Looking Ahead...

Welcome 2013!  Clean slate, metaphorically speaking, right?  Clean work bench at any rate....new designs brewing in my brain, anxious to become reality.  Got a fabulous package of goodies from Becky Nunn of Nunn Design, to stock me with the very latest jewelry components from their soon-to-be-released 2013 catalog.  Yes, I am so happy to be a part of the 2013 Nunn Innovation Team!  Becky also sent me a PDF preview of the catalog and I drooled all over my keyboard.  So many lovely design elements!!  Many included with the 2013 stash she sent me.  Already been busy, effectively destroying my clean work surface in a creative frenzy.  I can't share photos of the new stuff yet, (I send the finished designs to Becky first and she promotes for us--SWEET) but I can tell you about my favorites so far...first off, the brass elements coming out for Nunn are FABULOUS and I've been cold connecting like mad (made a gorgeous cuff).  Deep bezels in many sizes (great for us mixed media, assemblage folks--I made two really cool pendants filled with this and that), tons of unique, detailed stampings, new clasps, closures, chains, findings, chatons, settings, bangles, and SO MUCH MORE.  I have included here some photos from the catalog of finished designs from the Innovation Team, including some of mine.  Becky has a great team and the photography for the catalog is to die for.  

So, get to the Nunn website and go crazy!  She offers wholesale accounts for designers and links to retail outlets that carry the products.  You won't be disappointed! 

I Made the TEAM and a Bunch of Other News...

Wow, is it 2012 already? IS IT FEBRUARY ALREADY?!?!? Time has flown and I've been woefully lax in posting here. If you don't already know, I also post quite a bit on Facebook, so mosey on over there and "Like" me!  Thanks!

Now, for the news.  Most recently I participated in the sixth annual Wild Things Art Show benefiting the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation.  What a great night!!!  This show is so special.  Artists from all around the country come and offer works inspired by nature.  The show is held at a good friend's home, in her studio that is a converted barn.  I've included a slideshow here of images from the night.  What a blast.  Live art demos, body painting, food, drink and best of all, INCREDIBLE ART. of all kinds.  Some of my favorite artists were there, including Anthony Burks, Melinda Moore, Donatella Linari and Norman Gitzen.  The highlight of the night for me was when New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag purchased one of my newest and HUGEST designs called "Dreams to Desire" (pictured here).  This necklace is one of my favorites ever, a collaboration with the uber-talented Staci Louise.  I'm so thrilled!!  The event raised a nice bit of money for RSCF, all in support of wildlife conservation.  We will be posting a smaller, online version of the show so you all can have a chance to buy gorgeous art and support RSCF as well.  I'll keep you posted!!!  By the way, I always donate 25% of my Etsy sales to this wonderful organization, so please, visit my shop and BUY SOMETHING....thanks :)

Next, I have to tell you how excited I am to be chosen by Nunn Design to join their 2012 Innovation Team.  That means that every month I get to play with Nunn's wonderful line of jewelry supplies, creating whatever I feel!  I can't show you the work yet, but I can tell you that I am very impressed with the quality of Nunn's componants.  I am especially in love with their chain.  Comes in so many styles and finishes!  Weighty and really top-notch.  I definately suggest you immediately go there and purchase some.  You won't be dissapointed.  Great value as well!  AND, they have endless bezels in tons of shapes, forms and design.  Perfect for resins, big stones, and all the crazy bits and pieces I love to work with.  When I got my first "goodie" box I felt like a kid a Christmas!  As soon as I can I'll share images with you.  Check out the site, but set aside some time to do so, they have so much to see!

What's next?  Well, 2012 will be a great year for us all, right??  I'm showing a new line of work at a new Gallery in Lake Worth run by the Cultural Council.  No jewelry (gasp), instead, I am focusing on a new series of mixed media relequaries and totem boxes.  The series is called "Fly" and features antique doll parts along with lots of other weirdness.  Flight is such a magical thing, and birds are a big focus in my life.  So, these boxes will be on display only in this Gallery (for now).  Here are a few images....I'd love to hear what you think of them!  This year I hope to expand this series and work with more non-jewelry designs.  Have no fear, I'm making jewelry, but want to flex other design muscles as well.

Whew, that's a quick update...I'll try to post more often, I swear!

Web Shop Shout-Out...

Ornamentea, hurry up and go there. Really, just put the name in Google or click the link and go there! I discovered this shop a while ago and have been so pleased with the fun bits of this and that I have found there. It's a grab bag of a place, with everything from tools, to base metal findings, to super cool 3-D cast pewter twigs, to lace inset plexyglass sheets. The tutorial pages are also very nice, with great tips about coloring metals like brass (rip some paper towels into strips, put in a lidded plastic container with a few drops of ammonia, add your brass, close the container and shake for a few minutes--voila--aged brass). Don't skip the "Micellaneous" tab, that's where the odd bits live, from brass bullet casings to tiny acrylic leaves.  Oh, and did I mention that the prices are FANTASTIC?   Enjoy...

A pendant I made using a bullet casing and heart charm from Ornamentea, along with pewter wings and a rutilated quartz bullet.