PoiemaCreations

Mommy and Me headwear to make you smile

2011-12-05T13:08:00.001-08:00

These precious folks got a set of Mommy and Me headband/hat this season. It was so fun to make, and Gracelynn and Mary Grace wear them well, don't you think?

Close to my heart

2011-12-04T07:20:00.001-08:00

It was a special day yesterday as I worked on this pendant. I added the fourth bead to this silver heart. You see, I made this silver pendant last year for a friend. I was attending a memorial service for families of people who had lost children through miscarriage or abortion and needed a place to grieve that loss. I wanted to make something special for my friends who were there and grieving the loss of their children. The person for whom I made this necklace had just gone through two miscarriages that year. It is a pendant that represents both a parent's heart and God's heart and how each carries the child close to their heart and loves that child whether or not the child is born into the world, or is carried into the arms of Jesus before that happens.

It is with great joy that two weeks ago, we celebrated with this family as they welcomed a very alive and very beautiful child into the world early in the morning. And this necklace surely needed the fourth bead!

It's sterling silver with gold filled beads, and a silver chain. I'll be handing it back to my friend this morning.

I would love to work with families to create special jewelry that have significant meaning. Please let me know if you would like something like this.

Jewelry 2011 Artisan fair

2011-11-26T15:38:00.001-08:00

A sampling of Jewelry for this Christmas

Cute, seriously.

2010-12-10T12:22:00.001-08:00

Today's spotlight is on what happened at the recent Regent Artisan Fair. My friend Jenn and I sold our wares; jewelry, hats, purses. And I just had to post a couple of Jenn's things here. There are so cute; seriously.

Like this totally adorable knitted hand puppet.
only $10!

And beautiful knit purses.
for $25

I had to get a couple for myself. Good thing us artisans can trade wares!

My hats seemed to be the thing that I sold the most of of. So I still have quite a few earrings looking for homes this Christmas. Like these hammered silver ones. $45

And these black onyx ones - $35

And the ever popular hammered hoops $30

I've posted more on Facebook and you can find them at my etsy site too. www.poiemacreations.etsy.com

Merry Christmas!

some new creations

2010-11-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

Besides having babies this past 2 weeks, I've been busy getting ready to submit an application to an artisan fair here at Regent. Here are a couple of "new creations!"

baby- not for sale

Sterling Silver Earrings with beads- $35 each
Women's Knit hat with flower - $30
Wool Toddler hat with flower -$25
"Mommy and Me" hat set - $45

Sterling silver hand crafted loop necklace $120

Sterling silver Earrings - $35

My models

2010-10-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

Here are some hats I made for friends of mine-- all similar and yet all a little different. They look beautiful don't they?

A few sparklies

2010-03-01T13:15:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple new items I've been working on. Knitting while watching olympic events. And making jewelry during nap times and the blessed Friday morning Dave give me off to work.
Purple seems to be the color of the day. I guess I've been inspired by the crocuses that are springing up all over the yard and on the sidewalk edges as spring is upon us here in Vancouver.
And circles... well, that's a no brainer. I'm making jewelry in the middle of the Olympics aren't I?
Here's my first finished hammered wire hoop necklace. My grandmother has made them for ages. In fact, I've worn one that my mother made in high school for years. but finally, I made one myself. This one has 2 clasps in it so that it can be a shorter necklace and bracelet should you want to spread the love of a fun piece of jewelry.

Only a month and a day

2010-02-23T21:15:00.000-08:00

until I got the tumbler I ordered! Finally, it came today, released from customs and delivered to my doorstep this afternoon. So I was able to finally tumble all the earrings I had been making over the last month.

I'll post them on Etsy soon if anyone is interested in them, send me a line or check them out there.

The other project I've been working on is this hat.

I found a pattern kind of like it in the library and tried it out with all the scrap yarn or the yarn that I've found in the dollar bin at the yarn store going out of business.

It's pretty on the outside, but oh man, all those little granny squares make for a lot of work and a lot of loose strings. I need to work on my weaving technique a little bit more.

But my jewelry making and yarn work times seems to be far and few between, mainly because I'm working on things like this.

Here we are trying to keep Josie from eating dog food from the dog dish.

Oh Josie. Always wanting to be in the middle of things.

hats on!

2010-02-16T21:08:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple pictures of friends who are wearing the hats I made. The first is Kim and Keturah Smith-- wearing my first go at making these hats-- which I made without a pattern and complete intuition (not really knowing what I was doing). They were a Christmas/ 1st birthday gift for Kim and Keturah- my wonderful friends who I left behind in Tianjin. These Valentine's Day hats were my first official "order" from my friend Erica-- my best childhood friend who lived down the road from me. We grew up together. Here she is with her youngest daughter Mickenzie modeling them in snowy Northern NY.
Looking great ladies!

so sweet

2010-02-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

Hats for boys and girls to match mom

2010-02-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

I made this set for a friend who is giving a gift to someone who has a 2 year old girl and will be having a boy this spring. The aqua is a bamboo yarn-- so soft and lots of sheen! The white is a blend of cotton, wool, and acrylic -- very soft!
it was fun to think up how to make these!

More Mommy and Me

2010-01-31T16:53:00.000-08:00

or, now that we are in Canada should I say "mummy and me hats"

I just got a bunch of whites and pink yarns, hoping to make a special "Valentines Day" mommy and me combo. Here's "Raspberry and Cream"

Enjoy-- and visit my etsy

More hats on the way!

