Cinco de Mom-o Fundraiser Event – May 5, 2022

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cinco de mom-o

Cinco de Mom-o Fundraiser Event

I am excited to participate in the Cinco de Mom-o fundraiser for the non-profit Florence Crittenton Programs on Thursday, May 5! This festive event will take place at Under the Almond Trees, located at 190 King Street in downtown Charleston, SC, from 4-8pm. There will be a food truck, raffle drawings, a silent auction, and local vendors such as myself.

I will have a selection of my silver jewelry, baby gift items, and functional home objects displayed for sale. A percentage of my proceeds will be donated to help this wonderful organization with their programs.

Located in downtown Charleston, Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina has been serving the state of South Carolina since 1897. Their mission is to provide hope, safety and opportunity to young women in order to instill self-worth and self-sufficiency. They value the right of every pregnant young woman to obtain the education, skills, and support needed to have a healthy start in life – for both herself and her child.

To learn more about this important non-profit and their mission, visit https://www.florencecrittentonsc.org/

Daughter of the American Revolution – American Heritage Award

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dar dar

Daughters of the American Revolution – American Heritage Award

memorial continental hall

Memorial Continental Hall silver pendant by Kaminer Haislip

I am so incredibly proud to announce I have been honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution with a prestigious award for the annual American Heritage Competition. My sterling silver pendant Memorial Continental Hall was awarded the American Heritage Award for Crafts, First Place in the Jewelry category! It is such an honor and privilege to receive this prominent award for my artwork. The theme this year was Rise, and Shine Your Light on Our House Beautiful, which refers to DAR’s National Headquarters in Washington, DC.

memorial continental hall dar

DAR Memorial Continental Hall in Washington, DC

My submission to the 2022 American Heritage Competition was a sterling silver pendant inspired by the gorgeous building in the striking image above. The National Historic Landmark was built in 1905 and designed by the architect Edward Pearce Casey, designer of the interior of the Library of Congress. The building is in the beaux-arts classical revival style, which harmonized with the other structures developed in the area at that time.

dar headquarters

Memorial Continental Hall silver pendant by Kaminer Haislip

The façade of Memorial Continental Hall was my focal point for the 1” diameter pendant and I used images found online as my visual guide.

silver etching

Hand drawn etching process on silver sheet

The building design was hand drawn onto sterling silver sheet and then etched with an acid technique to create the textured lines. Once the design was etched, I cut out the round shape with a piercing saw and soldered a round silver frame onto it. The frame was hand filed and sanded flush with the etched piece of silver to give the illusion it is one piece. I then soldered the bail at the top for the chain to go through. Once all of the silver pieces had been fabricated, I sanded and polished it to a high shine, mirror finish.  

daughters of the american revolution

Back of Memorial Continental Hall silver pendant by Kaminer Haislip

I will receive the award formally at DAR Continental Congress in June and I am so excited to highlight my wonderful Charleston DAR Rebecca Motte Chapter during this special event! Rebecca Motte’s father Robert Brewton and grandfather Miles Brewton were two of the most accomplished and talented silversmiths of colonial Charleston. Hopefully I am representing our chapter namesake well!
 
daughters of the american revolution
DAR Rebecca Motte Chapter Regent Katie Hyman and Kaminer Haislip
Old Exchange Building, Charleston, SC
 
On Saturday, April 16 I was honored with an additional award my Rebecca Motte Chapter nominated me for. Pictured above is me with our Chapter Regent Katie Hyman receiving the American Heritage Committee Women in the Arts Recognition Award. It really meant the world to me for my chapter to think that highly of my artwork to submit me for this outstanding award. Many thanks to all who made it possible and attended that day to support me! 
 
dar american heritage award

Through both of these awards and my involvement in DAR, an exceptional national non-profit organization and genealogical society, I strive to honor my American Revolution patriots and family heritage. For more information on DAR and our dedication to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children please visit http://www.dar.org/.

To read about my previous American Heritage Awards please visit my Blog posts at the links below. Thank you for your interest in my work! 

Daughters of the American Revolution – American Heritage Award

Daughters of the American Revolution – American Heritage Award

DAR American Heritage Award – April 2017

Helena Fox Fine Art Show – February 12, 2022

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helena fox fine art helena fox fine art gallery

Helena Fox Fine Art – Charleston, SC

Helena Fox Fine Art represents my handcrafted silver designs and regularly carries a curated selection of my silver hollowware, flatware, home objects, and jewelry in their stunning historic, downtown Charleston art gallery.

They are hosting a special Valentine’s Day event featuring my artwork on Saturday, February 12 from 12pm-4pm.

helena fox fine art

This Valentine’s Day mini trunk show will feature my original jewelry designs and silver home objects, so you are certain to find something sweet for the love in your life.

old exchange building

Old Exchange Building in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina

This show is part of the inaugural Exchange District shopping event, which includes Meeting Street to East Bay Street and Tradd Street to Queen Street in historic downtown Charleston. The Old Exchange Building and Provost Dungeon sits at the end of Broad Street and is the focal point of the Exchange District. There are many locally owned retail shops, galleries, and restaurants within these boundaries, so this new district and event will highlight these fabulous businesses.

