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Silver Showing with The Charleston Silver Lady – December 8, 2022

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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 Thursday, 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 Counseling Center next door.

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

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.

 

Christmas Gifts for Her

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christmas gifts for her silver dish silver post earrings
Silver Poppy Bowl (small) and Torc Post Earrings

Christmas Gifts for Her

Even though there seem to be many more options for Christmas gifts for her, women can be just as challenging to shop for as men. Sometimes too many options can be overwhelming, so I have highlighted an assortment of suggestions based on popular gifts for women people purchase from me as well as suggestions for the extremely picky lady or gal who has everything.

christmas gifts for her silver link bracelet oyster jewelry
Silver Oyster Link Bracelet

Jewelry

Jewelry seems like an obvious choice, but you need to know who you are shopping for, her style, and tastes. My silver link bracelets are adjustable, so you do not need to know what bracelet length she wears and I have a smooth finish option (Oyster Link Bracelet) and hammered finish option (Torc Link Bracelet). Bangles are also a nice jewelry gift, because she can stack them with other bracelets. All of my bangles come in two sizes, medium and large, and can be custom sized.

silver link bracelet torc jewelry christmas gifts for her
Silver Torc Link Bracelet
silver bangle bracelets stacked bangles
Silver Bangle Bracelets

Necklaces are also a great gift depending on the style she likes to wear. A standout, statement necklace is a special gift for the lady with some flare.

silver oyster necklace silver oyster earrings contemporary jewelry christmas gifts for her jacket style earrings
Silver Oyster Link Necklace and Oyster Earrings
silver link necklace torc jewelry statement necklace
Torc Link Necklace

A simple pendant for everyday wear is perfect for a woman of any age, from a young girl to a stylish older aunt. My pendants come with the choice of a 16″, 18″, or 20″ length silver cable chain.

silver oyster shell pendant delicate jewelry
Silver Oyster Shell Pendant

Finally for the jewelry suggestions, are earrings.

silver oyster earrings double earrings christmas gifts for her
Silver Oyster Earrings

Earrings like necklaces are also a matter of taste and style. Some ladies prefer to wear large, statement earrings and others tend to be more conservative or minimal with post or stud styles. I have a wide selection of all styles, so be sure to check out the various options.

Torc Stud Earrings

Dresser or Vanity Objects

A pretty silver vase she can put flowers in for her dresser or vanity, a lovely silver dish to hold small items (see first image on post), or an elegant silver box to store jewelry or other small things all make thoughtful Christmas gifts for her.

silver vase silver vessel functional art contemporary silver
Silver Vase
silver boxes bird box round silver box christmas gifts for her
Silver Boxes

Entertaining and Serving Utensils

Entertaining is year round and not just around the holidays, so for the hostess with the mostess and the lady who likes to entertain in style a lovely silver serving utensil or spoon is the perfect gift. It is a lasting gift she can use often for serving all the delicious dishes and appetizers she makes. I like mixing and matching styles and patterns, so do not be afraid to pair traditional silver styles with contemporary pieces.

silver serving spoon thanksgiving dinner christmas dinner
Silver Serving Spoon
silver spreader forged silver utensil handcrafted
Silver Spreader
silver condiment spoon appetizer serving hors d'oeuvres
Silver Condiment Spoon

A silver napkin ring is a wonderful gift, because you can start her on a collection. Then you have a go to gift for each birthday, holiday, or anniversary. Personalizing with hand engraving is a thoughtful touch with initials or to commemorate which occasion or date it was given on.

silver napkin ring stylish entertaining tabletop design
Silver Napkin Ring

Christmas Ornaments

Finally, a festive silver Christmas ornament is a fun gift for all women. I offer a wide range of designs and most of them can be hand engraved. Choose one that fits her personality best!

silver christmas ornamentsSilver Christmas Ornaments

All of these lovely silver Christmas gifts for her can be found in my website Shop, plus many more. Happy Holiday shopping!

Christmas Gifts for Him

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christmas gifts for him silver tumbler
Silver Tumbler

Christmas Gifts for Him

Christmas shopping for a man can be difficult, because jewelry options are limited, clothing is hard to fit, and unless a man has a specific hobby, it is hard to come up with an exciting gift for him. Knowing this from the many clients who have come to me over the years asking for suggestions for Christmas gifts for him, I decided this year to do a Blog post with some suggestions for the challenging to shop for male.

silver tumbler silver bar spoon cocktail time
Silver Tumbler and Bar Spoon

Silver Bar Accessories

Silver cups, bar spoons, pitchers, wine coasters, and personalized decanter bottle tags are all great gifts for men. They are lasting gifts they can use when entertaining or making themselves that special drink.

silver cocktail spoon bar spoon cocktail bar silver cup
Silver Tumbler and Bar Spoon

Personalizing a silver decanter tag with his favorite spirit or poison is a thoughtful gift he will enjoy year round.

