Chimaera

I'm moving!

2008-07-17T11:30:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone. For the past few years, I've tried to keep this blog semi anonymous but keeping it a secret is ridiculous and I'm not even sure why I'm doing it anymore. So I'm going public-- please update your blog readers and links, I'd love to hear from you on the other side.

Here's the link.

Thanks for reading and I do hope you continue to come by my new bloggy home!

xoxo

laura

On Objects

2008-07-16T13:28:00.003-04:00

Purchased at Paxton Gate.

My days are spent creating objects which people imbue with memories and meaning. Ironically, I grew up without that devotion to my possessions. There was no blankie or favorite toy, although I desired it. Mementos meant clutter. My best friend Sylvia moved at the end of the first grade and the morning she left, presented me with a small paperback book, a story about ballet and friendship. On the last day of school, I left it in my desk and never saw it (or her) again.

We later moved from our apartment in Queens to Long Island, and I was told that this was temporary. I learned not to grow attached to the walls and they remained bare for the next seven years.

I'm not sure when I started to see the beauty in an object. Perhaps it was at school or through the part time jobs I've collected since. But during my trip to San Francisco, I walked into a shop on Valencia Street, where I ran my fingers on a crafted wood ring, the surface polished to a high shine. I knew at that moment that it took a thoughtful hand to carve this piece. To decide what to cut and what to leave untouched. The creator had taken several pieces of sandpaper-- 40, 80, and then 150 grit maybe-- to smooth and reveal the grain of the wood without scratching the charred top. This was a labor of love. I pressed it into the heart of my hand and was moved.

Wait for me, Ponti!

2008-07-15T21:06:00.002-04:00

I'm not quite ready to adopt but I think I've found the one!

I hope you're still there when I'm ready.

Windy Freda

2008-07-15T16:24:00.002-04:00

Saw this and had to share. So, so good.

I have such a huge weakness for feathered headpieces. Find them here: Windy Freda

via DailyCandy.

Last Thursday: A gallery show opening

2008-07-15T16:06:00.007-04:00

Rena & Lisa. I love love this photo of them, I'm not sure why I find it so hilarious but I do! Check out Lisa's awesome outfit. She totally rocked the scrunchy.

Back tracking a little bit: last Thursday was the opening for Caitlin Keegan and Julia Rothman's joint show at Rare Device. It was so wonderful to spend some time with them and see their work! And I'm super excited to have been able to snag a painting as well. I'll post a photo of it when I get it after the show comes down.

I wasn't able to get a good photo of Caitlin's work, but her large collage/paintings were GREAT. My fav was the knitting piece.. I hope it becomes a print because I'll def have to grab that.

Julia's pieces. The way these are hung, so much fun.

Sian & Julia.

Incidentally, the show opening was also a jumpsuit party and we take our duties seriously.

I had a total blast at this opening and makes me wish RDSF was closer to home. I wish I could visit every single one. Maybe one day.

On San Francisco Time

2008-07-14T03:10:00.003-04:00

Just when I started to get used to SF time, I'm back. Just one photo tonight.. it's 3 in the morning after all. But there is more to come.

(This is a candy store where there was lots of yummy. I had some salt water taffy.)

Lovely ladies: Rena, Sian, Mia, & Caitlin at Miette. (Yes, I included the sweet dog.)

San Francisco: Day 1

2008-07-10T04:18:00.003-04:00

It's pretty late but I couldn't go without posting something from my first day in San Francisco! I am crashing at Rena and Derek (and Mia and Lulu)'s pad. I have missed the sweet dog and will post this silly photo of us this morning even though it's not the most flattering.

Spent the day roaming the south part of SF; there are so many thrift shops and cute boutiques/galleries and I had so much fun browsing. Just photos up ahead because I'm about to fall over from exhaustion.

Finished: Custom Blue Spruce Necklace

2008-07-07T13:59:00.004-04:00

In sterling silver. (Please forgive the fuzzy webcam photo!)

Had a bit of a spilled coffee-near-laptop-scare. Thankfully everyone is ok!

(In the photo: dress by Minnie & James. <3!)

This just in..

2008-07-06T23:08:00.002-04:00

From Gina's cool new fisheye cam.

Post July 4th BBQ

2008-07-06T13:19:00.006-04:00

Listening to DMB while nursing my coffee. The long weekend is over and I miss it already. There is a pile of work that has been ignored for days and needs to get done and my wrist is finally rested.

+ + + + +
Wknd recap:

I spent yesterday in a gorgeous spot in Williamsburg. Hosts like Davit amaze and inspire; I want to be just like him when I grow up. Not only was the food and company great, I was sent home with a four foot bok choy plant. I know, right?!

Ah, the best.

And two days until SF. Ow yeah.

Big Fat Whiny Baby.

2008-07-02T18:05:00.003-04:00

My wrist hurts! And I'm hungry!

My blog writing skills are deteriorating, can you tell?

I had a kickoff meeting with a PR rep. It was pretty exciting but my head is spinning just a bit. Am I comfortable on TV? Media tour? Laura so little! World so big!

Am in the process of second guessing my new collection. Was told that I do this every. time.

+ + +

On the other hand, a lovely card came in the mail today. It was very sweet and made me feel really grateful for the people in my life.

Stop whining, you. Life is not so bad.

Audrey Kawasaki

2008-06-30T17:09:00.001-04:00

Audrey Kawasaki's new intaglio print is UNBELIEVABLE. I had to share it with you.

Find it here: Pressure printing

A Weekend in Pictures

2008-06-30T16:41:00.004-04:00

I had a wonderful time on Friday: an intimate dinner with good friends. It was just lovely. (Having a friend who knew the bartender was wow.) To all who sent me sweet birthday wishes: thank you!!

Earlier that day, I spent a few hours photographing arrangements for a flower shop. So much fun.

Minimal text, am trying to get too many things done before my trip. Hoping I will not have to bring work with me. To do list a mile long. Ee!

I am 26 today.

2008-06-26T22:47:00.001-04:00

2007

Just me and my scissors.

2008-06-24T20:45:00.003-04:00

Considered doing the super short and cropped bangs but lacked the cojones.

Maybe later.

New watercolor girls.

2008-06-24T12:40:00.001-04:00

Playing with color is so much fun!

A Weekend in Pictures

2008-06-23T00:58:00.003-04:00

I totally dropped the ball on this blog last week-- finally burnt out I guess!

This weekend was pretty eventful for little me. One of my oldest friends became a dad several weeks ago and on Saturday, I held his baby girl; amazing. How did time go by so fast.

The coffee was amazing here. I've already forgotten the name of the cafe though..

There was a some sharing of Burmese food with a wonderful friend; here we are reminiscing about some dance moves I had in high school.

I love these two.

Pretty much the coolest thing ever..