2010-01-27T15:02:00.001-08:00

I've been having fun with yarn lately. Josie's gotten to be my baby model as I've tried out some new patterns and designs for baby hats. So far this is my favorite. And here are a few for sale. (Sorry, the brown one was dropped in the sand and chewed on)
But these are all available on my etsy site
these ones are for 0-4 months. But I can make matching hats for a mommy and me hat, or make more that are bigger.
hope you like them! I have a yarn shipment on the way with lots of fun colors for valentines day and spring time!

Mommy and Me Hats

2009-12-27T05:27:00.001-08:00

I have been fun knitting and making lots and lots of Christmas gifts. Here are a few-- but I think I'll put the "mommy and me" hats up as a sale item on etsy soon.
Earrings too!

swirl earrings for Lindsey.

As you can see-- lots of hats and earrings for Christmas this year! Here are the Christmas hats for the Coons family.

Finding Space

2009-12-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

While at my grandmother's house, I was given half of her workshop to be creative. This mean that I would circle and land at each table, working on this or that project and creating kind of a whirlwind. Well, now at home I'm doing most of my work in the kitchen so that I can keep an eye on Josie, keep working on the computer at the table and make jewelry. So, my workshop is now on top of the cookstove. Take a look:)

It does, of course, expand around the house though, as jewelry isn't the only project I'm working on. No one would know from the look of things that we are packing up our lives and moving across the continent in3 days! Someone's got to have a diversion:)

a softer side

2009-12-13T19:49:00.000-08:00

It was about the time the air started turning a little colder and I realized that my bald baby was going to be chilly if I let her stay out too long. The poor girl needed a hat. So I surfed the web, found a pattern, called my grandmother and re-learned how to knit. I'd really forgotten most everything. There's a sweater in my closet that I think I might have started about 15 years ago. So, with needles, pattern, and a new-found knowledge of knitting I set to work warming up my little Josie's head. And I came up with this.

I had so much fun with it that I though baby hats would be a great gift so after 3 tried at another pattern, I came up with this.

And this.

And 3 more after that.

And then I tried my luck with an adult hat. Without a pattern. And I got this.

Well, by this time Josie's head had grown and her first hat wouldn't fit properly over her ears and eyes and I wanted something that would stay out of her eyes but cover her ears. Back to patterns and internet, but this time I had to learn to knit on a round. So I called my grandmother and got advice plus a set of needles on a round. And this was the result.

Knitting is definitely an addiction and I can easily understand why. You can make something beautiful with your hands and minimal mess. It's satisfying to make something that's fuzzy and warm, and useful- and something others will love. BUT, it still takes me a long time.

Well, then came the challenge. My mother handed me a skein of yarn that she had leftover from a scarf my aunt Marianne had knit her and asked me to make her a hat. Again, I had no pattern, nor enough yarn for a hat, but I figured I could make something work. So, with a trip to the yarn shop (they are getting to know me in there), I found something that that would work. And 5 hours in the car, and lots of time sitting at the table with Josie while she played, I came up with this. Not bad for fudging it.

Then my dad told me he wanted an ear flap hat. Mind you, I leave NY in 5 days. So far this is what I have.

Will it get done?

etsy is up!

2009-12-11T22:24:00.000-08:00

Shopping is available for all!!!

If you are looking for some dangle earrings for Christmas presents or for yourself, then you can purchase them online at www.poiemacreations.etsy.com
check it out!

The Beginning

2009-12-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

Welcome to PoimaCreations Blog!
Background:
I grew up with creative grandmothers. My dad's mom (Gigi) could do everything. Painting, quilting, sewing, knitting, making stain glass are just a few of her hobbies. My mom's mom (Gram) is a jeweler. From birth I wore a silver bracelet made by Gram and a hand-knit sweater made by Gigi. My father now runs a hardware store and is the 3rd generation to do so. Do-it-yourself was just part of my family and it showed in almost everything we do. We are still working on the log home that my parents began building when I was a baby!

I've loved creating things my whole life. Art was my favorite subject in school, and when I went to Wheaton College, I couldn't decide whether or not to major in art or history (among many other things) and ended up with an art minor. That was helpful because I went on to be a K-12 Art teacher at an international school in Tianjin, China, for 3+ years. Along the way, I dabbled in jewelry making (thanks to getting a kit from Gram at 9 years old), painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, knitting and even frame making.

I continued my education and got an MA in Christian Formation and a Wilderness/camping emphasis and worked more with people and less with my hands in the years to come. One can't go on leading wilderness trips forever- things do change!

6 months ago I gave birth to a beautiful girl named Josie Mei and we left China so that my husband could pursue an MDiv at Regent College in Vancouver. As a stay-at-home mom, I've been thinking through what I could do at home both to satisfy my creative urges and to help support our family.

So, here we are. PoiemaCreations. Poiema is the Greek word for "workmanship" and it is used in a verse in the Bible that says WE are God's poiema- his workmanship- his creation. And when I think of that I'm encouraged because I know that He made me, and he made me bearing His image, so when I create I'm using God-given abilities and joining Him in the creative process!I am very interested in missions as well, and am looking for opportunities to merge my creations and supporting ministry. More to come on that.

This past week I spent apprenticing with Gram learning a couple more processes in the silversmiths' trade and gaining skills and abilities to create more of my own silver designs. This is a start, and it's been nice to bring my creations out of making baby food and on to something out of the kitchen! I hope there is more to come!

Here is a smattering of different earrings that are already made. I can ship these to you now, and take more orders when we get settled in Vancouver- sometime in mid-January.

Thanks for checking out PoiemaCreations!
Click Here to View the jewelry gallery

Jewelry

-Katie Coons