I think I may have found a good signature here! I fell in love with some hand-dyed silk strands when I was visiting family and traveling this spring, i bought all of them....and until now, haven't really done much with them. They sat in a little colorful pile, just waiting. The other day, I started playing with them and all the excessive amounts of bead-stuff i have...(just for the record, beads are an addiction, they fit in the same category for me as collecting cabochons for sterling jewelry, getting the bi-monthly American Craft magazine in the mail, and drinking good coffee every morning, all fairly harmless addictions, but nonetheless...) SO i have a bracelet that includes RAGS and STONES....

more than just metal

So much of jewelry is packing it up into little bite-sized gifts...here I am in the process of making earring tags out of the coolest paper. There is much to be said about why people buy what they buy, why they give what they give. I have been trying to pay attention to that. I just love this picture and thought i should share...

Farmers Market yesterday was such a great one, beautiful weather, good people, last minute buyers, and beer from the brewery all in the mix! gotta love the pilsner on a good july afternoon.

learning how to do these post thingers....i think i am getting it.

I made this in February, a great month to bury yourself inside where it's warm. I sold it a few weeks ago to a lovely lady named Alli, she was giving away this for a dear and special friend. This was the first "big" sale at any market, so THANK YOU ALLI!

I have to say, giving this up was really hard to do. The tree pendant has been one of those pieces I am really proud of. A very good man, Merlin (my stone guy) gave me that gorgeous piece of ocean jasper...and everyone who I showed it to just fell in love. He cuts the most gorgeous pieces of stone. My mother and even close friends were like "don't sell that till I get paid next..." but I am very glad and lucky that it went home with a local gal. The funny thing is, Alli gave it to her very good friend who sets up at the farmers market right next to me! Charisse told me "it's one of my favorite things I own." what a good home for my little tree. The other very serendipitous part is this: Charisse is looking to re-do her logo for her screenprinting business....a TREE. Now I KNOW that was meant to be. Wonderful how jewelry can be so intimate, a talisman for your life, starting with the crafter behind it. I gave Charisse a big hug, and should have kissed Alli right on the cheek! Thank you ladies for supporting my work.

"The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work."

- Emile Zola (1840-1902)

out with the old, in with the new!

This is the studio I packed up in April....I still miss it! Kind of a mess, but such a creative place for me this last winter....I created a lot of fun things here for the farmers market this summer, some of which have been very hard to part with! It was my very first working in-home studio I have ever had, something I am so lucky to have had.... I am in the process of creating a studio space in my new home, complete with the most gorgeous working Jeweler's bench my boyfriend Jesse finished for me last week...Gotta love a man who makes furniture for you (and not just any furniture, this desk is a beautiful piece of work in itself)! I will post pictures of this awesome desk here soon.

I never understood "artistic space" more than I ever have here in this little room, lots of learning, lots of growth. I believe some people are natural artists who give their every inch of life to creating, i also believe some of us have to work harder to let go and make creating the priority. I am definitely the second, I find life is full of all kinds of direction, almost too much, so easily distracted and confused, the blur of life can suck up all your creative energy....there is a real ART to being an ARTIST.