Finally The Date Arrived!

It has been going on for a few days now, so it is time to let you know. House Of Joris Jewelry has officially opened it's online doors again and so you can shop to your hearts desire in my handmade, mostly OOAK jewelry.

As I am not in a stable place at this moment, making new jewelry is difficult, but not impossible, so I do keep myself available for custom made pieces. Every day I am listing new items, jewelry I have made over the last year.

I feel lucky that on the second day, I sold a necklace, as I had not advertised yet that the store was open. Lucky for me! 

The necklace I sold, the Deanna Necklace ©2018 House Of Joris Jewelry.

This will not be a long post as I am getting ready to play a gig with my band: Mike Dubose And The Dissidents at the club 'Dozen Street'. It's a little late to advertise this, as we will be playing in an hour and a half, but if you happen to read this at this time, head on out to the club, it is (as the name tells you) on 12th Street, right before Chicon, on the left side of the street going East.

We will start at 10:15 - 10:30 pm. Hope to see you there or online in my shop, right here: https://HouseOfJorisJewelry.Etsy.com.

On stage with my band Mike Dubose And The Dissidents,

JEWELRY TRENDS AND HOW THEY GOT HERE.

Anyone who knows me and the jewelry I design and make, knows that I create without paying attention to what is the current trend. Funny enough, several times my designs were ahead of the coming trends. Nothing to brag about, as I create whatever comes out of my hands, I see it more as a happy coincidence.

But being a lover of all that is jewelry, I do read about up and coming trends and colors, mostly because it is interesting, like, during a recession, jewelry tends to become very prominent, with large pieces and lots of sparkle. Just the opposite of what you would think would happen.

So I peeked here and there and to my surprise, two of my favorite styles will be all the trend in 2019. One of them is an all time favorite of mine, the choker. A choker is a close-fitting necklace worn around the neck. Chokers can be made of a variety of materials, including velvet, plastic, beads, latex, leather, 

metal, such as silver, gold or platinum, etc. They can be adorned in a variety of ways, including with sequins, crystals, studs, or a pendant. 

Looking at the gorgeous pieces, I started to wonder where this cool piece of jewelry came from. What is it's history?

Fine pearl and diamond chokers, like this Edwardian era one, were popularized in the late 19th century by Alexandra of Denmark during her time as part of the British nobility. It is currently the property of Dallas estate jeweler William Noble Rare Jewels. Price upon request.

The history of the choker dates back thousands of years, to the world’s earliest civilizations, the Sumer empire in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. It was associated with high fashion, but could take on different meanings under different circumstances. Markowitz said women in both these ancient worlds wore chokers, often pairing them with other necklaces, for the same reason they wore all jewelry--to protect them and give them power. They put jewelry on parts of the body they felt needed protection--the throat, head, arms and ankles--and believed it infused them with special powers. 

Arsimus Cleopatra Beaded Necklace Collar
Choker Ancient Egyptian Queen Costume.

This was especially true of gold jewelry, which ancient people associated with the sun, and lapis lazuli which people in Egypt connected with the life-giving powers of the Nile River.

In 1798, during the French Revolution, women wore red ribbons around their necks to pay homage to those who met their death at the guillotine. The ribbon could be worn around the neck, or another fashion came in the form of an X around the shoulders and back.

Included in the collection of the Victoria & Albert museum in London is a Kropfkette (goiter chain) made in Austria sometime between 1840 and 1870. 

Kropfkettes were chokers consisting of multiple rows of chains with a large clasp at the front. Women in south Germany and Austria wore them to hide the lumps on their necks caused by goiter, a disease caused by iodine deficiency common among those who lived high in the Alps.

The 19th century fashion for broad chokers reached its peak around 1900 in part due to Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom wearing one to hide a small scar. Chokers were popular into the 1920s, then, as the Art Deco era faded in the 1930s, chokers went out, in a major way.

Black Beauty Choker,
© House Of Joris Jewelry.
Made entirely of Swarovski
Crystals and Pearls.

But again in the '40s, chokers came back as colliers de chien. In particular, the term dog collars (or colliers de chien) catches on, and these designs – incorporating luxe diamonds, pearls, lace, and velvet – could be seen as objects of the elite because the best kinds were custom-made to fit one's neck perfectly. In 1944 Life magazine stated that "a dowager fashion of 40 years ago" was being revived by young women, illustrating the trend with photos of models wearing the now vaguely rebellious "dog collars".

In recent years chokers have been popular with a number of celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow who wore one to the 1999 Academy Awards. Paris Hilton wore three inches of Swarovski around her neck in 2002. Rihanna has also been featured wearing chokers.

“Choker” does not mean “choke-her,” because that fashionable and malleable material stretched thin across our necks does not insinuate anything, 

assuming that wearing a choker meant she wanted rough-sex. A woman does NOT wear a choker or any other kind of seemingly “provocatively insinuating” 

garment to show anything other than it's something SHE wants to wear. It's a necklace. An accessory.

As I was researching, I found many more stories about this interesting and beautiful piece of jewelry. It truly is interesting what such a little necklace can

do over the last few thousands of years.

  

Paris Noir Earrings, © House Of Jewelry
Swarovski various crystals, brass drops
gold, brass and copper chains.

