imitating plant movement

It's what I think is the nature-inspired part of Jill Platner's jewelry. I'm really digging her sunlit studio and all the lovely plants she maintains in it. One day...that's going to be me, in my studio, with staff and maybe even a gallery.

Coolhunting did a video in her studio. Check it out:

Jill Platner from Cool Hunting on Vimeo.

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enjoying this awesome winter break

It's given me a chance to really be inspired and imagine projects for the future. It was a beautiful snowy Christmas, and where my parents live, in Granite Falls, NC, the scenery allowed me to relax and reflect.

I hope you had a safe and Merry Christmas! Pin It

wintery claymation

one of my (now) favorite Christmas songs:

Happy Holidays!

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Happy Winter Solstice

We're officially crawling back towards the light on the shortest day of the year. It's comforting to know that Spring (my favorite season) will be coming soon but at the same time to revel in Winter's coldness by staying inside, reading, sipping tea or making jewelry!

In celebration, I give you a great time lapse video of this morning's lunar eclipse. I wanted to stay up and see it but I was so tired!

What a beautiful sight, to see colors change on the moon's surface. The universe never ceases to amaze me.

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse from William Castleman on Vimeo.

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well rested

Is how I felt all weekend. I spent Saturday cleaning my apartment, exercising and relaxing. It was wonderful not to have any pressure to go into the studio.

I did go into the studio for several hours today. I tried repairing some of the dents in my mother's silver cup. However, mid-way through I discovered a solder seam come very slightly apart. I stopped planishing at that point because I'm not as sure of soldering a seam in an old cup.

I sanded the bottom and top of the cup with 2500 grit paper and then polished with tripoli then rouge. I'm considering taking it to my old employers, and friends, Lawrence at Lawrence Miller & Co., to get his expert opinion.

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recent gifts and trades

I love, love, LOVE studying in such a fresh and creative environment. That's how it is at ECU, seeing what and how other artists make, it's always invigorating and stimulating.

I got this sweet brooch from Laura Wood at the ECU metals guild secret santa swap. The brooch is set in oxidized sterling silver, set with paper that Laura made (Laura is the paper master around ECU) in which the pearls are peaking out. It's simply beautiful and elegant.

Then I traded with a wood graduate student, Stephanie (I don't know her last name). Stephanie's work has much ritualistic and religious meaning. She works with wood, leather, feathers, metal and cord wrapping.
Stephanie's bracelet is really comfortable and cool. Pin It

star ring

I'm not sure what else to call it. But that's kind of what it looks like to me, this is the best cast ring out of the 4 that I cast...they weren't great. I need more practice handling and playing with the wax.

I plan I making some gifts from cast rings over the break.
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Squidbillies

No, I'm not talking about the Adult swim cartoon...though I LOVE that show. Squidbillies is smart and very funny.

What I'm actually talking about are these beautiful sea-cast rings, necklaces and more. Heron Adornment, jewelry by Peggy Skemp, is elegant and interesting because of the patina the artist uses and the semi-precious stones embedded in the tentacles.

I'm quite in love with this knuckle duster...I need to make one myself.

It really looks like you could find a small squid at the bottom of the ocean like the ring above.

And a gold plated silver locket. Anatomical hearts are so cool. Pin It

biting off more than I can chew...

I think that's what happened to me towards the end of this semester.

Despite taking 9 credit hours (and all 3 courses were studios), I still had a hard time finishing my final projects, I didn't have the spiculum/antler necklace done nor my jewelry box by the end of my last classes this week.

Part of it was bad time management on my part and the other was working 2 part time jobs! I've decided that I can't work the open studio hours at Emerge Gallery. I love it but I need that extra time. It's hard making sacrifices like that, especially when I could use the extra money.

Anywho, that's the realization I had over the past two weeks. Now, I'm so happy to have time to relax and process how fast this year has gone by! Pin It

fancy photos

My life has been crazy hectic but I'm SO happy I got a professional photographer to take photos of my work for upcoming exhibitions.

Check'em out! Pin It

pitchin' it

Me this morning filling my spiculum with pitch, for oh, the 4th or 5th time. I'm almost done, next up planishing out the kinks and bumps on the inside of the curve.

I got in early again this morning to get working. I'm determined to have all three of my projects done in one week.

Christmas break will be so sweet when all of this is done. Pin It

more coral

I know, it's not like I need more coral to work with...but I couldn't resist!

The Geology fraternity, Sigma Gamma Epsilon held a rock & mineral sale last week and I got these pretties. And some other minerals.

I plan on making earrings and a brooch with these, maybe even a wall piece. Pin It

Purchase handmade goods for the holidays

Last night I worked the booth at the ECU holiday sale, it was somewhat dead, we had some lookers and purchases - specifically one of my test pieces! It always surprises me when customers buy jewelry of mine that I'm not that wild about or something that I absent mindedly put together. That's why I don't hesitate anymore to sell pieces that I don't 'think' will sell because ya never know!
We did a great job of displaying the jewelry, credit goes to grad student Kat Cole, she put out some risers that worked really well with the colors of our work.

And we had alot of work to display - this year many of the grad students cranked out some pieces. I meant to bust out work...but was just too busy with my two part time jobs and classes.

Anywho, I truly recommend you consider buying handmade work this year, there really is nothing like giving presents that are made with love and care.

Some of my friends (past co-workers) are selling their crafts - if you're in the DC metro area or here in Greenville - you can check them out here:

Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge

Downtown Holiday Market

Shop Local Alexandria

Happy shopping!

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ya can't stop progress

That's a quote from Bill Heslop of "Muriel's Wedding" one of my all time favorite movies.

And that's how I feel today - I've been on a roll since 6:30am this morning. Got into the studio to work a bit before class. Worked on my castings to be mounted on the antler, I put some pitch and formed my spiculum and now sawing out my hinges for the wooden box.

I even went to the gym!

I hope you are feeling just as productive as I am. Happy pre-holidays!! Pin It