Happy Spring!

Happy Spring To Everyone! Everything is blooming like crazy here. Daphne, tulips, pansies ... you name it. The air smells wonderfully divine, and so very ....Spring! Now if only there would be a few sunny days in a row so the ground can dry up and I can make the garden look as pretty as it smells!

I whipped up the cute little bird graphic just to celebrate the season, but it is really growing on me. I think I'm going to need to find a new role for it after being a Spring greeting! And speaking of birds, I am almost finished with these. Finished enough to photograph for the blog, at least.The one on top is still waiting for it's final Olivine crystal on the extender chain. It is maddening to be working on a project and be out of the exact thing you need, is it not? If I had needed pink or yellow or blue .. no problem, but because I wanted three green crystals, I of course only had two. Murphy's Law in action. I traveled to two bead stores this weekend, but neither one carried that color, which made it even more frustrating. (Have you ever tried taking an active, inquisitive toddler into a bead store??) So, I ended up ordering online and am waiting for it to arrive by post. I'm really, really pleased with how these turned out. I tried a gold ink wash on the moss agate necklace tile and it gave a nice, subtle effect -- like a touch of worn gilding.

Look what was in my mail this morning! Last week in the "ONE World-ONE HeART Spring Giveaway", I won this gorgeous set of vintage Easter tags in the giveaway drawing at The Decorated House. Aren't they just darling? And the perfect finishing touch for the Easter gifts I am working on!

Winners Announced!

The rain has finally stopped, blue sky and sunbeams have appeared again and viola! The cherry and plum trees are blossoming! So pretty!


Now that it is March 21st and officially Spring, it is time to draw the winners of the "ONE World-ONE HeART Spring Giveaway"! This giveaway has been enormous fun and I would like to thank everyone who visited my blog and entered to win my little jewels! It was so wonderful to meet you all!

My little "unicorn" assistant helped me put in all the names, stir them up, and then pick the winners. He was such a happy helper and really enjoyed doing the drawing.

And the winners are ........... Jamie for prize package #1 and Heather - Speckled Egg for prize package #2. Congrats!! I will be contacting both of you lucky winners shortly. Please send me your mailing addresses when you have a chance.

Firebird Necklaces

I've gotten so many lovely comments on the little Firebird pins that I made especially for the "ONE World-ONE HeART" Spring Giveaway, that I decided to make some as necklaces for the shop. With their sparkly surface treatment, they were challenging to photograph, but I finally was able to capture their look by putting them in a sunbeam to photograph. Usually a very bad idea, but it worked great! I'm also happy to report that "Happiness" is a new best seller for us. Yeah!! So, I'm making two special ones, both as horizontally drilled pendants with gemstones and crystal, but one has a really cool gold antique finish. I *hope* to have them finished and posted this week.


I also had a rare chance to go shopping. I found these great flower sliders, some yummy wool yarn for felting and these vibrant chopsticks. I've always wanted to make hair sticks and I think these chopsticks would be ultra-cute turned into hair sticks. I also found some amazing washi (Japanese paper) at one of my favorite places, Uwajimaya!! The one I visit has a Kinokiniya bookstore attached and if you like Japanese craft books, is an amazing place to get the newest ones, hot off the presses.

Rain & Peacocks & Pearls

Here in Oregon, there has been rain, rain and more rain. It has been very cold and damp with grey skies all week -- not very inspiring. It's the kind of damp cold that sinks into your bones. The kind where you know you own a cat, but haven't seen her for the entire week because she's found somewhere warm to hibernate. So, I took a short break from the studio and spent some time being inspired by this magazine of pure eye candy. Chock full of marvelous pretty things and dazzling techniques to think about!!


I did get a chance to work on some peacock feather earrings and some simple peacock feather pendants. I had been saving them, but working with their bright shimmer seemed the perfect antidote to the rain. With the price of sterling still going up and up and up, I decided to wrap these with copper in what I'm calling the "Chaos Copper Wrap" - free form multi-layer wrapping of very, very thin drawn wire. I really liked the effect and am going to try it with seed beads being wrapped in too.
 

I also made these. I love pearls, but especially rice pearls. In my design book, rice pearls go with everything. After looking at some photos of old French chandeliers, I was inspired to make several pairs of these little curled copper earrings with, what else? Rice pearls, of course!

I would also like to say how much I am enjoying participating in Lisa OceanDreamer's ONE World-ONE HeART Spring Giveaway! It has been wonderful seeing everyone's creative spirit and meeting so many talented artists! I am so enjoying discovering new blogs and being a part of such a warm, wonderful blogging community! If you would like to join in the fun and spirit of giving, there is still time, just go here to be part of this wonderful experience.

ONE World-ONE HeART Spring Giveaway!!

We are participating in a really wonderful giveaway, the "ONE World-ONE HeART Spring Giveaway" started at HeART of the Nest.

How to win? Just leave a comment on this post between now and March 20, 2007 and your name will be entered to win one of these giveaway prizes. On March 21, 2007 we will hold a drawing for two names. That's right, we will be drawing TWO winners :) then announcing them here on the blog.

You can win this prize package: A vintage inspired shimmery "Firebird" pin, with one of our original hand painted birds, and a pair of vintage style "Starlet Crystal & Pearl" earrings.


Or this: A vintage inspired shimmery "Firebird" pin, with one of our original hand painted birds, and this different pair of vintage style "Starlet Crystal & Pearl" earrings.


If you want to know more, details and a list of participants are here. Please visit all the lovely participating blogs and leave comments to share your heART, celebrate Spring and join in the fun!!!!!

Bejeweled - Jeweled Elegance

Yarn Addiction: Part II

Yes, this actually is the blog for a jewelry business, but as I talked about here, I am really trying to Spring Clean my yarn cabinet and make all those wonderful projects I was inspired to buy the yarn for.

As a tea and coffee connoisseur, I was really happy to find this crochet pattern for Java Jackets. Now I can keep my beverages warm and my fingers unharmed in artistic style! Here are two lovely colorful ones embellished with faux feather novelty yarn that I am gifting to two happy recipients this week.

In other news, I am so happy that my new vintage inspired bird pendants have been chosen to be reviewed by two wonderful, talented women in their stylish blogs: Laurie at Blooming Lily and SweetJen at Pretty/Modest. Thank you both!!

Bejeweled - Jeweled Elegance

Studio Friday: Let's Face It!

...whatever 'it' is. What have you been procrastinating about and dragging your heels to do?

1) New jewelry and website development tools can be a large investment of money and an even greater investment of time for classes and training. If I hesitate on anything, it's writing that large check! I know that 6-12 months down the road, I will be able to produce art that reflects my inner vision more closely than ever before and that it will be more beautifully presented, but it can be scary to outlay that amount of money when the future return is uncertain.

2) Here's a shot from the "Lonely Component Drawer". I love to experiment with new materials and concepts. I have a drawer full of crafted components that will never see the light of day, but I can't bear to recycle them. There's my French beaded flower phase, my brief love of venetian glass, the time I absolutely needed to make paper beads....They live in their drawer waiting for the project that will give them meaning.

What I would LOVE to do, would be to have a commitment free weekend and clean out the "Lonely Component Drawer" by turning them all into one of a kind gifts for dear friends, loyal customers and family. But, the truth is that if I had that most rare and elusive of things, a free weekend, I probably would want to get out of the house and go enjoy the culture and shopping in downtown Portland :)

Bejeweled - Jeweled Elegance