silver decanter bottle tag silver bar spoon hand engraving personalized gift
Silver Decanter Bottle Tags and Bar Spoons

Other bar accessories he can use year round and display include a silver beaker or cup, cocktail pitcher, and wine coaster.

silver pitcher silver beaker silver cup
Silver Pitcher and Beaker or Cup

All of the silver cups, pitchers, and wine coasters can be personalized with hand engraving for a special touch.

silver wine coaster silver goblet silver cup christmas gifts for him
Silver Wine Coaster

Appetizer Serving Utensils

silver cheese knife entertain in style cheese plate silver tray
Silver Cheese Knife

Appetizer serving utensils such as a cheese knife, spreader, appetizer fork, or condiment spoon are all great gifts for Foodie men. My husband loves a good cheese plate with charcuterie and enjoys as much as I do using our silver serving accessories for each yummy item. Once again, they are gifts that can be used year round!

silver appetizer fork meat fork silver fork
Silver Appetizer or Meat Fork

Cufflinks & Collar Stays

silver oyster cufflinks french cuff shirt tuxedo christmas gifts for him
Silver Oyster Cufflinks

Cufflinks add sophistication to a man’s attire and are a creative way he can express his personal style. Jewelry options tend to be limited for men, so cufflinks are a fashionable accessory to spruce up his look. Most of my cufflinks can be personalized with hand engraving and custom initial cufflinks are also a unique gift option.

custom initial cufflinks silver cufflinks
Custom Initial Cufflinks

Silver collar stays are another original gift idea that also can be personalized with hand engraving.

silver collar stays men's accessories christmas gifts for him
Silver Collar Stays

Dresser and Desk Objects

silver boxes christmas gifts for him
Silver Boxes

A silver box is a very useful gift for a man, because he can put it on his dresser to store cufflinks and other small items or on his desk. My husband has several silver boxes he uses and it is a classy way to store things and keep your desk tidy.

silver oyster dish pen tray christmas gifts for him
Silver Oyster Dish

A silver dish like my Oyster Dish above (available in two sizes) is wonderful for a dresser or desk as well. They can be used to hold small items, such as change or keys, and function as a pen tray.

Christmas Ornaments

silver christmas ornaments
Silver Christmas Ornaments

Finally, a festive silver Christmas ornament is a fun gift for all men. I offer a wide range of designs and most of them can be hand engraved. Choose one that fits his personality best!

All of these fun silver Christmas gifts for him can be found in my website Shop, plus many more. Happy Holiday shopping!

Helena Fox Fine Art Open House – November 13 & 14, 2020

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helena fox fine art

Open House with Charleston Silversmith Kaminer Haislip

CHARLESTON, S.C. November 13th and 14th —Helena Fox Fine Art is pleased to announce Open House with Charleston Silversmith Kaminer Haislip

Drop in from 12-4pm on Friday or Saturday to meet the artist and shop her collection.

helena fox fine art

Oyster Jewelry by Kaminer Haislip

A native of South Carolina, Kaminer Haislip grew up in her family’s hardware and appliance business in Aiken. From there she followed her dream of working with fire and metal. After graduating with a MFA from Winthrop University, Ms. Haislip made her way to Charleston, in her words ‘my process is directly tied to the city’s immense craft traditions. As a silversmith working in Charleston, I am carrying on the legacy of the city’s rich history by employing techniques that have been used for centuries.’ And she is the only female silversmith practicing in Charleston today.

This year has been a bit different for all of us, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome you all back to the gallery for an event! We will be featuring Kaminer’s new Christmas ornaments and table ware along with her much loved oyster series of jewelry. Early enough to be thinking about gift giving as well as time to get your gifts engraved if you are interested.

We will be offering a few private appointments before and after our regular gallery hours for anyone interested. If you have a group of friends that may want to come in together, we recommend this option.

Join us for what we think will be a great start to the shopping season!

Helena Fox Fine Art

106A Church Street

Charleston, SC 29401

843-723-0073

www.helenafoxfineart.com

Contact Carolyn at gallery@helenafoxfineart.com

Custom Christmas Ornaments

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jack & ginger christmas ornamentJack & Ginger Etched Silver Christmas Ornament

Custom Christmas Ornaments

Custom Christmas ornaments are a wonderful heirloom gift that will be cherished and enjoyed for many holidays to come. Not only is a sterling silver Christmas ornament a lasting, quality present, but it is an extremely memorable one. These beauties sparkle and shine with merriment on the Christmas tree and embody the holiday spirit.

The process of etching a textured design into sterling silver has been an integral aspect of my artwork over the years and one fun application of the technique has been for custom Christmas ornament designs. I get so many inquiries about the process and options, so I decided to highlight a couple of past designs and describe the handcrafted technique.

