Girl Gone Mad!

Just when you think you know my style of design I go and do something that throws you off...but just a little. I have long had a fascination of all things small (thus explaining many of the men I dated over the years!) -- and many of those tiny things can be found in the least unexpected places, including hardware stores. Sigh...should a normal girl (I use the word loosely today as a self-descriptor) get giddy in a hardware store? All those nuts, bolts, wire, slugs (not the squishy kind that grow to the size of manatees here in Oregon, but the metal kind of slugs is what I'm referencing), cording, rope -- oh the list is endless. While it wasn't really a hardware store, one of the many part-time jobs I held while in undergraduate school was working for a sailboat manufacturer in Belmont Shore. Anyone who has ever owned a boat knows how many bits and pieces of things it takes to keep them sailing. And, in those days all those glorious bits and bobs were all brass. Well, no surprise, I had a blast finding the most creative way to incorporate those pieces into bags and jewelry -- even then, back in the day, I was clearly well on the road to lunacy -- finding a way to work small things into my life.

That being said, while in Tucson 2010, you can imagine my joy when my niece discovered a vendor who carried tons of twisted wire in all kinds of metals, sizes and shapes. It was a proud moment for an aunt...knowing that I have had some influence on the girl over the years! She finds the best things -- and since she is quite young, her vision is much better, so often she finds things I miss altogether. She's the perfect picker and Tucson Gem Show shopping companion! Over the months I have played with several of the those magical wire beads -- working them into pieces that showcase my personal spin. I love surprises -- mixing metals, textures, colors and the totally unexpected and I think it shows in my jewelry. Here are two pieces that have recently been added to my web site, which means they are at this moment in time, for sale -- and don't despair, there are similar designs sitting on the bench in my studio as we speak. But, believe me when I say that most of these pieces are truly "one-offs" -- meaning there is only ONE of each design. So my best advice to you -- if you see it, buy it. Nothing is worse than seeing something, deciding you can't live without it, going back to buy it and truly make it your own only to see that darn "Sold Out" tag at the end of the item description. Bummer! Okay, back to work...for all of us now. Oh, I am at work right now. I have so much fun with the business of jewelry, I sometimes forget that it is actually what I do for a living! Hope you're as lucky as I am -- I love what I do!!!

Turquoise, Rainbow Hickoryite and Assignments

Today I was feeling as if I needed to be a bit grounded. Somehow yesterday got away from me and all the things on my "to do" list just didn't get done. I felt a bit like a hamster on the treadmill -- running as fast as all get out but getting no where even faster. When I see and wear turquoise it always makes me happy -- and the Jay King Mine Finds three-strand beauty shown here with one of my rainbow hickoryite designs makes me feel very happy, relaxed and focused. I first started working with rainbow hickoryite several years ago after discovering it in Tucson; it felt lucky from the get-go. Don't ask me to explain it -- I just get these "funny feelings" at moments in my life that things are on the right path. When I held the beads that day I felt a warmth radiate from them. Maybe because they remind me of my dad for some reason -- he always took me along to buy the exotic woods he used in creating his guitars -- so my love of fine woods was honed at an early age. And, maybe because when I see beautiful stones like these, I am reminded of the greatness of Mother Nature, and I understand the importance of doing her proud with the jewelry I design. While my thinking makes me feel very small -- I understand that no matter my size I still have an important task to tend to while on this planet. I do believe that if I can make one person happy when they see or wear a piece of the jewelry I make then I feel as if I am doing the job that I was assigned. I know, I know -- maybe a bit philosophical for this time of day -- but one of the hazards of working alone -- I spend a lot of time in my own head without interruption or censorship. That can be a blessing or a curse -- today I think it's a blessing.

Black Friday -- There I Said It!

I couldn't help myself -- I have been hearing all about Black Friday since, let's see sometime in July maybe. I've been telling myself that I am not going to get sucked into all the hype so I made a deliberate effort not to refer to it in my blog or on my jewelry site or in my jewelry e-mail -- but today I just had to blurt it out...once! So, I cracked -- maybe weak from too much pumpkin pie or a bit of tryptophan fallout?



Anyhow, this is my idea of what a real Black Friday, or any day for that matter, should look like, Two of my rope designs, one looking very 20s vintage with it's soutache bead and the other being right on trend with it's glowing gray mother-of-pearl and freshwater pearl beads partying with my latest acquisition from Ms. Joan Boyce who sells her beauties on HSN. The cuff shown here is a lovely black enameled number with sparkling and perfectly set crystals dancing all around. Yes, I am wearing all three as I create this post -- wouldn't you do the same? It's a bit sassy, I say. By now you've got me figured out --- well, that's a gross overstatement but I mean figured out when it comes to styling jewelry. (Just a note -- no one, including me will ever have "me" figured out! And, believe me hordes of people have tried...but to no avail.) But back to the jewelry, I love mixing it up, wearing the unexpected and making it a lot of fun. Here's a perfect example of that. But wait...there is more. I can't wait for the latest Joan Boyce to arrive -- a black diamond and pearl set that I am sure will be just as fabulous as the others I have of hers. And, I have a sneaking suspicion that the new pair will be just as excited to play with some new friends from my collection. So much fun...this jewelry stuff. I just wish I had more wrists!!! But I am thankful that I have two with lots of room between wrist and elbow. I say "stack 'em up and have a ball."