Hi Octane Jewelry | Revvv up your look

This blog has moved

2011-06-04T00:22:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering this blog has moved the new location is here
Click on over and visit our new home.

We love your car stories

2011-01-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

Today I got email from a customer and it gave me goosebumps.
Thanks for sharing. We love hearing why our customers love their cars. Please continue to share. Here it is.

Received the '53 Buick grille ring. Special made size 8 without minimizing the size of the Buick. And it's perfect!

We all have a story looking back. Mine is...

In Michigan...during the Great Depression...my Dad stood in the snow day after day at the General Motors plant. And each day out of hundreds they took three men to work. One day my Dad said "What's wrong with me?"...so he was waved in to work. He stayed with General Motors for 40 years. His first job was in the pit applying creosote to running boards. He was General Superintendent of the South Gate CA plant (BOP - Buick Oldsmobile Pontiac) at the time the 1953 Buicks were rolling off the line. I wear the Buick for him.

Many Thanks,
D.A.

Driving fun in a simulated way.

2010-11-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

You have to hop on over and check out this web site just for the sound effects. I love all the sounds on this site. It has me revv'd up. Now I just need to get to France. i-way is an unusual venue designed by france’s cyrille druart in lyon, france. The building is dedicated to high end car
simulators that give visitors the opportunity to sit inside actual car and drive them with the help of massive digital
displays. i-way features 18 different vehicles that can be driven using six degrees of movement. the cars are divided
into 3 zones for formula 1, endurance and rally cars. surrounding these rooms are a host of other amenities such as
a fitness centre, shop, bars and meeting rooms. the facility took over four year’s to construct and features some of
the most advanced simulator technology in the world, much of which borrows straight for the aeronautics industry.
Found via Design Boom
http://www.cyrilledruart.com
http://www.i-way-world.com

Goggles - For your inner steampunk style

2010-11-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

Goggles have been on my mind lately. I like the steampunk look. I collect old eye ware. I need to photograph some of the pieces I have. Here are a few pairs I recently found inspiring.

The second pair are for sale on Restoration Hardware's site here.

1957 Ford Fairlane Ring in Hi Octane Jewelry box

2010-10-28T17:13:00.001-07:00

1957 Ford Fairlane Ring in Hi Octane Jewelry box
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

1957 Ford Fairlane Ring in Hi Octane Jewelry Box, we created this custom ring for a client in Texas. Their ring had crystals in the headlights for a little added extra.

Turn your wedding bouquet into Silver or Gold | Hi Octane jewelry

2010-10-25T22:59:00.001-07:00

Custom Gold Wedding Ring | Hi Octane jewelry
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

We created this 14K gold wedding ring for some fellow artists. This ring is a replacement wedding ring. The unique texture was created from a rose leaf that was in the couple's original wedding bouquet.

How to get a Free Camaro from Chevy

2010-09-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

Recently I had been planning a road trip to my 20 year high school reunion, in Reno Nevada. Where I had attended and graduated from Reno High school. We were the class of 1990. My husband had never been there with me, and I wanted to show him where I lived during my high school years. Typically when our family takes road trips we incorporate skateboarding because my husband and kids all skateboard and I enjoy the opportunity to photograph our journeys. During the summer I had joined our Class Facebook page every so often I would see something new posted about our upcoming event. A lot of people from our class I had already connected online with.

One day I saw a post of a “Really Cool Camaro” come through. The question was “Which RHS graduate from the class of 1990 still owns this car?“ Well I was the only one that responded and happened to guess right. The car had been restored and looked way better than it did back in the day.

A couple days later I got an email from someone on Chevy’s marketing team. This email read something to the effect of “Our intent is to give folks an opportunity to drive our most current cars and trucks and to solicit their candid feedback. We hope this effort will help prove to today’s consumers that Chevrolet is committed to delivering beautifully designed, high quality vehicles.

Chevrolet would like to extend an invitation to you to “experience” the Camaro for a few days.” Well immediately the wheels in my head were turning. And I thought man wouldn’t it be fun to take this Free Camaro up to Reno for the Reunion. So I threw it out there. And sure enough Chevy said “Yes!”

Next thing I knew I was telling my kids we were driving a new Camaro up to Reno on our trip. They were like “What?” “ How?” “What Color?”

I ran it by my parents who thought for sure the e-mail could be fake and I should get more info. Well when the car showed up on the day of our departure. I was pretty sure it was real.

My son was anxiously awaiting the car’s arrival. As soon as it showed up we had Pageone give us the low down on how everything worked.

We figured out how to attach our I-pod. It fits wonderfully into a USB port in the center console. No special cord needed. And then you just switch the mode on the stereo to I-pod. One of our family’s favorite travel games is “Name that punk artist”. My Husband covers the console and the kids guess the band, and man are our kids good at it.

We also were shown what and how Onstar worked. I had never used Onstar so it was new to me and apparently not just for accidents. You can actually use it for directions to hotels or skateparks as we later tested. As soon as the Pageone guys left we had to take her for a drive. We started with photos.

hen a quick trip to Target for last minute road trip snacks and items. My son had to stay in the car and check out all the features on the stereo while we went in. He also mentioned that he looked good in the car. And he was right he did. We came back to him blasting “Bitchin’ Camaro” by The Dead Milkmen. Boy those Boston Acoustic speakers work well.

My husband got home and we loaded the trunk with our bags, cooler, skateboard equipment, cameras etc. Now let me just say that we travel a lot by road trips, and family car is a 12 passenger van. So I wouldn’t say we pack light. But we definitely scaled back for this car. My husband said his skateboard wouldn’t fit so he didn’t bring it. Let’s just say that the trunk which I would say is a pretty good size trunk, was packed all the way to the top. There was no room in the car for snacks or a cooler so we left most of those at home and managed to get our mini cooler in the trunk.

I hadn’t really had a chance to open her up on the freeway yet. And I was probably going to have to be patient, since it was traffic time in So Cal. Driving the Camaro was a novelty. My husband hadn’t even had a chance to drive the car yet. Probably, because I was still enjoying it too much. So we headed out and headed for Reno, Nevada.

You can make the drive in a day but since we had such a late start. Our plan was to get to at least too Bishop and stay the night there and then hit Mammoth Skate park in the morning.

We live in North San Diego County so our route was to take The 15 to and then drive Highway 395 the majority of the way.