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned there were 2 trends that excited me, the second one are shoulder dusting earrings. Earrings so long and incredibly

beautiful, they graze your shoulders as you move your head. I have been making these for a few years now. One of my best customers has quite a few and they look just fabulous. No history for you on this one, as the post is getting long already. Just thought I mention it, hope to see y'all walking around with these original jewelry pieces, you sure will be right on trend.

Blue Ice Earrings, ©House Of Joris
Jewelry, vintage Swarovski set in
brass.

Danita Earrings, Swarovski rivoli's set in
brass, Swarovski crystals, gold chains,
brass stampings.© House Of Joris Jewelry.

Brigit Earrings, © House Of Joris Jewelry. Sterling
silver earwires and chains, grade AA amethyst,
south sea pearls, violet chalcedony and prehnite.

THE MAGIC OF SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL.

When I design and make jewelry for my company House Of Joris Jewelry, I use many different supplies available. My favorite are vintage supplies, they seem to be much more durable then modern supplies. Also, vintage supplies and jewelry are just gorgeous. And there is one staple supply I always go to and always will, and that is the crystal jewels, beads, drops, crystal pearls and whatever else I can find, vintage or new, made by Swarovski.

Pink Cockatoos, Swarovski crystal figurine.

I use some Swarovski jewels that were made in the 1920's. There is no scratch, no scrap off the jewel and it sparkles like it was just made yesterday. This is no lie, Swarovski's secret ways of cutting crystal glass is the best around and can't be imitated. The crystal pearls are beautiful too. And there are ways to see whether you are dealing with the real thing or an imitation. 

The Swarovski Company is huge these days, famous allover the world, but it started from very humble beginnings.

Daniel Swarovski (24 October 1862 – 23 January 1956) was a Czech-born Austrian. He was born in Georgenthal bei Gablonz. His father, Franz Anton Swarovski, was a glass cutter and Swarovski first learned the art in his father's small factory. Later he was educated in Paris and Vienna, where he met Frantisek Krizik, and became interested in electricity at the 1883 Electricity Exhibition in Vienna.

Daniel Swarovski.

In 1887, Daniel Swarovski married Marie Weis, the sister of his business partner Franz Weis, and they had three sons: Fritz, Alfred and Wilhelm.

In 1892, he patented an electric cutting machine that facilitated the production of lead crystal glass jewelry, which until then had to be cut by hand. 
In 1895, he immigrated to Austria and partnered with Armand Kosman and Franz Weis to form "A. Kosmann, D. Swarovski & Co." They built a crystal-cutting factory in Wattens, Tyrol, to take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes.

Daniel's vision was to use crystal to create "a diamond for everyone", and his pioneering spirit brought his beautifully cut crystal to Hollywood in the 1950's. His spirit and innovations help the Swarovski Company continue their mission today.

She may have sung 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend', but those show-stopping jewels worn by Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 film's iconic cabaret scene are none other than Swarovski crystals. 
Swarovski crystals also adorn many of the other opulent costumes and jewelry for Marilyn's character, Lorelei. In one of her most iconic moments, 
Marilyn Monroe serenades President JFK with a sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday" at Madison Square Garden, wearing a Jean Louis-designed sheer,
flesh-colored dress that she was literally sewn into.

                        

                    

In 1956, Manfred, son of founder Daniel Swarovski, began working with Christian Dior on a new crystal that encapsulated Dior's creative vision. Aurora Borealis (AB) became its name, and the rest was history. He came up with a micro-thin layer of vaporized blue metal, with which he coated crystals' lower facets. This coating of the crystals was so popular, there are still many jewelry sets from the 1950's around and almost all of them are Aurora Borealis crystals. Light blue crystal with the AB coating was especially popular. It was named Ice Blue.

The Swarovski Company is headquartered in Wattens, Austria. The company is split into three major industry areas: the Swarovski Crystal Business, that primarily  produces crystal jewelry and accessories; Swarovski Optik, which produces optical instruments such as telescopes, telescopic sights for rifles, and binoculars; and Tyrolit, a manufacturer of grinding, sawing, drilling, and dressing tools, as well as a supplier of tools and machines.

Sara Necklace, © House Of Joris Jewelry. Made with Swarovski AB crystals (bicones, round beads and a baroque pendant), Swarovski pearls, brass chain and a freshwater flat bronze pearl set in a brass vintage stamping.

Today, Swarovski Crystal Business is the highest grossing business unit with a global reach of approximately 2,800 stores in around 176 countries, more than 27,000 employees and a revenue of about 2.6 billion Euros.

WHY DOES CERTAIN JEWELRY STAIN OUR SKIN, HOW TO CLEAN AND TO PREVENT IT.

I am sure we have all dealt with it, one time or another. You have a favorite new bracelet but the day you wear it, you end up with a large green circle on your wrist. Or a reddish, itchy stain from a ring on your finger, a black or brown circle around your neck from that choker you wanted so badly.

Even though these stains look badly on your skin, the good news is that the stains are not permanent or harmful for your health, although an itchy reaction can be very unpleasant. The easiest way to get rid of these stains is with a warm, wet washcloth and mild soap. Gently rub your skin, it should come off pretty easy. 

