A lovely necklace for a lovely lady

I got a custom order that I have been working on and I just finished it last night. I do hope she will love it. It's got a stunning Porcelain Jasper cabochon bezel set and 2 garnets flush set.


She can wear it this way....

Or this way...

I opened up the back to expose some more of that beautiful porcelain Jasper.

Taa daa!
For more photos just click here!

The fruits of my labor

So after all that time in the studio these are the babies I made. I hope you'll like them as much as I liked making them. I feel so inspired by everything around me and by all the positive feedback I've been getting from all of you. Today My dandelion ring made it to the front page. I felt so proud seeing her up there. Now I just wanna get back in the studio and keep creating!

Fall flower ring. I'm happy to say this one found a home already.


Sun Rising ring. The stone is beautiful. It's the first piece I've made with a Botswana Agate.


Shy fairy necklace. I like the simplicity of this one.


Northern Lights ring. With a beautiful Laguna Agate.


Autumn Window ring. My favorite. Like a little painting.

Best Birthday ever!

So today was my b-day but David and I celebrated yesterday, and this is what we did!


David made me breakfast quiche.. It was so tasty. Notice the heart shape on top of the quiche.. Now go *swoon* cause that's what I did. He is so good to me.
Then we went for a drive in the fall weather... Drove around looking at beautiful houses. I love looking at houses... I want to buy a house so bad it hurts.. Some day...



Then I got to play in the studio while david made dinner. Do I spent a couple of hours in there.
Doesn't it look amazing? He made it all by himself!!
Wanna see what I made in the studio? Click here :o).



And for dessert he made a yummy chocolate thing. He was having some trouble with them not staying together. ..So the plate looked a little messy. But who cares?! It tastes amazing.. And he even got edible flowers.. Ahhh my little Sweetie!! Oh how I love him..

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!

The shop is updated!

The second Midsummer ring is now in my Etsy shop.. What else is cooking in my studio.. well you just have to check back to find out. I have some very exciting stones to work with! Right now I am working on some fall designs and I am already filled with ideas for winter jewelry!

Exhausted but excited!

I realized summer is over.. And I missed it again. Look at my little plant. It is so sad. Next year I will grow more plants. And I will take better care of them. And I can't believe my birthday is in 4 days. Gulp. I think I will just turn 30 again. At least that's felt like something to celebrate..

well it's past 1am and I have to get up in 5 hours. I've been working on a custom necklace and then I wanted to finish another midsummer ring that I've had in the works. It was fighting back and let's just say that I finally won :o)

Here's a late night photo of My second Midsummer ring. Rocky Butte Jaspe with 7 garnets. Now isn't that something to be excited about? It's a size 8 3/4 cause I realized that I've been secretly making all my rings for myself (me being around size 6). So this one is for you lovely ladies to fight over :o) . Keep an eye out, it will be making an appearance in my shop tomorrow (Wednesday).

Until then. Goodnight I'm off to a sleeping David and 2 sleeping kitties. Hmm I wonder if there is any room for me?

Midsummer nights.. first ring..

I finished the first one! My midsummer night ring with citrines. I've already had some interest in it so you better hurry if you wanna snag it. This baby is a size 6! It's listed in my Etsy shop!

*EDIT*

On boy that was fast! This baby has found a new lovely home! Stay tuned for the next one... I do have another midsummer ring up my sleeve..

Lazy Sunday? Not for tess!

Today I have a busy schedule ahead of me. I opened up novadesign last week and now I have to complete the orders that have been coming in. I might put her back on vacation tonight (to open her up next weekend).

I am almost finished with my midsummer rings so I am hoping to get them listed tonight. And I am working on a fantastic custom necklace. So no laying on the sofa for me tonight! I was hoping to have lunch with a friend of mine so I better get back in the studio and get some work done. Stay tuned for an update later tonight!

I hope you get to lay on the sofa and eat chocolate all day!

Midsummer nights straight out of the pickle pot

Dreaming about warm (yes it does get warm in Sweden) summer nights and especially Midsummer. It's a magical night. You must walk in silence... cross 7 meadows and pick 7 different flowers. You mustn't speak or the magic is broken. 7 flowers under your pillow as you close your eyes to rest. The man you dream about will be the man you marry...