So when I went to get on the freeway by our house, this scenario happens as it does many times. You know the one where you are in the lane to merge on to the freeway and a Semi is right there next to you and you are running out of on ramp. And your moment of opportunity is diminishing quickly. So what did I do? Exctly what any girl given a new 2010 Camaro would do, I romped on the gas pedal. And boy did that car respond. I am pretty sure out of the corner of my eye next to me, I saw my husband kind of drop back into the seat next me as the acceleration of the car kicked it up ten notches. He giggled with thrill of man car delight. No problem getting head of that semi and around it. We were in a Camaro. Revvv it up baby.....

We stopped for vittles at a Denny’s somewhere off 395. Our I-phone maps were not working as well as we thought they would. Many times we did not have service. So we took the opportunity to try out Onstar. We weren’t really sure how it worked having never tried it. But we pressed the blue and white button on the rear view mirror. The i-pod muted and the Onstar person came on. She was very helpful. We were in the middle of nowhere on 395 nothing but black top in front of us and behind us and we said “Can you tell us where the next Denny’s is?” She input it on her end and said it was 48 miles away? We said “Perfect.” So she then sends the OnStar directions to the car navigation system, which is pretty cool. Once the car gets the directions it tells you the next turn to watch out for and as you approach it, it gives you plenty of warning so you can make the turn. It even beeps at the exact moment the car should turn. Which is pretty amazing.

We arrived at Denny’s which was about 5 miles off the 395. But we were glad to have found it all. Without Onstar we would have never seen it. When we got out of Denny’s it was dark. This was our first opportunity to see what the inside of the car looked like at night.
Which personally is something I really enjoy. And the Camaro looked cool inside. The gauges all illuminated Cyan Blue and Orange, which I love and the interior lines of the door panels even lit up. The door panels have a blue swoosh that glows softly and looks really cool. I liked it a lot. For some reason driving at night for me is like Christmas time. I love all the glowing lights. I was enjoying the drive so much that I drove the whole way to Bishop.

On these large stretches of HWY 395 I had the opportunity to really drive the car. If you haven’t driven HWY 395 in a while, most of it is a two lane road. Which means there are limited passing lanes. The Camaro did awesome. The acceleration and power is there. I had no problem passing cars and I feeling safe while doing it, because the car was able to get enough power to move quickly around and back into my lane quickly. I also liked that driving lights were on at all times. This is a must have when you are on the open road.

We found a Super 8 Motel in Bishop unloaded quite a bit out of the car and got some shut-eye for the evening. This Super 8 didn’t have Wi-Fi which is hard for this techie girl to understand. But my I-phone had some signal so I was able to plot out breakfast down the street. Our good friend had told us about a place he always stops on his way to Tahoe called Schatz Bakery. We decided we should try it. We loaded everything back in the car and headed to Erick Schatz Bakery.

Let me just say that this place is amazing. It is in Bishop and is a Dutch bakery. You can smell the place as you approach the driveway. Sweet baked goods and breads await the hungry traveller. The place has an old world look to it and you know from the crowd around it, is going to be good. Once we got the Camaro parked and made it to the door we were drooling. As soon as you open the door you are wafted with yummy goodness. There are literally bakery cart after bakery cart of fresh baked goods inside. One side is the bakery side and the other is the bread-sandwich side. We found the path to the bakery cases which were piled with fresh donuts and tarts and muffins. I decided on an egg croissant and the others got donuts and the likes. My son and I had to try the fresh squeezed orange juice at the door. It was delicious. I grabbed a bag of dehydrated apple rings and chocolate raisins for the drive too. After we ate we had to do a small photo shoot in all the cool old cars out front and the old red telephone booth.

Next stop Mammoth Skate park. So, we were relying on our I-phones to get us to were we going, but it was not working that well. With the no-service areas and really slow internet connections when we did have coverage. We were beginning to wonder why we didn’t print out Google map directions. At Schatz Bakery I was having too much fun eating yummy goodies and taking pictures of the sites and didn’t plot out the skate park before we left Bishop. I thought we would know where the turn off to the skate park was, since we had been there a year or two back. But, once we were coming up on Mono Lake we figured technology had failed us and maybe we missed the turn so what did we do? We pushed the little blue and white button on the rearview mirror and asked the nice person who answered at OnStar. We said “We are looking for Mammoth Skatepark can you help?” After a little bit of searching on Onstar’s part, she was able to find it. We quickly realized we had passed the Mammoth Lakes turn off about 25 miles back. So after a quick stop at Mono Lake, scouting about and lil’ photo shoot, we hopped back in the Camaro and backtracked to Mammoth Skatepark. This road trip was suppose to be fun for the kids and Mammoth skate park was a big highlight of the trip and we couldn’t miss it. Besides we had all day to get to Reno no hurry.

Want to find out how to get a free Chevy Camaro for a few days. Make sure and leave a comment here and I will pass along your contact info.

Coming next..

Do I ever let my husband drive the Camaro?

Bucket of Blood

20 Year Reunion

Lake Tahoe

Harrah’s Auto Museum

Easier to see Hot Rod Rings and Car Jewelry

2010-08-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

I just updated the ring page on our web site, to make it easier to see all the rings we have..

Check it out when you get a minute.

Alicia & Camaro free for a week from Chevy.

2010-08-11T11:14:00.001-07:00

Alicia & Camaro free for a week from Chevy.
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

The kind marketing team from Chevy are letting us have this Camaro for a week. We are headed up Reno, Nevada for my 20 year high school reunion. Let the driving begin.....

Alicia Hanson on Automotive Artists.com

2010-07-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the web site Automotive Artists ? They feature all types of artist's that do automotive themed artwork. They have 10 media type categories. I am listed for our jewelry under Sculpture. Check out the site when you get a chance.

Bring this V8 furniture back

2010-05-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today I was searching online for some old motor images and came across this really cool shot of a Ford Dealership that had this awesome V8 Desk/table. I think someone, or myself needs to bring this cool design back.

Rock and Roll Custom Car Wedding Ring

2010-05-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

Unique one of a kind wedding bands for men who love classic cars and hot rods. Alternative brides and grooms love these rock and roll wedding rings. This groom wanted "Lucky Bastard" imprinted on the ring and he wanted the ring modeled after his 55 Cadillac with a matching scallop job. Hi Octane jewelry can do stones or diamonds set as the headlights or taillights in metals such as Sterling, White gold, Gold and Platinum for a truly custom engagement, wedding or anniversary ring.

Odd Etsy Blog

2010-04-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

Did you hear we made the Odd Etsy Blog awhile back? You can read it here.