Silver Tuesday Bracelet, ©House Of Joris Jewelry

Why does certain jewelry stain the skin? Tarnish is a thin layer of corrosion that forms over copper, nickel, aluminum and magnesium. If you are especially allergic to nickel, you will see a discoloration on your skin that is usually a red itchy hue, as it is due to inflammation. Even brass and silver can color the skin through oxidation, although it is usually not as severe.

Jewelry that is plated is common to tarnish the skin, especially cheap plated jewelry that has a very thin layer of silver or gold over the base metal. These plated metals can rub off quickly, even wearing it for one hot day in the summer. In my experience, if you work with plated metal, make sure the base is brass (certainly not copper) and the layer of silver or gold is nice and thick, made in America can make a big difference too. Metal that is dipped in silver or gold is much more solid, then a thin sprayed layer. 

So how do you prevent getting stains from jewelry. The best answer is buying more high-end jewelry, silver, gold (yellow, white or rose) and the prestigious platinum . For gold you can use gold-filled jewelry, this is jewelry plated with a 20% gold layer on the outside of the alloy. This jewelry can last up to 30 or 40 years before you will see places where the gold has rubbed off. If you have sensitive skin, you might have better luck with rhodium plated and stainless steel jewelry. Rhodium is an expensive metal, used a lot in space crafts. It looks more like white gold or platinum. Some jewelers use rhodium to plate their silver jewelry to prevent tarnish. 

Silver Monaco Earrings, ©House Of Joris Jewelry

If you have plated jewelry that you really love, you can always use clear nail polish or a clear acrylic spray to coat it. Also, make sure you take it off when you are putting on make-up, or wait until your skin has absorbed the lotion you used. Don't shower with it (although I will wear silver jewelry that is plated with rhodium in the shower. It makes it shine and sparkle) and take it off at night or when you come home.

DISCOUNT FOR HOUSE OF JORIS JEWELRY FOR ALL OF DECEMBER 2016!

Cyber week is over, but I decided to keep a discount coupon going. So, for all of December 2016, you will get a 10% discount if you use code NEW17 on the check out page of my shop (http://HouseOfJorisJewelry.Etsy.com). This counts for all of the (110) items in the store. Happy Holiday Shopping! Btw, check out these beautiful topaz and sapphire, sterling silver earrings called Sound Of Water. Beautiful!

Sound Of Water Earrings, ©2016 House Of Joris Jewelry

My Shop HOUSE OF JORIS JEWELRY Has A 15% Discount On All Items!

Ophelia Cuff, ©2016 House Of Joris Jewelry

it has been a while and I hope everyone is doing ok! I have been updating my House Of Joris Jewelry shop on Etsy and to continue Cyber Week, I am running a 15% discount code on all items in my store (including the Ophelia Cuff here above)! Use code XMAS16 at the check-out page and the discount will automatically deducted from the total of your order. Come to think of it, I haven't reversed the free shipping for all items yet, I better make my way over there quickly because right now not only do you get 15% discount, you also get free shipping for a few hours! What a steal! We'll talk soon, I promise!

Do You Follow The Herd, Or Do You Dare To Be Original (Read: Be Yourself) And Light Up That Inner Beauty!

I became a jewelry designer without trying to be one. My lovely younger sister Wendy gave birth, way to early, to a little boy that weighed one pound. The months following his birth were very difficult, a few times we thought she might lose her son. But guess what... after 3 months in the incubator, she brought home a healthy, beautiful boy, and named him Joris. He is doing fantastic!

Joris, one week old, weighing one pound

Wendy's birthday was coming up and I wanted to celebrate both events by giving her something special. I had made a drawing of a design I wanted a jeweler to make for me in silver. This was early summer 2010. Recession had taken my job and I could not afford the price of a silver design. So I decided to make a necklace myself, with a locket for his picture on one side and my design drawing at the other. It became a 2-part necklace, one with colored beads, the other silver with charms. The supplies I had found all over town in different stores, and I was amazed at what was available, a whole new world opened up for me.
 

Wendy & Joris, Valentine's Day 2015

All the people that got to see my very first necklace, told me that it was a really beautiful piece, that I had talent and that I should make jewelry for a living. Since there were no other job prospects at the horizon at that time, I jumped in. I spent my savings on supplies and started making jewelry. It was hard at first, I couldn't really find my 'voice' but when I discovered a fantastic supply store, I got a lot closer to the designs I wanted to make. 

I opened my store, House Of Joris Jewelry, on Etsy in October 2010, having made 25 jewelry designs. Etsy was still cool in 2010/2011, they weren't overrun by thousands of jewelry stores and they weren't the corporate giant yet that they are now. Within a few months I sold pretty good and I loved my newly discovered passion. 

Coco, my first pair of earrings!

My first wholesale account came November, 2012. I was on a roll, but in January of 2013 I had an accident and was told I couldn't work for about a year. This was a real tough year. But later in 2014, I started making a new jewelry inventory and tried another way of doing business. I took the jewelry off-line and went to the very popular South Congress Market, here in Austin, and at that market, I learned a lot about people. And I also learned that I need to get back online and get my store and web presence, back in order.

