Unique Art Jewelry

I know that when I'm searching for unique gifts for family members, finding just the right gift is difficult. Malls offer so much of the same thing, in very large quantities, that it's just plain tiresome and boring. And - most of what I find isn't made by hand. Since I don't have time to make something for everyone on my list, I go to the venues that offer handmade creations. While looking for some unique items last night, I found these items that really peaked my interest. Take a look....and let me know if you're as impressed as I am.

Salsa Lampwork Cha Cha Bracelet by Patty Lakinsmith

Blue Galaxy by Simply Unique Jewelry

Hot Pink Dichroic Fused Glass Set by Dichroic Dazzle

Carnelian Silver Cuff by Alibali Jewellery

Except for Patty, whose shop is on Etsy, all the other members are part of the Artfire Jewelers Guild. Check out their blog at Artfire Jewelers Guild or the web site.

Support handmade! Toodles,

Artisan Jeweler Guild

I've been branching out somewhat and trying a couple of new venues, just to see how it goes. Being on Etsy has been a great experience, and I've really learned a lot, but I decided to spread my wings a little and see what else is out there. So...I joined Artfire. There are lots of things I like about this site, though the sales are slow (aren't they everywhere?), and I'm still learning my way around the site and trying to get noticed. One great feature are the guilds available there and I recently joined the Artisan Jeweler Guild. If you get a chance, take a look at the guild's page and see some of the great artists and their designs. Here's just a small sample of some of my fellow members :

All Wired Up 2

Ava Designs

Marya Jewelry

Brandy Brook Designs

I'll be adding more shops in a short while so stay tuned!

Toodles,

Toodles,

My Artsy Friends - Part one

Ever since I decided to take my work public and utilize the internet, I've been fortunate to meet many talented artists. I'm generally in awe of other artists who find new and creative ways to express themselves, and have decided to start showcasing them and some of their work.

Meet Catherine Marche, of Kalicat - a London based designer who does some exquisite jewelry designs. Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris, Catherine travelled extensively during her childhood. She sometimes changed class 3 times in a year, which gave her great faculties of adaptation and the use of several languages. She's one of those artists who finds inspiration from just about everything, including all her travels. Her creativity isn't restricted to jewelry, though...she also provides images for editorial, advertising, book covers and apparel. She works with marketing, PR agencies, design and advertising companies, greeting card publishers and illustrate for web. Talk about talent!

I've chosen a few of her wonderful designs for you to see. Check out her web sites to see more!

http://www.catherinemarchedesigns.com/ http://kalicat.etsy.com/

http://kalicat.dawanda.com/

Elegant work! These pieces are great for any occasion...and don't forget Mother's Day! Be sure to look at her other designs using the links above.

Toodles,

Art Jewelry - Just a little scary!

So, Patty Lakinsmith and I are ready for the ISBG "Gathering" in Miami. We've registered and we're going to share a table. Can't tell you how excited I am - my first time at one of these - because I get to see our creation again on exhibit, and I get to meet Patty in person for the first time.

I've been working on some theme related pieces, and my first, shown below, turned out pretty cool and a little on the "dark" side. It's called Man Eater....and is meant to look like it's taken over the wearer's body. Patty's busy making some more beads for me to use in other creations, so I'm getting ready to get creative.

Anyway, got to get back to the studio....so I'll keep this a running dialoque.

Oh, and by the way - My web site got all funky on me. I've not been too happy with my host service, so I've made the leap to switch to a new one. Of course that means I have to start from scratch to build a new site, but maybe this is a good thing. I haven't been happy with the one I have now, and the program the hosting service uses won't let me easily change it. So I get to create another one, hopefully more to my liking! I'll be off line for a while until I get it done, but hope to focus on it in a couple of days...once the domain name has been transferred.

Tendrils fall across the chest

This bloom sits menacingly on the shoulder.

Toodles,

Art Jewelry Collaboration

I have been so blessed with great friends in my life. You know, the kind you can call on when all you want to do is whine, the kind you can laugh and play with, the kind who encourage you to take risks and hold your hand and give you kleenex if you fail. Now I'm twice blessed! Since starting my on line store at Etsy, I've met some truly wonderful folks. One of them is Patty Lakinsmith, the lampwork artist from California, that I've featured here before.

