Please see all my new work on Instagram 🌿 @swadeworks

I have been enjoying the simplicity of posting my work in a fast and seamless way there.

Thank you for looking. See you on Instagram!

BOY, HOWDY!

As they say in Texas, and probably other states, "Boy, Howdy!", which in this case means a sceptical "wow...".

I apologize for not getting back to this blog at all until today, August 8, 2017.  So, if you've been frustrated by lack of new images, it's all my fault!

I found a faster  and easier way to show my work ~ on Instagram.

If you don't want the APP on your phone or tablet here's an option... go to www.instagram.com then in the search line type @swadeworks and my posts will pop up.  You can follow me easily by clicking on the word "follow".  I can see my IG account on my laptop that way, but normally use my phone.

On @swadeworks you'll get to see lots of new pieces and also little slices of my home life including my new horse with me on her! We are slowing down to fewer art shows, and the following are our last shows until next spring:

Mellwood Art Center Show in Louisville, KY  on Sept 9 and 10

Autumn and Art in Wichita, KS  on Sept 15, 16 and 17

Tennesse Fall Craft Festival in Nashville, TN  on Sept 22, 23 and 24 Sept

St. James Court Forth Street Section in Louisville, KY on Oct 6, 7 and 8

Port Warwick Sculpture Garden in Newport News, VA on Oct 14 and 15

My email is swadeworks@gmail.com, and my phone number is 903 312-6827 should you want to contact me.

Hello! 

It's been a year since I posted last because of our message concerning orders made last year before our trailer was stolen. We were able to participate in all but one show we were in last summer and fall, so did our best to "catch" people who made orders. I had a sign in my booth to alert anyone who had ordered from me ~ no takers ~ which was so sad for me!

I'll be posting a lot of new work completed last year for you to see.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are so grateful to God for picking us up and supplying our needs completely after the loss of our packed-to-the-top trailer. As it says in the Old Testament, "His mercies are new every morning....", and "His is faithful...", and so many more lovely statements we have found to be true.

The photos of newer work are coming after Thanksgiving, and photos of my very dear mare who is going into training in a week or so to be grandchildren ready!

Sally

My First Post this Show Year.....So Late!

We have had a very busy show schedule and it's winding down now with only three shows left to go.
Edom, TX is Oct. 17 and 18, then Peter Anderson Art Show in Ocean Breeze, MS Nov. 7 and 8, and the last show is in Covington, LA on the 14th and 15th of November.  Now on to the sad news.

PLEASE READ THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU HAVE MADE AN ORER AT SHOWS THIS YEAR.
Last week while we were in Columbia, SC attending our nephew's funeral and grieving with our family there OUR SHOW TRAILER WAS STOLEN Sunday October, 4th. It contained all our booth set up, all my jewelry making tools, silver and gold, and my LITTLE BLACK FILE ORDER BOX with 23 orders *** my only copy of names and drawings, including deposit amounts *** which just hurts me to the core.

Please call me at 903 312-6827 and tell me the show where you ordered a custom piece, what it was, and if you paid a deposit or paid in full.

I am so sorry for this inconvenience to you. We are rebuilding our business and getting on our feet quickly. You won't recognize our booth next year, but look for our smiling faces. God is good in spite of circumstances.

The sheriff's department is aware of our loss, but the flooding is still ongoing and is a tragedy in Columbia. Our trailer isn't top priority when people's lives are endangered. Still, we are hopeful the thief will have no idea how to set up our show canopy and abandon it and lots of our other things!

We wish you well!

Very Sincerely,
Sally Wade

Happy September! I have been enjoying creating more large pieces since the octopus custom necklace.

We are in the middle of a lot of shows right now and working hard to keep up with sales. Hope to see you at Black Swamp in Bowling Green, OH, or Wichita, KS at Autumn and Art, then Leesburg, VA and the formerly named TACA in Centennial Park in Nashville!

