Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving--already!  Where has the year gone?!  I'm always amazed how quickly time passes, whether it's happy days or incredibly slow difficult days that one wishes would pass quickly.  Today is a day to enjoy family, food, and no pressure or stress.  No presents or expectations. 

This year I'm looking forward to a day with my whole family.  Chatting and relaxing and eating.  My sister and her family have traveled to Maine for the holiday and we'll gather at my parents house where the familiar smells of Thanksgiving will waft through the air.  I'm so very thankful for all of them.  And my family of friends, I will be thinking of you too--enjoying your time--I'm grateful for each and every one of you.

I'm thankful for my good health and feeling well and pass on this energy to all who need some.  I'm thankful for my craft which is turning into quite a career--I love it!  I'm thankful for warm wood stoves and my fuzzy four legged family; a roof over my head (despite the cracks) and flannel pjs. 

The list can go on and on.  I will focus on carrying this feeling with me throughout the whole year. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday Sewing

I spent most of last weekend in my studio creating, but Sunday, I took the day off to go sewing with a good friend.  What could be better than spending a day drinking tea and chatting over biscotti?  It's hard to believe that it's the middle of November already!  And it's list making time.  Lists of who, what, where and when--prepping for holiday gifts and events, and trying to figure out what I can make for everyone on that list.   Photos of the sewing will come soon.

In the meantime, please join me Friday, November 22nd through Sunday, November 24th, for the ArtFull Gifts Show at Point Lookout in Northport, ME.  I'll be there with bells on! and lots of flowers, pearls, and reticulated jewelry!

Shows in November and December

I just participated in The Maine Crafts Guild show at the Maine State Museum.  It was a small show, but full of amazing artists.  Thank you to all who came, admired, and purchased!

Next up, The Gifted Hand show in Ellsworth:

And then after that, ArtFull Gifts show in Northport:

And perhaps most important, SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, December 1, for the third annual open studio trunk show, held at Mom's house in East Boothbay--10 am-4 pm. 
Hope to see you!

Mother of the Groom Necklace--A Summer Project

This commission started with a phone call--a woman wanted to have a special necklace made for her to wear at her son's September wedding.  She found me and my jewelry online, liked what she saw, and gave me a call.  We set up a studio visit to discuss design thoughts and ideas.  We met in July and quickly figured out the colors, stones, and basic design--blue lapis lazuli alongside reticulated silver.  I drew up a few sketches and this is what was proposed and approved. 

 

Here are the beads and stones I found to use for the actual piece. I had never made a reticulated necklace that was half beaded, so I was looking forward to seeing the results.

The frontispiece started--silver rectangles reticulated and bezels and squiggles placed.

Next the silver ball accents and the articulated joinery.

The stones are bezel set in fine silver and the whole piece is getting laid out for stringing.

The full layout of lapis beads with the reticulated silver, hollow lentil shape beads I created.

And after the initial stringing, it was time to try on the necklace for length...I emailed this photo to J. and she loved it!  Upon her next visit north, she came with her wedding clothes and we tried it all on.  The necklace being an elegant accessory to make her simply classic outfit shine.

The length was almost perfect, but we decided on one minor design change--we added a chain closure for adjustable lengths allowing more versatility for wearing after the wedding.  Simply striking!

Thank you for allowing me be a part of this beautiful collaboration and special event!  It was a pleasure to work with you!

And after the wedding, in her words:

     "I'm wearing my necklace tonight, two weeks after our son's wedding at ....  The wedding couldn't have gone any better and I received many compliments on my "bling" , as one friend termed it, made specially for the event.

     Thanks again for all of your help. I shall enjoy my wedding necklace for many years to come."

This and That--Filling in the Blanks

This week finds me working in all directions.  Maybe not the most inspired way to create, but with 3 upcoming shows in November, I'm making things to fill in the holes in my inventory.  I've laid it all out to assess--and yes, I'm in a bit of a mess. 

 

After taking a visual inventory, I realized I needed some important pieces like reticulated earrings with stones, some flower chandelier earrings, and more bauble rings.  So, I set out on my mission and here's what I've done:

New reticulated earrings with carnelian cabochons & black onyx cabochons.  

Two new pairs of sterling silver tiny daisy drop earrings.

And three new bauble rings, L to R: 

 

4mm Tsavorite garnet bezeled in fine silver; sterling silver and 18k gold; 3mm blue sapphire with overlap.

A few fun pieces are in the works too.  Be sure to check out next week's blog to see!

Silver Cuff Bracelet with Labradorite

I've had this idea to turn a ring I made into a new design for a cuff bracelet.  I finally got all the pieces to come together.  This is the ring that was the inspiration:

A sterling silver ring with rose cut labradorite stone that I made for a commission. I think this ring actually reads much larger in scale and thought it would translate beautifully to a cuff.  So I selected a stone:

This large labradorite cabochon -- 45mm (1 11/16")  high and 25mm (1") at its widest.  The blues and greens shimmer in the light.  I thought the scale set the right tone for design.  Once that was decided, I worked the silver sheet and heated and reticulated and textured and formed.  I added large sterling balls around the fine silver bezel and felt the cuff was really coming together.

I placed a few more balls for balance and the design was complete.  Set the stone and polished the bezel and baubles to a high shine and voila: 

Strength and beauty--I think it's a pretty spectacular piece! 

Autumn--Catching Up

I don't know where the summer went!  But it's fall now and it's been too much time since I last wrote.  So much has gone on--shows, sales, and events--with much more to come.  I'm back to weekly updates and goings on.  I'll share some of the commissions I was lucky enough to create this summer, as well as new directions for my jewelry. 

Here's a  selection of rings that I'm loving!  I call them bauble rings and are available with most any stone and made just for you!