Hot Off the Bench!

Here is a sneak preview of my Spring 2009 jewelry line. I'll be uploading it into my etsy shop later tonight or tomorrow. I am trying to keep my collections simple and cohesive. I choose a couple of colors and a theme I include in each piece of the collection so that they are mix and matchable. For Spring I chose an earthy, Springy brown in suede and silk jewelers thread. I have a large collection of green freshwater pearls, I chose a few different light and bright greens for this collection. I discovered I have some brown pearls that match the suede/string...awesome! Then there is my favorite, white freshwater pearls in many different shapes and sizes. Enjoy!

Cancun - February 2009

I love Cancun, Mexico! It's probably hard not to love anyplace in the Caribbean, right? Here are some pictures of our most recent trip there. I always look for jewelry while down there. For those of you who have been there know how incredibly much jewelry they have everywhere! I rarely find something I love and absolutely have to take home with me. So this past trip I got the idea to create my own sentimental piece out of some lucky findings. Enjoy!

I bought a beautiful 20" faceted oval ball chain for $10 (in Cancun), cut it apart and added a few details of my own. I found the flower charm in a little jewelry shop. I plucked several little leaves from a bush outside our hotel and cast them for the necklace and earrings. I don't know what kind of leaf they are, though. My favorite part is the tiny little shell. While packing up to come home I was cleaning out my beach purse and found this teeny tiny shell in a zipped pocket from our trip in 2008! I remember finding it on the beach and couldn't believe it had been hiding there for a year! I had never cast a shell before but it turned out perfectly! So this was (one) of my souvenirs from our trip this past February.
Earrings to match featuring matching cast leaves.
Close up of the leaves.


Sunset on La Isla Mujeres (the island of women...off the coast of Cancun).
Our approach to la isla mujeres. It is a 25 minute ferry ride across the Caribbean.
Beautiful view from la isla.
One of many beautiful views from our daily walk on the beach.

My First "Crop"

I went to my very first "crop" tonight and had a really great time! I didn't know what to expect, especially since I don't scrapbook. I used to do some scrapbooking but I don't have the time to keep up with it anymore. I went because my friend has invited me several times to her monthly crop and I've never been able to attend. I worked on some mini thank-yous and designed one regular sized thank you. These are for my business, of course!

I didn't know anyone there except for my friend, but by the end of the evening I got to know each of the ladies a little bit; they were all so nice! There was as much talking as scrapbooking! I really enjoyed an evening with a bunch of women though. I never really get 'girl time'. I am definitely going to go again. It'd be nice to do every month...we'll see!

I finally got into the studio this afternoon. I had hoped to spend a majority of the day there but got caught up doing some business related work on the computer all morning. It always seems to go that way, a project that I plan an hour for usually turns into a three hour event! I did make a pair of turquoise studs and started several other experimental projects. I think I am going to start making more rings, and start using more cabachons in my designs.

Speaking of cabachons, I cannot wait for the gem show; it is one week from this upcoming Monday!!!!! It comes to town 2 times a year and I definitely excitedly anticipate it's arrival. I can't wait to see what I'll find this time around. I am going to be looking for some cabs and everything else on my list. I'd like some 6mm faceted round smoky quartz. I've been using a lot of smoky quartz lately, I just love it and want a larger variety to choose from. It's getting late! This is what happens to me if I'm not in bed until after 9pm. I have made a habbit of giving myself an hour or two to read or whatever relaxes me. I call it my "down time". I look forward to that time every night, but sometimes (like when you're "cropping" until 11pm) I don't get my time to relax and I end up staying up waaayyyy too late. Which is probably why I am babbling right now...

Good night

The Best Feeling

(this image is a little crappy, sorry)

So, I just got done with my jewelry party and I was pleasantly surprised! It went really well. The hostess was awesome, her guests were all very sweet, and everyone found something they just had to go home with! As much fun as it was, I am relieved to be done. It always feels so good to have a big job done. It feels even better when the job was done well. =)

It is the best feeling to be free from deadlines (except for the one custom commission from the party). The party is done and I have my Spring line all finished and just about ready to be delivered to the galleries. Release! Well...at least for now.

Sundance Junkie!

I have to let it be known...I am an absolute Sundance catalog junkie! Nothing makes my day like when a new catalog arrives! I savor flipping through the pages and am hardly disappointed that most of the stuff is the same as in the previous catalog. But I save each one anyway. One of my favorite things to do to relax before bed is flip through my old catalogs...it never fails that I see something I hadn't noticed before (I also love to do this with Silpada catalogs).

I don't order from them often. And when I do it is usually from clearance. Let's face it, not many artists can afford their retail prices! I just used some saved up birthday money to order a really cute t-shirt from their Spring catalog and a ring that has been a favorite for some time now. They just arrived today and I've got to say the only thing better than when a catalog arrives is when actual merchandise does! Here's the pictures of the ring I picked out...


It is a really hefty ring! I love it though. I sure am lucky to be a jewelry artist because it needed a little stretching and I have all of the tools to do that! It also needed a little tumbling...now it fits comfortably and is super shiny!

Robert Redford (Sundance founder), if you ever read this...THANK YOU!

Blogging Again When I Shouldn't Be

I have just accepted that today is a day for distractions! I did make it to the studio for a few hours =) I took some pictures...enjoy!


This is an exclusive Spring 2009 preview! I think I might add another pair of earrings to the mix. I just did pricing today and will be doing the photo shoot/editing later this week. Then it's onto Etsy and into the galleries.




Seeing as I was having focus problems today I thought I'd do a little warm up piece for myself. I have had these chunky serpentine stones for quite sometime now. But I just got a shirt from Sundance and the stones are really cute with it. That is the ultimate joy of being a jewelry artist...you can make something to go with every outfit! I however don't usually do that. I get a little overwhelmed with too many choices! This will be fun for now though. The other great thing about being a jewelry artist is that I can take it apart to use the pieces for something else if I want! (I do this all of the time).

"One of those days"...

I'm sure you can relate to the phrase, "I'm just having one of those days." Well, that's me today. My question is why do these days always come at the most inopportune times? I do home jewelry parties (where I sell my own handmade jewelry). I have a party tomorrow night and have about 1001 things to do in the studio and office to finish preparing for it. It's 20 after 3 pm and I am still at home wasting time online. Man, I really know how to hold myself back! It really doesn't help that it's a cool, gray, rainy spring day. These kinds of days should know to only come when one has time to cuddle up on the couch with a good book or movie! This is what my mom calls "being acted upon"!

Ok-I am forcing myself off the couch, into some jeans, and out the door to the studio! (I feel better already)

My Studio

I love seeing pictures of other jewelry artist's studios. A good friend of mine and I share this space on Main St in the small town we live in.



My space...love it! We have really great light from the huge windows in the front of our shop.

I designed my work bench and soldering station, my dad (who is an expert fabricator/welder) built them for me.


I tried to get the entire space in view. It's kind of hard to fit 1100 sq ft into one shot! You can kind of see our various stations: my jewelry space, display space, Leah's painting, throwing and framing space. We also have a lounging area (that can't be seen in this photo) I love our studio!


Me throwing. I love how porcelain feels! However this batch was a little soft and cream-cheesy.

A Successful Attempt

My curiosity about uploading a picture got the better of me...this is me.

Boring Blogger

So, I guess you can say my blog hasn't been a priority in my life! Oh well, I've been busy balancing work and leisure. Mother Nature played a nasty trick on me this morning. It has been in the 50's (even 60's) and sunny the past full week. It's been great! This morning I got up to take a walk, looked out the window and yelled "WHAT THE HECK IS THIS!!!" There was a layer of fresh snow...the nerve! Needless to say I crawled back into my warm bed =)

Seriously though, I love Fridays. Not just because the weekend is finally here, but because I don't work (at my part-time desk job) so I get a full day in the studio! I especially love it when I am in the middle of making a new line of jewelry. I'm about half way through my Early Spring 2009 line. It's turning out to be pretty great! I can't wait to do the photo shoot and post it in my Etsy shop. I just love the look of fresh jewelry on my home page!

I really need to learn how to post pictures in here. Not that I've tried yet, but it would definitely be more interesting to look at (although, I really don't think anyone has). Once again, oh well!

Off to the studio...