The South Congress market has about 70% jewelry vendors, lots of competition you think of course. But then, as you browse around and check out your fellow jewelry vendors, you notice something. And that something is that all these jewelry vendors are selling the exact same thing! Pieces that are trendy right now, and oh yeah, it sells! Right now, on trend, the layering necklaces, with delicate charms and the long necklaces with the slice of stone. The friendship bracelets and the leather wrap arounds. The large cocktail rings and the bangles. 

I mean, it is all the same stuff and people are lining up to buy it, while the same people would come to my tables and compliment me on everything I make, touching it and trying it on, looking gorgeous, I could see the appreciation in their eyes, then the hesitation, one more turn around to the stand with the trendy jewelry and with a sigh they would put my handmade jewelry back on the table.

Siren Bracelet

But then, every now and then, there she will come. Walking straight to my tables and trying on the things she likes. Elegant, confident woman, who loves to express her inner beauty and is not afraid to be different, or to stand out. She loves and celebrates being an individual with her own individual taste. She knows what looks good on her.

You know this type of woman, the one when she walks through the door, everybody notices her. And this woman would 9 out of 10 times buy at least 5 or 6 pieces of my jewelry. Not only because it is different and beautiful, but also because she is secure, knowing that if something breaks or goes wrong, she can come back to me and I will fix it, no extra charge, even if it has been 3 months (not that this happens often, just once actually).

Josephine's Amethyst Earrings

You see, I make almost exclusively OOAK pieces. For the ones who are not familiar with that term, it stands for one-of-a-kind piece. I say about 80% of my collection is OOAK. And I use quality materials, for crystals always Swarovski or vintage Czech, gemstones are grade AA or AAA, for plated chains, it is brass as a base metal, no lead or nickel. Pearls are vintage or Swarovski. Earwires are almost exclusively leverback earwires, and so on.

When I start working, I usually don't have the design in my head, it is my hands that lead me and start something all on their own and then my head catches up. And then it is so exciting to see the end result. I truly love making my jewelry.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not judging here, there is nothing wrong with wanting to follow the trends, playing it safe and wear what everyone else is wearing. Who am I to tell you what to wear? It is just that I see so often that longing in a woman's eyes, as she picks up the shoulder grazing Swarovski earrings, knowing they would look stunning in her ears. Why don't you? Why don't you go ahead and buy what you think is beautiful, not because it is trendy and everyone wears it. Why have fear, fear of other people, of what they say perhaps.

Bliss Necklace, all Swarovski and grade AA pearls

I tell you what, if you wear a piece of jewelry in a color that you love, a unique piece that is timeless and you wear it with confidence, you know, you feel that it looks good on you. 

When you do that, you are more in fashion and more on trend then all the women in line at the 'trendy' jewelry stand, all buying the same thing. You will be admired for just being you, yourself and nobody else. Because really, nothing is more sexy then being self-confident!

Jewelry That Is Made From The Hair That Grows On Your Head!

Jewelry is so very personal and it usually has a story attached to it. Remember the heart charm your first boyfriend gave to you? It meant more to you then anything else you could think of. Or the moonstone pendant from your sister, before you left to live in another country at the other side of this planet.... Your grandmother, who gives you her strand of real pearls that she got from her mother. Priceless treasures, you will never get rid of them and if they could talk, well, I would love to hear the story of the pearls.

One of the reasons I got into jewelry is just that, that jewelry is so personable, every piece of jewelry has it's own story. In my jewelry, one of the things I design and make is up-cycled vintage jewelry and I wish these vintage pieces could talk like the pearls, because they must have some stories to tell us.

Mourning Brooch, From Europe Or The U.S.A., Ca. 1845

 One style of jewelry definitely tells us stories and that style is mourning jewelry, it was seen everywhere in Victorian times. The most popular style of mourning jewelry, was hair jewelry. Real jewelry pieces, made with real hair from the deceased.

Death was much more accepted during these times, as it happened so much more then it does today, with Western Medicine and much better hygiene. Mourning jewelry was quite common.

 It is symbolic that it was Queen Victoria herself that made hair jewelry so very popular. When Prince Albert died in 1861, (her husband who was also her first cousin...) she wore a brooch with his hair over her heart and did so until the day she died. She also gave the  Empress Eugenie of France a bracelet made from her hair, as a gift. All this made mourning jewelry and jewelry with hair very popular.

A Gold And Enamel Mourning Ring, Ca. 1855

There are two types of hair jewelry, pallet worked and table worked. Pallet worked is flat and the hair is displayed under a crystal, as in a brooch. Table worked hair jewelry is made on a braiding table. A series of weights and bobbins which feed through a hole in the center of the table, create a three dimensional chain. These pieces may be made over a wooden or brass mold and then boiled to set the different shapes. Some hair jewelry is just absolutely stunning, it is a real art.

Queen Victoria continued mourning in her private life. She wore black clothes only as well as only black mourning jewelry. During these Victorian times, when a mother would lose one or more of her children, she would wear the hair of her children, braided and under glass, as a ring, a brooch, a pendant or a bracelet. The same for women who lost their husbands, usually in battle.

However, hair jewelry should not be confused with mourning jewelry only. Hair jewelry has been with us from the beginning of time. In an era before photography, hair was the most personal token one could bestow on a loved one who may be traveling far away. Eventually these locks of love were set into rings or lockets and such. 

Mourning Jewelry or fashion statement, I can't think of a more personable piece of jewelry then one made out of the hair of a loved one.