2008-06-17T22:54:00.003-04:00

Is when someone names a dress after you.
+ + +

If you haven't seen 'The F Word' yet, give it a try. It is so good.

No time for photos today! Am adding 2 new shops to the jewelry co.. one in Park Slope and one in Australia. Thrilled to pieces these days.

This Weekend: Renegade Craft Fair

2008-06-17T01:44:00.003-04:00

photo credit: gina

Renegade went well despite my being not fully prepared. So much has been happening that were huge distractions in my life for the couple of months previous to the show so there is no huge surprise there. I was absolutely not prepared for the rain that happened on Saturday.. the weather was miserable and if we weren't soaked, we were beaten by the heat. Rain destroyed a portion of inventory and the sign I worked so hard on just fell apart in the water. I carried everything there in paper boxes and bags. What was I thinking!!?!

But there were plenty of bright sides.

There was my reliable Gina who is always there to show support and I am infinitely grateful for it. She is definitely my mom #2 and takes care of my basic needs at shows, like food/water/coffee. On day 2, Davit came and lent me some muscle power with the heavy lifting and was so great in general (but a show booth is not a place to pick up women! get outta here!).
I met many lovely people, including Tiffany, who was so very sweet and I was totally thrilled to see her.
I met customers who had purchased my work elsewhere or had seen me in previous shows and was hoping I would be here. Which is just about one of the best things of being in my line of work.
Sunday's weather was great and I saw many friends that I hadn't seen in a very long time. It was almost a reunion for me that day and was so much fun to catch up with people.

Now it is time to rest up, catch up on emails, and move on to the next big plan! There is a possible PR person for the business, and now 2 new collections in the works. Custom watercolor portraits to finish and send off.

For now, sleep.

A Gift from Tiffany

2008-06-13T12:09:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was a rough day but a couple of things brightened it up-- first: a kind and eloquent stranger stopped me from dragging tables on an enormous piece of cardboard across an ikea parking lot and said "allow me to be chivalrous." I scuttled over to the car as fast as I could, holding his 2 for $1 cinnamon buns and in my anxious state, handed them back to him slightly flattened.

And second: a package arrived at my doorstep and totally made my day. Thank you so much, Tiffany!! The craftsmanship is wonderful-- the pleat just thrills me to death. You are an incredible seamstress!!! I feel so lucky to have been gifted this.. it is officially my summer dress of '08.

More photos of the dress on my flickr.

Tomorrow is Renegade NY-- 11am to 7pm. I am 70% ready. Eek. I hope to see you there!!

Waiting.

2008-06-10T13:11:00.000-04:00

Taken for s t i l l.

More pieces on the workspace.

2008-06-10T13:05:00.002-04:00

Black oxide and 14k gold fill with moonstone.

With cubic zirconia drop.

I just get to work.

2008-06-09T12:59:00.008-04:00

New black oxide and gold pieces for Renegade.

When I started this blog about three years ago, I added this quote on the right side bar:

"Professionalism is way overrated. It is the spirit of the amateur that people in creative occupations--
in almost any occupation-- need to cultivate more than anything else. A couple of hundred years ago,
"amateur" was an entirely positive, noble description of someone. The word comes from the Latin
amator, which means "lover." An amateur undertaking was something you did out of love, for the
pleasure of doing it-- something you did out of passion. And when you think about it this whole
country was a nation created by passionate amateurs.

The American spirit is the amateur spirit."

-- Kurt Andersen, in "Ode to Amateurism"

But in January, I came across this post on Drawn that referenced a quote by Chuck Close and used the word "amateur" in a completely different way yet it spoke to me just as much as the first one did.

“Inspiration is for amateurs. I just get to work.”

This career that I've created for myself began with a great deal of passion; I fell in love with it. It was just so thrilling to be carving a place in the world. It is worth all the initial struggle. (Also, tons of fun telling people about what I do; they were so enamored by the prospect of self proprietorship, being your own boss, making it on one's own.)

Pressed flower one inch buttons.

I do still love my job.

That being said, there are some days where you are simply tired. Having had enough of your own designs, sick of looking for outlets for your work and the expenses just seem to pile up higher and higher. Bookkeeping, accounting, looking for places to realize the designs you have on paper. It all becomes so tedious and frustrating. Small business owners, high five?

On those days, I just get to work.

Tomatoes in the Morning

2008-06-06T13:13:00.002-04:00

Still loving that yellow/black combo.

My mother's peonies

2008-06-05T12:24:00.002-04:00

When you wake up one morning, download Radio Lab's podcast: Wordless Music. Take a moment to listen, it's beautiful.

Only a week and a half before Renegade! Eep.

2008-06-04T01:52:00.003-04:00

More work in progress-- the first layer of printing on the box covers. Yeah, it's all spotty. I'm hoping it will have a more handmade appeal in the end after all the hand painted parts are done. Cross your fingers!

Visiting Family

2008-06-02T23:27:00.005-04:00

Sisters. Aunt on the left, Mommy on the right.

My mom's older sister and cousin are in town for a while; I have been enjoying spending a bit of time with them. I get my temperament from my mother but I have so much in common with my aunt. (And despite the fact that we haven't seen each other in years, the 3 of us have the same mannerisms. ) I have always been envious of people with close families-- you find out that aside from blood ties, you actually have stuff in common!

She made clothes-- not just the simple stuff, but full blown blouses and suits. I have always wanted her to teach me but we've never had the opportunity. She loves jewelry; I will take photos of the hilariously gaudy stuff she brought me this time. They belonged to her in the seventies and are enormous and wonderful.

I have great photos of her dolled up at the zoo with me when I was a tiny one. I'll dig them up for you all one day.

A new outlet.

2008-05-31T18:23:00.003-04:00

Watercolor is a quick medium to work with when there isn't much time to dedicate to painting. I did these a while ago but am finally only now making them available for sale as prints because I have found a great resource for printing them. They look like originals, it's amazing.

EDIT:

Honestly was NOT expecting a writeup this awesome.. and so incredibly sweet. I thought maybe I had a chance at Holly's Tuesday's Etsy features, along with a bunch of other artists but a post of my very own! And that edit at the bottom is the icing on the CAKE. Celeb? Girl, you make me blush.
Click: Laura on Decor8!!!

An interview with Lars

2008-05-28T17:13:00.007-04:00

Laura: I am going to do an interview with you starting right now! I don't talk about you much on my blog but you are a big part of my life so I should do something about that.

Lars: ...
Laura: What are you doing right now?
Lars: animating.
Laura: What are you animating?
Lars: sheiff's smoke.

(long pause)

Lars: oh can you do an interview with me? Sure.. right now?
Laura: I already started! This is what I have so far:

I don't talk about you much on my blog but you are a big part of my life so I should do something about that.
What are you doing right now?
animating
What are you animating?
sheiff's smoke

Lars: this is the interview? hahaha
Laura: I will try again tomorrow.

