December 2, 2011

New jewelry for Newton show

rhodocrosite and pewter

Heart shaped rhodochrosite beads with pewter and silver. Slips over head. $89.

Come visit me at Celebrate Newton and see all the new pieces Paternostri has been creating these last few days. They are my new favorites. Mention this blog post for 10% off your purchase! Here is a sneak peek. Top of my list is the pinkish rhodochrosite heart shaped stones with bits of green and cream colors. Adding another color stone would not do, so I found the solution… pewter spacers and an unusually placed clasp. I love this piece!

Another necklace is a really strange but oddly beautiful one. I found what looks like quartz blackened by fire rondelle shaped beads and bought one strand. What will this work with? By itself it was interesting, but would I wear it? No!

quartz and onyx necklace

Onyx pendant on an unusual combination of fired quartz and Czech glass. $84.

Sometimes the collector in me has to stop myself from bringing home these unwearable specimens. I stumbled across some Czech glass beads that intrigued me many months ago. Looking almost like insect wings with reddish and gray colors. The two strands made a great combo. See for yourself. I added garnet for more red depth and sparkle and an onyx pendant. This is also my new favorite!

1 Comment

Filed under Garnet, Onyx, Quartz

November 27, 2011

Next Show Sunday Dec 4 in Newton

Paternostri is preparing for the Celebrate Newton Holiday Craft Fair which will be held next Sunday at Newton South High School. I’m excited to be offering some leather and silver bracelets with steel snap clasps that are very comfortable and stylish. I don’t think I can sell the first one, because I have been wearing it almost every day since I made it. So, I ordered more Greek leather in different colors and I’ve stringing them with large hole beads. One has color furnace glass, another Hill Tribe silver. Prices vary from $35-$70 depending on the beads used.

2 Comments

Filed under Bracelets, Furnace Glass, Hill Tribe Silver

October 27, 2011

Revising a web site

I love to exhibit in craft shows, especially those well run and dear to my heart. I love seeing and catching up with friends, other vendors and meeting both old and new customers. But, as a web designer, it was time to start thinking toward the future. I want to expand the business, but do it from home instead of hauling heavy boxes and props around.

My old site was hosted on WordPress.com, which is a great option for newcomers, and virtually free. It offers free themes (or templates) and domain hosting for only $12 per year. What is a problem, though, is lack of functionality, such as a shopping cart, forms, and other goodies known as plug-ins and widgets.

So, I decided to move the site to another hosting company that allows for web growth. I send all my web clients to BlueHost, as I find it easy to install WordPress and the help is 24/7. I already have my Perugi Design website there, and for no extra cost, I could add my Paternostri site there as a sub-domain. I didn’t want to lose several years worth of blogging, so I exported the blog from the old host company and imported it into the newly constructed blog, using the same theme. Just a few missing pictures and widgets added and I was good to go.

Pointing the domain away from the old and to the new site is the last step. You want seamless access for your customers and followers. That done, I’ll just let the old files on WP.com wither away, losing only a few dollars investment.

A shopping cart is a little more difficult step. I plan on using Propay, and it will be much easier than a bank credit card set up and requires no plugins to operate.  Just some old fashioned html tables. It’s not quite done yet, a few threads to unravel, but I think I’ll have it running soon.

Be watching for specials run only on the website. I’ll be putting up everything from my bag onto the site, using my make shift photography to provide the pictures. Hopefully, they will be good enough!

Comments Off

Filed under Shows, Uncategorized, web site

September 30, 2011

Sale at Paternostri this Sunday!

Come to the SoWa Marketplace and visit Paternostri jewelry. We are having a big 20% off sale! Everything is on sale.  Here are a few pictures of recent work to wet your appetite!

 

Comments Off

Filed under Agate, Citrine, Hill Tribe Silver, Kyanite, Onyx, Peridot, Shows

July 24, 2011

Manchester Show Drama

Last year's tent right in front of the harbor.

With all the hot weather we’ve been having in Boston and the east coast, the vendors getting ready for the Manchester by the Sea Arts Festival were not just a little worried. Chuck Hayback, organizer of the yearly summer event,  assured us all would be fine. It’s always a little cooler on the coast and he was sure people would come out to enjoy the day.

The sky was darkening as I left Framingham at 7 am. Is rain better than sizzling heat? Maybe, maybe not. My canopy is not rainproof. By the time I arrived in Manchester, booths were already popping up on Main Street. I wheeled the Toyota RAV, filled with crates, tables, sandbags and canopy, to the Community Center for check in.

Good. I’m still in Reed Park, where I have enjoyed the harbor view and sea breeze for the last three years. Since I’m late, the parking in that area is full, but I find an illegal spot at the end of the row of cars and put on the emergency lights. Lugging the gear into the grassy spot goes relatively easily and I find, to my surprise, a Newton comrade, right next to me. She’s a printmaker who I show with at Newton Open Studios. Yay!

After parking the car offsite and walking back, it’s time to put up the canopy, minus my tall husband who is not available. Fortunately,  Lynda and my other neighbor lend a hand and we get the thing up. It’s still raining, but I overhear that it is going to clear. There are a lot of sailors in the area, so I trust they know the signs.