An Example Of Table Braided Hair Jewelry, Popular During Victorian Times.

Reference: Wikipedia and Grand Oak Plantation.

The Slithering Serpent In Jewelry, From Then 'Till Now.

Snake Bracelet, 1940's

The fact that the snake has wriggled its way into so many new fine jewelry collections for 2015 and now continuing in 2016, is proof to our enduring fascination with the often dangerous but mesmerizing serpent. It is perfect for jewelry and in fact, the picture above (Snake Bracelet, made by Venetian jeweler Giulio Nardi in the 1940's, he used gold, enamel, ruby's and diamonds) is proof of the beauty of this serpent's jewelry. A beautiful start for this post!

Animals have been part of jewelry since it's beginning, but no animal has the staying power like the snake does. Now it is true that the snake's movement and it's supple body makes it ideal for jewelry, as it slithers around your wrist, fingers or neck, quite often shown eating it's own tail. You will find the snake in fashion jewelry as well as in fine jewelry.

Sutra snake ring in black gold with 
5ct of sapphires and diamonds.

Snake jewelry depicting a serpent eating its own tail - the so-called  Ouroboros - has been worn for many centuries, and versions of the motif are still incorporated into fashion and fine jewelry designs today.

The slithering serpent has been a popular motif in jewelry since ancient Greek and Roman times. For the Celts, the snake represented secret knowledge while, for the Romans, it was seen as a guardian spirit and symbol of eternal life.

The Victorians adored snake jewelry and its popularity reached fever pitch after Prince Albert proposed to Queen Victoria with an engagement ring in the shape of a snake, set with her birthstone: emeralds. Victoria saw it as a symbol of never-ending love, the story is, that she was buried wearing the snake ring.

The emerald serpent ring not only started a craze for snake jewelry, but also ignited the trend for giving engagement rings. Before long, snakes were being worn by fashionable ladies all over America and Europe, as rings, bracelets, brooches and hatpins. Following the death of Prince Albert in 1861, snake jewelry took a more sombre turn with the introduction of black materials such as jet, vulcanite onyx or ebony, occasionally set with diamonds or colored gemstones, including garnet, amethyst or ruby.

The desire to wear snake jewelry continued into the Art Nouveau era with it's naturalistic movement. During this era, French jewelers would use enamel while making snake jewelry, making the jewelry more attractive again, using the enamel's variety of colors.

Art Nouveau Style Ring, ca. 1900

The gilded snake has been synonymous with Boucheron jewelry for more than 700 years through the brand's signature Serpent fine jewelry collection. 

Bulgari Jewelry has also elevated the serpent to iconic status by incorporating it into jewels beloved by celebrities such as the late Elizabeth Taylor and actress Naomi Watts, who wore a Bulgari Serpenti necklace at this year's Golden Globes.

Whether coiled around a wrist or finger, or dangling seductively from the ear, the snake is a motif that continues to intrigue both designers and jewelry lovers. The snake has more then proved it's attraction and it's staying power in jewelry.

Reference: The Jewelry Editor

The Eleven City Tour, Will It Happen This Winter?

I wonder how many of you have heard of the Eleven City Skate Tour (the Elfstedentocht). This tradition is about as Dutch as wooden shoes and apple pie. Every winter, die hard fans are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that the temperatures will drop well below 32 degrees long enough, for the ice to be thick enough, so people can skate over the frozen rivers and canals that are connected by 11 cities and towns.  Measuring the ice, is an event in itself, it has to be exactly 6 inches thick, or more. The last time this happened was in the cold winter of 1997. This is almost 20 years ago. Lately, Dutch winters have been un-seasonably warm, thanks to global warming.

How did this tradition come about?

It was in 1909 that the first official Eleven City Tour happened. One of the founders, Pim Mulier, of this event had figured out the route in 1881 and he then did skate this route himself, but it wasn't until 1909 that it became a national event. The tour starts and ends in the city of Leeuwarden. The tour is about 125 mile long, with temperatures well below 32 degrees and with wood and metal skates, it was very hard to do. The winner of that first tour was Minne Hoekstra and it took him 13 hours and 50 minutes. There were plenty of frozen earlobes and toes all around!

After this first tour, there have been only 15 times up until now, that the ice has been thick enough for the tour. The second tour was in 1912, and it took the winner 11 hours and 40 minutes. The next one was in 1917 and after that it took until 1929, before another tour happened. In 1933 there were 2 winners with the exact timing of 9 hours and 53 minutes.

During the 2nd world war, the winters were famously cold and the war didn't stop the tours from happening in 1940, 1941 and 1942. After the war, the tour happened only 7 more times: in 1947, 1954, 1956, 1963, 1985, 1986 en 1997. 

This last tour one my uncles rode the tour (ome Ap), in 1997 and the winter was extremely cold. Temperatures were below 20 degrees and the windchill was about 0 degrees. With the modern skates of today, the winner finished the route in 6 hours and 49 minutes.

During any winter, when there are a few days of freezing weather, people and newspaper articles are starting to speculate if this winter will be the one where another Eleven City Tour will be possible. It seems like people enjoy the speculation more then the actual tour. Here below you see a video I found on youtube, with footage of the Eleven City tour in the very cold winter of 1963. I hope you enjoyed this little bit of history of my home country!               
 
