd grader did it huh?

Whatever, I've come this far so I'm determined to follow through. As I'm rigging up battery lead wires to a container of saltwater and duct taping like crazy, I suddenly feel like a mix between Macgyver and a mad scientist.

I set my iPod to "Electric Head" and let the etching begin!

As you can see the water turns blue and gets cloudy as the electrical current strips electrons away from the atoms and the solution fills with particulates of copper salt (yeah my nerdy side is showing). The permanent marker protects the parts of the metal you don't want to be etched.

After about an hour it looks something like this...

A little sawing, oxidizing, and buffing and Mr. Bucephalus is born...and I didn't burn my face off yay!

Front

Back

This Is How I Do It

2011-03-21T21:23:00.027-04:00

Typically when I'm banging away at the bench I have my ipod on shuffle. The usuals are Rage Against The Machine, Alice in Chains, Sublime, and Korn. My ipod just seems to like these best, but sometimes a random Beastie Boys or Sting song gets thrown into the mix. Then I'll get tired of this and switch to something jammy like Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Rusted Root, or Phish. And then finally bring it down with some John Mayer, Bob Dylan, or Van Morrison.

These are my jams, what gets me moving, motivates me, inspires me, and sets my mood.

But then there are the other days. The days when I don't really feel like listening to music. The days when I need mind numbing reality television to soothe my soul. Yep, day-long marathons of Jersey Shore, Teen Mom, Kourtney and Kim or Kourtney and Khloe or some sort of Kardashian, and Bad Girls Club. I'm not proud of it, but I can't help it. Please don't judge...you know you do it too.

Check out what my Aspiring Metalsmiths teammates are listening to while they work...

Kat - http://artistikat-scratchingpost.blogspot.com/

Stacy - http://www.formandfunktionaccessories.blogspot.com/

Clarity of Scrollwork Designs - http://www.thesquarepegnation.blogspot.com

Brandy - http://thefrogspond.wordpress.com/

Happy Tortoise Designs - http://happytortoisedesigns.blogspot.com

Claire - http://brightstar109.blogspot.com/

Silver Pearl Jewelry and Metalworks - http://silverpearlmetalworks.wordpress.com

hemlockhollow - http://gloria-hemlockhollow.blogspot.com/

Beatriz Fortes - http://cjbf.blogspot.com/

Resurrection Silver - http://www.resurrectionsilver.blogspot.com

RadianTrace - http://radiantrace.blogspot.com/

nancycreations - http://nancysjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/

Jessica @ Abella Blue - http://www.abellablue.com/blog

A Love Affair

2011-02-23T10:21:00.000-05:00

My love affair with stones began as a child. I would collect random rocks with no intention of ever doing anything with them. I just thought it was cool that they were old and that something so interesting could come out of the dirt (plus it was a good excuse to play in the dirt). Then when I started making jewelry I found out I could actually put them to use.

I started off with beads because bezel setting stones scared the crap out of me. One of my first pieces using stones was this pair of earrings. I used rivets to attach peridot stones to sterling silver Jewish Stars.

Eventually, I began to get jealous of my Aspiring Metalsmith teamies and their stone addiction. I wanted to buy stones too dammit!! I just didn't know what I was going to do with them once I got them. It didn't matter, I wanted stones and I was going to have them!

These were my first two cabochon stone purchases...

After much encouragement from my AM teammates I took the plunge and set these bad boys. This is what they became.

Since I had relative success with my first two stones I decided it was safe to move forward. I asked Laura of CabbingRough to cut something dark and horn shaped for me. She made this amazing Apache Gold cab just for me :)

I'm so excited to get it and pet it and and hang out with it. Then when it's ready it will tell me what it wants to be.

For more stone licking goodness check out my teamies posts...