+ + +
(Later)

Lars: Well, I'm currently working on a revision for the Sheriff. He is waving his hand around, but the smoke wasn't really wafting around properly-- so I'm working on that effect. It's a subtle thing that most people don't notice... until it isn't done right. That's when the letters come.

Laura: what? the interview's over.

Show Prep

2008-05-26T23:38:00.002-04:00

The masking portion is going so slowly for this project of mine. But in my head, it's going to be worth it.

I know cubic zirconia gets so much crap for being fake but I love them because they are so reliable. My favorites are the ones in natural colors.

Shameless plug.

2008-05-23T23:38:00.000-04:00

Seonna Hong

2008-05-22T21:58:00.003-04:00

I wish I could credit the blogger that led me to Seonna Hong but I can't seem to remember right now. Here is one of her paintings that I love.

*edit: it was thanks to loobylu!

Whitney Smith

2008-05-21T23:50:00.005-04:00

I know I have posted about Whitney Smith's pottery before but on this day where I have run out of time to take photos or make an actual blog post, let's take a look at her beautiful pieces. While listening to Mates of State: The Re-arranger.

Oh happy happy pottery! With happy happy music!

I passed my real estate exam..

2008-05-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

.. So I am keeping these shoes.

Justifying shmustifying.

Today:
- I am picking my brother up from the airport because he is finished with his first year in law school. Yay, brother!
- I am being welcomed into the world of disposable soft lenses.
- I have to return my Jhumpa book but do not want to.
- I must make things for Renegade! Coming up soon! Yah!

Goodbye, Rare Device Brooklyn.

2008-05-19T00:15:00.009-04:00

This weekend I said goodbye to Rare Device, Brooklyn. I have had a wonderful time working there these past couple years. Rena-- I've said this before and I'll say it again; you were such a pleasure to work for. You are all sorts of amazing. I am so grateful for all the experience I've gained from being a part of almost every aspect behind the scenes, and for everything that has happened for my business as a direct result of being in the radius of that beautiful shop.

Taken a couple weeks after I started working at RDNY.

Vases by Joanna Mendicino.

I have shared the stories of the many designers that we were representing. Described the incredible craftsmanship and methods that were used to create each piece. I have helped people find the perfect, unique gift for so many occasions and some that were for no occasion at all. Listened to countless profiles of friends (She's girly, but also wears alot of minimal. You know what I mean?) and celebrated weddings, birthdays and graduations with people I hardly knew.

And I have loved every minute of it.

Closing up. Zeis is being her handywoman self and removing anchors from the wall.

Like so much else in life, things have to change; I am happy to see that Rare Device San Francisco, as well as the webshop, has continued to grow and flourish. I believe in the integrity of RD. (And totally check for new products online, all the time.) So although I can't hold the objects that are a coast away in my hands, I know that each and every item is special. I can't wait to visit the SF store and see EVERYTHING. It thrills the socks off me knowing that there is also a gallery section there, curated by Lisa Congdon. (There are tentative plans for a little trip for me in the works, possible during the opening of Julia Rothman and Caitlin Keegan's show. Excite!!! Plus there is a sweet Mia dog to hug and an old guinea pig to annoy.)

Most of the Rare Device Brooklyn shop girls-- Laura Z., Stephanie, and Rena (with Mollie Dash and friend).

Rare Device Brooklyn! I love you and will miss you. You were awesome.

Flashback Friday: graduation, 1993

2008-05-16T18:51:00.005-04:00

I was browsing through an old elementary school folder to look for some interesting material for this post. I came across this list:

I don't have much left from my childhood; I've mentioned before that I had ripped out the pages of a journal I kept in 7th grade. I have a tendency to discard proof of my existence. It's very annoying. So whatever left is sort of precious, you know? Anyway, this is a list of all the girls in my 5th grade class, written by the one I considered my best friend. You'll notice my name on this list, at number 8. Right above Shannon, the obese diabetic, and Emmy, the new girl.

Finding this list was fascinating; why did I choose to save this, out of all the things that I had? Was it so that I would always remember how this one person had hurt me? Was it so that I would never do anything like this to someone else? Also: Why the hell was I so angsty?

I do sort of love that I saved this single lined page, torn out of a spiral notebook. It has a list so confidently written in pen and there is a back story there that I actually know. It's like when you find a piece of paper with a couple sentences scrawled on it, tucked in an old bible that you discovered in the back of some old used bookstore. Stories you wish you knew.

My 5th grade graduation.

Out Sick

2008-05-16T18:46:00.002-04:00

I hate excuses but I've been out sick the last couple days. I will recycle an old doodle here:

Jhumpa and I are bff.

2008-05-13T22:42:00.006-04:00

Listening to: Beautiful Mess
Just finished: Unaccustomed Earth (and on my second reading)
Falling in love with: French pressed coffee, all over again

Jhumpa Lahiri broke my heart with the first story. When I came up for breath and closed the book between paragraphs, I looked at her photo on the back cover and wonder how it is that she knows. You know? I don't know.

+ + +

I am saving money. But what can you do when you find a beautiful hundred dollar dress at 80% off? It is the most lovely and delicate thing, with layers of soft, rippled fabric.

Procrastinating?

2008-05-12T18:30:00.003-04:00

An outfit, started by the shoes. I know they are probably ugly but lately I am really into boat shoes. Look how cool and worn in!

1. Epice Scarf at Auto
2. Castlecliff necklace at Morning Glory Antiques and Jewelry
3. Ruffle cardigan at J. Crew
4. East/West tote at Target
5. Postal Co. notebooks at Auto
6. Penny Loves Kenny shoes at Lori's Shoes

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T12:49:00.002-04:00

Uncle William, Mommy, Uncle Jimmy, Dad

My dad, the superstar.

Flashback Friday: Escape (2004)

2008-05-09T23:49:00.006-04:00

This week's Flashback Friday is a piece I did my senior year in school. I think going back there reminded me of the work I used to do. The piece here is a pretty good example of most of my work back then; mainly vignettes, capturing moments in a person's life. In this case it was of a hotel cleaning lady, taking a break from work and reading a travel magazine.

I am cringing now because it sounds too obvious as I explain the piece to you.

I'd like to take some more photographs of it now, even just for documentation. You can't tell how small she is and how she is leaning forward, engrossed in the magazine. How one of her shoes is almost off because her feet are aching from the day.

I remember struggling so much with it back then. I didn't understand digital photography, what white balancing was. Or how to print it! What dpi was or the difference between cmyk and rgb. Using colored gels, renting huge lights. All for nothing because the printout would be blurry and was always too yellow or too red.

I think I will try to find all the old pieces and rephotograph. Yes! I will do it.

Better photostyling? Note flats part II.

