Monday, November 17, 2014

Metalsmithing Class BONUS offer for Christmas!

For a limited time only, Laura Guptill Jewelry is offering an EXTRA BONUS for Metalsmithing Class Gift Certificates!
From now until December 24th when you purchase a Gift Certificate for someone you love, (or even YOURSELF) you will receive a FREE pair of earrings! A $50 value!
Classes to be scheduled at your convenience, after the holidays. What a wonderful thing to do in the dead of winter- you know it's coming!
Prepare, have something to look forward to, learn something new or increase your knowledge, classes built to suit your needs if you already have experience. Absolute beginners? THIS is also for you! I will teach you the basics you will need to know to create your own precious metal jewelry,
Please give me a call at 603-447-3719.

Check out my "Metalsmithing Class" page on this blog for more information.


Saturday, October 25, 2014

To thine own self be true...

Quotes. I love them. They make you think and re-think your goals sometimes.
While researching Edward Everett Oakes, a jeweler from Sugar Hill, NH, born in 1891. I am reminded of what I love to do. To get lost in the creation of beauty. To let the metal take you where it wants to go, and to get caught up in the magic of it. To get bogged down in trends and what the masses want is a trap. "Build it, and they will come." If they don't, it was not for them. If they love what you do, it is because it was meant to be. The life that a piece of jewelry takes on in creative hands and open minds tells stories. Not bound by the latest fad. Nothing grinds creativity to a halt more than trying to please everybody.
This quote from Edward Oakes speaks volumes to me...

"The whole duty of a jeweler is to satisfy himself. A true jeweler always plays to an audience of one. Let him start sniffing the air or glancing at the trend machine and he is as good as dead, although he may make a good living.  Choose a suitable design and hold to it.."

When admiring handcrafted, fabricated jewelry, try to imagine the thought process the jeweler was engaged in, what music or art was a source of inspiration? Or, not only jewelry, but art as a whole...What experiences did that artist bring forth to this item wrought by hand and heart... To create art in any form is food for the soul.

We all need to pay our bills, yes, however, when you lose sight of the reason why you make art, because of money; creativity and art grinds to a screeching halt. Let it not be about money. Let it be about beauty, from the heart, the rest will follow.


Sunday, September 14, 2014

Crisp Fall Air and Making Jewelry

As much as I dislike seeing summer as a fading memory, the September air is refreshing and inspiring!
These are days filled with apple crisp, homemade pesto from the garden basil plants; squash and tomato galore, and a desire to hunker down in creativity in my workshop.
My plans for today? To finish working on a triple turquoise artisan necklace in sterling silver and then on to create a memory locket with some fur of my daughters "once in a lifetime" dogs fur in a domed epoxy (magnifying effect). Hogan was a yellow lab, he lived to be 13 years old, and in all of his life, he never, ever misbehaved. He was the ultimate companion. Full of love and joy for everyone he met. He was the man about town, everyone knew him and loved him. Saying goodbye to this precious boy was an experience full of sadness, but also chock full of love for all the years of devotion he gave. I hope that he is chasing soccer balls over that rainbow bridge to his hearts content and swimming in the rivers of heaven.
Now to get to work and create a work of love.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Custom Mountain Wedding Bands

Laura Guptill Jewelry specializes in custom mountain range wedding bands. These beautiful new rings were designed by Laura and her clients, side by side, sketches taken from their digital photograph. We discuss sizes, widths, precious materials to be used, amount of detail and final finishes. I will listen to your ideas, and we may also discuss options not previously thought of.  The beauty of this process comes from their "story"... The meaning behind the choices always comes forth and the journey is clear...



I do have the best job I could ever have dreamed of. The beautiful people I get to meet and work with make my job so rewarding. Best wishes Angie and Matt.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Guitar Rings!

I have had my Original Acoustic Guitar Ring cast and am now able to offer it in Sterling Silver for $80!
The original design was very labor intensive and each one was made, completely from scratch, one at a time and therefore the price was much higher. Now that I have had them cast I can now offer these at a much more affordable price. They also are available in 14K Yellow Gold, for $800. this is a built in option on my ETSY site. Please visit:   My Etsy Store