Help from Hot Mamas

I am looking for a little help from my fellow hot mama girlfriends and customers.

As many of you know, I sell directly to customers from my website. But another large part of my business comes from the many boutiques that I partner with across the country--little boutiques like maternity/baby stores, high-end childrens clothing stores, stationery and gift shops. I am looking to expand my business and have my jewelry line displayed in many more stores.

Does your sister own a trendy store in Seattle? Is there a boutique that you visit regularly in your home town that would be perfect for the Hot Mama line? I would like to reward you with a $100.00 Hot Mama Jewelry gift certificate if the store you recommend becomes a new account.

Here's all I need from you:

Please email the following information to shannon@hotmamadesigns.com:

1) store name

2) store address

3) store owner and/or buyer's name

4) type of store

5) phone number

6) email of appropriate contact

7) your name, address and email information

If you are able to put in a good word for me with the store owner or buyer that helps even more. I will be following up with all leads by the end of 2009. If your recommendation becomes a new account I will be in touch about your gift certificate. Voila, so simple!

Thank you in advance, I so appreciate your help.

P.S. Here at the studio we are already gearing up for Mother's Day. Place your order by April 15th and receive free shipping, just enter code "freemom" at the checkout.

Shop now>>> http://www.hotmamadesigns.com

But Not Forgotten

When I wanted to make this necklace in honor of my mom last week, I was thinking about the dove shape that I had started to cut out of sterling earlier this year. It had been sitting the windowsill of my studio and every so often I would catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye, and I would have a pull from inside that I really wanted to finish it.

I noticed how absolutely gorgeous the light in my studio is this time of day. I am almost never at the bench when the light is this pretty!

So I spent a little time looking up dove symbolism as I was thinking about my mom, and found a lot about how they mean peace and "expected new hope," which was really the feeling I was searching for. Last year the anniversary of my mom's death was so hard for me. I always know if she was here, she would want me to be happy, joyful even. And doing things that I love to do. So being at my bench to commemorate her life felt really good on this particular day.

After sketching and looking at dove photos on google images, one of my favorite resources, I put the design on tracing paper, glued it to the sterling and then pierced the design out with my saw. I hammered out some texture to simulate feathers and was surprised at how easily the piece flowed into being done. I wish all my other pieces came so easily.

So now we are only about two weeks away from my due date. And expected new hope for a new babe in the house. And for this little boy to receive the gift of becoming the big brother.
We can't wait.

Jackie Sue Barron-Sunderland

Today marks the second year anniversary of my mom's passing. Luckily last year I took a grief management class from my local hospice center, and everything doesn't quite feel as raw as it did when I wrote this post about her last year.

My family and I will spend the day telling stories about her. If I wasn't pregnant, I would definitely plan to drink a cuba libre in her honor. In lieu of that I think we'll fire up some pineapple malts, another favorite of hers. And I haven't yet been able to bring myself to watch the Disneyland footage when we schlepped the entire family with all the kids out, so maybe we'll set that up on the projector in the living room to watch tonight, too.


I woke up really early today thinking about her. I have wanted to make a piece of jewelry in her memory for a long time now, and today for some reason the design came really easily to me. From sketching it out to the finished piece was only a couple of hours, and I am so happy to be wearing the finished product today. I'll upload photos of the finished piece and tell more about the design process in the next post.



For now I'll close with the video we played at her memorial service. We love you and miss you, Jackie Sue.