Saturday Night at the Market – 04/3/10

It was a glorious day of balmy air and spring breezes , and  lawn care season officially began today with the  annual First Starting of the Mower.  Now, I admit, I am a very neglectful mower owner.  There was still a little gas in it from last summer, and to add insult to injury, I topped it off with more old gas from what was left in the can unused all winter.  I did not clean the spark plug.  I said a small prayer and pulled the cord.  (yes, I have a non-self-propelled push mower with a pull cord starter).  It was a miracle – 3 pulls and I was mowing!  I should be ashamed of how I treat my poor mower especially since it treats me far better.   So now I sit here on my couch with the smell of freshly mowed wild onions drifting in through the open window happy with the knowledge that my lawn will be lovely for Easter Sunday. 

Speaking of the smell of fresh cut grass – check out this great  looking  cold processed soap I found while ‘armchair shopping’ tonight at 1000 Markets.  From the shop of Southern Vermont Soap, this one is actually called Fresh Cut Grass – I just  had to smile when I saw it! 

This great shop is filled with irresistible looking  soaps that are also gorgeous to look at.  No doubt that I’ll be ordering soon!  One I’d definitely like to try is the Manuka Honey Lavender with goat’s milk, also a cold-processed soap.  Soap making is a passion at Southern Vermont Soap.  Not only do they use the best ingredients, but they are always happy to explain more about the their cold and hot process soap making.

I found another lovely soap shop tonight,too - Enchanted Soap Favors.    What a refreshing twist for wedding or shower favors – gorgeous soaps that look like flowers!   This lovely white flower, made of soap, measures approximately 3." It is decorated with the ribbon color of your choice and white beads. A "Thank You" charm is attached as well.   The hand carved leaf base, also made of soap, measures approximately 5" from left to right.   These little beauties are the perfect accent for a lovely spring wedding!

And speaking of weddings – I just have to show you the exquisite “Wedding Nite” earrings from my friend Sandra’s shop – Preserve Jewelry Studio.  Sandra specializes in earrings, and if you’re an earring addict like me, you will love her shop!   (be sure to check out the great necklaces, too)  Her work is meticulous and top quality- I have several of her earring designs, and now have my eye on the lovely Wedding Nite design,  as well as the delightful pair, new for Spring,  titled “Sweet Lemon Tea”.   I love the pretty pale yellow against the tea-colored crystal rondelles.  Simple. Elegant. Perfect.  And nobody can have just one!

Have a great Saturday, and I hope the Spring Breezes are blowing your way…

Saturday Night at the Market – 01/02/10

   I am looking forward to creating more one of a kind pieces in 2010, and my 1000 Markets shop is the perfect place to feature these new pieces.  I’m also happy to have the time again to share the beautiful things I find at 1000 Markets when I do my ‘armchair shopping’ from my cozy chenille chair – no malls for me!  If you haven’t heard of this wonderful online shopping site, or you have not stopped in for a look around in a while, do go and check it out.  It is still a new online venue, but over the last year, lots of little tweaks have been made to make shopping there easy, pleasant, and just plain pretty!  I do love the boutique feel that it has, and I always feel like I’ve been on a trip to an eclectic little city full of artsy shops and cafes when I stroll though 1000 Markets on my laptop. 

Something I have been looking for lately is Lavender – especially culinary lavender  because I am planning to be a vendor at this year’s Farmer’s Market here in Greeneville, and will be selling lavender based food items in addition to having a display for my jewelry.  (I’ll be planting a special culinary variety of lavender in my garden this year, too) 

I searched for “lavender” at 1000 Markets, and to my delight the very first result was fine culinary lavender grown and packaged by Blossom’s Wild Herb Lavender Farm.     In their own words:  “We grow all herbs and perennial plants on our 12 acre farm in an unheated polyhouse. We feel by not forcing our plants to grow un-naturally, we create a hardier plant to take on the hard cruel world. To view all plants with pictures it is best to visit www.blossomfarm.com for complete listing.”

