The First Year

Happy Anniversary Studio Minutes!  It's hard to believe I've been blogging for a year now.  I was just looking back on "the beginning" and am pleased to say (or write) that I've really enoyed the whole thing.  I was skeptical and questioning of the whole blogging and social networking thing but now--I'm hooked.   I look forward to another year telling my story of designing and creating jewelry.  Please feel free to add to the conversation.

YEAH!

Excellent news!  I have been selected to participate in the Laudholm Nature Crafts Festival, on September 10 & 11, 2011.  The Laudholm Nature Crafts Festival is held in Wells, Maine every September on the weekend after Labor Day. 

This prestigious event brings nearly 100 artisans, selected by jury, to exhibit their wares for thousands of browsers. Music, food, and environmental education round out the 2-day festival, which takes place on the spectacular Laudholm campus of the Wells Reserve. 

Mark your calendars now so you can come and see my new designs.  I'll give you reminders as it gets closer. 

Following an Idea

I've found so much inspiration with the flowering vine piece that I've been working non-stop on translations and variations.  From the initail inspiration piece, I started making a necklace.  Here's how it started:  sterling silver flowering vines much like the original element; I tried different stones and loose flowers and leaves.

I kept playing with elements and then turned them into this:

To finish, I set an opal as the featured stone and linked the vines together with wire scrolled links.  I particularly like the clasp--a flower and leaves to bring the design around the neck. 

Here's a detail of the front:

After the necklace, I opted to make a pair of earrings.  Here are 22g sterling silver flowers and leaves on 18g sterling silver vines.  They have stud backs behind the swirled stems and are about 2 inches long. 

More designs are coming including bracelets, earrings, and more necklaces!  Check back soon. 

Flowering Options

It's amazing what can happen with the making of one component.  I had an idea--flowers and leaves on a vine--that was going to be a delicate necklace frontispiece.  As I put all the pieces together, it took on a life of its own.  Now I don't know if it should be a pin, situated like this:

or like this:

Or I had a thought that I could create similar pieces and link them to form a necklace that would be similar to this:



Try to imagine these two pieces meeting at the center of the neckline.  I think it would be beautiful!  What do you think?   I think I need to make many more of these vines and create all of the options, as well as the ones that will present themselves during the process.  Time to get busy!

March Already!

I thought I would have posted again before now but time is whizzing by.  I've been busy creating in the studio and am also applying to a couple Maine craft shows for the first time.  I'm under a tight deadline for mailing, so I've been a bit preoccupied.  I have the jewelry part all set, but the shows require you to send a booth example.  Well, if you've never done a show like this before, it's difficult to show your booth--so today is set up a booth day.  One big studio wall is traformed into my "booth."  What do you think?

I'm open to suggestions, so please pass along your thoughts.  Wish me luck and hopefully I'll be seeing you in Falmouth and Wells late summer.