Going, going, gone!
This piece was such a hit it's already gone! I'm loving these long necklaces with a cross bar for added bling. This one has a copper clay coin and architectural pendant along with a chunk of Herkimer quartz, some retro rhinestones, and a vintage clasp. Don't you love this? No worries. I took these pictures so that I could make some more.
Junk drawer necklace in process...
Playing around with some new ideas.
I was imagining pulling out a creaky
old specimen drawer at a natural history
museum,
a little copper, some coral, a quartz cr
ystal, some leather, a dinosaur. Danielle's new mother-in-law has a jar from Weston's childhood with a collection she created from his pockets when she did his laundry. I'd like to make a necklace out of that.
Playing around with some new ideas. I was imagining pulling out a creaky old glass covered wooden specimen drawer at a natural history museum, a little copper, some coral, a quartz crystal, some leather, a dinosaur. Danielle's new mother-in-law has a jar from Weston's childhood with a collection she created from his pockets when she did his laundry. I'd like to make a necklace out of that. 
Tree of life revisited...
I made this pendant during a PMC certification class I took a few years ago. I found it this morning while I was rummaging through my jewelry. It is one of my favorites, but it didn't occur to me until today that it shares something in common with my bottle trees. It was made out of scraps. I had a little pile of bits of PMC paper from a previous project and started playing with them and this is what I got. Now I'm wondering if all of life is like that... bits and scraps and leftovers we do our best to transform into something we cherish.
Grab the brass ring!
Friends and I have been playing around with these new brass ring clasps. What is so nifty is that you can change out the pendant in a snap. I got such a good price on the chain, I can sell a piece like this one for $35. I have two styles of chain and can make them to any length. When you want a new look, pick up a new pendant for $25 and change it up! A chain with 2 pendants makes a nice little gift for $60.
Sea shells...
When I was photographing these I recalled Marcel the Shell on YouTube. Enjoy if you haven't seen it. It's really goofy.
Top brass, brass tacks, brass ring... brass sings!
Whenever I try or order something new I have to overcome dread of the unknown, so I didn't open the box containing my new brass chain when it arrived last night. How happy am I? Perfect for beachy summer laid- back tan and flip-flops, or a balmy pina colada night on the town. Not only that, you get the look for a fraction of the cost of sterling.
Last night, I fired up some bronze coins and shells with the same trepidation with regard to the unknown. Firing copper and bronze has been the proverbial 'crap shoot' for me. With stomach knots and unspoken 'please let these turn out' (well, maybe it was spoken) I opened the kiln. My heart sank. The pieces looked like dirt until I polished them! Voila! Can't wait to see what new designs will come out of pairing these with my new chain and glass. Hope you can come to my Birthday Open House where I'll have a limited edition for sale... limited by how much time I have until Thursday! Better run get on it! 
Flipping a coin...
I've been intrigued with making coins lately, my own little alchemy going on. I like this version of combining my copper clay coins with my glass versions. The bead chain runs through the glass centers and can be adjusted to create different looks depending on which coin you tug on the hardest! Kinetic, gotta love it. See more images on my etsy site.
Flip side!
A few days ago I posted my little PMC shell necklace with the pearl peeking out. Here it the other side. This time I put a coral pattern on the inside and a crystal with the little pearl. I love hidden prettiness. 
She sells seashells...
I made a little collection of silver shells like these. I am thinking of adding sea glass looking pieces, or glass squished to look like a shell...
Spring Show April 9th, Personalize for Mother's Day
Spring Show April 9th
From 10-1 before out Tree of Life Workshop begins I will have an open house for you to come and shop, shop, shop! Consider personalizing an item Mother's Day with an initial ($15) or your child's fingerprints made into a silver charm($20). Simply choose your embellishment or let me take a mold of your child's fingerprint and come back at the end of the day for the addition. (Or Contact me for a custom order. Consider birthstone color, favorite color, children's prints, or monograms.)
25% Off, Now until April 1st, No foolin'
Spring Sale No Foolin'
Simply enter code APRIL25 to your on line order and receive 25 % off of your entire jewelry order from now until April Fool's Day! With Mother's Day around the corner and spring in the air I thought it was a good time to test out my computer skills and by George I think I've got it. Simply enter the code at check out to get the discount. (Does not apply to workshops or recycled wine stoppers and floral... but it does apply to ALL THE JEWELRY!) If an item is sold, please allow two weeks for me to make a comparable though not identical (thank goodness no two are alike) item. Happy spring and happy shopping!
Still a few spots open in Tree of Life Workshop
Next Workshop: April 9th
1-4pm
In celebration of arbor day we will be making Tree of Life pendants and/or earrings. We'll use 9 grams of Precious Metal Clay to make either a large pendant, or a smaller one with matching earrings using a collage technique I developed using Precious Metal Paper. While our pieces are firing we will enjoy a lovely 'spot of tea!' Then we will patina and polish, and thread your pendant on a sterling silver chain and add sterling ear wires to your earrings. $85 Register on line!
Teacher, Mother's Day, or any day gift idea!
Last year's second-grade class commissioned this necklace for their teacher. I am so tickled with how well the little fingerprint with student initial charms came out. The teacher's daughter made the silver rose button charm, and we added amethyst chain, the recipient's birth stone. I love customizing for special occasions and am so honored to be called upon to commemorate anniversaries and birthdays. I am going to write a tutorial on this project. In fact, with Mother's Day approaching, I think my mom needs a necklace her grand children's fingerprints all over it.
Wonderful Workshop Wind Up!
What a great time at my inaugural workshop! Ten of us worked together to make silver coins, tried our hand at making a glass bead, then feasted on a lovely catered lunch while our Precious Metal Clay fired. After lunch we assembled our jewelry, then toasted to our creations. I can't wait until the next workshop (April 9th, Tree of Life Pendant and Earrings!)
Cupid Draw out Your Bow
I love celebrations. Groundhogs day, one of my favorites is right around the corner. I love it almost as much as the oft forgotten Arbor Day (April 29th, tree of life designs are percolating in my brain.) Above is what I've been cooking up for Valentine's Day. I love the little copper and silver cupid coins I made. They have an old world beat up look and are tiny, smaller than a dime. They add just the right touch, cool not cutesy. Hope you like them too and beware of flying arrows!
More Fire Power! Winning the PMC kiln contest...
Here is the entry that won me a brandy new PMC kiln from Cool Tools. Read all about my project in their blog!
Coin Collecting
Coins are the inspiration for this necklace. I made a few copper coin charms coupled with glass discs with iridescent edges. I especially like the copper cameo and the big glass ring with embedded silver foil.
It was fun adding the chain to the earrings.to change things up a bit. I felt so avant garde!
Mold Making! Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy...
