Twigs and Heather - Original jewelry designs

This Charming Twig

2011-11-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about this project for a while now and have finally put my mind to it and made it happen...

Welcome "This Charming Twig". We have created a new line of barrettes and hair pins from molded twigs. They are so us! Each twig is "cast" in polymer clay. Some of them are earthy colors that look like the twig was just plucked from a tree and put into your hair. Other are wild, bright colors. My favorites are the pinks and reds. There is something about these twigs that just make me happy. All of them have awesome twiggy details that I just adore...thank you Mother Nature.

We opened a new Etsy store just for them.
You can also get them at our shows or through our website.

Everyone should wear a twig in there hair.

Project Runway Challenge

2011-08-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

Kerry and I are part of EtsyMetal. Our team does many really cool things. One of my favorite things that we do is the "Project Runway Challenge". Members watch the show and a challenge is created by the team that mimics the one on the show. Because we are all metalsmiths they a little different so we can incorporate the materials we all tend to use.

Week one- Come as you are.
Our challenge- Make something new from bench scraps.

This piece was made from an oat that I cast a year or so ago. It is the back of the arrow. The middle is a really long sprue. The arrow head was originally made to be a fish tail. I really loved this challenge. This piece is unique for me. Kerry liked it so much she wore it the day I brought it home.

Check out the EtsyMetal blog and week to week to see what the other members are making. They are all super cool. The first challenge is already up there! Go take a peek.

Twigs and Heather- Handmade in Boston!

EtsyMeatl blog carnival- Our Roots

2011-07-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

Topic: "Our Roots"
Where we came from. How our families have influenced us. Artists in the family.

Hello- Heather here.
My family has been the biggest influence when it comes to my art. As everyone knows, Kerry Alice and I are twin sisters. Our weird and wonderful relationship fuels the fire behind what we do and what we make. Without the amazing support we give each other we could have never achieved what we have.

My Roots.

When I think back at my childhood I remember my mom making things. She sewed our clothes and Halloween costumes. She did needlepoint. I can still see in my mind her pieces throughout our house. She was also always encouraging us to be creative as well. Every wreath, drawing, and Christmas ornament was proudly displayed. Although my mom would never admit this; she is an artist. The things she created when I was growing up had a huge effect on who I am as an artists today.

Now my mom is Twigs and Heather's biggest fan and promoter. My mom has more of our business cards in her wallet than I do. She proudly shows people our jewelry (she wears a ton). And she still finds new designs that she wants for herself. Her private collection rivals mine! What else can I say? Without my mom's love and support there wouldn't be a Twigs and Heather.

I love you mama bear.

If you would like to read more about other EtsyMetal members roots check these blogs out- There good!
Beth Cyr - http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com
Erin Austin - http://metalmusing.blogspot.com
Nodeform - http://nodeform.blogspot.com/
Elizabeth Scott - http://esdesignsjewelry.com/blog
Inbar Bareket - http://www.inbarbareket.net/
Cynthia Del Giudice - http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com
2Roses - http://jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com
Evelyn Markasky - http://markasky.blogspot.com/
http://www.artigianojewelbox.com/category/blog

July shows and new twig necklaces

2011-07-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

July is hot in Boston! But we brave the heat to do two of our favorite shows. We will be in Amherst MA. on Saturday July 9th to do the 31st annual Amherst crafts on the common. Even though we had rain storms and a flooded tent last year it was still one of our favorite summer shows.

The following weekend on July 16th we will be at ArtBeat Somerville. If you are local you know how cool this all day fair is. There is always amazing art and craft, kids events, and yummy food. Plus our girl Liza of Dasken Designs will be there also. Check out her amazing stained glass.

If you do have a chance to come on down and say howdy then check out our newest twig necklaces. Great for the summer! They can also be seen on our Website www.twigsandheather.com . They are on the twig page.

Thanks everyone!

Handmade in Boston- Twigs and Heather

A very special gift

2011-06-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

I made this piece for my daughter's kindergarten teacher. It was made from one of her drawings. Her teacher is the kind of teachers kids remember for their whole lives. I am so happy that she was part of my girl's life.

New studio space

2011-06-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

Kerry and I have a new studio space in Lynn MA at the Lydia Pinkham building. It is as big as all of our previous studios put together! It took a while to get used to it. It needs a little more paint but we are officially up and running. I miss my little basement space but now I can put my head done and work without the lure of the computer, refrigerator, or vacuum to take me away. I am hoping to have an open studio this summer. You are all invited!

Happiness found in a new collection

2011-05-19T14:39:00.000-07:00

More new nature relics! I have found much joy in making these new pieces. Finding the leaves is half the fun. Discovering their hidden textures is the other half. I will have these new pieces at our show this weekend in Worcester. We will be at stART on the street- Spring Sunday May 22nd.

Tiny nature relics

2011-04-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

As you know nature is my biggest inspiration. I have always loved the texture, texture, texture found all around us. Leaves especially interest me. I can look at their tiny little veins and bumps and grooves endlessly. I have a new collection that I am very excited about; my tiny nature relics. They are like little fashion fossils. This is my first one. It's made from fine silver precious metal clay. Each one of these new pieces will be one of a kind. This one is in my private collection but there will be more on our website and our Etsy shop soon. Also come see them in person at our next show May 7th in Andover MA. We will be at the 36th annual Arts and Crafts in the Park.

Inspired by Grandma Lynne

2011-03-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

My mother in law is an amazing artist. She is a master quilter and we have been so fortunate to be given many of her pieces. I wanted to make something that was inspired not only by her own craftiness but also inspired by how wonderful a person she is.

I sand cast these two buttons in sterling silver. One has been molded already. I will be working on them this week. Please look for them on my website www.twigsandheather.com and also at my first show- Craftopia in the great city of Pawtucket Rhode Island.

Twigs and Heather
Handmade in Boston MA!