2008-05-07T23:21:00.002-04:00

I wasn't satisfied with the first round of photos for these designs so I thought I'd give it another shot.

Coral Note Flat with envelope, $3

Pod Note Flat with envelope, $3

Algae Note Flat with envelope, $3

Shell Note Flat with envelope, $3

Branch Note Flat with envelope, $3

I think maybe the key was to really have fun with it. Whee!

New postcard designs

2008-05-06T12:22:00.000-04:00

These were a hit at the RISD sale and I just put them up in the webshop today. They are totally eco and fun to write on because of the yummy recycled paper chipboard. The back is lightly lined in silver ink so if you are rusty with the handwriting like I am, your notes will still be nice and neat.

Heart postcard, $2

Jungle postcard, $2

RISD Alumni Sale recap

2008-05-05T22:11:00.004-04:00

We had our snacks ready: goobers and sour patch. We had dumplings and turkey chedder wraps. Juice boxes, water. Both of us had printed out directions and had placed them in the order in which we would need them. Ipods and magazines. We were totally prepared.

The drive went fairly quickly and despite the weather, was not as long as Gina and I had expected. There wasn't much traffic until we were in Rhode Island and even that was just for a bit.

And there was RISD, just like we left it.

With a couple of changes.

After roaming Thayer Street, a Kabob and Curry dinner and dessert at the Creperie, we were pretty beat and got ourselves to the Ramada in Seekonk.

+ + +

Early next morning was the RISD Alumni Spring Sale. The turnout was huge; so much more than I had expected! We learned that we were not quite as prepared as originally thought because the weather was FREEZING and we were caught in our springtime clothing. Thank God for Gina, who ran back and forth to the food court and provided me with hot water the entire time and soup. An amazing friend, that Gina.

It was an amazing show despite the cold, grey, and the misting. I finally met Megan (MEGillustrations) who was so sweet and supportive!! She has been an inspiration to me for years and seeing her was full of awesome. Kathleen Losche (of cake & pie) also stopped by to say hello and that was also SO cool because I have been reading her blog for a while. And this is also where it gets wild: Kathleen's roommate at RISD was Caitlin Keegan, who is Sian Keegan's sister (who I worked with at Rare Device Brooklyn and makes CUTE fabric veggies and dogs), who has the funniest wiener dog in the world named Ollie. Ollie's brother, Gus, belongs to Lena Corwin, who I met at a Rare Device show, I think for Deadly Squire (also RISD alumni!). *brain explodes*

Moving on to more totally sweet jewelry networkingks.

A cool blond with rad glasses was looking at my work and being totally sweet when I saw her rings, which I loved and recognized as by Ananda Khalsa. So I was all hey you have rings by-- and she was all-- oh yeah I make these, and then I was like WHAT NO WAY I THINK YOUR WORK IS AWESOME and she said a bunch of nice things that I don't remember because I got all blushy and bashful and my mind ran away.

Teh interwebs ROCKS!

After the show was over, it was time to head over to Winthrop, MA. We drove through a small seaside town and was welcomed into Joanna's warm and lovely home, where I had the best Chinese takeout of my life and cuddled with two fluffy Maltese dogs while watching 27 Dresses. I fell asleep wrapped in flannel sheets, to the sound of waves crashing outside. It was nice.

The next day, after a huge brunch with AMAZING french toast, we were off. Since Providence was on the way back, we decided to drop back in. The sun was out for the first time that weekend and so we took an hour to soak in the RISD.

And then it was time to leave.

No Time to Waste

2008-04-30T16:42:00.005-04:00

I had to get over yesterday morning's little hiccup quick because Saturday is coming up fast and there is plenty to be done.

Although there is always enough time to take a photo of pretty dead things on the windowsill though. Probably should have used the time to toss them in the trash.

I'm not sure if I've posted about the details for Saturday's show yet but here they are:
RISD Alumni Spring Art Sale, May 3, 2008-- 10am - 4pm, rain or shine, on Benefit Street in Providence, RI. between Waterman and Hopkins Streets.

Stop by and say "hello, I read your blog!" I'm at table 45. It will be awkward but I will be pleased as hell and will have a tiny gift for you, maybe maybe.

It was an angry morning.

2008-04-29T23:44:00.000-04:00

After a rainy drive, I found the test site and was the second person in because I arrived 40 minutes early. The handwritten sign by the door told me that it was no longer necessary to arrive early as of March 8th or some such date. The elderly gentleman nervously told me that I was not on the registration list. I was not on the list. WTF, real estate school?!! I was on the phone with you when you were registering me. I heard you DO IT.

I hate you stupid back up plan.

A break from studying

2008-04-28T14:38:00.003-04:00

Some work in progress for the RISD sale this weekend.

I love bronze so much. They have the most wonderful looking patinas. There are three more designs in this box that will be added to the succulent collection: a large cuff bracelet and a couple pairs of bulby earrings. The additions will happen next week.
----
Also new: a free pair of sterling silver earrings with every jewelry purchase. Ends Mother's day (May 11, 2008).

Countdown

2008-04-24T14:08:00.004-04:00

5 more days til the test. 8 days til the show. This calls for a calming photo.

Mobile by Leah Pellegrini.

I like to wear uniforms. This one is mine.

Okay, back to hittin' the books!

Natural Historie

2008-04-23T11:26:00.003-04:00

It is totally unacceptable that I received this beautiful necklace in a swap weeks ago and haven't blogged to share my joy yet. For reals, what is my deal.

Jenny Vorwaller is the creative force behind Natural Historie. I love visiting her site (it's like going to a whole other country!) and I'm also excited to see this new polaroid book she is a part of.

Thank you, Jenny. I am enjoying this little slice of earth so much.

T. S. Harrington

2008-04-22T21:10:00.002-04:00

Tanya is a wonderful, incredibly talented photographer. Here are some of my favorites from the latest shoot she did for me; I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

There is such a lovely delicate quality to these photos. Click on them to zoom.

If you are looking for a photographer to do model shots, I highly recommend her!!

Opening up.

2008-04-22T02:31:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to go ahead and tag all my entries on this blog and it made me realize that I have been blogging here (albeit inconsistently) since October 2005.

Crazy, huh.

Reading through the entries reminded me of a time when I was a teenager and I found a journal I had kept for about a year, as a kid. I was so embarrassed with the style of writing that I decided that it wasn't worth keeping and tore out all the pages. It felt a little bit the same as I was going through my earlier entries but I resisted deleting or editing because in a couple of years I'll be glad I didn't.

My milkglass collection.

Jenny (of Wiksten fame) wrote me the sweetest email a while back when she found my blog. It was filled with complimentary things that I'm not sure I deserved. But what struck me the most was that she said I spoke honestly. I didn't really know what she meant at the time but I think I do now. I realize that I write differently now though because I know people are reading.

