jewelry of the month postponed

after a great deal of thought i have decided to indefinitely postpone jewelry of the month. i am finding my studio work to be incredibly demanding in the most exciting and rewarding way and i am not able to devote the time and energy necessary to make jewelry of the month worthwhile. i really loved designing and making jewelry of the month and i might continue it in the future when the timing is better. for now i will continue to sell the remaining pieces on etsy and will keep you informed if things change, of course.
thanks so much to everyone who purchased pieces from the project and for all the great compliments.

p.s. as a little reminder, all remaining jewelry of the month pieces are $10 off and shipping is free all via etsy.

thanks for reading.

deconstructed box and other things

here are a few images of some new work i made for the american craft exposition. the deconstructed box brooch is very exciting to me. i've been struggling with one-of-a-kind vs. production jewelry and i think i am finally beginning to move forward. this piece was made with three different angular elements i made a few weeks ago and it feels very much one-of-a-kind to me. i also made another edition to the stateline series and a few simple line drawing bracelets.


thanks for reading.

plush jewels

i just sent this felt necklace and brooch to fancy, one of my favorite stores in seattle. fancy is hosting a plush jewelry show, "plush jewels," in conjunction with the annual "plush you" show hosted by schmancy toys. the show opens in october.


there will be two openings...

friday, oct. 9th at fancy, schmancy and nancy
saturday, oct. 10th on capital hill along with faythe levine's screening of handmade nation

(more details to follow)

images by hank drew

thanks for reading.

nuit blanche

i will be part of nuit blanche in toronto, an exhibition presented by the metal arts guild of canada. the exhibition will feature a collection of "10,000 metal objects symbolizing the combined 10 years of dedication it takes to create one craftsman." i sent 6 copper samples. the collection will be on display the night of nuit blanche, october 3, 2009. i know the guild still needs objects and anyone can participate. here's a link to a fun video about the project.

thanks for reading.

american craft exposition

i leave for the american craft exposition next tuesday. i've been working on one-of-a-kind pieces for this show, both line drawings and borderlines. the above picture is a new brooch which i am really excited about. i think a big necklace needs to happen next.
i will be one of 12 different emerging artists at the show. we will be grouped together much like at the acc searchlight show i did back in february. the other emerging jewelers are grace chin (first image below) and genevieve yang (second image below). the list of other jewelers is pretty incredible (biba schutz, sandra enterline, pat flynn to name a few) and i am excited to see their work in person.

the show takes place in evanston, il, near chicago. i've never been to chicago before and i am looking forward to spending some time there. i here the museums and food are excellent!


show details:
ameican craft exposition
henry crown sports pavilion, northwestern university
2311 n. campus drive, at lincoln street and the lakefront
evanston, il
friday, aug 28 10am-8pm
saturday, aug 29 10am-6pm
sunday, aug 30 11am-5pm

tickets are $12 advance, $15 at the door and are good for all 3 days

thanks for reading.

auction pictures

here's a link to a fantastic slide show of auction images including one in my studio. (it's the 15th one in the set.)

all photos are by robin dryer, penland's incredible photographer.

thanks for reading.

auction recap

the penland auction was pretty incredible, exciting, busy, tiring, exciting..."breakfast at the barns," the resident artists' event, was the busiest hour and half i have ever experienced. a lot of work walked out the door.
following the breakfast was a luncheon and live auction. the michael sherril piece featured on the cover of the catalog (see top) went for $31,000. it was a thrilling moment for everyone, not just for those bidding. my piece (pictured below from the catalog) was auctioned off during this event as well. i was a nervous wreck as the bidding began and was not able to settle down until it was over. afterward i went back to my studio to welcome last minute visitors as they headed home. joe sam queen, our senator, stopped by and purchased some earrings. that was a pretty exciting way to end the event for sure!
thanks for reading.

auction!

the penland benefit auction has begun. i just got home from the day's events including meet the artists reception, auction preview, cocktails and live music, dinner, live auction, and dessert reception. what a fun night! i am home "early" to try to get some sleep before day 2 begins tomorrow bright and early at 7:30am. the residents will be gathering then to finish preparations for "breakfast at the barns" which begins at 9am.

here are a few pictures - my studio and the beautiful flowers given to me by the school.

thanks for reading.

auction prep and new necklace

the annual penland benefit auction starts this friday and i've been busy making all kinds of jewelry for the occasion. auction attendees will be touring the penland campus and visiting the resident studios throughout the weekend. then on saturday we host "breakfast at the barns," a studio tour and sale with pastries and coffee. i've been told this 1 1/2 hour event can be very busy as well as the weekend in general, but who knows what will happen this year with the economy...i feel prepared and ready for whatever happens.

i started this necklace for the event two weeks ago and finished it the other day. i made it using mostly scraps from my scrap bin. the largest shape is from weeks ago and is something i just did not like after i made it. i challenged myself to use it as the focal point for a new piece and added the pop-up cut-outs to complement it. when i first finished it it didn't feel right to me so i let it hang out for a week. then i went back at it and made a few adjustments - i removed the popped-up parts, added a few more cut-outs, made it a bit longer, and made the center piece asymmetrical. then i flipped it so the staple-like connections are now face forward. now i like it.

thanks for reading.