A fun Valentine’s Bingo game will be part of the event and enhance the shopping experience (see below for details). I hope to see you there!

valentine bingo charleston

bingo card charleston

 

Helena Fox Fine Art

106A Church Street

Charleston, SC 29401

843-723-0073

www.helenafoxfineart.com

Quail Forever Benefit Event – November 22, 2021

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quail forever

Quail Forever Benefit Event – Monday, November 22, 2021

I am very excited to participate in this Lowcountry holiday market and benefit event for Quail Forever co-hosted by the Charleston Mercury! I will have my silver jewelry, functional home objects, and Christmas ornaments displayed for sale.

The event will be held Monday, November 22 at the Boone Hall Cotton Dock in Mt. Pleasant, SC from 4-9pm and the details are above. I hope to see you at this festive, Southern event!

Silver Showing with The Charleston Silver Lady – December 8, 2021

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the charleston silver lady

Silver Showing with The Charleston Silver Lady – Lexington, SC

Dawn Corley, also known as The Charleston Silver Lady, is an antiques historian and expert on silver. She will have a special showing of Kaminer Haislip’s contemporary silver objects and jewelry at her Lexington, South Carolina location on Wednesday, December 8 from 4:30pm-6:30pm. In addition to Kaminer’s work, she will have on display antique objects and silver pieces from her own private collection.

The event will be hosted at 212 East Main Street, Lexington, SC 29072. Please use the side door as a private entrance. Parking is available for guests in a parking garage across the street as well as at a BB&T bank next door.

This fun holiday shopping event will be very shiny and bright!

Mistletoe + Merlot – Aiken, SC – November 18 & 19, 2021

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merlot & mistletoe

aiken standard

Mistletoe + Merlot Holiday Shopping Market – Aiken, SC

Join me for the Aiken Standard’s 4th Annual Mistletoe + Merlot holiday shopping event! It will be hosted at Newberry Hall in historic, downtown Aiken, South Carolina on Thursday, November 18 and Friday, November 19. This Holiday Market will feature forty vendors, including artists and artisans, selling a wide variety of handcrafted and boutique gift items and will give attendees a head start on their holiday shopping. It will be a ticketed event in order to limit the number of guests. I hope to see my Aiken friends there!

The information for this fun shopping event is below.

Thursday, November 18  from 6-9pm – Preview Party

Tickets are $25 and include one drink ticket and souvenir wineglass, cheeseboard and shopping bag for the first 200 guests. Heavy hors devours, desserts and wine and beer will also be available.

Purchase tickets for the Thursday Preview Party at https://tickets.aikenstandard.com/e/mistletoe-and-merlot-holiday-preview-party

Friday, November 19 from 9am-5pm – All Day Shopping

General Admission tickets are $5 for the entire day. Light snacks will be served.

Purchase tickets for Friday at https://tickets.aikenstandard.com/e/mistletoe-and-merlot-holiday-shopping-event-2

Newberry Hall

117 Newberry Street SW

Aiken, SC 29801

 

Helena Fox Fine Art Show – November 5 & 6, 2021

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helena fox fine art helena fox fine art gallery

Helena Fox Fine Art – Charleston, SC

Helena Fox Fine Art represents my handcrafted silver designs and regularly carries a curated selection of my silver hollowware, flatware, home objects, and jewelry in their stunning historic, downtown Charleston art gallery. They are hosting a special event featuring my artwork on Friday, November 5 from 4pm-7pm and Saturday, November 6 from 11am-4pm.

I will exhibit a wider variety of my silver objects, original jewelry designs, and Christmas ornaments than what the gallery usually shows during this special holiday shopping event. I hope to see you there!

Helena Fox Fine Art

106A Church Street

Charleston, SC 29401

843-723-0073

www.helenafoxfineart.com

Silver Sculpture Commission

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Mother Earth Custom Silver Sculpture

silver sculpture

hand engraved

Mother Earth is a sterling silver sculpture my client Jim Johnson of New Castle, Delaware custom commissioned. Jim has commissioned numerous projects from me over the years and came to me with the idea for Mother Earth. It was inspired by an idea his late twin brother, who was an artist and welder, had years ago. The concept for Mother Earth was based on the idea all life originates from planet Earth. Jim wanted to honor his brother with this sculpture and he was very specific about the design down to every last detail. Based on his description of it from conversations and design sessions we had together, I drew the sculpture to scale of the actual object. After receiving Jim’s feedback and tweaking the design until it was exactly what he had in mind, I set about making it.

silver globesilver globe

Mother Earth is one of the most complex objects I have ever made and required many different technical processes. The 8″ diameter globe element was fabricated with silver wire for the longitude lines and silver sheet for the hand pierced continents. The waterspout and baby were both carved from wax and sent to a high quality casting company in North Carolina. The company made molds of each and cast them in sterling silver. The umbilical cord was made from silver wire and connects to the back of North America where Delaware is located. The finial on top was fabricated with silver sheet and hand engraved with the title Mother Earth on both sides of the sign. The entire sculpture was hand polished to a high shine, mirror finish.

silver art

silver waterspout

silver baby

This project required an immense amount of problem solving and was very time consuming to make, but I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. Working with Jim on this special project was a great experience and I sent him regular progress reports with images of the sculpture in process. It truly was a collaborative project and I appreciated his thoughtful feedback each step of the way. When I delivered it to him and he got the see it in person for the first time, to my delight, he was thrilled!