 

silver etching drawingHand painting and drawing the design onto the silver

First, I hand draw the design in my sketchbook and use it for reference to draw onto the silver shape, which I hand cut from sheet silver. The next step is to paint a black tar like substance called resist over the areas I want to remain smooth. The resist protects the silver surface from the acid etching chemical. The resist can be messy, so I refine the details and lines with a steel pencil as shown in the image above. Once the design is completed, it is submerged in the acid, which eats into the silver surface and creates texture in the exposed silver areas.

jack & ginger silver christmas ornament

Jack & Ginger Etched Silver Christmas Ornament

After the silver is polished to a high shine, the textured design and lines contrast beautifully with the smooth surface. The amount of detail and refinement that can be achieved with the process is quite significant!

 

old exchange building

Old Exchange Building Etched Silver Christmas Ornament

I have been commissioned to create a wide variety of etched Christmas ornaments and the possibilities are endless for design options. Some past projects include buildings, houses, a lighthouse, and even a private plane! Shown above is the historic Old Exchange Building in downtown Charleston, which was very detailed with the number of straight lines and architectural embellishments. To view more of my original Christmas ornament designs, view the Christmas Ornaments page in my website Portfolio Archive.

I welcome you to get in touch with your own idea for a custom Christmas ornament! I so enjoy those projects and it is always exciting to see what new, creative concept someone will bring to me. Custom commission information can be found on my website Commission Work page and details on how to commission your own design is posted on the Commission Policy page.

The Jack & Ginger ornament I created last year for a very special person inspired my 2020 Christmas ornaments…..coming soon!!

Holiday Pop Up – December 2019

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holiday pop up charleston sc 40 charlotte street the venning house

Holiday Pop Up

The Venning House – 40 Charlotte Street – Charleston, SC

During this special holiday pop up market, Kaminer Haislip’s handcrafted, silver functional home objects and a selection of jewelry will be on display for sale. A Preview Party will take place Thursday, December 5 from 5pm-8pm. This festive shopping event will continue on Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7 from 10am-5pm.

40 charlotte street historic downtown charleston sc holiday house tour
40 Charlotte Street – Charleston, SC

To view images and get more information on the stunning, fully restored historic downtown Charleston home, visit http://40charlottestreet.com/

New Christmas Ornaments for Holiday 2019

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santa hat christmas ornament silver christmas ornaments holiday 2019 christmas 2019
Silver Santa Hat Christmas Ornament

New Christmas Ornaments for Holiday 2019

Kaminer Haislip has two new Christmas ornament designs for Holiday 2019! Continuing her design style of the silver silhouette, a Santa Hat and Stocking have been added to her stable of Christmas ornament offerings.

stocking christmas ornament silver christmas ornament holiday 2019 christmas tree decoration christmas 2019
Silver Stocking Christmas Ornament

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 with. Many of Kaminer’s clients do just that as they were gifted annually each year with a silver ornament of their own and have a deep appreciation for the quality and sweet memories each one holds.

Both the Santa Hat and Stocking can be personalized with hand engraving, as can most of her silver Christmas ornaments. Shop the entire array of festive ornaments in this website store Christmas Ornaments category.

 

Night of 1000 Lights – December 2018

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Night of 1000 Lights

Night of 1000 Lights – Downtown Aiken, SC

Kaminer Haislip is participating in the annual Night of 1000 Lights in historic downtown Aiken, SC on Thursday, December 6 from 6-8pm. Sponsoring businesses will stay open late, thousands of gorgeous luminaries will line the streets of downtown Aiken, and there will be wide variety of fun holiday activities taking place. This exciting event, organized by the Aiken Downtown Development Association, is a tradition not to be missed!

True Value Aiken SC

During the event, Kaminer’s handcrafted silver jewelry, functional objects, and Christmas ornaments will be displayed for sale at her family’s business, True Value Hardware & Appliance, located at 121 Laurens Street.  Stop by True Value to see her work and enjoy some holiday cheer!

aiken

http://www.visitaikensc.com/whattodo/detail/aiken_downtown_development_association_adda

http://www.downtownaiken.com/

Equestrian Themed Christmas Ornament Collection for Holiday 2018

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equestrian christmas ornaments

 

Equestrian Themed Christmas Ornament Collection for Holiday 2018

New for Holiday 2018 Kaminer Haislip has designed and created an equestrian themed Christmas Ornament collection! All in sterling silver, Horse, Equestrian Helmet, and Lucky Horseshoe are the perfect Christmas gift for an equestrian enthusiast or someone who loves horses. Horse and Equestrian Helmet can be personalized with gorgeous hand engraving. Lucky Horseshoe has a hammered surface that will sparkle on the Christmas tree and catch the light beautifully!

Shop the collection on Kaminer’s website store under the Holiday category.

Kaminer’s inspiration for this special equestrian collection came from her wonderful experience at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, NC this fall. She met so many great people and already had so many friends involved in the equestrian world she wanted to design something fun for them. Also, growing up in Aiken, SC, a small equestrian community, and spending time on her grandparents’ farm with their horses in northern Virginia, had an influence on this unique collection. Kaminer has always loved horses and hope you will like these ornaments as much as she does!