Copper Time!

I finished up working in silver and needed some copper pieces for my new web-site. It was like coming home, which is what working with silver felt like when I had been working in copper for a while. This one is so yummy.

Bead Drawings

I have been busy getting my new web-site pulled together. In the process my daughter Danielle reminded me of a series of drawings I started a couple of years ago. I would love to make stationary out of the images some day. 

Coral is hot for Fall and Winter

From what I have read about fashion trends look for lots of gray, corals and oranges. Purple and green are in the running for fall too.  What has been fun is to learn that I am right on target with my layered looks, use of recycled materials and eclectic combinations.  Here's a piece I made that I think is delicious and warm in an icy kind of way.

Summer Blues

I am so pooped trying to get my winter collection in the works.  Here is a sneak peek.  I spent most of my day yesterday trying to get the blues right. There is a range of periwinkle, lavender, and aqua and my little camera couldn't seem to understand the nuances. Have you seen the Dior jewelry site?  Very fun to poke around in. Each collection has its own story.

logo, logas, logum, logatis, logamus, logam

I am obviously losing my mind trying to zero in on a photo for a logo, or a photograph for a logograph.  Opinions anyone?

What's New!

I had such a fun and successful last minute trunk show at my mom's home in Sarasota.  Everyone loves the new line so I am encouraged. Now I am working on a press release about my winter collection. I love the irony of mixing plastic with my beads, semi-precious stones, and silver.

Barbie Brings Bling

I couldn't resist including this ivory Barbie shoe in a necklace from my new collection.

Barbie Girl Steps Out

Thank goodness Susie's daughter saved all her Barbie shoes so we could make this necklace!  Apparently she used to play "Barbie Shoe Store." There is a clear crystal in the middle and it is on a chain of teeny tiny seed pearls.

Plastic is the New Pink

The Susies came over today and played with plastic.  I played bowerbird again and made this necklace complete with vintage shell bead, key, coffee pot, and branch coral to compliment a recycled plastic and crystal flower.

New Beach Inspired Beads

It is so good to be home for the summer and have time to work on my glass again. I am experimenting with shell-like forms and using a pipe tube to blow shells.  Don't inhale!

Pearls, Crystal, and Plastic

All you need is the little black dress. My friend Susan came over to play in my studio and we came up with this recycled plastic necklace. Natalie snagged it as soon as she saw it.

This second one turned out so well we are going to have to start drinking more Propel.

Plastic Bottle Chandelier

This is the chandelier we made for our school auction.   It now brightens a gloomy corner of my porch. I connected two wire hanging-basket planters for the structure. Now I just need to figure out how to light it, not on fire... illumine it.

Mold Making! Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy...

 When we were at the beach I collected broken shells to make molds out of so that I could turn them into PMC silver charms.  Ooops, they got lost in transit, so I took these 'new' vintage shell beads and one of my clear glass 'Marilyn Monroe Skirt' beads and am making molds out of them.  It will be fun to see how they turn out. I also found some cool conch beads. Since I was born in Key West and therefore am a 'conch' I am eager to incorporate them into my jewelry collection. 

Fun fact from urbandictionary.com regarding Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy : It comes from a 1970's british TV commercial for Lemon Squeezy detergent. They were with a little girl who points out dirty greasy dishes to an adult (mom or relative) and then this adult produces Lemon Squeezy and they clean the dishes quickly. At the end of the commercial the girl says "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy".

What washed up!

but no message in it!  How do  you like my new colored recycled glass bottles?  Genie- ous.

At the Beach Experimenting with Photo Shoot

I am meeting with my fabulous web-designer Tera Kenney on Wednesday to redesign my site and add a shopping cart among other things.  Nina Fareed is going to do some PR for me so I need to get it up to speed for the onslaught of new orders (hope and pray  hope and pray.) Seriously, I want to get my site more shopper friendly and update it with more current pieces. Here is a shot I took of Nat at the beach with one of my pieces on.  I am wondering if it would help shoppers to see the pieces on a model since they can't try them on in cyberspace.  How can we make the site feel like they are handling the jewelry?  I wish I had brought more pieces with me.  I like how these turned out.

Chandelier Anyone?

How cool is this chandelier? I saw it on designsponge . You can make it yourself and I am totally going to. I may add some plastic bottles, but the sleek industrial look is so appealing I may have to leave it alone.  I want this over my granite counter top/bar in my kitchen.

The Favor of Your Reply Requested / Show Stopper

I gave my friend Becky one of the wine stoppers in the new glass bottles I ordered and seconds after she opened it a lady from across the restaurant excused herself for interrupting but 'had to know what that beautiful thing is.'   It seems like everywhere I take them they draw a crowd.  Jean Patteson posted my stoppers on her  blog.  I would love it if you would post a comment!

Something borrowed something blue...

My friend Melanie was wearing a glass heart necklace on a very long chain. I was admiring it and she had a great idea to make long pearl bridal necklaces for brides who with edgier taste. I played around with it and this is what I have come up with so far.  Blue quartz chain with or without pearls, a mother-of-pearl pendant with a key a dove, transparent glass with a  dichroic center, and a piece of branch coral. You can wear it long (it hangs close to waist length) or you could wrap the chain in layers to your preferred length. I was contemplating a name for funky bridal jewelry and Natalie came up with 'Bowerbride.' What do you think?

Looking at the World Through Colored Glass II

I was so inspired by the colorful glasses at  Suzi's party I decided to make a party out of glass on my dining room table.  Now my dining room table mirrors the painting I did of a mantle in Monet's house that hangs above it.

Making Molds for Copper Clay

I have been playing with 2 part silicon to make molds of old jewelry. Then, I press metal clay into the mold and make charms. Here are two of my favorites made out of copper clay, an old cameo that belonged to John's godmother and a Welsh fisherman's ring that was in my family.  The texture on the ring represents the buttons on the fisherman's coat and was worn by his betrothed.