show preparations

over the past few weeks i've been spending a great deal of time preparing for the buyers market of american craft, a huge wholesale show in philadelphia from august 2-4. there will be hundreds of vendors and buyers there. i've never done a show on this scale before and i have to say the preparations can be overwhelming. designing and creating my booth is the main source of these feelings. it's a daunting task when you have no idea what you're doing! (at least it feels like i have no idea what i'm doing...) i developed a schedule last night outlining all the things that must be done before i leave for the show on july 31. i think as long as i review it daily and stick to the schedule i will be fine with the least number of tears shed/stress had.

i spent last week making samples. i have today and tomorrow to complete them. today i also have to order a bunch of stuff, like new postcards and my booth furniture, which i have decided to rent.

i'll try to have some good images to post tomorrow.

now i have to go. my schedule says "studio - 9am" and i haven't showered or eaten breakfast yet.

thanks for reading.

guest star friday no. 17...maria joão ribeiro

today's guest star is maria joão ribeiro from portugal. i find her work irresistibly appealing. her color combinations are an unusual mix of vibrant and muted shades that work perfectly together. i am also drawn to the wonderful textures she creates through mixing materials and techniques. i chose a necklace, brooch, bracelet, and ring image to share with you here, but there are so many more fantastic pieces to see. her etsy shop and flickr site are definitely worth a (long) visit.

thanks for reading.

facebook

i created a facebook business profile page recently. you'll find images of my work, my blog posts, and event listings. the fun part is that you can become my "fan" by clicking "become a fan." you'll find the page under ".amy tavern metalsmith/jewelry designer."
also, i recently added new photos to my website of my plastic egg jewelry, including the plastic egg earrings, necklace, and egg and bean charm necklace. the plastic egg necklace is now available in a large size in addition to the original small size. there are new colors as well - gray, translucent red, translucent white, and a more vibrant turquoise. the images are no longer shown with white eggs, now they are turquoise. i am very pleased with the new look. they are just lovely and really pop from the page.
thanks for reading.

item of the week

this week's item of the week is the egg and bean charm necklace. i added this design to my egg and bean collection a few years ago because of the positive response a similar version recevied when i wore it to a trunk show. the evening of the event i was frantically getting ready and as per usual i did not have any jewelry of my own to wear. (i rarely make things for myself.) i had a few miscellaneous egg and bean shapes laying on my bench so i grabbed them and threaded them on a long chain as i walked out the door. that evening i got many comments on the necklace. i really liked it, too. it reminded me of a charm necklace i had when i was a kid. i also liked it because of its interchangeable possibilities. when it was time to design my new items for spring i added the egg and bean charm necklace.

today i offer this necklace in 5 colors - black, red, white, turquoise, and gray.
please enjoy 20% off the egg and bean charm necklace for the week, july 8-14. regularly $130, on sale for $104.

thanks for reading.

guest star friday no. 16...julia turner

since it's the 4th of july i decided to write about a jeweler from the u.s. for today's guest star friday post. that jeweler is julia turner from san francisco. i absolutely love julia's work. it is so elegant in its composition and construction. this work seems incredibly thoughtful, like each step in its' creation was chosen specifically. however, through what appears to be an incredibly light touch, the pieces retain a certain spontaneity.
you can view more of julia's work at her website.

thanks for reading. enjoy the 4th.

jewelry of the month is here!

it's july 1 and jewelry of the month begins today! the first pieces in my jewelry of the month collection, available exclusively at my website, are a series of five necklaces in sterling silver and cotton embroidery floss. the shapes and colors are inspired by my recent trip to greece and the rich, varied colors of the aegean sea. only one of each piece pictured has been made. each will remain available until sold or july 31, whichever is first.

the colors from left are: crete, santorini, mykonos, delos, naxos

each necklace is $75 and comes with a numbered and signed card.

jewelry of the month is a way for me to realize designs that don’t fit into my regular collections or studio jewelry. these pieces are an opportunity to take ideas from sketchbook to workbench and share them with you.

each edition will be limited to less than 10 and will come with a numbered and signed card. each item will sell for under $120. i plan to use unusual materials like vintage wallpaper, new techniques like sewing, and i will collaborate with friends who work in other media like glass and clay.

if you would like advance notice, please send me an email to sign up for my jewelry of the month mailing list.

thanks for reading.

item of the week

this week's item of the week are the simple layered earrings. these earrings are made of three different sized circles, all hammered flat. when i was designing my layered collection, i wanted to create earrings with a bit of an edge, but they also had to be very wearable. this simple, asymmetrical design had both elements.

also, i am a child of the 80's and remember lots of big circle earrings and mismatched earrings from that time. i often think about what i wore and what was in style when i was growing up. sometimes those memories make it into my collections.

please enjoy 20% off the simple layered earrings for the week, july 1-july 7. regularly $72, on sale for $57.60

thanks for reading.