I want to get back to that sort of openness. Starting now, I suppose!

I am having a hard time this week. In addition to the adjustment I've got to make because Lars is back in Atlanta, there is a bunch of stuff coming up-- I am taking a real estate licensing exam next week. My business is doing really well so I haven't been studying like I should. If I could rely on only the income from my business, that would be wonderful. But it's not quite there yet and although I do feel like it will get there soon, my mom has convinced me that this is a good back up plan to have. Maybe I'm losing my idealism a bit and just let myself get caught up in the practicality of the whole thing. It is probably smart to do. There is still a bit of an internal struggle there though.

Samples of stainless steel plated with 14k gold. Satin finish.

The other stuff that's coming up is the RISD sale. Gina and I will be taking a little road trip; it's going to be so nice to be back in Providence. Praying for good weather. Meanwhile I am churning out stuff. There are some last minute designs that I'm waiting for from the caster. It was actually finished a couple weeks ago but I hadn't followed up properly so I just found out that they were done-- they were calling the wrong number so I hadn't gotten any messages.

More problems: ordering labels. PMS 185 is red. A slight typo on their part made it PMS 183, which is pink. I have 1000 pink labels. I hate it when this sort of thing happens because I can't use them but it is such a waste to throw them away.

In good news, I received several wood blocks that I ordered from a boat builder on etsy. They are cedar, which was fairly lightweight and inexpensive, but stained to look like teak. I am so excited about using these to display my new things. Every show is an opportunity to make things look a little more pro.

I also got photos in by my wonderful photographer, T.S. Harrington. I'll do a dedicated post tomorrow because her work just blows me away. Mucho props to Leah, the model too! I love her enigmatic expressions.

Lastly, I did a little change in design on the blog. It's spring and I need a fresh start!

Moments from Lars' Trip

2008-04-21T16:08:00.004-04:00

The highlight: a tiny picnic at Central Park on a sunny day. Vosges (deep milk chocolate with salty applewood bacon), piave cheese and rosemary/red onion crackers. Riesling. So good.

More to see at my flickr.

Stopping in to say hello

2008-04-17T23:14:00.003-04:00

I have been gone this week because one of my favorite human beings is in town for a visit. Maybe in a month or two, he will be in town permanently? Until then, just enjoying these brief moments will have to be enough.

Be back on Monday.

(Happy birthday, Logan!)

Flashback Friday: Fundevogel

2008-04-11T23:33:00.005-04:00

Instead of sharing a photo this week, here is a story from one of my favorites books I owned as a kid, Grimm's Fairy Tales from the Illustrated Junior Library. We didn't own many books-- my mom took us to the library instead-- so the few we owned were precious to me.

This is a very strange story but I sorta love it. Enjoy.

-----------------------------

Fundevogel

There was once a forester who went into the woods to hunt, and he heard a cry like that of a little child. He followed the sound and at last came to a big tree where a tiny child was sitting high up on one of the top branches. The mother had gone to sleep under the tree, and a bird of prey, seeing the child on her lap, had flown down and carried it off in its beak to the top of the tree.

The forester climbed the tree and brought down the child, thinking to himself, "I will take it home, and bring it up with my own little Lina."

So he took it home, and the two children were brought up together. The foundling was called Fundevogel, because it had been found by a bird. Fundevogel and Lina were so fond of each other that they could not bear to be out of each other's sight.

Now the forester had an old cook, who one evening took two pails and began carrying water. She did not go once but many times, backwards and forwards to the well.

Lina saw this and said, "Dear me, Sanna, why are you carrying so much water?"

"If you will not tell anyone, I will tell you why."

Lina said no, she would not tell anyone.

So then the cook said, "Tomorrow morning early, when the forester goes out hunting, I am going to boil the water. And when it bubbles in the kettle, I am going to throw Fundevogel into it and boil him."

Next morning the forester got up very early and went out hunting, leaving the children still in bed.

Then said Lina to Fundevogel, "Never forsake me, and I will never forsake you."

And Fundevogel answered, "I will never forsake you."

Then Lina said, "I must tell you now. Old Sanna brought in so many pails of water last night that I asked her what she was doing. She said if I would not tell anybody she would tell me what it was for. So I promised not to tell anybody, and she said that in the morning, when our father had gone out hunting, she would fill the kettle, and when it was boiling she would throw you into it and boil you. Now we must get up quickly, dress ourselves, and run away."

So the children got up, dressed quickly, and left the house.

When the water boiled, the cook went to their bedroom to fetch Fundevogel to throw him into it. But when she entered the room and went to the bed, both the children were gone. She was terribly frightened and said to herself, "Whatever am I to say to the forester when he comes home and finds the children gone? We must hurry after them and get them back." So the cook dispatched three menservants to catch up with the children and bring them back.

The children were sitting near a wood, and when they saw the three men a great way off, Lina said to Fundevogel, "Do not forsake me, and I will never forsake you."

And Fundevogel answered, "I will never forsake you and long as I live."

Then Lina said, "You must turn into a rosebush, and I will be a rosebud upon it."

When the three men reached the wood, they found nothing but a rosebush with one rosebud on it. No children were to be seen. They said to each other, "There is nothing to be done here."

So they went home and told the cook that they had seen nothing whatever but a rosebush with one rosebud on it.

The old cook scolded them and said, "You boobies, you ought to have hacked the rosebush to pieces, broken off the bud and brought it home to me. Off with you at once and do it." So they had to start off again on their search.

But the children saw them a long way off and Lina said to Fundevogel, "Do not forsake me, and I will never forsake you."

Fundevogel said, "I will never forsake you as long as I live."

Then said Lina, "You must become a church, and I will be the chandelier in it."

Now when the three men came up they found nothing but a church with a chandelier in it. And they said to each other, "What are we to do here? We had better go home again."

When they reached the house, the cook asked if they had not found anything. They said, "Nothing but a church with a chandelier in it."

"You fools!" screamed the cook. "Why did you not destroy the church and bring me the chandelier?" Then the old cook put her best foot foremost and started herself with the three men in pursuit of the children.

But the children saw the three men in the distance, and the old cook waddling behind them. Then said Lina, "Fundevogel, do not forsake me, and I will never forsake you."

And he said, "I will never forsake you as long as I live."

Lina said, "You must become a pond, and I will be the duck swimming upon it."

When the cook reached the pond, she lay down beside it to drink it up, but the duck swam quickly forward, seized her head with his bill, and dragged her under water. So the old witch was drowned.

Then the children went home together as happy as possible, and if they are not dead yet, then they are still alive.

A Morning in Photos

2008-04-10T10:28:00.002-04:00

Smock/Apron Tutorial.. ish.