New pieces- sweet skullheads

2011-03-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not 100% sure about a name for these yet, but these are the first of many more to come! I'm keeping one for myself. I'm leaning towards the cutey on the right with the pumpkin head!
These area all made in sterling silver and are one of a kind, baby!
Look for these and more new designs at our 2011 show season, which starts in Pawtucket RI at CRAFTOPIA, Sunday April 10th.

Kindly,
K Alice
www.twigsandheather.com

Sweet sweet skullheads

Spring has sprung

2011-03-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

See that big one? What a beauty!

I spend two afternoons at the beach with my girls this week. Seaglass pickin' was good!
Check out some of our newest sea glass creations at www.twigsandheather.com . This year we will have sea glass rings at all of our shows!

EtsyMetal blog carnival- March- private pieces

2011-03-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

Heather and I have a few pieces that we just love and wear and will never sell or take off.
Let's start with mine, K Alice.

I haven't purchased a piece of jewelry in quite some time, but i do have a few vintage pieces that I love.
This picture is of my 2 favorite vintage sterling silver pieces. The ship is made by "Hand and Hammer". By doing a little research on-line, I discovered that this silversmith company has been around for quite some time. The ship is "Old Ironsides", The USS Constitution, which is located right in Boston harbor. What a beautiful ship!
The piece is really cool too. Not only does it have great detail, but the back is detailed too with tiny etchlike lines to show the ropes and ladders on the other side of the sails.

The other vintage piece is a growling wolf with a ruby eye. I don't know anything about this one, except it rules! (If anyone recognizes it, let me know what you know!)

I have many pieces of jewelry that i have made and I keep for myself, but these 3 are my favorite. One is a bracelet made of cast sterling silver birch bark. The heart and cross piece is my "craft show go to" piece. I love to wear this one at shows and on special occasions. It is one of the first in my "pincushion" series I ever made.

The last is a vintage PEANUTS button I bezeled. I love Linus from the peanuts and have been a fan of the Peanuts my whole life. When Heather had her first daughter, I got my Linus tattoo and made this necklace around the same time.

Heather's fav's...

These are Heather's bracelets she wears all the time. She does not take these off, EVER! She clinks and clinks wherever she goes. The maple seed bracelet is a maple seed that her daughter picked up and said, "you can make this one silver!" So we did. I love the shininess of Heather's bracelets. I think that the more you wear a piece made of sterling silver, the more it actually looks loved. The Birch especially seems to grow with you. The details of the birch bark oxidize naturally and the silver really starts to shine.

Please check out some of the other blogs from members of EtsyMetal and read about their favorite private pieces.
Rebecca Bogan - http://www.AdobeSol.com/blog
Nodeform - http://nodeform.blogspot.com/
Inbar Bareket - http://www.inbarbareket.net/
2Roses - http://www.JewelryTutorial.blogspot.com
Quercus Silver - http://quercussilver.blogspot.com/
Beth Cyr - http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com
Thomasin Durgin - http://metalriot.blogspot.com/
Michele Grady- http://www.michelegradydesigns.blogspot.com

EtsyMetal - Blog Carnival Feb. - Non metal / jewelry creativity

2011-02-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

February Topic: Non-Metal/Jewelry Creativity
Tell us about other kinds of art and craft you do. What other media do you work and play with? How often do you get to create? Does it relate to or inspire your metalworking?

Heather and I love to make things. It's always been in us.

Before we started Twigs and Heather, I (Kerry Alice)spent many an hour sewing. I've made pocket books, pillows, GIANT pillows, and dresses. I still pull out my sewing machine on and off, but I think everyone in my family has a pillow made by me by now (and a giant pillow). My mom has one of my favorites, a 4 foot patchwork cactus pillow.

Giant pillows!

Heather is great with projects with the girls. She is an excellent sketcher and can draw the most intricate, sweet, whimsy scenes when she makes the time (where does all the time go!). We both have been dabbling in driftwood sculptures lately.

The craftin' really never stops in this house. If there's a major holiday or birthday around the corner, the craftin' is ON! Handmade cards, wreaths, lawn art, you name it, we love to make it.

I think our inspirations (nature, love, the changing of seasons, the craziness of life, rebellion,) are poured into everything we do and create. Heather will put birch bark on virtually anything and I will try to make anything look like a goofy monster or skullhead) - K Alice

Lawn art

driftwood whale

K Alice and Pumkin man

pan sized crayon!

driftwood sculptures

Check out the other EtsyMetal members participating in this weeks blog carnival
1. kate jones - http://www.katejonesdesign.blogspot.com
2. kathryn cole - http://www.kathryncolejewelry.blogspot.com
3. 2Roses - http://www.JewelryTutorial.blogspot.com
4. Twigs and Heather - http://www.twigsandheather.blogspot.com
5. Erin Austin - http://www.metalmusing.blogspot.com
6. Thomasin Durgin - http://metalriot.blogspot.com
7. Nodeform - http://nodeform.blogspot.com
8. Beth Cyr - http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com
9. stacey hansen - http://wildflowerdesigns.blogspot.com
10. Nina Gibson - http://ninagibsondesigns.blogspot.com/
11. elizabeth scott - http://esdesignsjewelry.com/blog
12. Evelyn Markasky - http://markasky.blogspot.com
13. Amanda Conley - http://amandaconley.blogspot.com
14. Jenny Baughman - http://ridgeschool.blogspot.com/
15. Catherine Chandler - http://catherinechandler.blogspot.com/

New year, New day rising

2011-01-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

Kerry Alice Here!
Well it was a great year for Twigs and heather and I am happy to say that I am looking forward to making a few new pieces that people have been requesting for a while, mainly....SEA GLASS RINGS!
Heather has wanted me to make some forEVA, so this past Christmas I started by making Heather 4 sea glass rings for her gift. She loved them, but unfortunately, I made them all too small (FOR HER! They fit me just fine.) Anyhoo, I'm excited to made sea glass rings for the shows, so look for them soon.