They also have several yummy lavender  recipes listed, and I will surely be trying them as I prepare my Farmer’s Market product line this winter.  The Lavender Blossom muffins sound splendid – I can’t wait to try them.  

Something  else I want to start doing is making homemade  bread this winter now that the holiday rush is past.  There is nothing more wonderful than dipping warm homemade bread into herb-infused olive oil, so I was excited to find these fabulous  Tuscan Lavender Bread dips – in Blossom’s shop.  Of course, homemade bread is also delicious toasted with butter and honey, so I’ll have to try the Lavender Honey as well!

Blossom’s shop is filled with many more heavenly herbs and spices, but they also have a wonderful collection of lavender items for the bath and for weddings and special occasions.  The heavenly looking Purple Bouquet Lavender gift collection is a positively decadent collection of goodies to pamper yourself with!

I’ll close for now, as I am heading off to dream of the warm sun shining on fields of lavender while I sleep……..

Saturday Night at the Market and a bit of Denim Lapis – 09/26/09

 

I’ve been busy all day updating my 1000 Markets shop with my latest creations, the last of which was this simple but bold denim lapis ring.  Of course I had to do some shopping around the markets while I was waiting for pictures to upload.  While I browsed, I started reflecting on how in one short year, 1000 Markets has grown into a truly grand place to shop for fine quality handmade goods.  If you haven’t shopped there yet, you simply must check it out before you start your Christmas shopping!  The front page changes every time you visit, so I make a habit of stopping by the page a few times when I’m online, and I always discover something fabulous that I have never seen before.

 

Tonight I found this stunning painting by Reenie Kennedy  – Velvet Ruffles is the title – perfectly named!  I love fuschias, and some years I have a pot of them hanging from the Virginia Pines that form a kind of gazebo around my garden chairs.   Reenie also has a painting of  an adorable hummingbird that I’d just love to have, titled The Flyby.  I’m working on a new ring with a brass hummingbird, and this little guy will be on my mind for sure while I’m working on it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another delightful shop I found tonight was Intentions, a truly heavenly soap shop.  I will definitely be trying their ‘Put da lime in da coconut’  soap very soon!  I love handmade soap, and if it is half as good as this gorgeous picture it will be a shower to remember!    The ‘Berry Me’ is pretty high up on my list,  too – it is described as “A pure, fruity, berry scented soap, with a bit of vanilla for depth.”  Yes indeed, their soaps are ‘where heaven meets earth’ for sure!

My summer ‘blog vacation’ is officially over!

And yes, this is finally a piece for my “Stones of the American West” collection.  One of my main goals this summer was to increase my production speed so I can keep up with orders and work for my galleries, but still have time to create new things.   Ha ha, and my goal for the Fall is to keep up with orders, make new things, and still have time to blog and twitter…….and we won’t even mention the benign neglect that my poor garden has to put up with!

Speaking of galleries and shops – I now have work in the lovely Spirit of the Hand gallery located in Dandridge, Tennessee, just outside of Gatlinburg.  I’ve shopped there for years, one of my very favorite places for Christmas gifts and fabulous pottery.  I’m so excited to have my work featured there!

I’ve also been busy this summer with quite a bit of custom work, which I am finding that I really love!  My customers are truly a source of wonderful inspiration for new pieces to add to my shop!  I’m making myself a pair of these Dragonfly Dreams  earrings that I made for Doris to go with her Dragonfly Treasure ring (originally inspired by another customer request!)  Doris loves iolite, and both her ring and earrings have gorgeous iolite stones.

 Another request from this summer with an iolite stone was this sweet pendant that I did for Robin.  This one will soon be available in my shop, too.  I’ll be calling it “Live, Dream, Soar”, a saying that I’ll be incorporating into several new pieces that I’m working on.  

