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• Hansen elected as Lodi's mayor

• Lodi Unified taking a look at its needs

• Parade of Lights: Tonight at 6:17 in Downtown Lodi

• The assembly line

• New faces take over the San Joaquin Delta Citizens' Oversight Committee

• Regional Roundup

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (73)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (23)

ADVERTISEMENT

Serendipity leads to custom jewelry business

Call it Natalie Hansen's shining moment. The crafty Lodian wanted to find a way to be more artistic in her everyday life, and she did.

For two months now Hansen has been making custom silver jewelry such as necklaces, earrings and charm bracelets through her home-based business, Serendipity Silver.

As she was perusing an art magazine, Hansen's eyes landed on an advertisement for Lilly Ollo, a company that specializes in silver molding equipment.

Hansen works as an at-home travel agent for Stockton Travel, but had been wanting to get into more artistic endeavors. The idea of custom silver pieces struck her as a natural fit, and she invested in the equipment, including a pastel purple and green tabletop kiln.

Her artistic inclinations lend themselves easily to crafting the jewelry and helping others do the same.

Not only does Hansen create custom pieces for her clients, she also holds silver parties where the guests can make their own shiny pieces of wearable art.

For $35, a person can make anywhere from one to four items from a little lump of clay.

Hansen rolls out a sliver mold at her home in Lodi. When the "clay" is baked at 1,500 degrees, the organic filler will dissipate, leaving a 99-percent pure piece of jewelry. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

The process is simple: A seven-ounce piece of fine recyclable silver is bound with organic fillers, making it moldable. After being kneaded into a unique shape or stamped with a design, the silver "clay" is dried and then fired in a small kiln at 1,500 degrees. The filler bakes out, leaving a fine 99 percent pure silver piece.

Hansen admits that the parties she's held so far have run from three to five hours, just because of how addicting making the jewelry can be. Those who want to make more than one piece will pay the initial $35, and $23 for additional pieces. If a party's hostess has more than six people attending, her clay is free.

Even for those with little imagination, it's not hard to be unique and creative, since Hansen offers hundreds of different designs.

"It's totally geared to a novice," Hansen said. "They can make it any way they want."

After baking, the silver piece is then burnished and given an antique look. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

But for the person with no inkling of what they want, Hansen will create a piece for them, starting as low as $42.

On a recent trip to Sonora, Hansen stopped in a store called Piazza to do some shopping. The owner saw the necklace Hansen was wearing emblazoned with the letter "N." When Hansen told her that she made the necklace herself, the owner was thrilled. "She ordered 25 initial pieces from me," she said.

Since Hansen is continually creating and crafting new things — like Christmas ornaments — she is also coming up with new designs. A future keepsake she may create would be a baby's fingerprint or toe print with the silver jewelry. Since babies' prints are more pronounced than an adults, it makes taking impressions of them extremely easy.

"I just have to be making things," Hansen said about starting the business.

Call it serendipity that Hansen discovered Lilly Ollo. She does.

For more information on hosting a Serendipity Silver party, or to order custom silver jewelry, contact Hansen at 369-2211 or natalieh1225@yahoo.com.

Contact Business Editor Marc Lutz at marcl@lodinews.com.