I am busier this show season than ever (or I'm just getting older and slowing down).
The Octopus necklace is my largest piece yet at about 6" tall and 5" across. It was a custom order from an extraordinary woman who is very into deep sea fishing. She has ordered barrettes that have been fun to make that feature sea creatures as well.
Along this same line I have planned a mermaid, a deer in the woods, a horse with flowing mane, and a possible eagle.   All those designs I envision being simplified and stylized. Let's hope I get to them soon! A lot of shows are coming up at warp speed.

Show List ~ August through November

8/15-16     Lexington, KY Woodland Park

8/ 23-24    Columbus, IN

8/30-31     Bloomington, IN 4th Street Festival of Art

9/6-7         Bowling Green, OH  Black Swamp

9/13-14     Wichita, KS  Autumn and Art

9/20-21     Leesburg, VA

9/27-28     Nashville, TN  Centennial Park

10/11-12   Lees Summit, MO  Pending Notification

10/18-19   Edom, TX  Edom Festival of Art

11/8-9       Winnsboro, TX

11/15-16   Covington, LA  Three Rivers Arts Festival

Hello!  As is normal for me....it's been a while since posting.
This year we are off to a fast and happy start with our shows.  We were in the huge Memorial Park show in Houston in late March and had a great time. Our next show was in lovely Wimberley, TX between Austin and San Antonio and again had a good show and met lots of great folks.
Our next show is in Dallas at the Arboretum this weekend! It should be lovely there! Not to mention the fine art show keeps getting better and better.
The Texas trend continues with a one day show in Wiley, TX on Saturday the 3rd of May.
Then:
Gumtree Art Show in Tupelo, MS ~ May 10-11
Tulsa International Mayfest, in Tulsa, OK ~ May 15-18
X GAMES JUNE 7-8  OUR SON MORGAN WADE RIDING BIG AIR ~ watch on ESPN/ABC
Boardwalk Art Show and Sale, Virginia Beach, VA ~ June 12-15
Manayunk Art Festival, Manayunk, PA (Philadelphia suburb) ~ June 21-22
Crosby Art Show in The Toledo Arboretum, OH ~ June 28-29
Rockport Art Show, Rockport, TX ~ July 5-6
Other shows are pending notification. Wish me well with the jurors for the shows!

Our son, Morgan, is helping me with the photography of my work now.  I am so pleased with the new look!

2014 Good Gravy!!!

There is a beautiful woman wearing this in Memphis! I had thought I would post of photo of her wearing this in my booth, but I caught her with eyes in a half-blink and decided she wouldn't be too happy with her expression.  Timeless Italy ~ the name of this pendant ~ was a lovely choice for her with her hazel eyes and steely dark grey hair. I love to see my pieces find their homes.

I don't remember how many renditions of Queen Esther (Biblical queen of Persia) I have made. Almost ten by now, and each one is different in headdress and expression. The story is inspiring and such a good read. The Old Testament is full of exciting real people who became heros as a direct result of their faith. Esther is courageous, humble, bold and beautiful. It thrills me women connect with her and want to wear the image of this great and brave woman!

These ladies keep cropping up in my work. This one is waiting for its owner to find her. Another one of a kind and very unique conversation starter!

This is what you should look for at shows ~ my current booth set up hasn't changed much in past several years so it should be familiar.

We are looking forward to being in Lexington, KY in mid August.

Our September is full now.

Franklin, MI on Labor Day ~ just on Monday with a parade to boot.

Art and Apples in Rochester, MI the following weekend. Large show with apple pies for sale!

The weekend after Art and Apples we're in Funky Ferndale in where else but Ferndale, MI.

The fourth show in Sept might be Common Ground in Birmingham, MI.  ~ I'm on the wait list.

October is looking good.

Red River Revel in Shreveport, LA  October 4-12 A nice long show and close to our home in Texas!

One weekend off  to play with our grand children, cut the grass, and pet my horses! ...and make jewelry of course.