 

 

I’ve also been playing around a bit with fold forming this summer.  I really love this technique, and will be filling out an entire line in the next few weeks.  I wish silver prices would go back down so I can do some pieces in silver, but sheesh, I hate to buy a bunch of sheet at today’s prices – it’s almost $17.00 per ounce!   Here is a sneak peek at my next cuff-to-be.  This is just a small piece that I was playing with, and unfortunately, not long enough for a cuff.  It’s not soldered or anything yet, I’ve just got the embellishments set loosely on the piece.  Not sure what I’ll be going with in the end.  I might end up making a brooch and some earrings out of this piece.  It’s made with 16g copper, requiring HUGE fire to get it hot enough to solder, but I love how the thicker metal makes such detailed ruffles and textures.  (had to get out the BIG hammer, too, lol)   This fold forming technique is the ‘line fold’ which has been hammered flat after it was opened.  It’s amazing what can be created with fold forming, such fun to play! 

That’s all for now, but I’ll be back soon with great Etsy and 1000 Markets finds, as well as more about what I’m working on, and of course, gardening and cooking tidbits.  See you all later!

 

Technorati Tags: Maury Mtn. Agate,artisan ring,sterling silver ring,amethyst,dragonfly earrings,iolite,copper,fold forming

Saturday Night at 1000 Markets

This week I want to share a great sale with you! Sue, the artist behind Nine Dragons Sculpture Art has many of her incredible pieces on sale for 25-50% off! If you have been wanting one of Sue's pieces, or if you have not yet seen her wonderful work - take the time to check it out, you'll love it!

One of the pieces that caught my attention right away is the Big Bold Bohemian Bangle Bracelet. This one is definitely a statement piece! The bangle was created with laminate layers of polymer clay, loose cane work, hand rolled tubes of mixed color and several finishes of mica and metallic powders which were applied in different stages and then distressed with selective sanding to give an interesting smooth textured background.



Another piece that I love is the Red Fabric Bitsy Bottle pendant. The design is beautiful, and Sue has constructed it so it is quite functional as well - perfect for tucking away a favorite little inspiration!



Sue is also a talented sculptor, and her little sculpture pendants are different than anything I've seen out there in the vast world of online jewelry. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I am partial to the Baby Steps pendant where she has perfectly captured a tiny baby elephant in polymer clay.



And last, but most certainly not least, Sue is a Painter. Yes, with a capital P. Like the Old Masters. Her technique is amazing, and fully captures the life essence of her subjects. I am mesmerized by the eyes in her painting titled 'The Sultress' - I never get tired of looking at it. If it's still for sale when I can afford it, I'll be hanging it on my wall!

So do take a minute to check out Sue's sale - you are quite likely to find an exquisite treasure!

Saturday Night at 1000 Markets - 06/13/09

It's been a great week down in the studio and out in the garden. Well, actually, the garden has been doing great without me, ha ha! I've been admiring it from the kitchen window, but most of my time this week has been spent in the studio. I've had a wonderful time with my hammer, and fabricated a new ring and cuff for my 1000 Market and Etsy shops.

I did spend the morning outside taking a few photos of this month's new bloomers - two of my very favorites. Sunset Echinacea, (coneflower)complete with two bumblebees discussing the day's plans, and my yummy Paprika yarrow. It barely bloomed last year, but it's doing great now. If I get into enameling I am definitely doing some pieces in these colors!



Speaking of enameling, a new member in the Metalcraft Market at 1000 Markets, Natasha Suter has some gorgeous enamelled pendants. My favorite is her Diamond Shaped Marbelized Green and Fuschia pendant.

Another colorful piece that grabbed my eye as I was strolling through the Metalcraft Market is the Here We Go necklace by Liz Hall of Lizard's Jewelry.

Her pieces have that perfect touch of whimsy that makes you go back for a second look. The combination of the bright yellow with the black and white striped 'tail' definitely made me go back for a second look at this piece! This piece, and many of Liz's pieces combine sterling silver and polymer clay for a very unique look.