Clarity @ Scrollwork Designs - http://thesquarepegnation.blogspot.com/
Stacy Low - http://www.formandfunktionaccessories.blogspot.com
Chrissi Lynn Designs - http://www.chrissilynn.blogspot.com
Sylvia Anderson - http://www.sylviaanderson.blogspot.com/
Jessica @ Abella Blue - http://www.abellablue.com/blog
Contemporary Jewelry by Beatriz Fortes - http://cjbf.blogspot.com/
Esmeralda - http://jewelry-by-silverblueberry.blogspot.com/
Steph Stargell - http://www.stephstargell.com
Pennee - http://allwiredupjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/
Silver Pearl Jewelry and Metalworks - http://silverpearlmetalworks.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/show-us-your-stones/#more-4
ArtistiKat - http://artistikat-scratchingpost.blogspot.com/
Claire - brightstar109.blogspot.com/

How I Popped My Cherry

2011-01-23T20:49:00.027-05:00

How I popped my cherry...I'm talking about jewelry here people geez!! My very first piece of jewelry actually wasn't so bad. I've made plenty of hideous things since then, but that's typical for me. I almost always have beginner's luck. My first piece was these earrings.

My photography skills definitely needed some work, but the earrings weren't half bad. I remember sawing them from sterling sheet, hammering them, cutting the chain, and putting it all together with jump rings. I was so incredibly proud that I made something that was actually wearable. Then my friend Jenn saw them and insisted that I make some for her. I couldn't believe someone wanted to pay me money for this! Everything I've done since then I owe to her. She convinced me that I had a talent and I had to pursue it. So, thank you Jennifer Barrett for all your love and support. If not for you I would still be making things and hiding them in my drawer.

Now for the really bad stuff that is still hiding in my drawer and should stay there forever.

And yes, there were headbands displayed on notebook paper.

If this wasn't enough terrible newbie work for you to laugh at check out some of my teamies earlier works too...

Jessica- www.abellablue.com/blog

Clarity- http://www.thesquarepegnation.blogspot.com/

Claire- http://www.brighstar109.blogspot.com/

Stacy- http://www.formandfunktionaccessories.blogspot.com/

Pennee- http://www.allwiredupjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/

Brandy- http://www.thefrogspond.wordpress.com/

Gloria- http://www.gloria-hemlockhollow.blogspot.com/

Joy- http://www.joypeckjoy.blogspot.com/

Gayle- http://www.thisartistsjourney.blogspot.com/

Sylvia- http://www.sylviaanderson.blogspot.com/

Esmeralda- http://www.jewelry-by-silverblueberry.blogspot.com/

Oh to Dream...

2010-12-07T19:56:00.014-05:00

One can never learn too much right? So, I've been thinking about what skill I want to learn next. I've decided it's wax carving/casting. I have so many design ideas and most of them would involve using this technique. So, if Santa or anyone out there feels like helping a starving artist I would make you a kick ass piece of jewelry using my newly learned technique :) from this studio

LILOEVE

And if you're feeling extra generous check out what skills my Aspiring Metalsmiths teammates are dying to learn and hook them up with some classes too...

Pennee http://allwiredupjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/

Gayle http://thisartistsjourney.blogspot.com/

Jessica http://www.abellablue.com/blog

Sylvia Anderson http://www.sylviaanderson.blogspot.com/

Scrollwork Designs http://www.thesquarepegnation.blogspot.com/

Claire http://brightstar109.blogspot.com/

Carole http://www.caroleaxiumdesigns.com/journal/

Heather http://mistyridgedesigns.blogspot.com/

Brandy http://thefrogspond.wordpress.com/

Esmeralda (Silver Blueberry) http://jewelry-by-silverblueberry.blogspot.com/

Stacy http://formandfunktionaccessories.blogspot.com/

Steph Stargell Designs http://stephstargell.com/

The Naughty List

2010-12-01T22:35:00.013-05:00

Sometimes it's more fun to be naughty than nice. So remember that when you're checking off your list this holiday season and get the naughty people a gift too.