12 Stars who should be wearing Hi Octane Jewelry

2010-04-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

So I have been thinking over the past few weeks who are 12 Stars or famous people who should be wearing Hi Octane Jewelry.
Here is my list:
1. Jay Leno - he is a car lover and big gear head, and I like a guy that can make a girl laugh, our motor ring would fit him.
2. Britney Spears - She has a new Porsche Speedster and needs our matching Porsche bracelet.
3. Bucky Lasek - An M3 is his daily driver so he needs our recycled BMW emblem belt buckle, and should come skate our half-pipe in the back yard with us.
4. Hugh Jackman - he drives a VW microbus like my old one, he needs our VW bus ring on his finger to match.
5. Brad Pitt - He just got a new Camaro, our Camaro ring would look great on his finger, and our "S" necklace would look great around his neck.. Brad, also might like one of our Motorcycle rings.
6. Vince Vaughn - We have heard he is a Pontiac Guy. Vince is a big guy and I know our Big Chief ring would fit his finger, we know who's in charge Vince you are.
7. Travis Barker - Anyone who collects Cadillacs should collect our Cadillac rings. We'll even let you name them.
8. Pink - She has been seen in a '57 Chevy she needs our 57' ring to match.
9. James HetField - Metallica singer, plays guitar and likes old cars and going to car shows seems like fit.
10. Mike Ness - I am big fan of your music and your the ultimate "Sick Boy" You need one of our rings.
11. Jesse James - We have a 1962 Impala to match what you have in the garage.
12. Jerry Seinfeld - Any Porschephile should have Hi Octane Jewelry make them custom porsche grille ring.

Spring Bugs - Cicada Rings - Hot Spring Jewelry

2010-03-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen our new cicada ring you can check out on this Etsy West Treasury or you go directly to our sterling cicada on our Etsy store. We have size in stock ready to ship.

1967 Pontiac Fire Bird | Hi Octane Jewelry

2010-02-12T09:29:00.001-08:00

1967 Pontiac Fire Bird | Hi Octane Jewelry
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

We just finished this kustom ring order of 1967 Pontiac Firebird.

Valentine's Day is coming are you ready?

2010-01-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

We at Hi Octane Jewelry have put a few new designs on our site, including the cool Motor Love Heart necklace above for your favorite Hot Rod Gal.

We also have added the 1964 Impala Ultimate Lowrider ring to our site and we now have a 49 Mercury with DeSoto Grille. Check it out.

We updated the bracelet section of our site to be easier to navigate, check it out when you get a minute.

We are also on Hub Garage - a car related online community.

Have you seen our Etsy Stores?
We have been busy putting One of Kind items up there too.
Hi Octane Jewelry Etsy Shop | Alicia Hanson Jewelry Etsy Shop

We also are on Twitter and have a Facebook Fan Page.
You can shop by clicking the images above.

All our jewelry is handmade right here in Oceanside, CA by Brad and Alicia.

Motorcycle light

2010-01-02T12:50:00.001-08:00

Motorcycle light
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Saw his interesting light at a restaurant in LA.

Athropologie rockefeller center New York Window Display

2009-12-18T20:42:00.001-08:00

Athropologie rockefeller center New York Window Display
Originally uploaded by Colorfly Studio

I am hoping I get to see some of this over the next few weeks. How fabulous is this window display.

Motherproof.com | Interviews Alicia Hanson

2009-12-16T22:05:00.001-08:00

Motherproof.com | Interviews Alicia Hanson
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Today Motherproof.com did an interview on me. Check it out here.

Porsche Painting | Alicia Hanson

2009-12-13T11:37:00.001-08:00

Porsche Painting | Alicia Hanson
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Alicia just finished this painting of a Porsche Speedster in the Black Rock Desert, NV for her parents Christmas present. It is painted on a recycled Ikea tabletop.

Chieftan Ring | Hi Octane Jewelry

2009-12-12T09:36:00.001-08:00

Chieftan Ring | Hi Octane Jewelry
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Something new we just did inspired by the last Pontiac off the line.

We have over 25 car ring designs on our site now.

2009-11-12T00:06:00.000-08:00

Did you know that now you can order over 25 different car ring designs on our site now. We have more than 13 new designs just in time for Christmas. Such as a 1953 Cadillac ring, a 1955 Chevy ring, a 1955 T-Bird ring, a 1957 Cadillac Eldorado ring, a 1961 Ford Galaxie ring, a 1963 Chevy Impala ring, 1964 Ford Mustang ring, a 1967 Pontiac GTO ring, a 1969 Chevy Camaro ring, a 1970 TransAm ring, a 1954 Chevy Del Ray ring, a 1955 Desoto FireDome ring, a 1960's VW Bug ring and a 1960's VW Microbus ring. Check out Hi Octane Jewelry for all your Hot Rod Jewelry and Motorhead Jewelry. Additionally I am working on putting some our new car bracelets on our site. We also have a new Motorheart pendant. All of new rings would make great gifts for hubby or dad this Christmas.

Some rings in the works are the 64 Impala, a Cobra, Chevy Truck, and a Pontiac Indian Head.....
Check our site and get you order in now for Christmas. Become a fan of our facebook age to click the link on the right side of the blog page.

Car Bling & Car Rings | Hi Octane Jewelry

2009-11-02T09:30:00.001-08:00

Car Bling | Hi Octane Jewelry
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Here are some of the new rings we havee available.
Mustang Ring,
T-Bird Ring,
Galaxy Ring,
Cadillac Ring,
T-Bird Rear Ring,
Trans Am ring,
VW Bus Ring,
Impala Ring,
Desoto Ring,
GTO Ring,
55 Chevy Ring,
Camaro Ring,
Cadillac Ring.

Roadster Recycled Car Part Necklace | Hi Octane Jewelry

2009-09-11T12:50:00.001-07:00

Roadster Recycled Car Part Necklace | Hi Octane Jewelry
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Here is a new design that is constructed using a "Roadster" recycled car part, salvaged vintage chain, black glass crystal chain, silver dice beads and base metal chain. The piece is has wonderful layers and looks great on. It will be available at Art n Soul in Encintas. If you want something similar constructed shoot us an email.

Porsche 356 B Bracelets | Hi Octane Jewelry

2009-09-01T22:34:00.001-07:00

Porsche 356 B Bracelets | Hi Octane Jewelry
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

We just finished these ultra cool 356 Porsche bracelets for my mom Candace and her friend Jill. Both the women are Porsche enthusiasts and both own 356 Porsches, although their husbands might argue with them over who really own the 356's.

Candace has been encouraging us to make these bracelets for quite sometime and we were finally able to get them into production. We are so happy with the way they turned out. These classic car bracelets are a real conversation piece. I can't wait to hear about all the chatter they stir-up and the next car club event.

