Soup Bowl, Bathsheba, Barbados

After 4 long years, it’s time to go back home to soak up some sun, sea, and a bit of rum with dearly missed friends and family in Barbados! I’ll be unable to respond to emails/inquiries from December 13th to January 9th.

ALL HOLIDAY GIFT ORDERS (online and local) must be placed by December 1st in order to ensure a timely arrival. The LAST international shipments will be made on Dec. 2nd, and domestic US-bound shipments on Dec. 10th.

Please keep in mind that a rush fee *may* apply, the cost of which depends upon the item, and expedited shipping is available at a reasonable cost. Please contact me with the item & destination in question for a quote.

Our last weekend market days on South Congress before our departure will be Dec. 10th & 11th, so if you’re local and wish to pick up your gift order, we can gladly make arrangements for that. We will also set up on 1st Thursday, Dec. 1st on South Congress (food trailer side) and will be offering FREE GIFT WRAP for all gift purchases starting Nov. 12th. And as always, we offer discounts when you purchase more than one item at the market. Remember, our offerings change weekly, and many items are either one-of-a-kind or very limited editions. Don’t miss out on that perfect something!

We’re going to play it by ear as far as the date of our return to the South Congress Market goes. If we’re super jet-lagged (or depressed!) we may not set up on Saturday January 7th, but we’ll be in our usual spot that Sunday! So come on down and see us pre or post-tan, or both for the “before and after”! :p

Love,

-Amber (and her beloved, helpful husband, Steve!)

Handmade by Amber Yearwood

$46 usd plus s&h

An interesting little pendant—rugged and dainty at once! It’s a ruggedly dainty little pendant…

A tiny bit of brass scrap metal from my catch drawer is cold-connected to a sterling silver back-plate using my own handmade sterling silver rivets. The back-plate is then textured with a special hammer, oxidized black and lightly sanded to bring the silver out a bit.

*Since these are handmade using scrap metals, please note that each pendant will vary slightly in shape, size, texture and color. This makes them all unique and one of a kind! Too small/big/light/dark etc.? Just contact Amber for a quote.

Chain:  18″ oxidized recycled sterling with my own raw brass “hook and eye” clasp, which is hammered lightly for strength.

Pendant itself measures approx. 1 cm tall, not including jumpring.

Handmade by Amber Yearwood

$38 usd plus s&h

The first in a new line of my own handmade copper filigree necklaces, featuring 3 curled copper filigree “lima bean” shapes which are soldered and lightly hammered for added strength. The filigree is not cleaned after the soldering process, so the dark firescale is left as is for patina and contrast. The pendant hangs from a bright, coppery colored vintage brass “peanut” chain, is finished with a dreamy pale blue aquamarine bead and a dark honey tone hessonite garnet. Handmade hook and eye clasp, also made of copper. Filigree is buffed with museum wax to help preserve the patina.

Necklace measures approx. 16″ from the clasp to the bottom of the dangling gemstone charm.

Not your color or stone? Ask about a custom order!

Available for wholesale in small quantities.

Handmade by Amber Yearwood

$42 USD plus s&h

One of my favorite color combos, pale blue and yellow! Kyanite ovals and 2 luscious faceted citrine rondelles swing from my elongated handmade recycled sterling earwires.  Simple, yet stunning, and comfortable enough for daily wear! These will go with your favorite jeans or prairie skirt and white tee for a casual look, and even that little black dress for a night on the town! They will arrive in bright silver as shown, unless otherwise requested. Just ask is you’d like these oxidized for a more rustic, aged look!

Each bead is unique, and due to the nature of the item, each pair will be unique. The pair shown is from my personal collection. You’ll get a new pair, made just for you. Yay!

Measures approx. 1″ from the top of the earwire.

Available for wholesale. Perfect for bridal parties, too! Just contact me for a quantity discount prior to placing your order.

Handmade by Amber Yearwood

$38 USD plus s&h

Luscious and dreamy pale blue kyanite ovals are paired with black vintage Japanese brass wire embedded glass leaves. The kyanite beads have some brown flecks, called “inclusions”, making each bead unique. The leaves have stunning pressed vein details, and are slightly curved. Hung from my modern, rounded recycled sterling earwires. Gorgeous, and so comfortable!

These are an extremely small run, and only a few pairs will be made!

Measures approx. 1.5″ long from the top of the earwire.

*Due to the handmade nature of the leaves, each pair will vary slightly. Also, no two kyanite beads are the same, as they are natural stones. Your pair will be unique!

The weather forecast called for partly cloudy skies, but we saw nothing but sun (and lots more wind than we anticipated). I was also running on fumes and adrenaline because even though I got in bed at midnight  the night before (ok, ok, 12:30) I simply couldn’t sleep. I literally got 1 & 1/2 solid hours in a row. That’s all. Nerves, anxiety, excitement…all of the above. Not a good start by any means!

Everything set up, and for the first 2 hours all we were doing was fighting the wind (I want to kiss whoever invented duct tape!) I made quick, quick friends with a lovely glass blower named Michelle Waldren, whose space was adjacent to ours. Steve helped her with her canopy, while I had a few people pass by without looking at all, or just glancing at my stuff quickly, and then walking away. *sniff*

Then the madness ensued… My cheeks hurt by the end of the day from all of the smiling I was doing… When each “wave” of people brings you 5 girls at the table at once with 4 more squeezing and pushing their way in to see what the fuss is about–and when this happens for most of the day– that perma-smile is inevitable and simply unavoidable. What a motivator, not to mention constantly hearing the words: “Your stuff is so DIFFERENT!” Aw, shucks.. I do try!

Yes, we had a great first day. I could go on and on about the wonderful people we met, the precious little 2 year old girl in the brown & white checkered dress and cowboy boots that I wanted for my own, the pitbull puppy I wanted to steal away from his undeserving & slightly mean owners, the brass Longhorn ring that STEVE sold all on his own while I was on a 5 minute break, the way I surprised a few people with my Spanish, and that LOUD and obnoxiously pushy “hard-sell” jewelry vendor across from us complaining to everyone that I was “stealing” her sales…

I’m going to make this a regular thing, and am adding a second table, so if you’re in Austin, look for me! I’ve reserved the same spot on the lot (behind the “Hey, Cupcake!” trailer)  and we should be there every Sunday through to the end of the year, weather permitting. There’s also a musician at our end of the lot that plays some great classic rock tunes with a bit of a country flair–he had me & my customers humming and singing along the entire day!

This is your chance to see and purchase some great new items before I list them here and in my ArtFire studio, and also your chance to have your name entered for special upcoming giveaways. Items on market days will be discounted as well! Look for the burgundy canopy, and “BIJOUTIFUL” in big brown scrap leather letters appliqued to the tablecloth. Can’t miss it, but we’ll soon also have a vinyl sign…should be in the mail soon!

If you haven’t been, bring the entire family–even your dog is welcome as long as he’s on a leash (and doesn’t mark my tablecloth as his own! hee, hee! Seriously, though. Please no leg-lifting anywhere near my table, m’kay? Don’t let the smile fool you, because I will be watching…)

Thanks to everyone that stopped by and saw me this past Sunday. Thanks for the support, for buying handmade, and for all of your kind words about my work. You all absolutely made my day!!

Y’all come back, now…y’hear?

XXOO

$48 USD plus s&h

Lovely, open, solid vintage brass drop hoops are given recycled sterling silver posts, very old antique brass leaves for a touch of nature and a heavy black oxidized patina. They are selectively sanded for a dramatic effect, and are then buffed with museum wax. Simple, modern, and very Bohemian chic. Strong sterling butterfly backs are included.

Measures approx. 1.25″ long

Want these with sterling hooks instead? Just ask in the “notes to seller” upon checkout!

Handmade by Amber Yearwood

$38 USD plus s&h

For these stunning lotus blossom earrings, I layer and solder vintage brass, drill the center then thread and solder them to my handmade recycled sterling ball end posts. Since the heat from the torch brings a fine copper layer to the surface, they are then cleaned & made a golden matte using a safe, non-toxic form of etching. This provides the perfect surface for a verdigris green patina, which is painted onto each petal by hand. Each layer is given a full day to dry before painting the next. Finally, they are lightly sprayed with a matte fixative to help protect the finish–BUT THESE ARE NOT TO GET WET! You’ll be safe if you are caught in the rain without your brolly, but if you’d like to be sure that the verdigris won’t be ruined, you may request varnish in the notes to seller upon checkout. his will create a slight sheen, as if they were just plucked from the pond, and will darken the green color a bit.

Fun, feminine and so very elegant. Strong sterling butterfly backs included.

Flower measures approx. 12mm in diameter. Can be made with hooks upon request.

Look for more Lotus items in different metals and finishes!

$48 USD plus s&h

A simple 4mm wide sterling silver band stamped with 3 lotus blossoms, formed, fused, oxidized & sanded to enhance the stamping, and finally tumbled for several hours to add strength and and unbelievable shine. A wonderfully comfortable ring to wear every day, and makes a great gift!

Please remember to specify ring size upon checkout to prevent delays in production. Not sure of your size? You’ll find a ring sizer under “Size/Polish”, or you could have your finger sized at your local jeweler.

Please also allow slight differences in stamp placement, as this is made entirely by hand. Thanks!

ArtFire is offering the BEST deal for Pro account subscriptions right now! You’ll need to at least have a free, basic account to qualify for a Pro account at just $5.95/month. There are no long term contracts to sign, no commitment past the first month at $5.95, and you can cancel at any time. You will NOT be billed unless the quota of 20,000 sign ups is met. So, it’s a win-win kind of thing, and NO RISK involved. More details on the sign up page linked below.

ARTFIRE GROUP DEAL – $5.95/month! Sign up here!

Act NOW! Once a certain number of users sign up ArtFire has agreed to use half of the revenue accrued from this offer to advertise to BUYERS in October & November…just in time for the holiday rush! And we sellers will get to choose where that money will be spent! Amazing…

And, to top it all off, you could win an Ipad (all you need to do is enter–one Ipad will be given away each day the week of 9/20!) cash prizes, and more if you help spread the word! Tweet, Facebook, blog, tell your friends. It’s that easy.

Happy creating, and happy selling!