River Arts Festival in Memphis which is a great show.

November is a one show month this year. I'll return to The Great Gulf Coast Fine Art Festival in Pensacola the first weekend on the month.

Since I'm not rushing from show to show (just to NYC for fun!) I thought I'd show off one of my newer pieces. This is a very comfortable bracelet with a unique stone. It has been shown at several shows this season and has caught the attention of many but it's owner hasn't seen it yet.  Of course, I don't have a clue who I'm making them for, but I wonder. Actually I make designs as an journey of pleasure and challenge. It is both satisfying and humbling that they find homes!

   I'm sharing some time with my sisters for the next week or so. A trip is planned to NYC for some sight seeing and art museum going, then to a show on our last day there. With all the time my husband and I spend on the road traveling from show to show this will be a different form of vacation!
   Our show season is well under way. I was so pleased to be in the Prairie Village Art Festival in the Kansas City area in June! All of our new shows have been good experiences. A couple of them were not well attended due to high heat, but we had a wonderful and hot time with other artists near us!
   One of those shows was this past weekend in Ann Arbor. What an enormous number of artists in one town. There are four shows all flowing one into another. In spite of so many artists setting up at the beginning and tearing down at the end there was order and calm. Very impressive show except for the heat! Oh, and I had a sunglasses salesman on one side which made me nervous (very irregular for a fine art show) until I got to know him a little and found him to be genuinely funny and friendly!
   Our next show is in Lexington, KY at Woodland Park August 17-18. If you are in the area come and see us in booth 142 near the children's area and in the shade of a huge tree!

This was our camp site for the Boardwalk Show in Virginia Beach. We stay at First Landing State Park each year and set up our "house" tent, and my "shop" tent on the right. I had two days to make more jewelry before the show started, so was ready with lots of new pieces!

It's March 2013, good grief!

Here I am playing catchup again.  If it weren't for several friends and loved ones asking about this blog it would still be waiting for an update of news and new pieces.  Thank you for the nudge!

Last year's show season was another breathtaking ride.  We did only 19 shows, had to miss two due to some illness on my part, and finished well in spite of it all.  "Only 19 shows" is a lot of shows...  I was honored to receive several more awards which always delights me, I must say!  At a nice little show in Allen, TX - the jewelry award,  the Metal, Glass and Clay show in Royal Oak, MI awarded me the jewelry ribbon, I was chosen for judging at the VA Beach Boardwalk Show no prize, but a big deal for me, award of excellence at the Red River Revel in Shreveport, LA, and then a biggie ~ an award of merit at the Great Gulf Coast Art Show in Pensacola, FL.  The last show of the season was one of the two we had to miss in Covington, LA and it made me so sad, but I was in the hospital...wondering how wonderful it was!  I'm totally back to normal now and thankful to God for my regained health.

Our show season is being kicked off March 23-24 in the charming town of Salado, TX just north of Austin.  I'll get some turquoise pieces ready for them!  Here's the rest:

Stillwater, OK -  April 20-21 Still Water Arts Festival  pending
San Antonio, TX  - April 27  King William Art Show

Tupelo, MS  -  May 11-12  Gum Tree Fine Art Show
Tulsa, OK  -  May 16-19   International Tulsa Mayfest
OKCity, Ok  -  May 25-26  Paseo Art Festival
May 31 - June 2  Wait listed for both Prairie Village in Kansas City and Summerfaire in Cincinnati, OH

Hinsdale, IL  -  June 7-9  pending
VA Beach, VA  -  June 13-16   Boardwalk Show
Columbus, OH - June 21-22  Easton Art Affair
Toledo, OH  -  June 26-28  Crosby Art Show  pending

Most of the 14 remaining shows we would like to participate in are still out there in cyber space awaiting jury dates.  We know for sure we'll be in a sweet show in Franklin, MI on Labor Day, and in Great Gulf Coast in Pensacola, FL the first weekend in November.

And now for some new pieces I've made recently...

