Vickie Hallmark

You might have noticed a dearth of blog postings lately. Along with jewelry making and filling orders this spring, I’ve been working slowly on my website as well. As of today, my blog is movin...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2014/06/blog-location-changed-please-update.html

Perhaps it was inevitable? A bee joined the tiny birds and flora headed for the kiln. fine silver components headed to the kiln

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2014/05/the-birds-and-bees.html

It's been ages since I worked in my bird journal , which is still available in my Etsy shop . I thought I'd revisit offering prints for the wall. Sing ©2010 Vickie Hallmark watercolor, acryl...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2014/05/experimenting-with-art-prints.html

The most popular item on my display during both wholesale shows earlier this year was the 7 Leaf Cuff shown below. I thought it might be interesting to show how this bracelet is made. 7 leaf ...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2014/04/7-leaf-cuff-in-progress.html

As I increase my production for galleries, I'm working on new systems in the studio to keep me organized. This is mostly a trial and error process. I tried compiling all the orders for a certain ...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2014/04/studio-organization-order-board.html

As I play more and more with black oxidized silver, I've found myself craving gold. For years I've collected images of jewelry from artists that I admire which features the pop of bright gold wit...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2014/03/gold-and-blackened-silver-jewelry.html

I'm finally giving priority to getting the online shop up and running, rather than continuing to handle purchase inquiries one by one. The test shop is open, although not linked seamlessly yet, a...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2014/03/vickie-hallmark-jewelry-online-shop.html

Whew! What an exciting, exhilarating and exhausting few months! I finally find myself on the far side of my first two wholesale show, so I'm taking a few moments to sit back and analyze where I'v...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2014/02/wholesale-show-experiences.html

Many readers have inquired about the results from my participation in the BMAC show last month. The answer is simple: it's too soon to tell. I was warned repeatedly that breaking into the w...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2014/02/my-first-forays-into-mass-marketing.html

Way back last year (a month ago!) I posted my design ideas for my booth at the Buyers Market of American Craft , and then I went silent as the number of details to take care of, coupled with the ...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2014/01/jewelry-trade-show-booth-from-design-to.html

It's official! I'm doing  my first ever wholesale trade shows in 2014. I'm ready to try to expose my jewelry to a much larger audience via the assistance of a wider network of retail galleries a...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/12/going-wholesale-designing-booth.html

Australian Moons bracelet ©2013 Vickie Hallmark Argentium sterling silver, fine silver, 18k yellow gold, diamonds Completely handmade from Argentium sheet and wire, fine silver clay, co...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/12/australian-moons-bracelet.html

I love my Five Moons Bracelet design, but I wouldn't ever want to reproduce it exactly. When I received a request to make a custom version, I thought it was a perfect idea. All the quirks of cons...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/11/australian-moons-bracelet-fabrication.html

As I begin work on a new commission bracelet destined for down under, titled Australian Moons, I'm back to sculpting tiny birds directly into silver. Northern Saw Wet Owl from wmburkhardt.tub...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/11/sculpting-new-birds.html

Citrine Leaf Studs ©2013 Vickie Hallmark oxidized Argentium sterling silver, golden citrine Perhaps fall is finally penetrating down to Texas. Or my getaway to Boston during peak fall col...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/10/citrine-leaf-studs.html

I was thrilled when Jeannette LeBlanc contacted me about using my first bronze Flock bracelet for the inaugural cover of her then new endeavor, Metal Clay Artist Magazine . Four years (!) have fl...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/10/profile-in-metal-clay-artist-magazine.html

Last week I finally had a day when I felt a need to actually get back out to the studio. I decided to start easy and "remake" something. I've been wearing my Full Moon earrings regularly and felt...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/09/returning-to-bench.html

Four weeks ago today, my father broached the idea of hospice. After six weeks of hospitalization (in the latest round), major neurosurgery, and rehabilitation therapy with poor pain control on to...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/09/studio-practice-with-grieving.html

Everybody says it - get professional photos! My own photos are decent, so I have a hard time convincing myself that the expense is warranted. But I must admit that the new photos of my work from ...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/08/the-pro-photo-advantage-for-jewelry.html

One of the trends for silver jewelry I've noticed over the last year or two is silver that's not silver: the rise of deliberate black patina. Since silver tarnishes from exposure to sulfur (not o...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/08/silver-isnt-always-silver-have-little.html

Today I have three new variations on an earring theme. I've had a bad cold, so the most work in the studio that I could muster was fusing together components with some heavy wire to make these n...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/07/variations-on-theme.html

This morning I finished the Periodot Leaf Bud earrings that have been sitting on my bench for literally months. Peridot Leaf Bud earrings ©2013 Vickie Hallmark sterling silver & peridot ...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/07/similar-earrings-different-fabrication.html

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my design process for a custom ring. That post detailed how I start with an idea, develop the drawings, and convert them to texture plates. Finally, I'm happy to r...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/07/from-drawing-to-metal.html

It's interesting to sit and make bird after bird by hand from metal clay. Detailed observations are required. What poses look natural? How do I fit enough detail into a tiny half inch bird with j...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/07/beginnings-of-my-flock.html

I'm known for my bird themed jewelry, where each bird is hand-formed individually just as nature would do it. Unfortunately, there's a lot of work involved in sculpting a half inch bird by hand f...

http://blog.vickiehallmark.com/2013/07/a-flock-of-bird-components-for-my.html