2008-04-09T13:48:00.004-04:00

Intro: The following isn't exactly a tutorial. If you like this project and want to try it on your own, I've included photos of the process-- it's all pretty straightforward and I did this in about an hour. It's a nice project if you have just a bit of cute upholstery or just some heavy fabric that isn't enough to do anything else with. I plan to use this as my work apron and will probably make another one out of nicer fabric to use at shows because the pockets are at the perfect height for whatever you need at hand.

1: Using a dress as a guideline, I cut this first piece out. (It is about 25" from top to bottom.)

2: I then cut 2 pieces for the straps (3" wide) and 2 larger rectangular pieces for the pockets and the back.

3. I attached the straps and hemmed (proper term?) the whole piece.

4. I attached the pocket.

5. Then I attached the back-- first the sides and then the straps.

The finished back of apron.

The finished front! It's hard to see here but I sewed some dividers so I can keep stuff separate while I'm using the apron. (My tiny monkey feet make an appearance.)

A Craft Show Tip

2008-04-07T23:55:00.002-04:00

I got this tip in a really helpful article about how to improve sales at craft shows. Gift certificates! The best ideas are really just that simple. Even if I don't end up selling many of them, they're great to have on hand just in case.

These were made with a combination of rubber stamping and gocco on textured paper. I am thinking about rounding their corners but I'm not entirely sure yet. Thoughts?

Photos from last weekend.

2008-04-06T21:05:00.005-04:00

Canadian Nick came down to visit; here are photos from Sunday dinner at Gina's. I made a bunny for the pie (which promptly started to burn) and had a fun making cucumber flowers for the salad. Laura knows how to have a good time.

Thanks for the camera tips, Nick! I hope you had a fantastic trip. (All photos here are courtesy of our visitor and his fancypants tiny camera.)

Saturday Shopgirl

2008-04-06T01:55:00.003-04:00

It was a crazy busy day at Rare Device today, things flying off shelves! This was a brief moment of quiet. Weather was fantastic. I hope it keeps up tomorrow for those of you exhibiting at the Brooklyn Flea- I want so badly to stop by but there is jewelry work to be done and packages to ship.

Before that all happens, it is time for some sleep.

Where have I been?

2008-04-05T01:57:00.003-04:00

Where? Oh I'll tell you where. Taxes. Web work. New product. Doing my one woman production line thing. Studying to get my real estate license. (Good idea or not, who knows. I pretty much go back and forth on the issue.) Dieting.*

What I want to be doing: shopping. Making a new smocky top. Milling around in a bookstore. Eating BK fries.

I'll tell you what else. I want to be allowed to wear other people's jewelry! I know I MAKE jewelry, but I also like other people's! While I am complaining about stuff, I also want to be making more money! To buy stuff, but ALSO so I can spend it on inventory! I would also like more of my proceeds to go to charity! BAH!

I'm obviously in a mood. I'll see you next week.

* The real source of my sour mood?

Custom Name Necklace: Done!

2008-04-01T22:08:00.003-04:00

And on its way to Australia. I hope she loves!

Photos from this weekend to come, courtesy of an international visitor.

Just finished The E Myth Revisited, an interesting read. Not all the things covered in the book are necessarily applicable to my own small business but very encouraging. I am re-inspired to think and dream big.

Out of the tumbler.

2008-03-27T23:28:00.003-04:00

Just a process photo tonight. You'll see there's a custom piece amongst the usuals; one of my favorite commissions thus far.

French Ultramarine

2008-03-26T14:55:00.003-04:00

The weather is gorgeous in NY these days. Yesterday, enormous rolls of industrial wool felt arrived. It is surprisingly soft to the touch; ideas are blooming!

It looks as though this will be the last watercolor for a while. Too many projects in the works to do more for now. Enjoy. :)

The Yellow Dress

2008-03-25T11:37:00.004-04:00

A continuation of the love affair with Winsor Yellow Deep. I did the previous painting and then I decided I hadn't had enough of the color so I quickly did this one.

At this point I start to enjoy the slight smiles on their little white faces. Stay tuned tomorrow for one more painting. Will it be the last? I don't know yet but they sure are fun to do.

Winsor Yellow Deep

2008-03-24T17:01:00.004-04:00

watercolor, pencil.

It was all about watercolor on Sunday. Taking a break from the usual. This is first in a series of 3, hopefully more if that particular creative rush hasn't run out. At this point I have a nice little grouping of watercolor girls in a similar style-- I think maybe a nice coffee table portfolio might be something to do soon.

I <3 Boston!

2008-03-20T22:38:00.004-04:00

My first newspaper press! And in the Boston Globe! Thank you, Holly of Decor8! And thanks to all the people who were so excited for me and bought copies of the paper and showed their support!! Also to my brother who picked up a copy for me. Look, there I am!!

I'm all exclamations today but I don't care. YAY!

Self portrait: The Freckle

2008-03-19T23:08:00.006-04:00

The freckle that I hated as a child. I used to try to pick it off and then one day someone at school told me that picking at it would cause cancer. And if I had to choose between this thing and a tumor growing out of my face, I choose this.

Dear FutureMe,

2008-03-18T16:26:00.005-04:00

I came upon this website where you can write an email to yourself-- to be received in the future. How awesome is that? A time capsule for the digital age.

Pretty sure I'm going to do it but I think I'll need some time to mull over what I would say.

I suppose it could also be used to email someone in the future. You know that feeling you get when you find a letter that someone had written to you years ago?

What a lovely gift that would be.

I love jewelry, but..

2008-03-17T15:04:00.005-04:00

I am so excited to be designing something else. Don't get me wrong-- ever since I discovered jewelry design, life has been super shiny. But getting the chance to design something that utilizes a bit more of my educational background has been so much fun.

(This is the final product mentioned in an earlier post.)

And they are finished! They are flat note cards in colorful patterns made up of sea life motifs. (Eco-friendly of course!) Hopefully they make you happy to look at. Totally for sale, just click on the image.

I have been holding them and squealing all weekend. Folks, this is the life of an independent designer.

+ + +
edit: I totally did not realize but I inadvertently copied Michelle's photo styling here. Michelle! I am sorry. Eep.

Flashback Friday: First Grade

2008-03-14T23:55:00.006-04:00

Click to zoom.

I had a blast in first grade. I don't actually remember much of it but I seem to recall a class hamster and tons of coloring. Eeny meeny miney moe. Where's Laura?

Hi!

Sunny day inspiration continues.

2008-03-13T15:46:00.007-04:00

I have always been an awful seamstress. Sewing is not a craft that I've ever been successful at-- there is a pile of half finished projects at the bottom of my closet. A couple months ago I tried to restructure a couple of sweaters and failed oh so miserably and vowed never to sew again. Leave it to the professionals, I said. (Never take me seriously when I say stuff like that.)