Father's Day at Pomona Roadster Show

2009-06-18T23:37:00.001-07:00

Join us this weekend in Pomona at the Largest Roadster Show. Hi Octane Jewelry will have all their new car rings and bracelets at the show. We have tons of cool recycled car part necklaces too... Get Dad some Hot Rod Jewelry for Father's Day. I am going to hit the swapmeet Saturday morning and see what treasure I can score.

Craft*topia this weekend.

2009-05-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

Get Yo' Craft On! Don't miss the Oceanside Craft Mafia's CraftTopia this Saturday, May 16th from 3-7 pm. It is a great way to support handmade and your local economy. Shop for yourself or pick up some gifts for those birthdays that just keep coming! Either way, you'll walk away with one-of-a-kind doo-dads you won't find anywhere else. See you at Jitter's on Saturday! 510 North Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA 92054

Manley Design Custom Ring Order | Hi Octane Jewelry

2009-05-04T22:06:00.001-07:00

Manley Design Custom Order | Hi Octane Jewelry
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

We just finished this custom ordered emblem ring. Dan Manley of Manley Designs conceived this ring design from a Cadillac toaster the he designed. What is a Cadillac Toaster you ask? See it here. Dan built the MD logo emblem for his toaster then thought it would make a cool emblem ring. So he built the ring in a 3D program. Then sent us the file. We milled the ring and cast the ring in sterling silver.

I just love the way it turned out and so did Dan.

Hi Octane Jewelry is Available at Art N Soul on 101

2009-05-03T10:19:00.001-07:00

Hi Octane Jewelry is now available in Encinitas at Art n Soul on the 101. The store features Hi Octane's classic car jewelry including car and motor rings, recycled car emblem belts and necklaces, along with Hi Octane's bottle cap earrings.

Art Soul is owned and operated locally by Cindy Blumkin and Paige Perkins. Art N Soul's mission statement is to Support the artists and the community, dedicating all profits to local charities. Art n Soul features local jewelry designers including Orphen Designs by fellow Oceanside Craft Mafia member Lauren Kurtz. There are also fabulous works, by local painters, sculpters, and crafters. Art n Soul on the 101 is located at 622 South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas CA

Encinitas, has a wonderful small downtown shopping area that makes a great weekend destination. This eclectic beach town has wonderful shopping, restaurants and has a great artsy feel.

Getting hitched with a car ring from Hi Octane Jewelry

2009-04-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

Wedding rings for the alternative bride and groom.

Oceanside, California—April 14, 2009—Hi Octane

Looking for alternative ring designs for an edgy bride and groom? Want a ring that your husband will wear and actually tell his friends about, then Hi Octane Jewelry has you covered. Hi Octane Jewelry creates kustom his and her rings that are inspired by your favorite retro automobile.

These auto jewelry rings are available in Sterling Silver, Yellow or White Gold and Platinum. Vintage car designs in stock include a 1957 Chevy, a 1949 Mercury, a 1949 Buick, a 1950 Ford Shoebox, a 1959 Cadillac, 1964 Chevy Impala, a 1959 Chevy El Camino rear end and a 1967 VW Love bug. The motor and car rings are made by custom order through their online store. Sterling silver rings are in stock and are priced from $110.00. Custom ordered rings start at $250 and typically take 2-3 weeks. Any car or custom design can be produced. Rings are sized from size 7 – 16. If you really want something unique or with more bling, they can add crystals, stones or plating to the car rings.

Hi Octane Jewelry is located in Oceanside, CA and they offer over 6 years of experience and expertise creating specialized and alternative wedding styles and designs. Visit us online at http://www.hioctanejewelry.com, or call us at 760.433.8363. Domestic and International shipping available.

Hi Octane Made The Carrotbox Blog

2009-04-16T08:10:00.001-07:00

Hi Octane made The Carrotbox Blog
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

I just love this blog. Alice at The Carrotbox Blog featured our Luv Bug ring today on her fabulous ring blog. She showcases all sorts of new and wonderful rings. Alice is a ring artist herself. She makes gorgeous lucite and glass rings. My favorite pieces of her work are her Kimono rings. I just love the fabric embedded in the ring.
Thanks Alice.

Dan Manley's Kustom Pontiac Trans Am Ring | Hi Octane Jewelry

2009-03-24T22:49:00.001-07:00

Dan Manley's Kustom Pontiac Trans Am Ring | Hi Octane Jewelry
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

A local So Cal car guy ordered this Kustom Pontiac Ring from us. He presented us with an initial sketch. We each added a few details. The finished product is what you see here.
I think it came out very cool.. Brad delivered the ring to him today.
Our client Dan was super excited about it. Dan does all types of cool car related things check out his site here.
Thank you again Dan.
You can see more photos of it here.

Dodge Challenger on the 405

2009-03-20T18:52:00.001-07:00

Dodge Challenger on the 405
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

So the part you don't see in this picture is my hottie girl friend Lindsey hanging out of the window as we are doing 80 on the 405 going south at 4:45 on a Thursday trying to keep up with and pass this guy in the Dodge to get the shot, and me trying to describe to her how to use my camera.... All for Flickr.......
I am pretty sure we made his day though..
And yes we love cars...

Happy Hi Octane Jewelry Customer

2009-03-11T12:19:00.001-07:00

Happy Hi Octane Jewelry Customer
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

This photo was taken by Street Rodder Magazine of one of Hi Octane Jewelry's Happy Customers. Meagan, who is featured in the photo wearing her new roadster cuff from Hi Octane Jewelry at the 2009 Detroit Autorama show. Check out more photos from the show here.

Alicia Hanson Jewelry at Erba Soapsmith San Clemente

2009-03-10T20:39:00.001-07:00

Alicia Hanson Jewelry at Erba Soapsmith San Clemente
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Our other line of jewelry http://aliciahanson.com is available in Southern California at Erba Soapsmiths on Avenida Del Mar in San Clemente, California.

Neon Buddhas Chinatown Inspiration

2009-02-22T20:14:00.001-08:00

Neon Buddha
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Yesterday, my family and I ventured up to Chinatown in Los Angeles. We had never been to Chinatown so this was a new journey. I had read a couple day trip article in Sunset Magazine that had inspired the trip.
We had a wonderful time. I really enjoyed all the buildings, the signage, the lanterns everywhere, and all the great shopping. There was a store that I came across called http://Realmhome.com which was wonderful. Realm carried wonderful Quan Yin statues and butterfly strands and great art books. And other wonderful shiney things. That I wanted to take home. I had forgotten that Asian stores had lots of miniature things. I grew up in Hawaii and so Asian style has always been in my blood. So the trip sort of felt like a vacation home. I was presently surprised with all the cool art galleries in the area. We saw quite a few in the Chung King Alley. Another store I really enjoyed was Fongs. They had all kinds of wonderful miniatures. Even a miniature Fong's store inside the store. They also had some wonderful jewelry designers work there. My plan had been to photograph the neon at dusk and when I started to shoot at dusk my camera stopped shooting and gave the old low battery sign. I was bummed. But now it just means we have a reason to go back. I can't wait.

Hi Octane Jewelry | 2009 57 Chevy Car Grille Ring

2009-01-28T21:56:00.001-08:00

Hi Octane Jewelry | 2009 57 Chevy Ring
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Valentine's Day is coming. What honey wouldn't want one of these cool car grille rings for the big day... Hi Octane can do these in White Gold too... Check out all our other styles as well...

Earrings in progress

2008-12-15T22:32:00.001-08:00

Earrings in progress
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Made a whole bunch of new earrings.. They are so fun....
Soldering, beading and then hammering...

Hi Octane Jewelry in Boho Magazine

2008-11-25T18:57:00.001-08:00

Hi Octane Jewelry in Boho Magazine
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Hi Octane Jewelry recycled car part, belt buckle appeared in Boho Magazine this month. Boho Magazine is a new Eco Magazine with a fun new style.

Hi Octane in Boho Magazine

2008-11-25T18:53:00.001-08:00

Hi Octane in Boho Magazine
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Free Shipping on $100 Purchases Hi Octane Jewelry

2008-11-18T00:26:00.001-08:00

Free Shipping on $100 Purchases Hi Octane Jewelry
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Free Shipping on orders over a $100 on Hi Octane Jewelry website before 9 pm PST before Friday 11/28/08....
Pass it on....

Rock,Scissor Paper Treasures from Patchwork

2008-11-10T22:19:00.001-08:00

Rock,Scissor Paper Treasures from Patchwork
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

We ventured up to the Pasadena Rose Bowl Swapmeet and The Patchwork Show in Santa Ana. I picked up these fun treasures from vendor Rock, Scissor Paper
We have a Boston Terrier, so of course I loved the cute tags. This Christmas box was just so retro cool, I couldn't resist it...

Effectuate

2008-11-05T15:16:00.000-08:00

Today, I learned a new word.
Effectuate - Cause to happen.

I love this word. I am going to help it be more known.
I think this is a word for the new era that we entering.
I am going to effectuate positive things in my life and my business.

Will you be caught dead?

2008-10-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

You may already be planning to hit up Oceanside's fifth annual street fair in celebration of Dia de los Muertos. While you are down there, take some shelter from the sun and head down Artist's Alley, between Pierview and Mission Ave, where the Oceanside Craft Mafia will be hosting it's first annual craft fair and trunk show in conjunction with the holiday. Plan on being wow'd by members' handmade products. Find original items including jewelry, pottery, hand made cards, baby goods, and much, much more. And, though it may seem early, time does fly and this is a great way to kick off your holiday shopping and support your local economy.

The Oceanside Craft Mafia's Trunk Show is Saturday, November 1st from 7 to 9:30 pm. The Trunk Show booth space is by reservation only and will feature drinks, appetizers, and of course fabulous hand made goods. For information contact info@oceansidecraftmafia.com. Not down for the late night shopping? Find the same great vendors on Sunday, Nov 2nd from 10 am to 2 pm. Follow the chalk art and live music or just map it. Artist's Alley is located at 212 N. Coast Hwy, Unit D, enter through the alley, in Oceanside, CA.

The Oceanside Craft Mafia is a culmination of jewelers, paper crafters, potters and stitchers. The group embraces the morals and creative achievements of the members of the Austin Craft Mafia (www.craftmafia.com), who began the now national crafters organization.

In addition to offering moral support to one another, the OCM works together to creatively market their individual companies and products. By pooling resources they are able to help one another become more successful in an inundated indie craft market. It's as much about being a family as it is building business. They rely on one another to inspire, assist and care for one another, and always adhering to strict personal and business ethics.

The real glue that brings this group together is the hope to personalize the consumer market. We literally have the world’s market to shop from thanks to the World Wide Web. But so many of our options are impersonal and mass produced. The OCM supports hand-made and artisan products and believes strongly that they are better made and life enriching.

For more information about the Oceanside Craft Mafia and it's members please visit: www.oceansidecraftmafia.com

Oceanside Craft Mafia | Trunk Show

2008-10-15T23:59:00.001-07:00

Oceanside Craft Mafia | Trunk Show
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

The Oceanside Craft Mafia is a group I started locally to help find other like minded artist|business owners. We are having our first group event November 1 & 2 in downtown Oceanside. First a trunk show, on Saturday November 1st from 7pm - 9:30 pm we will be serving wine, appetizers and hopefully have some acoustic tunes. On Sunday Mainstreet Oceanside put on the Dia de los Muertos Festival or Day of the Dead on Pier View Way in Oceanside this is a free event from 10 am - 4pm. We will have a studio space in the Artist's Alley.
Come down and join us for the exciting events.

Hi Octane Jewelry | Recycled Car Parts | Caddy Necklace

2008-09-16T21:44:00.001-07:00

Hi Octane Jewelry | Recycled Car Parts | Caddy Necklace
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

New chain styles. We are in the process of adding new styles of chain to some of our recycled car part necklaces. This necklace features vintage glass crystal bead chain. It adds a wonderful feminine touch to the eco piece. So Chic... Scoop one up before the holiday rush....

Support Hi Octane Jewelry in the 2008 StartupNation Home-Based Business Competition

2008-08-28T13:16:00.001-07:00

Please take a minute and Vote for HiOctane Jewelry in the Start up nation contest.
If nothing else the traffic of being on the site will be helpful.
Support Hi Octane Jewelry in the 2008 StartupNation Home-Based Business Competition

Posted using ShareThis

We will be at Primer Nationals, Ventura California

2008-08-19T22:03:00.001-07:00

Primer Nats08LO
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Come see us and check out our new designs. We have lots of cool new pieces. Primer Nationals is Labor Day Weekend at Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Caddy Cuff links | Hi Octane Jewelry recycled car parts

2008-08-18T08:59:00.001-07:00

Caddy Cuff links | Hi Octane Jewelry recycled car parts
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

We have a new edition to our recycled goods. They are caddy cufflinks.
These little itty bitty emblems come of junk yard cars. You ask where do you find these little guys? Well inside the old caddies these are emblems off of interior lights.

They will be added to our site shortly.