Not long ago, Patty asked me to collaborate on a piece or two to submit to the ISGB contest called "convergence". The premise was to combine lampwork beads with another media - and she asked ME! I was thrilled to be asked, and we started trading ideas back and forth via email.

Along the way, we discovered a snippet on Utube from "Little Shop of Horrors", featuring the man eating plant singing "I'm a mean green mother". If you haven't seen it...please do! It's hysterical! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLO7IxKwruc&feature=related)

Anyway, it really got us talking and planning. It was wonderful to find out that we both embraced the idea of really thinking out of the box. We wanted to do something that would grab their attention. We traded pictures back and forth, explored ideas...and finally had a finished piece. When we submitted it to ISGB, I don't think either one of us thought we would be chosen as one of the pieces they would use in their exhibit at the Bead and Button Show. But not long after we submitted our pictures, we got the news: We were chosen!!! They liked it! Happy dancing all around!

Mind you, Patty and I have never met in person. But I feel like we've been BFFs for years.

In July we will meet for the very first time, at the "Gathering" in Miami...and Patty will get to see the finished piece in person, also for the first time. I'm so excited....about the piece and meeting Patty after all this time.

So....here it is. We called it "Mean Green Mother Earth". It's supposed to look menacing and like it would attack it's wearer. If you watch the video, you'll know what I mean.

Take a look at those marvelous beads! Patty is one of the best, if not THE best, lampwork artist I've ever seen. I can't get over all the detail on these "heads". If you haven't already done it, check out more of her fab beads at http://pattylakinsmith.etsy.com you won't be disappointed.

See you in Miami!

Toodles

The Dust has Settled!

Well, after living in chaos, for what seems like eons, the dust has finally settled! My newly renovated studio is finished! Yahoo!

I think, before this, that I spent more time trying to find tools, wire or just about anything else I needed, than I actually spent creating. It would get pretty frustrating, so I'm hoping this will really light a spark under my creative fanny, and get me off to a good start. I'm sorry I forgot to get "before" pics, but here's what it looks like now. Organizing my "stuff" was actually fun...I found things I forgot I even had.

New bench, pegboard wall

Everything within arm's reach!

Yeah, I know...to the casual eye it still looks chaotic. But trust me, everything has a place now and I have lots more storage.

On another note, here's a couple of new designs. I'm planning a new line, so stay tuned, but meanwhile I 'm enjoying playing around with different metals and adding some beads here and there.

Well, back to the studio! Toodles..

No New Year's Resolutions - Artist's musings

So, I finally had a few minutes to myself and started thinking about what's in store for me, my art, my life for 2009. Now I'm not really a person who makes resolutions every year. I mean things like "lose weight" and "get more exercise" and "eat better" are kinda life long pursuits!

But I am very goal oriented. I'd rather focus on positive pursuits, and the three aforementioned resolutions always leave me feeling depressed when I fail miserably. So...let's just take those three for granted and move on! Here goes:

1. Do at least 2 juried art shows. I've only shown my work on the web and in galleries to date, mainly because it's tough having enough inventory to fill a 10x10 tent. (good news/bad news!)

2. Do a few art and crafts fairs. Probably a good place to start, don't you think? I can get my feet wet, so to speak, at little risk and work my way up to the juried shows.

3. Take at least two classes or workshops. I'm very interested in enameling. Have been trying to find a good way to add color to my pieces besides using stones. One of my fellow team members from the Art Jewelry Collective has started enameling and has had great results. Take a look:

http://charmdimsur.etsy.com/

Pretty neat, huh? And they seem to have been sold right away! Nice! So, back to my goals:

4. Develop a separate line of designs for less expensive metal work. One for the high end, one for the middle of the road pricing. Bangles, cuffs, earrings that are fairly simple and fast to make. They might be good for the art fairs. My change- a- bead earrings are doing quite well, and they've even started to sell on Etsy, though I suspect they stand out like a sore thumb on my site because it's not my "usual" style. Like the ones below -

I think if I accomplish all of this, I'll have a very busy year! My personal goals will remain personal....you don't need the details, do you? But you can add "eat better", "exercise more", and "lose weight"! Hey, I'm just saying.....

Toodles,