Something I realized after this project: amateur sewers, heavy fabrics are your friend. They stay in place with minimal effort so you can focus on sewing a straight(ish) line. I cheered every time I finished a stitch. It hits at the hip, tunic length. I added a tiny stitched pleat detail for structural interest. The color is a sort of cornmeal. I am still in disbelief that I made something that I will actually wear and that it only took me 30 minutes. I couldn't wait to photo it so I skipped the ironing, hee.

It's got it problems for sure, there are some squiggly stitch lines and puckering, but I like to think it adds to the charm of a handmade piece. I am seriously chuffed!

A good work week.

2008-03-12T23:03:00.004-04:00

The weather has been just perfect lately. Sunny clear skies make everything seem rosier. I am wearing a new-to-me wool shirt in the photo. It belonged to my mother. I always thought I loved all vintage but I think there is something extra special in mommy vintage.

I look a little sad there too but it's actually just pre-morning coffee laura.

There were a few happy things in my inbox today from customers that were encouraging and wonderful. It's weeks like these that make me believe it's all going to work out.

This past weekend.

2008-03-11T01:02:00.004-04:00

It was a really nice one for me-- I don't usually spend it doing much else other than working but I got a chance to catch up with some friends and it was just what I needed. Mondays are always so much more productive when the weekend is restful.

Sunday was daylight savings and I hate losing the extra hour of sleep but having the sun stay out longer makes it so worth it. I am starting to slack with the photos and the posting but I hope nicer days will inspire me to do it more often.

Today's highlight was having a slice of leftover chocolate chip cake from my dinner (with very pleasant company) at Alice's Teacup. It went perfectly with coffee that had come all the way from Winthrop, Mass; a gift from my favorite seaside dweller. I must say this: I am a pretty lucky girl.

(The photo is one that I ended up using for my website. This is the uncropped version. It was taken last week; the day before the torrential rains that lasted for two whole days. I love all the cumulus nimbus!)

New collection is finally here!

2008-03-05T16:39:00.005-05:00

And a whole shiny new website. Hooray hooray!! Please come by, I would love for you to visit.

Bits and pieces.

2008-03-03T21:37:00.006-05:00

Today: A very nice conversation with my new green printer. Yes! Eco-friendly paper products in the near future.

I set up google analytics for this blog and it looks like I have readers from all over the world. Poland even! Hi Poland!

New site going live this week. Very excited about it but also anxious about some cart troubles.

Got in touch with a high school classmate this week. It was really nice, really pleasant.

Grey is so hot these days but people still love a punch of color in their jewelry, especially for warmer weather. This is a sweet blend of the two trends. Also: giraffes are cool.

Flashback Friday: More 1984?

2008-03-01T00:55:00.003-05:00

My mother tells me this photo is from 1984 but I look like I got big lots that year. Remember my scary scary doll?

Grey day.

2008-02-26T23:44:00.004-05:00

It was a gray and rainy day today. Maybe tomorrow it will be prettier? My mood is always so affected by the weather. Ick.

(It's been a while since the last self portrait. Here is me before going off to class.)

Mm, milkglass.

2008-02-25T23:07:00.003-05:00

I just came into several really really lovely milkglass pieces and am slowly putting them up in the etsy store. They are heavy and feel wonderful in the hand.

Flashback Friday: more 1984, me & momz.

2008-02-22T22:36:00.003-05:00

I just realized I have a pink sweater vest that looks really close to what I'm wearing in this photo. Also check out that greeting card string display! Crafty.

Stumbling around the web

2008-02-21T22:56:00.004-05:00

I'm sure I am the very last person who has started to use Stumbleupon. For the last couple months, I've noticed about a hundred percent increase on my jewelry site hits and the bulk of it was coming from Stumbleupon sites.

I finally got around to checking it out and I love it. They show me sites I totally dig and I don't do a damn thing. How great is that?!? I'm going to share the sites I've stumbled upon (hee.) a little bit at a time as not to overwhelm. The first is this (Sian, this one is for you.):

You're not going to believe it, but this is an acorn mp3 player. A 1 GB mp3 player.

+ + +

My buddy shared a video with me today; a classmate of ours from RISD has a band called Yeasayer and was on Conan. I really loved this song surprisingly, because it's not what I usually listen to.

Webby & Socksum.

2008-02-20T19:54:00.002-05:00

For the past few months, I've been working with Aeolidia on a new website. They are so great and have created websites for lots of online businesses that you have probably heard of. Things are so close to being finished and I couldn't wait to share so here's a screenshot of the home page of the new site.
Eek, I really love it. Besides it being (hopefully for you guys!) super easy to navigate, the back end of it is really sweet and processing orders will be a big fat piece of cake.

To celebrate the launch, I'm thinking about some special giveaway or promo but I haven't figured out what just yet. More brainstorming!

+ + +

I'm pretty sure that I've shared my source for tights und socks. If you know me in person then you've definitely heard me rave about them. Anyway I buy E.G. Smith cotton tights and wear them, oh, 5 days out of the week. Recently, Sock Dreams has stopped carrying their tights due to quality issues (?!?!) and I'm freaking out a little bit.

While I was there, I got to browsing a bit and found these:

I never use this word, but hot. If only knee highs stayed up for me. And my calves were less massive. And I had that smokin' tattoo.

Sleepy much?

2008-02-19T23:43:00.001-05:00

You know how you know when you're tired? When you read the word "wayside" as "waysicle" and you get really excited that someone would come up with such a cool new word.

Monahnumday.

2008-02-18T23:05:00.003-05:00

Forgive my loopiness; I have been working in front of the computer all day and didn't even make it over to Curiosita. There was a sudden rush of creative energy that I decided to roll with. The result was 7 patterns that I am mostly happy with (and a couple that I wasn't). It was really fun and not something I've ever done so it's a pleasant surprise. I would love to show them to you but it will be so much more fun to show the final product. Until then, here is a glimpse.

I'm going to take off but I leave you with a music video. Matt Costa. I find it completely charming.

Flashback Friday: 1984ish

2008-02-15T23:22:00.002-05:00

My first home: Ridgewood, Brooklyn. Posing with bff: chicken car.

A little bit baby, a little bit old lady. Not much has changed. Have a great weekend!

Valentine Gifts

2008-02-14T22:29:00.007-05:00

I received this in the mail:

Ernst Haeckel's Art Forms in Nature.

So beautiful and inspirational. I wish I could just sit with you and show you all of it. He also took a hint from Housemartin's post about Clinton Friedman's book and picked me up a copy!! I'm not even going to show you his amazing photos because I can't choose just one.. you'll just have to go by his site. You won't regret it!

These are happy books. Thank you, buddy.

Inspiration Board: Succulent Collection

2008-02-13T22:12:00.006-05:00

(Best viewed large. Please click on the image!)