Vintage Navajo indian jewelry

2008-08-16T12:02:00.001-07:00

Vintage Navajo indian photos
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

I have a collection of Old Arizona Highways that my Grandma Mirene passed down to me from my Great Grandparents. I love this photo out of the magazine. Look at all the wonderful jewelry, that these Navajo girls are wearing. We need to bring back more jewelry adornment like this. I just love all the silver coin buttons that run the edges of their dresses. I also love that they are wearing large chandlier earrings and dangle earrings.
Absolutely wonderful.

Hi-Octane! Happy Customer

2008-08-09T23:01:00.001-07:00

Hi-Octane! (220/365)
Originally uploaded by Drive-Design

Yeah, Drive Design is a very cool fellow classic car enthusiast. He has a great eye for style and all things cool. He bought one of our first recycled car emblem belt buckles. I threw in a few goodies. He has a very cool plan in store for the larger skylark emblems that I wanted to contribute to. Drive Design also identified The Formula S Belt buckle as a 1967 Plymouth Barracuda Emblem.
Thank you Drive Design we love that you are happy with your new Hi Octane gear.

Hi Octane Jewelry | Bracelet

2008-08-06T00:10:00.001-07:00

Hi Octane Jewelry | Bracelet
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

These are something new, and my new favorite thing.
Bracelets... I have an old indian bracelet that i bought at an antique store back in High school in Reno, that was the inspiration for these pieces. I love the simplicity of them. I love how they fit when I wear them. And how fun they are to make. I have them up on the Etsy store for now.
Watch for more like these. I may even try some recycled bicycle emblems made into bracelets like these.

Hi Octane Eco-Jewelry is in Ol Skool Rods

2008-08-04T22:28:00.001-07:00

Hi Octane Jewelry is in Ol Skool Rods
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Well our eco-jewelry that is reconstructed out of recycled car parts, got featured in the US based pulication Ol Skool Rods. If you haven't seen our recycled car part necklaces, you need to go check them out. We also just added belt buckles. We will be adding cuff links shortly. This magazine is my personal favorite of all the Rod Zines. I like the way it is formatted. I like the car photos,pin-ups and I like the articles. Oh and even the ads.
Thank you to the Boys at Ol Skool Rods for running us. We appreciate it.

Hi Octane Jewelry is in Octane Magazine

2008-08-03T15:03:00.001-07:00

Hi Octane Jewelry is in Octane Magazine
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Octane Magazine, which is based in the UK, ran our press release on our new sustainable jewelry created using recycled car parts.
Thank you, Octane Magazine...

Hi Octane Jewelry is in Octane Magazine

2008-08-03T15:00:00.001-07:00

Hi Octane Jewelry is in Octane Magazine
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Naughty Secretary Club's Book Out Now!

2008-08-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

Naughty Secretary Club Book Cover
Originally uploaded by Naughty Secretary Club

Jennifer Perkins is one of my inspirations. She left her job as a secretary to return to her childhood love of jewelry-making and started a company called Naughty Secretary Club. Where she transforms fun kitsch items into colorful jewelry. In her new book,
"The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry." She shows us how to create some of her ultra-cool resin designs. If you want to order a signed copy you can order it from The Naughty Secretary Site. I regularly read The Naughty Secretary Blog, where Jennifer posts lots of helpful hints for start-up businesses.
I first heard about Jennifer's jewelry years ago when a friend forwarded her site to me. The name stuck with me. Years later when I was looking for ways to promote my internet based jewelry company Hi Octane Jewelry I came across a couple online articles that talked about her company, and I found out they had started a group called the Austin Craft Mafia. Which I immediately looked up and found out they started a site and group devoted to helping people just like myself, called the Craft Mafia. After being unsuccessful finding a Craft Mafia group in my area. I decided I needed to start one. So the Oceanside Craft Mafia was born. The Craft Mafia has been an invaluable resource for finding tips on all avenues of starting a crafting business.

Hi Octane Jewelry in Motoraver Magazine

2008-07-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

Well a very cool German Magazine just gave us some great press.
Not sure what all it says but it looks good.
And we love press especially International.
Thank you Motoraver.

They came, they conquered, they slept

2008-07-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

Oceanside Craft Mafia members, Alicia (Hi Octane Jewelry) and Leah (Peez & Ques) are tired after a great weekend in San Francisco for the Renegade Craft Fair. Saturday and Sunday at the first West Coast Renegade event was awesome! Lots of enthusiasm from vistors, great smiles and products from vendors and groovy tunes from d.j's and a punk rock marching band (Mucca Pazza). What's more to say than "wonderful!"

For the vendors it was work! Very hard work! But boy did we love it! By far the best craft show ever! And with this being its first year out west, it has no where to go but up! The vendors were really all individually exceptional! We were also so glad to meet familia from the Los Angeles and Sacramento Craft Mafia!

If you missed Renegade this year be sure to keep your radar pointed to their website for next year's dates. As a vistor or a vendor you will not be dissapointed. You can still check out all the vendors on the Renegade website.

Brad and Alicia also got featured on another blog from the show.
You can see it here. Mikkelina's Thoughts

Renegades in San Francisco

2008-07-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

Renagade FINALLY is hitting the West Coast!

We are glad to announce the Rengade Craft Fair hosts its first annual "west side" event this month at Fort Mason in San Francisco. To say Renegade's arrival to the West Coast was highly anticipated would be a gross understatement! Events in Chicago, and New York boasts hundreds of applicants and tens of thousands of shoppers! The San fransisco event is sure to hold its own with Renegade's recognition amongst crafters, artists and those who support handmade.

California is a big state, but if you are in San Fransisco, plan to be, or up for a flight or road trip, The Renegade Craft Fair will not disappoint. You'll find the Oceanside Craft Mafia representin' the O.C. Look for founding members, Alicia and Leah at their booth for Hi Octane Jewelry and Peez & Ques recycled stationery. They'll be selling goods galore, but only in between trips outside to take in the amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge!

The San Fransisco Renegade Craft Fair will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 12 and 13th from 11 am to 7 pm at the Fort Mason's Festival Pavilion. For more information check out www.renegadecraft.com

Father's Day Sale at our Etsy store

2008-05-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

If you have been waiting to buy one of our rings until we were having a sale. Now is the time to buy one.
We love Big Daddy's and this sale is for all those great Father's in our lives. So hook up our daddy and buy him one of our cool rings. Sale is through Father's Day... Click here to shop

Hot Rod Jewelry | For Hot Rodder's

2008-05-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

So far the reviews have been great on our car grille rings and our motor rings. Both men and women are buying them and wearing them. We have had a few couples buy them as engagement rings. These are true car lovers for sure. The biggest thing we want to do for next round of new rings is to create larger sizes. Brad, here at Hi Octane Jewelry has what most people including myself, would call very large hands. He wears from a 12 to a 14 depending on the finger. His hand looks like baseball mits next to most people.
And as we have been doing booths at various shows around the west coast, we have a quite a few men walk up and want rings and they say I am 14, I am 16. So this round we are doing Big Ass Rings or Big Daddy Rings Sizes 10 -16 only.
Here are the styles that will be coming out this fall.
And they are going to BIG.
Everything on these rings is bigger. They are thicker and wider and most importantly we will have a 16 when you ask for it.