                           
                    The one above is the only one not sold yet because it is so recent... $450.00.

Just finished today ~ three men's cuff bracelets.  Looking for men who need one in my upcoming shows!  They are 16 gauge sterling silver and about 5/8" wide.  Each one is made large enough for a big guy and  can be sized down for a custom fit.  I'm excited to offer more for men.  At every show someone asks about men's bracelets when they see the masculine rings. I'm ready for them now.

While getting ready for our show in Royal Oak, MI there have been some pieces that have come to me on the bench and others born of drawings.  The bottom pendant is titled "Deborah" and is my rendition of the the judge Deborah in the Old Testament book of Judges chapter 4 and 5.  It's a good read.  This was a liberated woman!  I'm anxious for this show and the one following in Virginia Beach!

OUR 2012 SHOW SCHEDULE

MARCH 16-18   Fairhope, Alabama ~ Eastern Shore Chamber Art Festival

APRIL 28   San Antonio, TX ~ King William Art Festival

MAY 5-6  Springfield, MO ~ Artfest on Walnut Street

MAY 11-12  Allen, TX ~ Watters Creek Fine Art Show,  received jewelry award

MAY 17-20  Tulsa, OK ~ Tulsa International Mayfest

MAY 26-27  Oklahoma City, OK ~ Paseo Art Festival

JUNE 9-10  Royal Oak, MI ~ Glass, Clay, and Metal 

JUNE 14-17  Virginia Beach, VA ~ 57th Annual Boardwalk Art Show

JULY 7-8  Rockport, TX ~ Rockport Art Festival

JULY 27-29  Asheville, NC ~ Bele Chere Art Show, Fine Art and Fine Craft section

AUGUST 18-19   Lexington, KY ~ Woodland Park Art Festival

SEPTEMBER 3  Franklin, MI ~ Franklin Art in the Village

SEPTEMBER 7-9  Rochester Hills, MI ~ Art and Apples

SEPTEMBER 14-16  St. Charles, MO ~ Mosaic Art Festival

SEPTEMBER 29 - OCTOBER 7  Shreveport, LA ~ Red River Revel

OCTOBER 20-21  Galveston, TX ~ Artoberfest

OCTOBER 27-28  Destin, FL ~ Mattie Kelly Fine Art Festival 

NOVEMBER 2-4  Pensacola, FL ~ Great Gulf Coast Art Show 

NOVEMBER 10-11  Covington, LA ~ Covington Three Rivers Art Festival

 Picture jasper is featured on this top clasping bracelet.  It has a new home on the wrist of a distance bicycle rider.  I was so pleased it now belongs to the right person! All around the bracelet is landscape I designed with a road leading into the distant mountains.

Queen Esther of the Old Testament book titled Esther is now in the collection of a former Seventeen Magazine model.  She is mature and beautiful ~ a wonderful match for this piece!

"Desert Spring" bracelet with a gold druzy set in the center is generously sized to fit a 6 3/4" wrist and is currently still available in my showcase. I will custom fit any piece at no charge, so it can be made smaller or larger in my studio.

What a Year!

Out of the twenty shows we participated in this last season I was honored with five awards!  It is so nice to know my work is not only appreciated by my stylish customers, but also competent jurors.

There are two events coming up for me.  I will be demonstrating for an art association near Dallas this month which I am looking forward to, and then for the first time I will be showing at the Dallas Market Center at a one-of-a-kind wholesale show. There's a lot of work to do in getting my "samples" ready and redesigning a booth.  I'll let you know how the wholesale show goes.

We're done with our out of town shows until March!  It is nice to go to the grocery store and buy flour, sugar, and enough food to last a while!  Cooking at home is such a treat.  When we are home only for a few days at a time I don't get into the swing of homemaking.  So, now it's time to gear up for guests and Thanksgiving, a trip to see our kids in California and then wonderful Christmas.