Maybe something from the Trash Metal Collection

Or something from the Bad Seed Collection

Or maybe just be really naughty, say screw them and get something for yourself!

Happy shopping and may you have a blessed (and naughty) holiday season! xoxo

Trash Metal Collection

2010-08-17T10:16:00.026-04:00

So what's been keeping me so busy the past few months that I couldn't find time to post anything new? My Trash Metal Collection! This collection consists of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, etc...in sterling silver and copper. Some are personalized with hand stamped names, dates, and sayings. Some have custom logos or designs soldered to the piece. But they are all Trashed. Trashed means that I do a number of sadistic mean things to the metal which may consist of stabbing, smashing, or filing...just to name a few. Whatever methods I use, the result is that the poor metal has literally been beaten to hell. This process is done entirely by hand which means that every piece is unique. They might not be perfect but that's the point. We are all originals with flaws, dents, and a few shiny spots. My jewelry is meant to celebrate that.

A big thanks goes out to all my Trashed friends! Without you I would never have the inspiration to create these pieces.

Erik Rudd of Bigg E Productions

Theresa Ciarlone of 13 Couture

Chad Mercurio of Live Image Assassins

Kristina Mecke of My NY Flair

Adrienne & Ariel Weber

Angie Adkins

Danielle Guidice

Deborah Pantano

Karen Huffman

and on and on and on...

Contact me at autumnbradleyinc@gmail.com for your own custom piece.

My Process

2010-05-02T17:06:00.013-04:00

Ipod blaring, lucky hat on, I'm ready to roll...

Just a little peek inside my process. This is what I do. This is what I love.

My "studio". Saw, hammer, sewing machine, a bracelet mandrel peeking out of the plants. I definitely need more space!

I'm kind of a mess

Me and my dremel. Poor little guy is gonna be so jealous when my big macho flex shaft gets here!

Buffing off the oxidation and possibly robbing a stagecoach later. Shouldn't breathe in the dust. I learned that the hard way!

And now for the finishing touches...

Punk Island

2010-04-28T22:06:00.003-04:00

I'm currently working on pieces for an upcoming punk festival at Governor's Island this summer.

Check it out...

http://www.punkisland.com/

The Westfalls

2010-04-18T14:54:00.011-04:00

I recently spent a few days with my best friend, Valerie, in Arizona. We went camping & hiking with our guys and got to spend some real quality time together. Just us and the outdoors. Perfection.

Valerie and her husband Daniel have the kind of relationship that makes you want to be a better person. They're so considerate and loving to each other and when they take a moment to look in each other's eyes you might as well not even be there. That moment with each other is all that matters.

Their dedication to each other runs so deep that they got matching tattoo wedding bands. This inspired me to recreate the one on Valerie's hand. I sawed the design into a Sterling Silver disc, hammered, oxidized, and polished it. I added a Bali Silver bail and oxidized chain.

We're lucky girls, we have good men in our lives, amazing families, and we have each other.

Even though we're 2000 miles apart it doesn't matter. Every time we see each other it's like we didn't miss one day. Thanks for the inspiration my love...xoxo.

New Tools!

2010-04-14T10:16:00.004-04:00

I just got my new lowercase Kismet letter stamps! So excited to start using them. Thank you to Marina of LoveStruckMetals for hooking me up with a great deal on the stamps and for answering all my lame newbie questions. Such a cool lady and a great inspiration! Check out her amazing personalized jewelry in her Etsy shop...
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LoveStruckMetals

I'm off to fill up a Beaducation cart and lust after some other new tools on my list...

The First

2010-04-07T16:08:00.006-04:00

I've never had a blog before so I hope I don't bore everyone to death.

I'm just getting started with my jewelry line. Trying new designs, working with new tools and in new mediums. My plan is to post pictures, videos, how-to's, etc... And I'm sure my dogs will end up being mentioned every so often (they've already made it into the first post!).