                        

Rosary Love... And A 5 Year Old Rebel In The Catholic Church...

Ever since I can remember, I was always fascinated by Rosaries. My parents were Roman Catholic (but never pressed us to follow the same religion, they wanted my siblings and myself to make up our own minds, fortunately!). I never saw anyone pray with a Rosary and so I believed Rosaries were jewelry pieces (now I believe they are fabulous jewelry, that you can also pray with). 

The first Rosary I ever saw was a black one, made with wooden beads and a silver cross. I loved the design and it had all this mystery that I found irresistible. I was 5 when I got my first Rosary, it was the black wooden one, as it belonged to my late maternal grandmother and as I was always playing with it, she eventually gave it to me. It was the greatest gift ever and I wore it every day.

   

Rosary Jewelry™ Collection
Red Moon Necklace, made with genuine
garnet beads ©2015 House Of Joris Jewelry

Madonna had nothing on me, oh no, when I was at the ripe age of 9, living in the house I grew up in, I came down the stairs early one morning, trying to blend in the morning routine, with 3 Rosaries around my neck, about 20 thin bangle bracelets and make-up. My mother was consumed by a story in the daily newspaper when she looked up (how did she know? I mean, I was being so quiet....). She put down the paper and said: "Oh no, no way, oh no, no way in hell you are going to school like that!" And that was it, my Madonna moment, sometime before Madonna had sex with the rest of the world. Needless to say, I went to school sans Rosaries, bangles and make-up. And red eyes from crying and wiping off the make-up.
Now that I make jewelry, I can not resist but using the traditional Rosary design. Before my head injury, I had a similar collection, the Rosemary Collection™. I do not know if I will go back to that collection, it is different then the one I am launching now. The one you can find in my store now is called the Rosary Jewelry™ Collection. It is very close to the traditional Rosary, except for the cross. I use meaningful- and sometimes playful pendants, like an elephant, a star, a hamsa, a guitar or a moon. You can still pray and/or meditate, depending on your choice of necklace. They are certainly made with love.

Thinking about being a child and the Catholic church, a memory comes to mind. My late father was the conductor of the church choir. My mother was a member of the choir. This meant that going to church was mandatory for me and my brother. First we went to a 'church daycare' but at the age of 5 I was sitting in the benches with everyone else.

During the week, I got to go with my father to church as well, as he would tune the organ and all that comes with it. I would walk around the church, all by myself or with my brother, checking out the paintings and playing under the benches. I also knew where to use the restroom. A very heavy oak door would take me out the church and into the Pastor's quarters, where I could use the restroom. The door was very heavy and if you did not close it, a very loud creaking sound would arise, all the way until this door was shut.

From the Rosary Jewelry™ Collection
Fleur De Lis Necklace, ©2015 House Of
Joris Jewelry.

One particular Sunday I was sitting in the benches, mostly I had no understanding of what the priest was saying, especially during the sermons. This particular Sunday the sermon was all about Catholic guilt and hell and fire. Instead of being afraid, I just plainly did not agree! I could not imagine that a God would punish so badly. About halfway during this sermon, I got up and walked quietly to the heavy door that lead to the restroom. I opened it and didn't pull it shut, on purpose. As I was sitting on the toilet, I could hear the Pastor trying to speak loudly above the incredible sound of the old oak door, trying to shut itself. The Pastor was not successful, neither was his sermon about hell, guilt and fire.

I guess I was born a rebel.

When Mindy Left And Mr. Kitty Stayed

If there is anything that creative people have in common, according to my observation, it is the love for animals and I notice especially a lot of feline friends among them. Myself included, I have 2 furry feline roommates of my own, Charlie, my beautiful black domestic male cat who is 8 years old and Mr. Kitty, my white/tabby/spotted feral friend, 2 years old.

Mr. Kitty, not liking the camera

They are my roommates, because that is just what and who they are. They have their own 'chair', their own 'bed', eat whenever they feel like it, sleep whenever they feel like it, they expect you to open the door when they want to get some fresh air (and let them back in when they have enough of being outside) and generally take over anything I try to read/type/write/eat or create.

Between these two, there is not much I can do without interference and their demand to acknowledge their presence. Charlie hates the jewelry making process. I will step away for 2 minutes, only to come back to him laying flat, stretched over all my wire, filigrees, tools and beads. How can that be remotely comfortable? It must poke him at all sides, but he doesn't seem to notice.... No, the fact that I have no choice but to notice HIM and not my jewelry supplies (as he believes I do not know where those supplies are now), that is the main goal.

Mr. Kitty couldn't care less about the jewelry making process, he is obsessed with the computer. I will step away for 2 minutes, only to come back to Mr. Kitty covering my laptop, giving himself a bath while all kinds of windows and help notices open on my computer screen, to the point where it will freeze for a few minutes... Charlie couldn't care less about the computer...

Charlie, about 2 years old here

Both love to sit right on top of the letters or paper I am reading, or the stack of papers I am trying to sort out.

