Welcome March!!

It’s March! This is the month when Spring officially begins. It is also a month with several events and holidays bringing great opportunities to wear Spring jewelry from the JETs.

Aquamarine is the birthstone for March:

Eleven13

JemsbyJBandCompany

YourDailyJewels

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day on March 17:

SendingLoveGallery

LauraStamperDesigns

                     

                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                      DonnasArtisanDesigns

Spring arrives on the Equinox, March 20:

BeadsM

AuntMatildasJewelry

 

Chaya Gallery

BrookeJewelry

Then on March 27, we end the month with Easter:

malves1009

   

               

  DesignsbyCher

More about March:

It is Women’s History Month and National Nutrition Month.

The Flower for March is the Daffodil.

The astrological signs for March are Pisces until the 20^th and Aries starting March 21^st.

March 13 is the beginning of Daylight Savings Time for the U.S.

Hope you enjoy this month!

Phylly 

SendingLoveGallery

Cooking with the JETS

MUSHROOM QUINOA PILAF

I love this recipe, I make this almost every week.  It's so easy, made with simple few ingredients, fast, and soon to be your favorite! 


Ingredients:


2 cups cooked quinoa
1 chicken breast, cut in to small pieces
1 small pkg of mushrooms, roughly sliced
1/4 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
garlic powder, to taste
1 tbsp thyme
salt & pepper, to taste
coconut oil or butter


Start with cooking the chicken pieces in a pan with oil or butter with salt and pepper just so it's cooked with slight color.  When it's cooked take it out of the pan and keep aside in a separate bowl. 



In the same pan add oil or butter if needed and cook the mushrooms.   I like to cook the mushrooms on the medium high heat and making sure the pan is large enough so they cook nice without too much moisture.  At the end, lower the heat add fresh garlic and cook together mixing so garlic doesn't burn. Add cooked chicken, cooked quinoa and mix everything along with salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme.  I use a lot of thyme, it gives a very earthy nice flavor to the dish.  

Taste the dish, if you are happy with the seasoning, lower the heat, add the heavy cream along with Parmesan cheese and mix.  I try to add as little heavy cream as possible.  It really depends on how fluffy the cooked quinoa is.  You wouldn't want the dish to be drenched in cream.  The point of the cream is to help bind the cheese and everything together.  So start with a little over 1/4 cup along with the cheese and you can always add a little more if you think it needs it.  

It's a simple dish and can be adjusted to your preferences.  Leave the chicken out, and make it vegetarian or use it as side dish. Enjoy! 

What's on My Bench???

CUSTOM ORDER, PART II

My last WOMB post I completed part 1 of a male customer's custom order for a bracelet and matching necklace. Due to waiting on a shipment of supplies you only got to see the completion of the bracelet. This WOMB post will be Part 2 featuring the necklace. This necklace was super easy but it's always the super easy ones that will drive you bananas!

Let's first start with the supplies. Just like the bracelet, the necklace will feature red, black and green wooden beads. Unlike the bracelet the necklace will be strung on wire and fastened with a lobster clasp and jump rings.

As per the customer's request he wanted the necklace to be 26 inches long. I first cut the wire to the desired length and then secured 2 jump rings with a crimp bead.

From there it's time for the beads. Here's where it got tricky. As you can see from the picture shown below I strung the beads in the desired configuration but what you don't see from the photo is I took and restrung those same beads at least 3 times! This always seems to happen to me on the simplest projects.Finally I got the bead configuration correct for the desired length.

And ta-da it's done! Super simplistic and perfect for a man.

I went back after completing the necklace and added a 2 inch chain extension. It's something I've been doing recently because you will never know with a customer. They might want to a lil' longer then they first requested and you have to restring the entire thing. So I added a chain.

I'm happy to report even though I wasn't there to give the customer his custom piece when I did see him he was wearing them. He had a big grin on his face and even showed me both pieces. Mission accomplished.

Gaetana

SatinDollCo

Happy ST. PATRICK'S DAY from the JETTEAM on Etsy

Another holiday is fast approaching. While it isn't a national day of rest, it is a great time to celebrate with those of Irish descent. Lots of green all over with clever ways to celebrate; green beer and corned beef to name a few. And of course, there is always the need to look great as you celebrate!!

The JETTEAM on Etsy has compiled a treasury of beautiful, handcrafted jewelry for sale in some of the team members' shops. Feel free to browse these lovely designs and perhaps you will feel the urge to brighten up your jewelry wardrobe. The links below the collage will take you to the jewelry in these members' shops. Enjoy!!

1. Green Jade Sterling Silver Earrings

2. Rain forest Green Quartz Briolettes

3. Emerald Green St. Patrick's Day Earrings  

4. Chrysoprase Ring

5. Green Eco Friendly Sea Glass Earrings

6. Emerald Green Teardrop Earrings

7. Jade Single Strand Bracelet

8. Emerald Necklace Gold Filled

9. African Jade Bracelet

10. Hidden Jewels Dangle Earrings

11. Green Flower Ring

12. Green Peridot Necklace

13. Lucky Shamrock Charm Necklace

14. Multi Strand Pearl Necklace

15.St. Patrick's Necklace

16. Tiny Green Onyx Earrings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review

Review of Mixed Metals Mania

With mixed metal works among the hottest trends going in today's jewelry design, I’m sharing thoughts on one of my all time favorite how-to books, which was recommended to me by a super talented jewelry making friend.

Mixed Metal Mania is aptly titled, especially for the metalwork maniacs among us, but also for other designers, connoisseurs, wearers and collectors of handcrafted artisan jewelry. Subtitled “Solder, rivet, hammer, and wire exceptional jewelry," Kim St. Jean’s book never fails to instruct, entertain, inspire and delight.

After a Foreward and Introduction, discussions of Tools, from the unconventional (think clothespin, paper cutter, chicken feeder) to the basic, and a studio tool checklist, St. Jean treats us to a survey of Basic Techniques - from cold connections and sawing to soldering and fold forming, from making holes and finishing to making findings - along with some helpful tips of her own.

St. Jean explores her subject in four chapters. Beautifully illustrated throughout with color photos and well written, unpretentious explanations and instructions, each chapter presents a step-by-step tutorials for a number of specific projects.

Project tutorials include, among many others:

Twisted Paddle Earrings

A Little Bit Whompy Stack Ring

Sweat Soldered Negative Space Earrings

Basic Sterling Silver Chain

Old Bones Ring

Copper Coral Bracelet

Nightmare Catcher (Eeeek! A Skull!)

Reticulated Brass and Copper Cuff

Pine Straw Casting Bezel Pendant

Whether you’re a maniac for silver, copper, brass or an eclectic mix, you’re sure to find Mixed Metal Mania jam packed with ideas, hints and helpful suggestions. And oh, those lavish photos!

The only fault I’ve found is that there is no index -- a small matter indeed, considering the many ways this book has inspired me in my own adventures in metalwork.

Published in 2011 by Kalmbach Books of Waukesha, Wisconsin, this 112-page paperback measures 10.75” x 8.25” - a lovely presentation all the way through.

Mollie
RoughMagicCreations