Trunk Show at Fashion Week in Escondido

2008-05-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Fashion Week Trunk Show

This week in the gallery come and see Fashion Week jewelry, including similar pieces to the (pictured) Hi Octane necklace worn by Fashion Week Celeb Ricky Lizalde. Designers, Alicia Hanson and Brad Johnson from HiOctane jewelry will be featured in the gallery Friday night for Crusin' Grand. Recycled clothing by Kathryn Gould and fabulous pins by Renee Richetts are also featured. Stop by and see this amazing work. The trunk show will end Saturday night.

Admission is free to the public!
The Escondido Municipal Gallery is located at 142 West Grand Avenue in downtown Escondido. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.

The Escondido Arts Partnership is a nonprofit organization and serves as the official arts agency for the City of Escondido. The EAP is dedicated to promoting art and culture in Escondido, supporting our artists, and providing art education to the community.

Hi Octane Jewelry @ Back to the Beach

2008-04-25T00:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Octane Jewelry is headed up to Ventura this Friday night, April 25th. Saturday is the Kustom Kulture Festival Back to the Beach. Which is put on by the ultra cool hand bag maker Trophy Queen Productions.

About the show: The 10th Annual Back to the Beach, Hot Rod and Motorcycle show will be held at the Ventura Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 26th from 8:00am to 3:00pm. Car qualifications: Open to all 1969 and earlier American cars, trucks and Woodies only. Billet wheels are ok for Back to the Beach only. This is an Old School Hot Rod show, no foreign cars or art cars allowed. Motorcycle qualifications: Open to all 1969 and earlier American and British motorcycles only. Absolutely no Evo Heads will be admitted in show. Car and motorcycle pre-registered $25.00 at gate $30.00. There will be a kustom kulture section with artists and vendors, tiki carvers, food, beer, DJ, live music, surf bands and actors from the movie “American Graffiti”. General Admission $10, Military with ID $5, Kids 12 and under Free For car, motorcycle or vendor registration, please visit our websites www.backtothebeachventura.com or call (805)216-2421. This event is sponsored by Budweiser

Grab your lead sled an go.....

The Sun Post Covered Hi Octane Jewelry

2008-04-25T00:40:00.000-07:00

To read the original post click here

Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Jewelry for automobile lovers
Business Spotlight
For Sun Post News

By Debbie L. Sklar

Interviewed: Owners and husband and wife, Alicia Hanson & Brad Johnson, jewelry designers.

What's your business?

Designer and manufacturer of handmade sterling silver jewelry and recycled car parts.

Describe your business?

We are lovers of the Hot Rod culture who have chosen to create jewelry that caters to those who love the design of the automobile. For example, sterling silver rings with vintage automobile grilles, custom bracelets with car front-ends and creates jewelry from reconstructed car parts.

Your newest line is from recycled items?

We go to swap meets, car shows, junkyards and estate sales and find old car emblems, then clean the emblems up and reconstruct the pieces into jewelry pendants by drilling holes in the emblems. We also make earrings created from flattened bottle caps.

Do you have special training in this business?

Silversmithing and casting courses.

What's the hardest part of this business? The best?

The hardest part of the business is finding cost-effective ways to drive people to the Web site. The best part is going to swap meets and junkyards and finding cool treasure to reconstruct into something new. I love carving something in wax making it come to life in metal.

Who are your clients?

Car lovers, mostly Hot Rod enthusiasts, Hot Rod builders, gearheads, Rockabilly moms and Southern California culture lovers.

Describe your personal role?

Alicia: I wear a lot of jewelry and a lot of hats. I am a jewelry designer, graphic designer, junk collector, maker of most things, solderer, marketer, photographer, shipper, car lover, melter of metal, mom. Brad is wax carver extraordinaire, silver casting partner, bottle cap flattener and cohort in all things.

Why would someone want to wear your jewelry?

Many people admire the design and beauty that goes into automobile design and our creations embody that same enhancing quality from the classic automobile and translates it to people with a revved up piece of jewelry ... Each piece is a small piece of American car nostalgia that has so many meanings to each person.

Price Range of items?

Recycled necklaces $45 – $155, Bottle cap earrings $15.

Future goals?

Getting one of our car grille rings on Jay Leno and getting our jewelry into more boutiques across the country.

By Debbie L. Sklar

For Sun Post News

Hi Octane Jewelry creates Hot Rod Jewelry from Recycled Car Parts

2008-04-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

New sustainable jewelry designs from Hi Octane Jewelry. If you love old cars but are hesitant to take that ol’ gas guzzler for a spin with the prices of gas right now, you can still flaunt your love of the classical automobile by wearing a piece of your ride.

Hi Octane Jewelry has been scouring local junque shops, swap meets, garage sales and junkyards looking for interesting car emblems and treasure. They then take the pieces and reconstruct them; using items like Sterling silver chain and resin and turn those old car parts into unique one of kind jewelry pieces.

Give your woman’s wardrobe an overhaul, with an ultra cool V8 emblem necklace to wear. She’ll love her look being revvv’d up. Have an old emblem collecting dust on your workbench in the garage? Send it over to Hi Octane Jewelry have them reconstruct into something you’ll love to wear.

Hi Octane Jewelry also offers a line of unique sterling silver rings that resemble your favorite old car grille or motor. They also create custom cuffs bracelets of your favorite ride.

Hi Octane Jewelry is located in Oceanside, CA and our team offers 5 years of experience and expertise creating specialized and unique styles and designs. Visit us online at http://www.hioctanejewelry.com, or call us at 760.529.9353.

Things I like

2008-03-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

Well I seem to really gravitate towards these jade tree lately.
I really like them.

Fun tin things

2008-02-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

So these are some fun tin things that I am going to put together as junk art. Since I seem to collect Asian things. I think I will start with these two old Chinese checkers sets. I will mount them on wood. Paint the wood, add Mah Jong tiles etc.

Fun resin things

2008-02-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the things we have been experimenting with.
We have been making molds and casting resin things.
Super fun. I love working with resin.