When Charlie wants to go outside, he talks to me, very loud, impatiently, every 10 seconds, until I open the door, no matter if I am totally busy at the moment. When Mr. Kitty wants to go outside, he will climb on whatever furniture is closest to me, and will start to knock things off that furniture, until it hits the ground. Or if I am sleeping, he  likes to jump on my belly, not very gentle, until I sleepwalk to the door at 5 am, and let him out, because I can't stand it anymore.

But oh, how I adore them! Charlie came to me as a 6 week old kitten, right as I moved into the coolest place I lived in so far, here in Austin, TX. We lived there together 5 and a half years, then we had to move away. He is the sweetest and most loyal cat I have ever owned. I also know him very well and I can communicate with him, easy. He is amazing and I love him to pieces.

Mr. Kitty wasn't always Mr. Kitty. One evening I came upon Charlie hanging out with a tiny, ivory white, malnourished kitten, with a tabby tail and a few spots. He was part of a litter of feral cats in the neighborhood, and seemed unusual and was not afraid of me at all, when I met him, so weird, as he is afraid of all other human beings. Still, he will hide when friends come around. He was never afraid of me however. That was 4 days before I moved away from an apartment.

I locked the door of the empty apartment (I was sad that I had not seen the white kitten), but just as I stepped into the van, he came running up to me. I picked him up and put him in Charlie's carrier. He laid himself against Charlie and started purring like a motor boat.

Being born wild, the white kitten knew that whenever there was food around, to eat as much as he could, as he didn't know when he would eat again. I always have dry food in the cat's bowls. The very first day with me, he ate so much dry food! As I was sitting on the bed in our new place, he looked up at me, his tiny, skinny shoulders and hips connected by a huge, huge round balloon of a belly, full of dry cat food. He looked up at me and I fell totally in love, instantly.

Charlie washed him for the next couple of days, and the ivory kitten became snow white, with the cutest pink feet. As he was feral, he had barely a voice, just a whisper. He looked like a female, there were no testicles to detect, so I named him Mindy. Oddly enough, he didn't seem to listen to his name.

Two months later, on a lazy Saturday morning, Mindy was on my belly, turned around and to my big surprise I looked right at two white furry balls, right under his tail! By lack of a male name, he was temporarily Mr. Kitty. However, he listened to that name from the very start and still does to this day. Mr. Kitty is truly the most unusual cat, alpha male and fearless. He can be moody and demanding, but when tired, he wants to be as close to me as possible and fall asleep against me, as he feels most safe when I am around.

I love these two as if they were my own.

The Long And Winding Road...

In the past 18 months, I listed some jewelry at one point as I was working on my own online store and I wanted to have a place where I could show/sell new jewelry. This is all I have done in the last 18 months with my blog, so basically, shooting myself in the foot, I let a perfectly good blog suffer.... I truly neglected it. What, other then helping my business and telling the world my stories, has this blog done to deserve such appalling behavior on my side... I need to get more in touch with the inner blog in me, really! I need to let her out and do her thing!
Probably the biggest reason for this neglect is the fact that I very little had but any clue who I was anymore, in the past 18 months. This is no joke, I am afraid, nope, truly legit turn of events that all started one, way to early morning, back in late January of 2013.
I didn't see it (or rather: her) coming, I was completely blind sided and next thing I know, I can hear my brain slosh in my skull and my vision went out. I steadied myself by holding the wall and when my vision returned I was still in front of a roommate I was having a discussion with. On my left was also a roommate, however, this one was a shaking, crazed, fist still balled and crazy eyes burning of anger, unstable female, who had just punched me, with her fist full of all her pent up anger, nicely encased by her fingers. She hit me right on top of my left temple, and I mean hard! I don't think I have ever been punched that hard by anyone in my whole life! Me: "Why in the F... did you just hit me????", she: "You were mocking me." Simple as that. I was mocking her (which I hadn't, but easily could have as she is a walking mock-target. I will spare you the details). Since when is mocking someone a punishable offense? And why is the punishment so incredibly harsh? I mean, with that one blow, she messed up the next 14 months of my life GOOD. I mean, all the way, in every way. Truly unbelievable.
A heavy concussion is no picnic, but throw a hematoma in the mix and you really have a recipe for disaster.
At the time of the blow, House Of Joris Jewelry, my jewelry business was really taking off. I was working on my own website (moving away from Etsy was the main goal) and I had my first wholesale account with Foundation Gallery in New Orleans. I had visited stores in a popular area in Austin and quite a few were very interested in my work.
In early January 2013, I moved into a house with rooms for rent, nice and cheap so that I could make lots and lots of jewelry. The plan was to sell to stores and perhaps be a vendor on a popular market.
Well, all those nice plans vanished with the blow to my head. I started seeing double (and still my vision is not what is used to be, before the blow) for a few months, I got big black circles under my eyes and would have serious migraines about twice a week. My short-term memory became non-existent, I would call the same person 3 times in one day with the same message. I would repeat myself all the time, I couldn't find anything that I had just laid down somewhere. My dear friends urged me to go to the ER and indeed, it was bad and I was told to rest and not work for 8 to 12 months.
That meant no activity at all! No excitement, no nothing. And I was promised by the victim assistance program that I would be compensated nicely. Ha, what a joke that was. I received $1800 for a whole year.
Really, what a year 2013 was. I do not remember most of it, I had no idea who I was and that was a very scary feeling. My momentum with my jewelry faded away. I ran out of money totally and completely. I lived on a couch with friends. It was one big disaster.
So you see how I didn't feel like writing? I had nothing good to say, it was the hardest year of my life. Besides the physical troubles, I had some serious bad luck all around. It was just bad, bad, bad.
Things started looking up in February of this year, and slowly the seeds started growing and turning into prospects.
Now life is much better. And I have my jewelry business back. The hard thing about that is though, I have to start over all the way. I just recently re-opened my Etsy store, and I get a look here and there. I am a vendor on markets though, in the weekends. I have had good weekends, with money in my pocket and bad ones, with no penny at all. It is all again starting over. I did sit myself down and thought about this. Did I have it in me to do it allover again? Yes, I guess I do.
I just can not live without creativity in my life. I HAVE to create or I am seriously unhappy.
I did have to take on a part-time job, I mean, some money has to come in! But it is a right struggle. In fact, at this very moment money is so tight, I got into an eviction suit. I just moved here last May! And now I am at risk of losing my home due to a mistake by an organization that was suppose to pay my rent until I was back on my feet. The funding stopped after 3 months (and it took 2 months to get my belongings and jewelry supplies) and I wasn't notified. I just now am standing on the market, I had to make jewelry first. And for the online store, I had to take pictures of all pieces, choose 5 per jewelry item, write a description, come up with a name, a price, shipping, I mean it is a full-time job! One that I love though, so that is good.
But yes, I am a few hundred dollars short and could be losing my house here in the next couple of weeks. Please keep your fingers crossed for me, I need all the help I can get! In fact, out of sheer desperation, I am adding temporarily a donate button. If you can, please help me save my home! This is all happening so fast and I just got back on my feet, business starting to grow, if I lose my house now, I don't even want to think about it. If you can, please help me. I am burying my pride here, but sometimes you got to do what you gotta do. If you can not help, that's ok too, just thanks for visiting, I appreciate it!
Anyways, I will keep y'all up to date with what is happening and hope everyone is in great spirits, happy and healthy.
Next time there will be better news, glad I got this post out of the way, I wanted to explain what had happened to House Of Joris Jewelry and myself.
Till next time!

