not just the work blog anymore

42 vintage-inspired items tonight, including the long-awaited Leonard’s
Fantasy series, two skeins of handspun art yarn, more of the filigree
leaves, several linked necklaces, and a few Valentine-themed pieces.

I will be out of town from Saturday through Tuesday; I will be shipping
Saturday morning and again on Wednesday morning. Orders containing open
editions or other custom-made items will be shipped by Friday.

The final tally, including matching contributions from employers, is $1640. You guys. That is so much more than I expected when I started this last week.

I’m going to have to stop offering the shiny incentive, as I have a pretty hefty list of things to make and send out and it’s going to take me a few weeks to get everything done, but I thank you all so very, very much.

If you missed my offer, but still want to get involved in something like this, there’s an Etsy shop called Help For Haiti that has hundreds of hand-crafted items for sale, with all proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders.

Okay. I’ve been thinking about this all day, and trying to figure out what I can do to help, and here’s the best thing I’ve got.

If you make a donation of $25 or more to a charity that’s doing work on the ground in Haiti right now, I will make you a pendant or a pair of earrings in the color of your choice. Silver wire, and the design will be whatever comes out of my hands. No photos, it’ll just show up on your door within a few weeks.

If you’ve already donated, please make a new donation specifically for this purpose — I’m doing this on the honor system, folks. I’ll leave the choice of charity up to you, but my preference is for groups that are doing both emergency work now as well as long-term work to improve conditions in Haiti.

Once you’ve made your donation, please forward your receipt to kythryne@wyrdingstudios.com, along with your mailing address, color preference, and whether you’d like a pendant or a pair of earrings. I’ll reply to you, confirming receipt of your email.

If you’ll be at Arisia this weekend, I’ll be happy to deliver the piece in person. If you place a website order this weekend or next, it’ll get shipped along with your order. Otherwise, they’ll get shipped out in batches as they get finished. Please allow at least 2 - 4 weeks for delivery.

Please spread the word. I’ll do as many pieces as I can, for as long as I can.

EDIT, Thursday morning: Seven people have taken me up on this so far. I can do seven pendants and earrings in an hour or two. C’mon, make me work here.

EDIT the second, Friday morning: 19 people have now taken me up on this, for a total of $655 in donations to various charities! Who wants to help bring the total up to $1000?

EDIT the third, Friday afternoon: $1130 — and some of those donations are being matched by employers, so it’s actually $1405. I am all teary over here right now.

2009 was… interesting. In the old Irish curse sort of way, a lot of the time. I completely overhauled the studio and invested in a lot of new equipment, I taught myself new metalworking techniques, I fell completely in love with handspinning and fiber arts in general, and I learned far more about the infertility industry than I’d ever wanted to know. I danced with wire in an art loft in New York and a bookstore basement in Boston and the courtyard of a New Orleans guesthouse and my own living room, and I rode the City of New Orleans with a pack of modern-day gypsies.  I worked long hot days at the Concord Arts Market, I spent a week at the workbench contemplating the societal implications of being a woman while recovering from abdominal surgery, and I collaborated with some of my favorite people in the world. I celebrated my ninth wedding anniversary and my fourth business anniversary and my 31st birthday and my first full year of being a homeowner, and I tried to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. It was a difficult year in many ways, but it was also marvelous, and I thank all of you for being along for the ride.

And now, at the end of a decade, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next. I’ll be branching out a bit more in 2010, doing wirework and forged copper and dichroic glass and handspun yarn and fiber, giving a bit more free reign to my muse and seeing where that takes me as an artist. I hope you’ll enjoy the results as much as I plan to enjoy the work!

All of our one-of-a-kind inventory from 2009 is now on sale until midnight eastern time tonight, with free first class mailer shipping on orders over $75. All wirework pendants include an 18″ ribbon in a complimentary color, and most of the forged copper pendants come with a handspun silk cord.

Tomorrow, from noon to 3 p.m. eastern time, I’ll be doing free stone readings. I haven’t had the energy to do this for a while, but it seems like a marvelous way to start a new year and a new decade. You can ask a specific question or just ask me to pull a stone for you, and I’ll pull out a stone and tell you what it says to me about what you asked.

It’s the last update of the year, with just a dozen new pieces — tektites, ravens, labradorite, and antique keys!

If you’re ordering something as a holiday gift, I highly recommend Priority Mail shipping at this point. All orders received before 9 a.m. eastern time tomorrow (December 19th) will ship tomorrow by 3 p.m.; orders after that cutoff will ship on Monday morning.

We will be doing an extended Instant Gratification session on Sunday, December 20th; if you’d like to purchase something today and are also planning to request something on Sunday, we will happily hold your order and combine shipping. Please add a note to your order at checkout so we know not to ship your package tomorrow!

Outside the US, gift certificates are the only thing that will still arrive before Christmas.

Through the rest of the year, we’re offering free first class mailer shipping on all orders over $75, and all other shipping methods are discounted. Additionally, we’ll include a free 18″ ribbon in a coordinating color with the purchase of every wirework pendant… and we’re always happy to giftwrap your order or include a short note upon request.

Thank you for another wonderful year, and I hope you have a joyous holiday season!