There is news from the Wearable Art Market this week, too - Gale of Le Enchantement has finished a fabulous and professional video for the Market. Be sure to check it out below. If you can't visit a wonderful outdoor market like the one in the video, the Wearable Art Market is the next best thing to it!

Saturday Night at 1000 Markets

My mom and I had a wonderful trip down to Hanover Gallery in Chattanooga, TN on Friday afternoon to deliver all the pieces I've been working on for the last couple of days. We decided we needed to get out more often, so we'll be traveling to the other galleries that are close enough to visit, as well. I always wanted to be a travel writer, lol! Just the one photo of Missy Peirano, who is the owner of this delightful gallery, sitting behind the jewelry display case for now, though - I'll be writing a post about our trip with more pics and details of some fab food later this week. Now it's time to move on to the great new items I've come across at 1000 Markets during the last week!

First, there is a new member in the Wearable Art Market, and her work had my full attention the very moment I first laid eyes on it - meet Peggy and her shop Maskwoman. Each of her wondrous creations has a many-layered story to tell. These are the type of pieces where you notice a new delight every single time you look at them. She makes masks that are small enough to be worn as pendants (they come with a tube bail affixed to the back for hanging), as well as larger masks to be used as wall art.



One of my favorites is the sweet 'Empty Nest' pendant mask with its lovely shining gold. The dreamy look of the eyes in this one gives me the feeling that just about anything is possible - if you dream it you can do it!

And of course, I can't help but love her 'Back to the Garden' pendant with it's lovely sagey green paired with a sweet rose and a touch of deep red - most definitely on my wish list!



As a bird-lover, the ever so unique 'Birdgirl's Prize' caught my eye right away. I would so love to hang it on my wall - the colors were just made for my house! This is a large piece, 12" by 8", and the little 'prize' at the end of the string is a wonderful touch of whimsy. The expression of the bird reminds me a lot of my own little african grey, and I definitely think he keeps me on a string, ha ha!


The Metalcraft Market is a 1000 Markets marketplace that I manage with the help of several other metalsmiths who are members. The work there ranges from jewelry to fine sculpture and wrought iron work - just about anything that can be created from metal is represented. The longer I work with metal, the more I am fascinated by what can be done with it. You can push it to the limit, then anneal it, and it returns to soft pliability waiting to be push to the limit once again. I was greatly inpsired when I first saw the work of Patrick Conlin, who creates both stunning jewelry and amazing metal vessels.


His piece titled 'Seaform Teapot' is just simply one of the most amazing pieces of functional art I've ever seen. Incredibly, the teapot is functional, and includes an infuser in the lid, a beautiful hardwood handle, and two matching cups. Unbelievable.

The 'Flared Vessel' is a perfect example of the distance that metal can be moved through the skillful use of hammer and torch. This one has me inspired to try and create one of my leaf pieces with ragged edges. Read more about how to create raised vessels here.

Another way to form metal into a 3-D design is through the art of Repousse. Patrick has a gorgeous Repousse Sterling Cuff in his shop that is a stunning example of this art form.

This is another technique on my 'short list' of things to learn. Hopefully I will be trying this at the annual jewelry retreat in October. Read a more about the art of Repousse here and here. Oh, my, how I want to take one of Valentin Yoktov's classes!!

Saturday Night at 1000 Markets

Hi all! I sure hope everyone's Saturday has been as glorious as mine has. I am postively reveling in the first really warm weather of the year, and the garden is too!


I spent some time playing with my camera and taking photos of my lovely Nelly Moser clematis, just coming into her own this year. I planted her last June, and have been anticipating these spectacular pink blooms ever since. I suspect there are several pieces of jewelry-to-be that will be inspired by her!