Who writes this blog? What's on her mind?

If I can make a comfortable living with my art, this being music and jewelry at this point in my life, I will be the happiest person around. I have done it before, I made a very comfortable living for a while, but I was too young, I didn't invest in anything, just blew it. So it is my goal this year to make a comfortable living again, with my own business, House Of Joris Jewelry.

It really took a long time, and tons of people trying to convince me, before I finally believed that I am indeed blessed with talent. And so I should use this gift. Creating, Art, it is my coffee, my joy, my life force, it is what gets me up in the morning, and can make me stay up all night, because I am so excited about my latest design.

I play music too, this is how I made a good living in the 90's, and got to see quite a bit of the world.... I still do music, the bass guitar is my main instrument. But you can find me playing guitar and sing as well. Look, I even add a picture of me playing (I am not so fond of pictures of myself, either having them taken or posting them, for no good reason I might add, I even modeled in my twenties...).

At the Saxon Pub, 06/2012, Austin TX
with Mike Dubose & The Dissidents

There was a break from music, followed by a dysfunctional relationship, involving 3 step daughters, they were 7, 9 and 14 at the time, and so my life became caring for them, I had no life of my own. This relationship, with a complete control freak, brought enough drama to last a life time.

This all is now past, and I found a new passion, making the finest fashion jewelry money can buy! I closed my shop on Etsy, but you will be able to purchase my jewelry again online, real soon!  I even have a blog, and as I lay in bed, in my brand new home, so tired, I can not sleep and have things on my mind....

Living this life, well, it didn't turn out at all what I imagined it would be, back when I was a child. I thought I would be married by 20 and have kids.....
And contrary to what I thought, I love getting older, I gladly trade in a few wrinkles for wisdom, and peace of mind, that is now being given to me, like a super cool present (or did I earn it?).

I never feel the outside wrinkles on the inside though, I can still be as naïve and impulsive as when I was a child (although I have a real love affair with logic, it can be the most comforting thing I can think of).
But I do get the reality check, like when I see my skin do things that it used to not do.... just a few years ago.

Though I tend to over-think and analyze to much since I can remember. I love doing research, I have many interests and am naturally very curious. And I am convinced that we should never stop improving ourselves. I know I can always do things better (next time around), and I push myself hard, especially when it comes to my art, lately this counts for my handmade jewelry.

Though pushing myself can be frustrating and tedious, I do love to be challenged and do this to myself on a regular basis:

Tuesday Bracelet, OOAK
©2012 House Of Joris Jewelry

The conviction to keep growing, and do better every time, is my personal opinion, and it is not set in stone, it is just my way, it is what I believe in, and so it works for me.
It is not always pleasant, it can be kind of heavy... Suffering is most definitely a very real part of life, just as beauty is a real part of life.

Everyone should believe and do what works for them, whatever it might be. And I would not, never could not judge people for what they do, or their beliefs.

Unless your way of life includes: using, manipulating, and hurting other people, and especially children and animals.

Even then I will not waste my breath on judging you. I will skip that part, and shall go straight to seriously kicking your ass, until you are begging for mercy, or are crying for your mommy.