Sharing my inspiration board for the new Succulent collection that will be coming out very soon. (It's like giving birth or somethin!) The reason it's taking so long is that launching is supposed to coincide with the new site launch but I've been having technical problems. Crossing my fingers that things will go smoothly from now til the end of February! I'm going to try to make the boards available on the Prismera site, what do you think? Customers might appreciate seeing the process. Enjoy.

Snow Day

2008-02-12T16:23:00.002-05:00

It's a pretty sort of snow day today.

I'm taking a little break from work to listen to some Nellie McKay. Listen with me?

Full Schedule

2008-02-11T18:59:00.002-05:00

Works in progress.

Chinese New Year

The almost perfect shoe. These ones are going back, sadly. I tried to make them work but they are only meant for pretty leggy girls like Jenny. (Speaking of Jennies, welcome back to the States, girly!)

Ending the weekend with my perfect shoe. Ideal for dashing around in shirtdresses and my small collection of tights. For all favorite activities: roaming the streets, people watching in cafes, museum trips, photojournalisming.

I have new to me music to share: The Weakerthans. Their Reunion Tour cd is on repeat all day. Make sure you listen to Virtute The Cat Explains Her Departure. (It makes me miss Gherkin, who is probably having the time of his life in Nashville. Being fed people food.)

Happy Year of the Rat

2008-02-06T14:58:00.002-05:00

I do a little doodle for you all. Also check my baby Chinese handwriting. I still got it.

Tomorrow is the new year and I will be stuffing my face with all sorts of cake. Not fluffy sweet baked egg cake but sticky rice based cakes that are dense and gooey and delicious.

Also guess what?! I was able to score a table at the RISD alumni show for May. It's going to be hot and gross lugging stuff around but Providence! I'm finally doing it.

Slow Start

2008-02-04T22:08:00.002-05:00

It's a little bit of a slow start this week, with getting over the flu and waiting for the website situation to be resolved. I may be moving in several months, that's all up in the air so I've started putting books in boxes. Books that I don't usually have a chance to take a look at, such as The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy. Anyway it's alot of waiting and cleaning and pondering. And the making of roast pork buns.

+ + +

In other news, I've waited a week to announce this because I wanted to make sure it stuck; I have a tendency to get excited about things that never really come to fruition.

A new blog to add to your readers-- it's a place for me to put some of the random things I'm interested in but have nowhere to go. Updated every Monday. Please take a look at Curiosita. The first post was about European starlings and today's post was about antique depression glass. At the very least, you'll see some pretty pictures. I also welcome people who happen to know about the topics to put more info in the comments section. I'm pretty excited about this because I am always googling or absorbing random information in books so it's nice to know I've got someplace to write about it.

(Right now: trying to catch up to what happening in politics. Halp!)

photo credits:
top photo by blue willow collections.
bottom photo is a print by roz stewart.

Flashback Friday: circa 1992

2008-02-01T23:55:00.001-05:00

I came upon this while looking through childhood folders.. I'm assuming this was some sort of attempt at a school report on the benefits of candy?

(I was also going through my fountain pen phase.)

Breathe.

2008-01-31T23:22:00.001-05:00

Really lovely, simple pieces by Etsy seller Paloma's Nest. I'd love to use this as an every jewelry dish. Pottery.. just another thing I want to learn.

It's easy for me to get distracted but I've resolved to try my best to stick with jewelry. Maybe some way to combine the two? ;)

If you remember a post a while ago about experimenting with an alternate jewelry making material, you might have an inkling about a new collection that is in its very beginning stages. (After my bronze goodness comes out, which I hope is soon but I have been running into some major technical difficulties. My trouble is not my hosting company OR my ISP so who knows. All day, on the phone with customer service.)

Keeping my sights set on the bigger picture. And breathe.

Okay.

2008-01-30T14:12:00.001-05:00

Who is responsible for this?!

Little Hearts.

2008-01-29T22:29:00.001-05:00

A sweet little thing-- I'm only carrying it until the end of February. All sterling silver with pale blue aquamarine accents.

Who's ready for spring?

2008-01-28T11:35:00.002-05:00

Ooh, me.

Shara Porter

2008-01-25T23:53:00.001-05:00

New Shara Porter wallets at Rare Device. I really, really, really love them.

Custom Orders

2008-01-24T22:56:00.001-05:00

Sometimes custom projects are a pain, but most of the time it's pretty gratifying. I mean, you get to give someone a piece of work that they've always wanted. The best end result, though, is when the client knows that you are not just a laborer but a skilled creative person. They acknowledge that you, the designer, could have some ideas on best to complete the piece. The best clients share their goals, give direction, but are open to hearing suggestions. The work really stands on its own when it's honestly collaborative.

I say all this because I had an A+++ client recently. She knew what she wanted, saw my work as a whole, liked the style and hired me. She didn't hire me because I could make a laser cut piece-- there are manufacturers who you can contact to do that sort of thing. The whole process was so easy and painless, she was patient and sweet and paid on time. Basically the perfect client!

I never thought to do a ginkgo leaf because there are many people who use this motif in their jewelry designs. I was open to the challenge though, of creating one that looked different from the usual fan shaped leaf on a stem.

The photo's a little grungy but you get the idea. :)

Stainless steel leaf on 18" sterling silver chain.

Productiveness feels GREAT.

2008-01-23T16:34:00.001-05:00

I am finally finished with the new jewelry collection and all that's left to do is to ship the pieces to be photographed on models. I'll give you a tiny peek of one of the photos that I did. I hope people love these too.. I won't wish for the same response as Flora because that would just be too much.

It's a tiny collection, only 5 pieces. After working with stainless steel for so long, it felt really nice to work with another metal and bronze has such a beautiful raw quality to it. I was going to plate these in 18 k gold but after I finished texturing these, I didn't feel like they needed the upgrade. They will oxidize and develop a patina with time but much more slowly and less so than brass or silver.

I'm not sure when the collection will be ready for purchase but it will be soon, I hope!

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The last thing I wanted to share was this adorable video which I found via Modish. Georges is a boy who likes to make things-- in this video, he teaches how to make a paper box. How great is this kid?!

A little window shopping.

2008-01-22T00:57:00.002-05:00

I never look at the Urban catalog that comes in the mail but I just decided to flip through this time and saw this sweet camera bag. After getting hooked on this style, I came upon this vintage Dooney & Bourke.

I think they would be great for when spring comes around and everyone just want to carry as little as possible. It is freezing these days; I am so ready for the next season to come.

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I've been having trouble sleeping because my schedule is flipped around again (you'll notice last night's post was at around 3:30 am). I thought I'd try the calming tea that Lars bought me.. and it actually works.

As a matter of fact, I'm ready to crash right now.

Saturday Festivities

2008-01-21T03:34:00.001-05:00

Location: The Gallery Bar
At the end of the day, she's a good egg. Happy birthday, homie. Wishing you good health, happiness, and many more years of.. well, this: