Old Photos

I've been thinking a lot lately about my style of jewelry and what I'm trying to say through my pieces and what inspires me to create these designs. I'm really intrigued by instances where nature meets and merges with our industrial lifestyle.

Well, tonight I was going through some old things, and I found these photos that I took back in summer 1998. (Thinking back, I remember borrowing my brother's camera and driving around the countryside to shoot these.) So it's nice to remember that it's not new for me to be inspired by the intersection of things natural and modern.

Slowly...

... they're starting to look like real pendants...

Spiffy new banner

So I updated my banner above. What do you think? I also updated the banner on my etsy shop and I did a big update of my website. I think it looks cleaner and more modern. Ooh la la.


I'm still trying to sort out a tagline. I like the idea of having a tagline because it gives me a quick and simple way to describe my work and draw someone in. Especially with several shows coming up - I can use all the help I can get to pull people over to my booth(s). The problem is that I've spent so much time thinking about what sort of language to use that it's all a big jumble in my head. Which is where you come in... If you had to pick two or three words to describe my jewelry - the style, the feeling, the construction - what would they be? I would so greatly appreciate any thoughts. (You can just leave 'em in the comments.)

Making the most of my weekend

This week was a perfect example of why it can be so hard to juggle jewelry-making and another full-time job. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I had to be at the office much much too early for a training (seriously, 6:15am?!). Which, needless to say, meant that I was tired to the point of delirious by the time I got home. I did a little bit of soldering Tuesday evening before I realized that I was probably way too tired to be wielding a torch.

So, I have BIG plans for this weekend, and a lot to finish up.

First off... the big pile of pendants to be soldered. Here they are, waiting patiently in my pickle pot. By the end of today, I need to have them all prepped and ready for me to drop in the bark and twigs and seeds and paper...


Next up is finishing all the bangles on my bench. I got in an order of some beautiful new seeds, so I want to set some of the bangles with some different colors. And, after that, I have another bunch of earrings waiting for me. Whew.

Also, I've been working with my mom (who is a beautiful graphic designer) to re-vamp my logo and construct a tagline for my jewelry. I'll be updating the banner on my sites shortly, but here's a sneak preview...


Have a great weekend everyone!

Woo Hoo!

It was such a pleasure to drop by the website of the show I'll be participating in and be greeted with this lovely image...


Fall Festival is getting closer and I am so excited!

Back into Production Mode

I'm getting back into the groove of working in every spare moment in order to get ready for Fall Festival. Below, lots of pendants I cut and formed and filed and sanded this weekend, now waiting to be soldered together...


On another note, I also made reservations for our train trip to Oregon for the show. I'm excited to be able to able to travel via train and not have to rent a car or fly. While a bit slow, it's such a lovely way to travel (not to mention that it leaves a smaller footprint). And I'm really looking forward to those 30 hours to just relax (because, after all of this hard work, I am really going to need it!).

Reader's Choice

Thanks Kat for posting my work as the current Reader's Choice on Smidge! Smidge is a great website with articles and a forum to connect you with the modern craft community.

Going Car-Free

I am sitting in my apartment right now, a bit stunned by how easy it was to part with my trusty Saturn. Her new owners are a lovely couple, exactly the people I was hoping would come along. And they are very excited to take her home. He paid me in cash, I signed over the pink slip, handed him the key, and that was it.

And now I am officially Car-Free!

No more insurance payments. No more remembering to move her out of the way of the street sweeper. No more scheming where to park her when we'll be out of town.

As much as I loved my car and have really incredible memories of her, it's such a wonderful feeling to let her go and be 100% on my bike and my own two feet. And I feel incredibly blessed that I have the option and opportunity to make this choice.

Bye Scout.

(Photo of me driving away in Scout in May 2001 after my graduation... Our maiden voyage was from school in Massachusetts to my mom's home in Oregon... Notice my dad's reflection in the back window as he takes the photo)

What I'm working on today

Today, I'm giving my camera a bit of a workout. I've been wanting to change up my style of photos for awhile now and decided that today would be the day. A few examples...




And new photos mean a shop update!

Today is also the day that I took the plunge and put my trusty car up for sale. I'm quite proud of the fact that I've only driven 627 miles this year. And that I go practically everywhere on my bicycle. So, really, it just doesn't make any sense to hang onto her anymore. Bye, Scout. If you're interested in a dependable, high-mpg car, let me know.

It's so hard to come home

A good vacation is one where you can forget what you left behind and just relax and rest. Which is definitely what ours was. Lots of fresh air, trees, exploring a beautiful city, drinking wonderful NW beers, eating way too much good food. The trouble with good vacations, however, is that it makes it that much harder to get back into the swing of things upon returning.

I do have a lot of plans for my weekend, though, so it's time to shake off this sluggishness and get back to work.