Here's a few picks of Heather's and another that I have made. Enjoy!

This is Gus. He's not a sea glass ring, but I just wanted to share his greatness!

Thank you 2010- Hello 2011

2011-01-03T14:11:00.000-08:00

It's been another great year. We are so thankful for all the great people who put on another year's worth of shows, all our new and loyal customers and all of our amazing artists friends that we spent time with throughout the year. You know who you are!

We didn't travel very far but our work did. If you see a piece of Twigs and Heather's jewelry in New Zealand, Australia, or the UK tell it hi from us. Each and every piece of jewelry we make comes from our heart.

We tried new things. Some hits some misses. We are getting ready to try some more new designs for 2011. Kerry is part of RAW- Ring A Week. It's a Flickr group that will be making 52 rings throughout the year. Good luck y'all. We will have three rings from our month participating in RAD at SNAG's Ring a Day exhibition in May. Making almost 60 rings between us was a challenge and very inspiring. Can't believe it was a year ago!

We are looking forward to doing some new shows and participating in some of our favorite ones too. See you when the snow melts...

Kindly,
Heather and Kerry Alice

Blog Carnival December-Twigs and Heather's custom pieces

2010-12-18T12:39:00.000-08:00

Today for our Etsy Metal blog carnival we are talking about our custom pieces. We do a couple of different types of custom work. First is our "natural casting". We have had customers from all over the world send us twigs, seeds, feathers, etc. to cast in sterling silver and make a special piece of jewelry that is sentimental and will tell their story. One of our most recent and favorite custom pieces was made from a "nut" that a man found while walking in the woods. The inside had a perfect heart shape. We cast in and made a necklace from it. It was big and heavy and totally one of a kind. We loved doing this project.

Another piece that comes to mind we made a few years ago. A customer send us a tiny feather from her beloved bird. We did not cast it but imprinted it into a piece of wax. That was cast in sterling silver and made into a ring with a birch bark band.

Kerry makes so many rockin' pieces. They tend to be big and heavy. But there is always someone who wants it even bigger and heavier. We love that! Some recent custom Kerry Alice's pieces have been a giant sacred heart and triple pin cushion. So cool. Kerry also works on all of our custom sea glass pieces. People can send us a piece from their collection and we will bezel it and make a pretty necklace for them.

But I have to say that my favorite custom pieces are the twigs. We have had many people over the years send us twigs from sentimental places. Many times they come from a childhood home that they have moved away from. Hearing these stories make what we do all the more special. I know that for myself, whenever I look up at the trees, no matter where I am, I think of home. I guess that others feel that ways as well. That makes me happy.

Please check out what my friends at EtsyMetal make for custom pieces. All their work is excellent.
Inbar - http://www.inbarbareket.net/2010/12/blog-carnival-december-2010.html
ES Designs- http://esdesignsjewelry.com/blog
Victoria Takahashi http://vtakahashi.blogspot.com/
2Roses http://jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com
Nodeform http://nodeform.blogspot.com/

Blog Carnival- EtsyMetal team "What does it mean to be successful?"

2010-11-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Kerry and I are part of EtstMetal. It is a international collective of artisans who create jewelry and works of art in metal. This is my first time participating in our Blog Carnival. We all answer the same questions and write about it in our blogs. We can't wait to see what everyone else thinks about this topic...What does it mean to you to be successful in business as an artist?

We feel like a success because we have been sustaining our business for over 12 years. We have the freedom as artists to make what we want. We have repeat customers who love our work and want us to make jewelry for them that is special and cool. And we have never had to compromise who we are in the process.

Question 2- How do you walk the line between creativity and profitability?
When we first started making jewelry all of our organic castings were one of a kind. Now we have two lines of jewelry, our one of a kinds and our molded production pieces. We change the production pieces every year to keep them new and different. The customers still love them and we can keep them at a nice price.

Question 3- What is the best thing we have done for my business?
We have always done things our own way. Everthing from our designs to the way we display our work has always come from our clear perspective of who we are and how we want the world to see our work.
We have always followed our hearts and our guts. Being true to ourselves and our art has been good for our business. We think that when you make your own rules and follow your own path you stand out from the crowd.

Check out what my fellow members think about this topic.

stacey http://wildflowerdesigns.blogspot.com
victoria takahashi / experimetal http://vtakahashi.blogspot.com/
2Roses http://jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com
Jenny: http://ridgeschool.blogspot.com/
Beth Cyr: http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com
Purified: http://purifiedart.blogspot.com/
Nina Gibson ~ http://ninagibsondesigns.blogspot.com/

Inspired by color

2010-10-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

I went to America's Oldest Fair this weekend. It was the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield MA. A good time was had for all. I loved seeing all that carnival stuff...Oh the colors! I am thinking about trying to use more color in our jewelry...but how? I will let you know what I decide.

Why we love Vermont...

2010-09-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

Nature!
Foliage!
The Peru Fair. We just got back and it was super.
The Vermont Country Store. Lots of weird and wacky stuff. Can I get most of it online or at the mall? Yes, but who cares. I'm in Vermont!
Bluegrass music. It played all day at the fair. So sweet and lonesome.
Good food, friendly people.
Chainsaw art. Especially the bears.

We want to start a artist house and studio exchange program. We love on the ocean, you live...in Vermont? We would love to. Glad we asked!

Vermont show

2010-08-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we did a tree day show in Manchester VT. It was on the Hildene Meadow, home of the Lincoln's...Yes, those Lincolns! So needless to say it was beautiful there. The show was put on by Craftproducers. It was our first year doing any of these shows. We really wanted to do this one because we fell in love with Vermont last year. Vermont is so strange and different than what we are used to. We are city/ocean girls so being in the mountains is weird and wonderful.

The show was good. Nice customers and some people who recognized us from the Peru Fair last year (also in VT). Kerry's pieces were very popular. Especially the Day of the Dead skulls. A few twigs sold but my theory is that if you live in the woods you don't really want to wear it around with you every day. And that's OK! We were thrilled to see some of our favorite lady skulls find good homes with obviously some very cool people.

The best thing about the show was hands down our fellow artists. Some of them have been doing shows for over 30 years! Craftproducers offered camping so many of the artists had campers and RV's. It was pretty old school. Kind of a hippy vibe. It was very inspiring to be around these artists who are still doing what they love, still showing their work to people at shows. Thanks to all of you who were so kind and friendly.

New pieces...For men!

2010-08-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

I have been talking about adding a men's line to our collection for a while now. Recently we have had a few custom orders for the special man in a Twigs and Heather's fans life. So I made a few old favorites into nice necklaces for men and also some new one of a kind sterling silver birch necklaces that are big, bold, and beautiful. My amazing husband will be adding the page to our website soon. Look for it!

Hand project.

2010-07-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

My friend Andrea asked me to help with a craft project during my daughter's day camp this week. I came up with this sweet project. We traced all the kids hands and decorated paper plates. We then cut the hands out and made flowers, sun-shines, angels, and some other very clever designs.
I was really impressed how creative the kids were.

I love this project because when my girls are older we can see how little their hands once were. Awwwww...But the best thing was watching these kids express themselves through art. It was a very special day for me. Makes me want to work with kids more.

Here are some of their awesome pictures.

New one of a kind tiny maple seeds!

2010-06-26T07:32:00.001-07:00

That time of year again. It is the time when the beautiful Japanese Maple Tree's seeds are ready for pickin'. I love the size of these petite seeds. Most of them are less than one inch long and wide. I cast 12 of them recently and they came out perfect. Thank you Mother Nature...again.

Renegade Craft Fair- You are awesome.

2010-06-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

We would just like to thank everyone that put on the Renegade Craft Fair this year. Another amazing show! We also would like to thank everyone who bought pieces from us, all the super talented artists we talked to and the weather for only turning ugly for about 20 minutes.

This was our fourth year participating. It is always a thrill and a honor to be part of it.
Thank you kindly for Heather and Kerry Alice.
We love you.

Off to Brooklyn for the Renegade Craft Fair

2010-06-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend is one of our favorite shows- The Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn NY. We have had the honor to participate in the show for four years. It really just gets better and better. Not only are the crowds HUGE but they are super enthusiastic about buying art and craft.

I plan to shop a little myself (alright...a lot). I need to get a new notebook for my hubby Jason and some cool toys or stuffed animals for my girls. I am also looking for a cool new belt and some summer skirts. I also always buy end of the year gifts for my daughter's teachers. Got to support my craftin' peeps!

We were hoping to receive our new Square for the i phone, but we are on the waiting list. Guess it the old knuckle-buster again this year.

So, please send out good wishes for great weather. We have seen thunderstorms, 100 degree heat, torrential rain and wind, and clear blue skies over the years. I have even been trapped in a Port-a-potty during a storm once. Too funny! But really no matter what the weather we love being there.

We created this! MELT Makers Everywhere Living Together.

2010-04-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hi all!
We just created a new blog and Flickr group called MELT. MELT stands for Makers Everywhere Living Together. We are hoping that MELT will be a community full of good karma that shows the world that being a maker goes beyond the studio, into all aspects of our lives.

Kerry and I are very passionate about being artists and about helping the environment. We are hoping that this group will grow and grow. We ultimately want to be able to show the world that the choices we make can do good, make people happy and can also help us become a success.

It's baby steps right now but we will be working on this new venture, along with our flickr group, to make this a place a happy place.

Twigs and Heather jewelry featured in a movie!

2010-04-19T05:52:00.000-07:00

Last summer we were contacted by a costume designer that was working on a movie in Beverly MA. They were filming a movie about a real estate developer who is trying to develop a big piece of land and the forest creatures fight back! The move is called Furry Vengeance. It stars Brendan Frasier and Brook Shields. Our pieces are being worn by their daughter who helps the animals.

She will be wearing a tiny maple seed and perriwinkle necklace. We are so excited! The movie comes out April 30th. Save me a seat.

Writing a new artist statement.

2010-03-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes shows that we apply to ask for an artist statement. We have used the same one (or variations of it) for a while now. It's easy for me to describe my work to people when they ask, but putting it on paper has been a challenge. We just don't want it to sound, well, artist statement-y. We want it to be simple and true. Plus we are working on our line sheets and this will be included in it. So it in a way has to sell our work to potential customers too. OH the pressure!

Here it is. My newest version, subject to change at a moments notice.

Twigs and Heather is twin sister silversmiths and casters Heather Goodwin and Kerry Alice Collins. We opened our studio in 2000 and have been creating one of a kind sterling silver jewelry designs ever since. Using the lost wax casting method and a few tricks of our own, our pieces are cast from organic objects and hand carved waxes. Our jewelry is part forest finds, part rock star, and part silly romantic.

Heather's organic collections reminds us of our personal connections with nature. Each piece sparks memories that are sentimental and sweet. Kerry's work focuses on love, heartache, rock n' roll, and rebellion. They are moody, romantic and have a sense of humor. As different as these collections may appear, they always compliment each other and hold many of the same truths.

These pieces of jewelry will get more beautiful the more they are worn and they will last a lifetime.

There it is. We love using the word sweet.

Making new displays

2010-03-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

Kerry and I love how we display our work at shows. We try to look different from anyone else that is selling jewelry. We have always stayed away from velvet necks and many of the other commercial jewelry displays that you can buy. We like to have lots of color and sometimes we like to make our own displays. I have in my mind that this year I want to display my acorns a little differently. Here I am making my new display out for birch logs and branches. It still needs more work but I want to finish it by this weekend when we have our first show in Somerville at the Burren. Look for our new handmade display and all of our jewelry there!

Looking forward to my shows.

2010-03-15T07:36:00.001-07:00

Last year I wrote almost the exact same blog post. We mean it again this year. We are looking forward to showing our work in person, being around other artists and talking to customers. Please come check us out at one of these great shows.
Thank you kindly!

March 27- SLAM Somerville MA The Burren
April 11- Craftopia Pawtucket RI
May 8 Andover crafts in the Park
May 22,23 Craftproducers Flemington Arts and Craft Fair- Ringoes NJ
June 5,6 Renegade Craft Fair Brooklyn NY

New pincushions!

2010-03-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

Check out these new pieces by Kerry Alice. Our show season is about to begin look for our events page coming soon...

Some new pieces...

2010-02-22T07:10:00.000-08:00

Here are two of my newest creations. One is made from our tiny hydrangea flowers. I soldered three together to create this beautiful necklace.

The other piece is made from raw turquoise. I love this ring. Big and chunky, it is very wild west. Straight to the private collection for this one. But I am working on more for our upcoming shows.

Also we are proud new members of Etsy Metal! Quite an honor.

Ring a Day Challenge 30 days later.

2010-02-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

We did it! Kerry and I completed our ring a day challenge for the whole month of January. Honestly it was one of the best things that I have done artistically in a while. I got to make some new pieces in the studio to add to inventory, some for my "private collection", and the more conceptual ones I put in a shadow box and hung it in our office. This certainly was a challenge but it got us in the studio every day which is always a good thing.

I wish that we could continue on but now it's time to apply to 2010 shows. I will be checking out our fellow metalsmiths on Flickr to see what new things are made throughout the year. Anyone who makes a ring every day for a year is a Rock Star in my book. Good luck y'all!

New tools and new projects.

2010-01-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

I took my first class in many years in November. It was tube setting for stones at MetalWerx in Waltham. The class was four weeks. Once a week for 4 hours. When I finished the class I had learned the fundamentals to setting stones.

All excited I bought a Bench Mate, ready to get started. Well...busy season, Christmas, birthdays, etc. happened. Finally this weekend my husband put the bench mate on my bench and today I set my first stone. It was a turquoise cabochon. It took a while to get a good feel of how much pressure to use on the burr but after a few tries I had a nice tube setting that I used for my Ring of a Day challenge.

I am so excited to practice more. I get requests foe engagement rings all the time and I can't wait until I have the confidence to say...yes! I wish I had more time to dedicate to this but if I take one day a week in the studio to practice then I am sure that it won't be long until I am making myself and others rings with bling.

Say posted!

2009 round up and 2010 so far...

2010-01-11T06:42:00.001-08:00

Well it is a new year. 2009 was a really good year for us.

Our Work- We did some great new shows and experimented with new plants to cast. The silk tree buds and hydrangea flowers were a big success and it makes me excited for Spring to come and start working on new flowers. Kerry Alice started a new Land and Sea collection. It was a collaboration of cast twigs and birch bark with her beautifully bezeled sea glass. Sold a few pieces for Christmas and it will be interesting to see how they do in 2010.

Shows- We discovered Vermont in 2009. One of our favorite shows was in Peru Vermont. It was September and the foliage was breathtaking. The Country Fair that we participated in was busy, friendly, and we can't wait to go back this year. One of our favorite shows, The Wellfleet Oyster Festival was rained out on day two but day one was amazing! Cape Cod in October is lovely and the Festival brings out the crowds. We get some return customers every year. That make us so happy. Our two favorite Indie shows did not disappoint. The Renegade Craft Fair Brooklyn was awesome. We had great weather, sold some nice pieces and really liked the new field that it was around. They put on a super well organized show and we appreciate it. Back on our own stomping ground was the one and only Boston Bazaar Bizzare. What can I say. I love this show. This year was the best yet. I love it when people buy really special pieces for the ones they love. Some twigs found new homes and some killer Kerry Alice pieces too. Plus I traded like crazy, always a huge bonus.

Presently- This has been one of the best things that I have participated in a long time. Etsy Metal has put on a challenge called Ring a Day. Kerry and I are on our 8th ring today. This has really got me into doing new things. I have been thinking outside the box and making things that I wouldn't ordinarily think about making. Seeing the work of the other matalsmiths has been inspiring as well. I have really been pushing myself in the studio to make cool new things. One concept I came up with was the "identity crisis" ring. I used finding to make the rings. One thinks it a pin, another a toggle clasp. I can't wait to make more. They are very me in the sense that they all have a sense of humor. We will be taking on this challenge all month.

Looking to the future- Wholesale. Kind of a big deal. We are struggling with prices though. But working on it slowly but surely.

New work- Maple seeds, and twigs for engagement rings plus lots of bracelets. I want to put my new stone setting knowledge to good use. I will be making molds of nice twigs and practicing new techniques. Kerry Alice has some sweet new hearts with arrows for her pin cushion collection. She's so cool.

New Shows- Maybe the Renegade in Chicago or the West Coast. Trying to get into the Craftproducers shows again. They are in Vermont, our new favorite place.

Stay tuned. Good things to come in 2010 for Twigs and Heather

Beautiful flowers

2009-09-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

This summer has been a one of experimentation. We have cast tree buds, leaves and most recently Hydrangea flowers. We cast two different sizes. A teeny tint 5/8" one and a bigger 1 1/4" one. Both have amazing details. You almost don't even see all the details when just looking at the flowers. That why casting is so darn amazing. I have designed the tiny flower into a necklace and earrings with posts and the big one into a necklace as well. We sold our fist one just this weekend at the Design Hive in Cambridge. That makes us happy.

See them on our website or come on down to stART on the street this Sunday in Worcester.

Handmade in Boston...wicked cool.

We want to go GREEN- please help us win a grant to build a green studio

2009-09-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

My sister and I are trying to win a grant to build a all GREEN metalsmithing studio. We are in the Boston area, but it would be open to all to take workshops, and learn about how to green your own workplaces.

There already is a movement of artists who are practicing environmentally friendly techniques and we want to be able to take it to the next level. We only have three days to have 50 people register and endorse our story.

This would be such a great thing for all of us! Please take the time to read our story, look at our work here on our website and help us GREEN the craft world.

Thanks for supporting art and craft in Boston- Handmade is awesome.

Thank you kindly. Here is the link.

Earrings, earrings, and more earrings

2009-09-06T06:17:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to have a bigger collection of earrings but I spend a lot of time on my twig necklaces and birch rings. It was something that was put on the back burner time and time again. But this summer I set a goal and achieved it. With the help of the lovely Silk Tree in my neighbors yard, I began my work on the Twigs and Heather earring line. The buds on this tree were my inspiration (please see previous blog post). They cast beautifully. I also molded two of my favorite maple seeds...a Japanese maple seed and a Spring maple seed. Also a beautiful lilac twig. Now I have four new designs to show at my Autumn shows. First one will be September 13th at the Design Hive, a great show in Cambridge MA.

Come see them at the Design Hive or check out our new earrings on our website www.twigsandheather.com.

New pieces in the works - Tree buds...really cool ones.

2009-08-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

There is an amazing tree that grows in my neighbors yard. It was the last tree in my neighborhood to bloom this year. I almost thought that it wasn't going to. But when it did, it was worth the wait. It is called a Silk tree. Its beautiful blooms look like delicate feathers changing in color from white to pink.

When I took a closer look I was so intrigued with what I saw. The buds to this tree look like star bursts or teeny tiny fireworks. I had to cast one...or ten.

The results, perfect castings. Great for earrings and rings. I cast many sizes and I just don't know which I like best. Here are some pictures of these beautiful buds. Stay tuned for the new pieces to show up on our Look whats new page on our website.

Twigs and Heather featured in Daily Candy-Boston

2009-08-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

We were just featured in one of our favorite blogs, The Daily Candy. Being Boston girls we were honored to be mentioned in their fashion edition. Kerry Alice and I both loved what they wrote about our jewelry. They described our jewelry as "a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll". Perfect!

Land and sea

2009-07-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

For the most part Kerry Alice and I work on our own pieces. I am the earthy crunchy twig girl and Kerry Alice the Punk Rocker- brooding sea glass collector. Our pieces definitely show our personalities. But sometimes our unique styles come together and boy is it nice.

We have made a few of these over the years and they are so sweet. It is our land and sea necklace. We use birch bark cast in sterling silver and add a beautifully bezeled piece of seaglass. One of these pieces found a good home in the Berkshires this weekend...so of coarse we had to make more.

Look for them on our website www.twigsandheather.com and Etsy.

Stepping away from the computer...Spring shows

2009-03-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

Kerry Alice and I started Twigs and Heather in 2000. We opened our studio and started doing local craft shows in New Hampshire and Boston. We were also lucky enough to have an amazing web guy...my now husband, Jason. In 2000 there was not an awful lot going on in the world of craft on the Internet. Sure things were going on there, BIG THINGS, but as far as selling your art on line it was minimum. We were lucky enough to have a good website and be able to email other websites and shows about our work. Things like The Switchboards and Indieshopping were very helpful and informative when it came to learning more about what other artists were doing and how they were doing it. I really feel as if that is where I started to find "my community".

We were also lucky enough to be part of the Indie community when it was, well, still Indie. Twigs and Heather has been part of the Renegade Craft Fair, Handmade Arcade, Bust Craftactular and our beloved Boston's Bazaar Bizarre. These were and are the big Indie shows. And because of these shows as well as our online presence over the years we became known for our kick ass designs.

Fast forward to now. Indie is well, in my humble opinion, not so Indie. Selling online is so gimmicky. (See Kerry Alice's previous blog post). The Internet is over saturated, no SUPER over saturated with people selling their crafts. We are lucky that we have loyal customers who love our work. Plus they come see us at our shows. We love our town of Boston. We are know for what we do around here and have a few stores that promote us and our jewelry.

This year we are really looking forward to our shows. We just participated in the Design Hive Market in Cambridge MA. We sold a bunch of things including a awesome birch bark bracelet. We will be back there on April 5th.
We are also really looking forward to the Twist Fair in Northampton MA. It is May 1 and 2. It was one of our best shows last September and we are psyched to be doing it again. And we are also trying a new show this year. The Brooklyn Artists and Fleas. Brooklyn's fine residents are good to us. We get many customers from there are we are happy to go check this one out.

So Kerry and I are really looking forward to doing our 2009 shows. There is nothing like putting our whole collection out for everyone to see. Some of these pieces never make it online and can only be seen at a show. Plus we are really proud of our displays. We are having 3 more of our freaky town houses built right now.

It's funny, these days it seems like the measure of an artist's success is measured by the number of sales found on their Etsy page. (our is 36). But to us it is so much more. It is the ten years of experience that we have had. It is all of the happy customers over the years that have come to our shows just to buy as special piece for someone. It is all of our custom work we do. These projects mean so much to us.

Honestly, I need to get away from the computer and be around people again. Participating in craft shows is where we started and it is where our business began. It is where we shine. Plus, it helps me remember all the reasons why I love what I do.

One size does not fit all- Marketing

2009-03-04T11:28:00.001-08:00

WOW! There is a lot of advice flying around these days when it comes to marketing your craft business, or should I say MY craft business.

Every time I go to a forum, there is another person talking about their "steps to success".

Twittering is BIG. But don't just twitter about what you do or what you have just created, that would be spamming or shameless promotion.
Twitter about your dirty dishes, or walking your cat for the first time.

Ah, OK...

I have just come across yet another blog article about "finding your nitch" "your demographic" "your brand".
Yawn....When I read things like this, I can't help but think "What do you know about me and my business!!!" Honestly, when people say to me "you know what you should do..." I stop listening.

I started my jewelry business with Heather over 10 years ago. Heather loves the organic objects, I love to make, really, what ever tickles my fancy. I make what I WANT and hope people will love and see the beauty in it.

OH NO!!! Am I confusing people with a blurry sense of my brand? Will people not see the cohesiveness in our different product lines??? Will I miss the mark on my target market?? (I DO make things that I like AND sell consistently too, BONUS!)

I love what I do. I love to create new pieces. I never look at my work and say to myself, "self, have you considered how this will fit your demographic, brand or nitch? Are you screwing yourself Here? You are all over the map when it comes to your inspirations with these new pieces, ya know!!!"

When people ask me what advice I have for other crafters, I always say "DON'T follow other people's advice. Do what YOU feel is right. Go with what YOU know and follow your heart (awww).

Sean Combs (P Ditty) once said " If you don't take risks, you may never get anywhere." Smart guy (and SUCCESSFUL too)

Rant over...

K alice!!!

Hey look up!

2009-02-23T04:57:00.000-08:00

I spend a lot of time looking up at the trees. This time of year is especially fun because the buds are starting to grow and they get bigger every day. I just cast a bunch a sweet twigs with big and bumpy buds on them. If you take the time to look up you will notice these twigs on many, many trees throughout the Boston area. These will grow into big green leaves...amazing.

Plus some of my favorite twigs are found right along the coastline. This bumpy little twig is from a flowering bush. These are great for earrings. Perfect little skinny guys with petite buds all around. These turn into little pink flowers...wow.

The change of seasons always amazes, thrills, and inspires me. But, I am so ready for winter to end.

You can see buy these pieces on our Etsy page www.twigsandheather.etsy.com.
And see more really cool twigs at www.twigsandheather.com.

Twigs and Heather, always handmade in Boston.

Sacred Hearts

2009-01-26T13:52:00.000-08:00

One of the first things I wanted to work on this year is my Sacred Heart collection.
The idea of eternal love is so romantic, I can hardly stand it! (in a good way)

I love to make my heart have a lot of definition. They are never just flat or round. They swell...

The largest one in the middle has a spiny heart feel to it. I could see Ozzy wearing this one. It is almost 2 1/2 inches from top to bottom and the heart itself is over an inch long and wide.

The one on the left is the first sacred heart that I used LOS on. I finished off most of the oxidization, but gave the flame a kind of smokey look. This flame is more abstract than the others. I like it because it almost looks like a flower of some sort.
Heather actually made a flame look like this one a few years ago, so I can't take the credit for the rockin' design.

(A funny thing about Heather's waxes, she rarely works with the wax, but when she does, the designs always are sweet, silly and wicked cool.)

The last one on the right, I think, is my favorite. This one may not make it out of the private collection. The flame on this one really has movement. Pictures can't show how this heart has that subtle swell that I was talking about, that the flame dips in places, like it just got caught in the wind. Yea, mine all mine....maybe...

Well here they are. My first 3 sacred hearts of 2009.
They are BIG and shiny and will hold on to your secrets of love for you.

Check out our whole collection at www.twigsandheather.com

Handmade in Boston.

Twigs and Heather Men's line coming soon.

2009-01-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

We often have requests for more jewelry for the guys in people's lives. We make birch bark rings in bigger sizes and I have always thought that men should be enjoying the twig necklaces more. My husband wears twig wedding rings and a birch necklace.

Our plan is to to make cuff links and tie tacks as well as some more chunky necklaces. We made our big brother the first piece for his birthday. It is an original design carved from wax and cast in sterling silver. We do not know what to call it yet though. I like that it is organic in shape. It reminds me of a thorn and it very natural looking and earthy. Kerry Alice likes that it is kind of goth and rock and roll, part fang... industrial. It is one of a kind. Lucky fellow isn't he!

Here it is. Kerry oxidized it to make it dark. And we like it, hope he does too.

Handmade in Boston.

2009!

2009-01-18T05:40:00.000-08:00

We are very excited this year. Kerry and I are designing new pieces every day. We are going to try new things too.

Heather and the Twigs- My first new pieces in the Ginko leaf. I often wondered why people are so inspired by this leaf. We get people asking us every year if we make them too. This autumn Kerry and I notices an amazing tree. It was in full autumn color...bright yellow. Being the tree hugger that I am ,I just had to check it out. To my amazement it was a Ginko tree. I must have walked by this tree a thousand times. I was luck enough to collect a few leaves before them all blew away in a storm just the next day. I am thrilled with the result. It cast beautifully. Now I know! This leaf has amzing detail. A sweet, strange shape and it just just so darn pretty all silvery.

Up next- A men's line. Tie pins. cuffinnks. Big chunky rings and bracelets. I can't wait to start it. We are casting every weekend.

Kerry Alice's designs- I love LOVE and all it's pleasure and pain.
This new year, I am starting to work (again) on BIG, AWESOME sacred heart pieces.

I am also going to expand my Day of the Dead collection. I am really looking forward to incorporating some color and also experimenting with Liver of Sulfer to bring out some of the details of my flower rings.

I don't know why I have been so imtimidated by LOS. It's a great thing!

2008-11-02T16:59:00.001-08:00

Autumn, Tiny Twigs, and the Day of the Dead

2008-10-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

By Heather and Kerry Alice of Twigs and Heather.
www.twigsandheather.com
www.twigsandheather.etsy.com

It is kind of hard to say which season we like best. Spring brings new blooms and buds. Winter is great twig pickin' because the trees are bare. Summer is well...summer! But there is something about the Autumn that Kerry and I adore. The trees are such an inspiration to us and our work. Seeing them change and get more colorful every day is such a joy. The weather is perfect for doing outdoor shows, going to fairs and apple pickin'. Plus, Halloween and All Souls Day also known as The Day of the Dead falls into this season.