New Pieces

 This was a custom bracelet for a client's mother who has traveled to Italy every year for decades - right up my alley!  It was bent into a cuff of course.

 I had a great time choosing pearls last February at the Tucson Gem Show.  This natural beauty is one I found.

 A cuff for a woman named Rebecca.  The design is my interpretation of Rebekah of the Old Testament who was drawing water from a well when she was approached by the servant of Isaac.  Isaac became her husband and the rest is history!  This is pictured before bending into a cuff.

One of my new favorites, this is sold and had a bracelet to match.  This client has ordered a ring to complete the set.

Some new things, some sold already, some not...

The copper and silver pendant is reversible.  I have made a several reversibles and they sell almost immediately.  Copper sheet is stamped on one side with a design that is related to the stamped motif on the "front" silver layer and creates a mat to set off the design. A frame of silver is cut out to enhance the copper side then I make silver rivets to connect all three layers. The bail is soldered in place on this pendant. 

Of the three bracelets the one I still have is in the bottom photo. It has a panoramic landscape of trees and distant mountains all around.  The stone is magnesite and reminds me of a tree.

Our next show is in Lexington, KY at Woodland Park on August 20-21.  This our third year to participate and we are happy to return.

August 27  Lakewood Summer Art Faire  at Lakewood Methodist Church in Dallas, TX
August 10-11  Art and Apples  Rochester, MI
August 17-18  Mosaic Art Festival   St. Charles, MO
August 24-25  Lincoln Art Festival    Lincoln, NE
October 1-4  Red River Revel   Shreveport, LA
October 15-16  ARToberFEST   Galveston, TX
October 29-30  Destin Art Festival   Destin, FL
November 5-6 Dunedin Art Festival or Harvest Art Festival of Clermont ~ pending acceptance

I'll be back in my studio catching up on custom orders by August 10th, and adding to my inventory for the fall rush of shows.

A Tiny Update!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

We have traveled a lot this spring and early summer.  Just having finished eleven shows, the latest a wonderful show in Rockport, TX, we are taking a break to rest, visit our grandchildren (and children!), and gear up for many fall shows.

Our upcoming shows begin in the middle of August with a show in beautiful Lexington, KY - the AFB Woodlands Art Festival.  We'll have six shows in a row on this run and will be camping some between them for me to make the custom orders I take at shows.  I'll post a listing of all the upcoming shows tomorrow since the hard copy of our schedule is in my studio at home (we're in a motel getting ready to head for home in a hour or so).

Thank You to all the lovely people who have purchased first second and third pieces from me at our shows Fairhope, Baton Rouge, Corpus Christi, Tyler Rug Camp!, Duluth, GA, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Toledo, Annapolis, Virginia Beach, and Rockport.

Current samples of work

Rings

~sized at no charge~

A lot of these rings have sold, many more are in my show cases!

Pendants

~chains included~

Jungle Flower

18 K gold accent

All are sold.

All sold.

Some are sold

Earrings

Prices range from $38 to $90

Bracelets

Above:

Linked Panel Bracelets

~all panel bracelets are custom fit~

Cuff Bracelets

 "Early Bird" tree tops go all around

 "Branch and Bud" design is all around

 "Topsy Turvy Neighborhood" houses all around

Below:

 "Sun, Moon, Seasons" from Psalm 74

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It is the beginning of another show season soon. We will going to the world famous Tucson Gem Show the second week in February looking for new stones to set and hopefully some new exciting tools and equipment for my studio. My inventory is low which is a great problem, so I look forward to designing and making lots of new pieces.

I had such a very busy time in late November and December making custom jewelry for many of our customers we've met from coast to coast at fine art shows. It was literally a long string of 12 hour days in my studio. I was so engrossed that the dishes, dust bunnies and laundry were my darling Leigh's responsibility.

Looking to what's ahead of you in 2011, we hope you will have a year filled with opportunities to be a helpful to others which will give you even more benefit personally.

New Cuff Bracelets