Flowers always make me wish I could paint. In my imagination, I can create masterpieces like Mary Ellen Golden's gorgeous work in watercolor.

I fell in love with her painting style the instant I saw it. Her painting titled 'Spring Glories' makes me want to plant a white camelia to keep my pink one company. Camelias are such gorgeous plants that are the first hint of the coming spring. Another painting of Mary Ellen's that I love is her 'Monarch' piece with the beautiful purple of asters against the hot orange Monarch butterfly.



Mary Ellen lives on the North Carolina coast, and her oceanscapes are truly mesmerizing to me. She perfectly captures the liquid beauty of the waves in motion, and I particularly love the colors in her skies. I think my favorite is 'Sunrise Flight' - so peaceful and serene. I think it's time for me to visit the ocean and take a walk on a beach like this!

And speaking of the beach, one of the new members of the Wearable Art market, 360 Jewels, has the most spectacular spinning ring I've ever seen in the same gorgeous liquid blue that I love in Mary Ellen's beach paintings.

The name '360 Jewels' represents their philosophy that jewelry should be beautiful no matter from which direction it is viewed. Each piece is a lovely little sculpture adorned with the finest gems.
Another piece I love is the Amethyst Pyramid Treasure Ring. What a treasure indeed in the loveliest shade of purple! I just can't stop looking at either one of these beauties!


The second new member at the Wearable Art market is Laura Timmins, who creates stunning jewelry in polymer clay. Since I'm still in a 'beachy' mood, I'm especially attracted to her gorgeous 'Ocean' collection of pieces.

The detail she has created in color and pattern is nothing short of amazing in this pendant that captures the feel of a breaking wave perfectly. I can almost feel the spray on my face!

There is also a pair of matching earrings, which I just might have to have one of these days.....

On that note I am off to bed, dreaming of oceans and earrings and a full day in the studio tomorrow. Pictures soon!

Saturday Night at 1000 Markets - 04/18/09

The new category shopping has been live for about a week now at 1000 Markets, and when combined with the ability to search within a category, finding just what your heart desires is now a piece of cake!

What my heart desired this week was color and enameled jewelry. I've always admired the technique of enameling, and as I progress further in my own metalwork, I can feel the need to embellish with color getting stronger and stronger. I purchased Linda Darty's book, The Art of Enameling: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration just to see if it is something I can add to my work without breaking the bank. I haven't had time to do much other than skim, but it looks like torch enameling is going to be what I try first.

I decided to see what enameled lovlies I could find (jewelry, of course) so I went to the jewelry category, then did a category search on the word enameled. What inspiration I found!!


Bullfinch & Barbury's shop caught my eye right away because of the name - I automatically love anything that even sounds English (I'd so love to live there!) The shop is filled with simply luscious cuffs in every color of the rainbow.

Her work is beautiful, yet with a touch of shabby chic. It's hard to pick a favorite, but at this moment, I think the lovely English Orchard enameled bracelet set is my choice. Delightful shades of orange, pink, cranberry, green and purple grace a stack of 5 fabulous bangles. Another piece I love is the spectacular green moth that I found in her post on "Beautiful Bugs". This pendant is just stunning, and in my favorite shade of green, to boot.


Another shop filled with 'to die for' enamel work is Kyle Anne Metals, where I found this elegant cherry blossom in a dreamy opalescent pink on pure sky blue. Heavenly, to say the least! Kyle Anne uses the cloisonne technique in her enameled pieces, creating intricate and beautiful detail in her designs.

Another piece I really love is her classy little Fantastically Deco pendant in black and white.

These pieces are but a small taste of the wonderful world of enameling. I'll be exploring further over my morning coffee as I think about adding color to my work. Here are a few more places to visit for inspiration and info....

Glass on Metal magazine
Ganoksin article - Enameling Copper Balls
Ganoksin article - Torch Fired enamel

Well, I'd better get busy down in the studio and stop playing around here on the computer. Much to do today!!