Kerry gets many of her ideas for jewelry from the images and folk art inspired by The Day of the Dead. One of it's most common symbol is the skull. We also use these images in our displays for shows. Look closely enough you can find sacred hearts, winged skeletons, and little devils displayed with our jewelry.

We have been working on a few new pieces this month. Kerry has made some beautiful beaded Mr. Roundhead and Mr. Longhead necklaces. We cast all the skulls, birds and leaves. I have been working on some tiny nature charm necklaces. Each piece of birchbark, acorn, and maple seed is cast individually and they are all one of a kind.

I hope that everyone enjoys this wonderful season as much as we do. It is hard not to with so much beauty outside to see.

Twist Fair in Northampton

2008-09-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

By Heather and Kerry of Twigs and Heather

We just got back from the TWIST FAIR in Northampton MA. It was a two day show. Artists showed their work Friday night and all day Saturday, September 5th and 6th. It was held at the Center for the Arts right in downtown Northampton. We are very happy to say that it was a great experience.

Twist was organized by Lexie Barnes, an artists from Northampton. Over 50 artists and crafters from New England exhibited their work. There was a really interesting mix of cool crafts and fine art. Some exhibitors were showing their work for the first time and there were some seasoned veterans, including ourselves there too.

Some of our craftin' friends were there. Egg-a-go-go with her wonderful mixed media paintings, from Somerville, The Crafty Scientist from CT, Carrie Bergman from Boston with her beautiful tiny oil paintings , and Fern Animals, formerly from around our hood, Beverly MA, now Northampton residents to name a few.

The vibe at the show was great. The customers were enthusiastic and the vendors were happy to be involved is such a new exciting event. It was a really nice space too. High ceilings, big windows and lots of light. We also had the opportunity to trade some twigs for some really beautiful art.

We will definitely do this show again ( if they will have us.) Not only were the organizers friendly, but they were super helpful too. It was well publicized and we love the TWIST logo. Very Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is cool with us. They even gave us a free t-shirt and bag as we left. We just love seeing towns like Northampton embracing the arts and craft scene and doing something different with a show like this. Word will definitely get around that this was a great place for artists to sell their work. Let us be the first to sing their praises.

You can still see the vendor list at www.twistfair.com and some of our work at www.twigsandheather.com

New Pincushion Necklace from Twigs and Heather

2008-08-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

Oh, the pleasure and the pain.
This is another piece from my pincushion series.
The first one I have made with 6 pins and it's a big one.
The heart with pins is over 1 inch wide and is 1/2 inch thick to fit all those lovely (ouch) pins.

The pincushions are one of my favorite pieces to make and they are a reflection of the craziness of life and love for me (KAC).

I'm pretty happy with the photos too. Usually I swear a lot and may even start to cry trying to take a decent shot.

This one is going to be hard to keep out of my private collection!

You can see more of our pincushion collection at www.twigsandheather.com .

Workspace Wednesday -Twigs and Heather

2008-08-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is our studio. It is in our home in Nahant. It is pretty small but we have everything we need in it to cast and finish all our of jewelry. It is the third studio space that we have been in. The first was in Eliot Maine. The second was in our house in Kittery ME. Both had little windows that could only be used to vent out the bad stuff produced by being a casting studio. This workspace has a real window overlooking our wildflower garden. AHHHH fresh air. (We also have a vent too.) Kerry and I talk about decorating it more but we don't want to have anything catch on fire. Safety first! You can see what we make in this humble space at www.twigsandheather.etsy.com and also our website www.twigsandheather.com.

Summer inspirations

2008-07-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

Kerry and I grew up in Nahant, a very small town North of Boston. It is only 15 miles from downtown Boston. We started our studio while living in JP but due to increasing rents for artists we moved to Portsmouth NH where Twigs and Heather grew to what it is today. We have always considered ourselves Boston girls so it was our ultimate goal to move back to the hood. It took two years of searching for just the right house in Nahant. We finally found it just over a year ago. It has our studio in it and we love it. We can see the amazing skyline from many points in Nahant. Even from right outside our house.

The summer is so special here. The town is surrounded by the ocean. We collect all our seaglass here and the twig pickin' is good too. We recently started a new collection of sea shell designs. We hand picked the shells , molded them and cast them in sterling silver. We now have two shells in our collection and a few more on the way. A mussel shell and a spiral sea shell can be found as necklaces on our website as well as on our Etsy page. We like to think that they are another sentimental reminder of the simple things that we all love and enjoy.

We feel so blessed to live and work here and we hope that people who like our work can feel the deep appreciation for our surroundings

Here are a few of our favorite places that inspire us to do what we do.

Twigs and Heather casts maple seeds

2008-05-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ahhh spring.
One of our four favorite seasons. We get really excited when the maple seeds start appearing on the trees around Boston. We only have 1 or 2 weeks when the pickin' is good. These cast perfectly. We will be designing necklaces, and earrings from this batch.

New Members - Twigs and Heather

2008-04-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Allow me to introduce ourselves. We are Twigs and Heather, Heather and Kerry Alice Collins. We are twin sisters, casters and silversmiths and new members of Boston Handmade. We design and cast one of a kind jewelry designs made from organic objects and hand carved wax models. We have two very different styles but they complement each other quite nicely. We usually cast waxes together and twigs together. Here are some pictures of our sprueing process, wax designs and raw castings.

Kerry has been working on new animals. We have rooster heads and whales. We also have a line of one of a kind sacred heart necklaces. We also have been working on some new flame designs. We always include some of our most popular pieces when we cast. The anchor and horseshoe are two of them.

These are just the first few steps of our process. It is dirty and labor intensive and we love it.