I will rest 7 garnets around this Rocky Butte Jasper (right) and 7 citrines around the other Rocky Butte Jaspe (left). They are now doing a happy dance in the tumbler and will hopefully be ready to oxidize and set tomorrow (after work of course... this is where you all say: BOOO for day jobs!).. :o)

oh yeah I almost forgot! The left one is a size 6 and the other one is a 8 3/4 (in case someone is interested in them).

Busy busy busy in the nova kingdom

It was a productive weekend in the Nova kingdom! I finished my Swedish Meadow necklace, meadow ring a dandelion ring and a peony ring! All coming to a nova shop near you :o)
I have to redo the photos as the sun is not working the same schedule as I am :o(

* EDIT*
yay got new images done. Now they're looking so much better!

Hear the dandelion roar!

I was in the zone... for 8 hours straight I couldn't put down my torch. I needed to make my visions real. I just kept going and going. It was beautiful! I put them all in the tumbler but then I realized that you might want a sneak peak of what's coming... so I pulled them out and took some photos for you. Tomorrow I will oxidize and set stones. My favorite part.

A new heart

I had to get it. I needed a new heart. Spiderweb Imperial Jasper. Isn't it beautiful?

what do you do when your memories are no longer yours?

A couple of days ago I was contacted by another seller (who had in turn been contacted by two other sellers about my new shop nova of sweden). They were concerned that I was copying their work. Reading the convo was really hurtful. She wasn't spiteful but it still stung. I had heard her name before but never gone looking for her work. I made a decision a long time ago not to look at others work. It’s so easy to get influenced and I wanted to keep my mind clear. I wanted to continue my path on my own. Without images of others work bouncing around in my head. Now I think that maybe I should have looked at her work. Maybe I would have created something different if I had. But if I did, would it still have been mine? I went to her shop after I read the convo and she creates amazing and beautiful pieces. I could see similarities with one of the things I had listed. We also use the same commercial findings. I could tell she wanted me to remove my listings and I got the feeling that no matter how I explained how my life had lead me to these designs she (or they) would never believe me. So I removed them. I have no desire to be labeled a copycat nor do I want people to see someone else's design in what I create.

When I opened nova of sweden it was finally time for me to dig my hands in the swedish soil and let the dirt fall between my fingers as I planted these wonderful seeds. I had finally come to a point where my skills and my heart had crossed paths. I was ready for more.
I was reliving all my wonderful childhood memories.. Like the time my mother and I was picking flowers in a deserted garden at midnight and then walked home barefoot through the summer rain. I was 6 years old but I remember it like yesterday. The flowers smelled so good and I don't think I've ever been so happy.




I wanted to tell you about my mothers garden. Where the flowers are always in bloom. Regardless of season somehow she works the soil like some artists work metal and create amazing things where there was nothing before. But despite all the big colorful creations I was always drawn to the little timid flowers. The forget me nots that so quietly and happy just lived in a corner of her garden. Those are the ones I remember the most.






I wanted to show you the lakes and water that surrounds us. The instant calm you get from it. How I used to sit by the lake and watch the fish touch the surface and create rings on the water that would spread and grow forever. How we used to run home when the water drops started falling from the sky. How the rain would wash everything clean until there were no traces left of yesterday. Only a new day ahead of you.






I wanted to tell you about how the season changes. About the snow that covers everything like a warm blanket. A snow that is anything but white. A snow you can make angels in. A snow that is more beautiful than anything else you will ever see.
But instead I struggle. How do you tell a story or share a memory when you’ve been told that those memories are no longer yours? I fear to let my torch touch metal again. I fear that yet another memory will be compared and picked apart until there is nothing left that’s mine. I feel a little sad.. a little trampled on. I know all designers are very protective of what’s theirs, but I ask that you to look in the mirror before you tell someone that what they dream is not theirs to dream. Are you truly that original, that there is no chance that someone else might have similar ideas? I don’t know. I don’t have all the answers. I only know what I know. Or at least what I thought I knew.

So here I am. Awaiting that little ray of sunshine that will come and warm up my heart after the storm. So that once the dust has settled and the pain goes away I can start over. I only ask one thing. That before you judge others, take a moment to smell the flowers and let the sun warm up your heart. And tell me, do you think your flowers smell any different from mine? Do you think the sun feels any different from where you stand?

love //tess