If you are interested in commissioning a custom object or jewelry piece from me, then please check out my website Commission page that has examples of drawings and finished pieces. My Commission Policy outlines the details of commissioning me to make something unique and special for you. Thank you for your interest in my work!

 

New Gorget Jewelry Series

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New Gorget Jewelry Series

gorget pendant

Gorget Pendant Large

For the Daughters of the American Revolution American Heritage Competition “Rise, and Shine Your Light on Your Revolutionary War Patriot”, I designed and created a silver necklace based on my great-great-great-great-great grandfather Captain Joshua Hadley’s military service during the Revolutionary War. The design process required a lot of research and thought, which I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from. To my great surprise and esteemed honor, it was awarded First Place in the Jewelry category and later received a South Carolina House of Representatives House Resolution. Details about both can be read on this Blog page. The necklace garnered such a positive response that I decided to do a spin off jewelry series based on one of the necklace elements, the Gorget.

The Gorget traces its history back to medieval times when it was worn as a piece of armor around the neck to protect the throat. Over time the shape, size, and function changed and by the 17th century it became a symbol of rank among military officers of many countries. At this point it was suspended around the neck with a chain or ribbon and was purely decorative.

silver gorget pendant

Gorget Pendant Small

The white crescent shape on the South Carolina flag is thought to be partly inspired by the Gorget. The original flag flown during the American Revolution Battle of Sullivan’s Island in Charleston, SC on June 28, 1776 had a blue background with the white crescent in the upper left hand corner. The flag played a prominent role in the battle that day and the Americans successfully defeated the British, which was a turning point in the war and led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

My contemporary interpretation of this historic form was inspired by its prominence during the American Revolutionary War in which my great-great-great-great-great grandfather Captain Joshua Hadley was a Continental Army officer. He participated in many important battles throughout the American Revolution, including the Battle of Sullivan’s Island. I feel the Gorget is my way of honoring that important event in American history and my ancestor. It also speaks to the place in which I live and Charleston’s important role in the early days of the American republic.

gorget earrings

Gorget Earrings

This new jewelry collection includes two pendants and one pair of post style earrings. Shop the new series and my other silver jewelry designs in my website store Jewelry category.

New Christmas Ornament Designs for Holiday 2021

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New Christmas Ornaments for Holiday 2021

liberty tree liberty bell

Liberty Bell and Liberty Tree silver Christmas ornaments

Kaminer Haislip has two new Christmas ornament designs for Holiday 2021! Continuing her design style of the silver silhouette, a Liberty Tree and Liberty Bell have been added to her array of Christmas ornament offerings. Each ornament is hand pierced from sheet silver and the shape refined by filing and sanding. The slightly domed form gives it dimension and its smooth, shiny surface is perfect for personalizing with hand engraving.

The theme for this year’s ornament designs was inspired by the concept of gathering together, which relates to both the Liberty Tree and Liberty Bell. This Christmas we can celebrate the holidays together and enjoy the festivities of the season!

The first Liberty Tree was an old elm in Boston the Sons of Liberty would gather under prior to the Revolutionary War. As their message of resistance to the British taxes spread, so did the fame of their tree. Other colonies and cities adapted their own Liberty Trees, which were a variety of species, as a meeting spot and it became a Patriot symbol.

liberty tree

Liberty Tree silver Christmas ornament

This Liberty Tree design is a symbol of both assembling together freely and gathering with friends and family around the Christmas tree during the holidays. 

The Liberty Bell dates to Philadelphia’s colonial era and was ordered in 1751 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of William Penn’s 1701 Charter of Privileges, which speaks of the rights and freedoms of individuals. It was hidden during the American Revolution and in 1787 was tolled to signify the ratification of the United States Constitution. Later it was adopted as a symbol of liberty by both the abolitionists and women suffragettes.

liberty bell

Liberty Bell silver Christmas ornament

The iconic Liberty Bell was the inspiration for this Christmas ornament design, because bells are rung to celebrate events and occasions. Christmas is a time for joy, merriment, and gathering. This year we can all ring a bell in celebration and enjoy being together during the holiday season!

Additionally, silver Christmas ornaments make a wonderful, heirloom gift that will be cherished for years to come. Many lovely memories are made around the holidays and giving lasting gifts is a great way to commemorate past years of happy, family gatherings.

Starting a baby or child on a collection of silver Christmas ornaments is an outstanding idea, because by the time they are adults with a Christmas tree of their own they will already have a stunning array of beautiful ornaments to adorn their tree. Many of Kaminer’s clients continue that tradition as they were gifted annually with a silver ornament and have a deep appreciation for the quality and sweet memories each one holds.

Both the Liberty Tree and Liberty Bell can be personalized with hand engraving, as can most of her silver Christmas ornaments. Shop the entire array of festive ornaments in her website store Christmas Ornaments category.