The skies cleared, the sun came out and the breeze stayed to keep us cool all day. 20% off spurred sales. What a day!

Comments Off

Filed under Shows

June 7, 2011

SoWa Open Marketplace

An exciting craft show and open marketplace is being held in the South End every Sunday. Paternostri is getting ready by producing new fabulous jewelry and organizing the display. Outdoor displays are much more involved in the city when you put up a canopy and weight it down with sand bags, so as not to endanger any people in the crowd. Gusts of wind can pick up a canopy and send it hurling! My husband can’t wait to help me haul the 100 pounds of sand to the show…

In addition to that, I’m planning to add a third 2′ by 4′ folding table, so that I can arrange them in a U shape for better shopping. Then, of course, what do you cover the tables with? A trip to Sew-fisticated in Framingham should provide enough material to sew covers that fit over the tables. Get out the sewing machine…

I’m adding more stone samples to that so delights children. After all, it is how I developed my love and appreciate of the natural beauty of this earth!

1 Comment

Filed under Shows

May 9, 2011

Open Studio Event This Weekend in Newton

Coming up this weekend is the Newton Open Studios event that takes place in artist studios all over the city. Pick up a map and chart your course for an entire day or even two days. Bring your friends…it’s free!

I’ll be bringing Paternostri to Studio 29 at 29 Vineyard Road, very near The Centre. I have many earrings and necklaces this year, inspired by larger stones from Africa and other far flung countries!

Other artists at Studio 29 are host Lynda Goldberg with paintings and mono prints, Jennifer Parmenter with her jewelry collection and Phyllis Gordon with hand painted silk scarves.

Join us for viewing, purchasing or libations during your trek across Newton!

Comments Off

Filed under Shows

April 9, 2011

May in Newton, Boston this summer!

Going to all the open studios and craft shows this Spring has been inspiring. Craft Boston was particularly good this year, but not well attended. Today, I went to the open studios at Fountain Street in Framingham and the energy there was electric! Hopefully, New England is waking up from its overly long and cold winter and is ready to visit artists of all kinds, both fine and craft.

Paternostri will be unveiling new jewelry at Studio 29 in Newton Centre this May. (see the calendar) I have big chunky necklaces of beautiful stones with studded with Hill Tribe silver. Some elegant earrings and pearl bracelets.

This summer, I’ll be at SoWa in Boston’s South End (500 Harrison Avenue), where I’ll put up a tent and display my jewelry in the marketplace along with many other vendors, including food and beverage vendors. It’s a popular destination for many Bostonians. Vendors are there each Sunday throughout Summer and Fall, so check back for the days I will be there.

Comments Off

Filed under Shows, Shows and Events, Uncategorized

February 26, 2011

Best Little Bead Show Brings Rewards

Carol Stoltze and I went down to the Best Little Bead Show in Dedham yesterday. I came back very satisfied with my purchases, having discovered a new stone vendor, Africa Gems from New Jersey. Good prices for large blue green Apatite, chunky Amethyst and aqua Chrysacolla.

Top: Aqua Terra Jasper, Bottom: Apatite

Some discoveries are always to be found in Jaspers and Agates! They are becoming my favorite stones. New (for me) Aqua Terra Jasper, Moss Agate, lentil shape blue Tiger Eye and dark red Jade. Some faceted Green Agate caught my eye as well as an unusual white striped Carnelian. What treasures to behold! Along with the ever beautiful Hill Tribe Silver nature themed charms, I’m excited to see what will come out of these beads.

2 Comments

Filed under Agate, Amethyst, Carnelian, Goodies, Hill Tribe Silver, Jade, Jasper, Tiger Eye

February 4, 2011

Shipping Stones

It’s easy to spend a lot of money fast and come home with loads of rocks. In my first two hours at the Tucson Gem Mall, I had enough to weigh down my bag considerably. Even though I only purchased from several vendors that day, they each had enough on display that browsing the beads can take upwards of an hour. Thanks to the USPS for their Fit it and Ship it boxes. I send one heavy medium box for about $10 and it arrived the day after I got home.

The second vendor I visited was from India and specialized in silver and gold filled findings. Their Hill Tribe silver from Thailand was extensive. The price of silver has increased this last year, so some of the tags were a little disconcerting. Never-the-less, I came out with several hundred dollars worth of silver.

The third vendor was from Illinois, and specializes in mid-east vintage beads and findings. I’ve seen this vendor at the Marlborough Gem and Jewelry Show.  He sold me rough agates and hand-made glass discs. The last vendor was a company from California. The rep was an older sweet  person. He quoted prices to me that were more than half off the tags and I responded by hauling away a bundle. I especially like the natural turquoise, onyx, quartz peridot and aquamarine gems.

I made it to two other venues on other days and found luscious pearls and other gems! Already, I can’t wait until next year when I plan to spend more time searching out the unusual and high quality that only Tucson can offer!

Comments Off

Filed under Aquamarine, Hill Tribe Silver, Onyx, Pearl, Peridot, Tucson, Turquoise

Tagged as