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-14T12:04:00.001-08:00

Found these cute retro valentines on Flickr. Love how fun they are.
you can see them here.

Studio-licous

2008-02-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

I am feeling really great about our studio right now. So I took a bunch of photos to show it off. This is considered our clean work space. You can see the new magnet paint in full force. The main thing left to do in here is once we get our new electrical power panel in we will install the cable lights in the studio. This will also allow us to be able to use all of our outlets. We put quite a few in and they are installed just below the counter height.
Now that the weather is warming up it is much easier to use this space. Since I do a lot of my work late at night when the little one is asleep. I love being able to work in here. It just feels great.
I will get photos soon of the in progress greenhouse studio it is the dirty work space.

Jewelry from Recycled Car Parts

2008-01-05T23:01:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite piece. It is "Green" jewelry at it's best. I found this wonderful Impala emblem at a Junque store in Portland, Oregon. I took the kids on a Skateboard/visit family road trip... We had a blast. As soon as I saw this emblem I feel in love. I have had this piece designed in my head for months and I finally had the time to get it done. I want to do lots more. Now I need to go raid a few junkyards.

I am loving this fun recycle direction. Happy New Year

DIY Holiday Gift Guide

2007-12-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

Something Fun - A fellow Craft Mafia DIYer gal has named us as her pick of the day for her Holiday Gift Guide.
Check out her fun blog here.http://disquietingdesigns.com/blog/
Megan makes yummy soaps and lotions.
Those can be seen on her site here.
http://disquietingdesigns.com/

Wow - A Jewelry Lamp

2007-10-16T22:12:00.001-07:00

So everyone has a favorite thing at their Grandparent's house. Mine was the lamp below. I remember the first time I saw it in the back guest room. I thought wow, this is so unique. I had never seen anything quite like it at the time. I love old jewelry so naturally a lamp completely covered in old shiny sparkley things would draw me in. I asked my Grandma Mirene about the interesting piece. She said that a friend made the piece. I said well if you ever decide to get rid of it I would really like it.
So the day finally came last year, and I was going to be driving through Grandma's neighborhood in the NW and she said I should come pick up my lamp. Well I was so excited about my new lamp. I don't really have any other lamps. And this was not your ordinary lamp this was the holy grail of lamps for the jewelry maker. So now that we are moving into a new house with some room. My favorite lamp will finally be on display. I am planning to make a very funky, outrageous shade for it. I think it deserves the best. Along with the lamp my grandma included a letter telling my the history of this great piece.

LA Ink's Corey Miller

2007-10-02T23:22:00.001-07:00

So you have all seen him on TV, one of the star's of LA Ink, Corey Miller. Do you remember playing 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon? Okay well here is our connection, our good friends Jill and Mark Cole, also neighbors and fellow bunko players, along with lovers of Retro style. Well, Mark plays bass in the band Powerflex 5 which is also the band that Corey plays drums with along with Steve Alba. So Mark introduced us to Corey up in Hollywood at a filming for one of the LA Ink shows. Another side note our oldest son Nolan is sponsored by Lester Kasai and Corey did the graphics for Lester's new pro-model boards, with the Koi fish, very cool...
So we presented one of our Mercury car grille rings to Corey in hopes that it would end up on camera in one upcoming episodes. So watch for it. If you see it before us let us know. I have also asked Corey for a photo of him wearing it in front of the Kasai boards.

Bottlecap-A-rama

2007-09-17T23:57:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the latest Bottle cap earrings. On our recent to road trip to Washington, I hit the jackpot at my favorite thriftstore. Where I found a huge bag of vintage home brew bottle caps.
They are super fun and have cork on the inside.

Billetproof in Nor Cal

2007-09-17T23:27:00.000-07:00

Well we just returned from Antioch, California. We participated in a cool car show up there called Billetproof. We packed up the silver van and headed north bound at peak travel time at 6pm Friday evening. Pulling into our roadside motel around 1 am. Caught some shut eye, then hit the black asphalt at 6:00 am to be in the vendor line by 6:30 am.

Having never been to the show before we where unsure of the best vending spot but just went with inside towards the people entrance. We were set up quickly after realizing we forgot a couple of our key items; black tablecloths and one of the rods for hanging the back graphic. We improvised no problem with what we had on hand, a vintage tablecloth, clips and zip ties. You can do amazing things with zip ties. We decided to not use our cloth tent cover. Last show it seemed to darken the inner booth experience. So we just left it off, thus creating a new graphic challenge for hanging our front header, but we are professionals so no prob, nothing a few zip ties and clips can't fix. We got that header hung and even readable.

We got lots of compliments on our tool box displays, everybody especially men at car shows love to look in tool boxes. So that was a hit..

We met quite a few other friendly vendors like Original sinners and Lucky Mule Clothing.
Brad & I took turns keeping Ginger occupied while the other played salesperson.
We enjoyed the setting for the show, the fairgrounds are nice and grassy so the cars were able to park right on the grass which kept the heat down.

I found my latest wish car a silver blue Galaxy Sunliner. We saw a lot of great rides, the crowd was very diverse. Many people from Nevada and California of all ages.

Jewelry that demands to be taken out of the garage more than once a week on Sunday drive.

2007-09-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

San Clemente, California—Local silversmiths and hot rod enthusiasts Brad Johnson and Alicia Hanson, have combined their skill of silver-smithing, with their love for vintage cars. The result is jewelry that every car lover must have. Allowing you to sport your favorite old lead sled front grille on your hand or wrist.

Hi Octane design’s their car creations in wax and then casts them in Sterling Silver. Revvv it up car front end rings, resemble a 1949 Mercury, and a 1959 Cadillac. For those of you that are Gearheads you can get a V-8 or Flathead motor ring decked out with zoomy bars.

If bracelets are more your style then get a bracelet with your favorite vintage ride. All bracelets can be custom ordered. Of course you can customize your very own wrist hot rod. Options include original grilles or other make car grilles, frenched headlights, or you can put the dash on the inside of the bracelet. You can also get gold plated or enameled details. Rides offered resemble a 49 Mercury, 57 Chevy, 59 Cadillac, 64 Chevy Impala, and 66 T-Bird. Many other car types are available to meet your own unique style.

Hi Octane Jewelry recently showcased their revvv’d up line at Orange County’s Hootenanny, a music festival and car show at Irvine Lake on July 7th. Hi Octane Jewelry is located in San Clemente, CA and our team offers 5 years of experience and expertise creating specialized and unique styles and designs. Visit us online at www.hioctanejewelry.com