bench shot

a shot of whats going on at my side bench...this semester is going to be interesting!
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ECU Metals Symposium participating schools

Check out this sweet lil' video I took of Laritza Garcia introducing Linda Darty and then Linda introducing the participating schools and their professors - always amazing to have so much talent in one room - one big family!



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Bronze double talon pendant

Somewhat new item in my Eilisain shop, this is a fully bronze owl talon pendant.

Cast to order! It's been awhile since I've made one and I always love it.

Hung on a sterling silver chain.

And of course, strung on my hand embossed Eilisain paper.

thank you for reading!
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Screenprinting

One of the studio courses I'm taking this semester is screen printing, and I'm very excited about the possibilities. Here is a sneak peak on my first design. What we're learning with our first project is making a screen (the frame and stretching the screen) - yes I made it....also with the help of a great and generous classmate!

I have plans to make greeting cards, jewelry displays, posters and maybe even tshirts. It's really refreshing to take a course in a medium other than metal and I respond well with paper and ink.

Thanks for reading!
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Art Deadlines! aaaack

Yes, I LOVE bread, butter and cheese but trying to cut back on those in this new year.

I just wanted to share with you a wonderful website that lists all the possible call for entries and deadlines you can think of, and it's all thanks to R.L. Gibson, who runs Art and Art Deadlines.com. The deadlines cross all media, photography, illustration, ceramics, metal/jewelry, wood etc.

And not only does she post deadlines but does featured artists, how to cope with rejection and photos of food that make me hungry!

It's a brilliant concept and I give thanks to my good friend Tara Locklear for sharing it with me, and the rest of the metals guild. She's very good about keeping us in the loop!

So get going, visit her site and sign up for her daily deadline announcements.

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Raising Japanese style

It's so fascinating to me how metalsmiths work in other countries, like Japan. Raising a silver vessel while sitting down seems so much more comfortable! Okay, so the video is in Japanese but once you get to the 5 min. mark things start to get very interesting. Watch it!
I snagged this video from Ford Hallam's blog. He studied traditional metalsmithing in Japan.
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Song of the day: Kate Bush - Snowflake

Kate Bush is up their on my list of musical goddesses, she has the most ethereal lyrics.

And this is one of her songs from a small album, 50 words for Snow, she release in December. Enjoy.

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The Crow claw

New in the Hunted series - The Crow Claw

Finally got this beauty photographed. I just love how I got the claw to bend as loop to hold the chain.

Hope you're enjoying

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3rd ECU Symposium is this weekend

I'm really, really excited about the 3rd symposium the ECU metals department will be hosting this weekend. Every year it gets better and better. We have so many amazing presenters, workshops and exhibitions happening this weekend it's hard to know where to begin.

Friday the Art of Influence Exhibition will open with an amazing roster of artists and I'll be posting more about it next week but all I can say is it'll be great. Also the Adroit II show will be opening tomorrow night.

Some of the workshops I signed up for are David Huang's “Vessel Chasing and Micro Finishing Wax”


And I'm taking a workshop from the supper talented couple, Andrea Kennington and Les Bryant of NC Black Co.
Oh and did I mention Erin Gardner of the Opulent Project will be in town for a product packaging workshop, this evening, exclusively for the ECU metals department?!!!

Ack, it's going to be crazy awesome!

Stay tuned to my blog and Crafthaus as I'll be blogging on both or linking them so as not to cross post.

Thanks for reading!
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New item in my Eilisain etsy shop

I'm really in love with this black coral, the little ridges give it a very rough and seductive quality.

It took me quite a bit of time to bend the coral but it finally succumbed to my will! This shiny new cuff is now on sale in my Eilisain Etsy shop.

Cuff measures 7 inches around the wrist
(if pushed up on the arm rather then at the base of the hand).

Me modeling my new bracelet. It's going to be very hard to part with it when I sell it.

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Blackest black

My most prized Christmas present, black coral from my cousins that visited this holiday season from Panama.

Isn't it beautiful? My uncle has a friend in Panama that found it along the beaches of Panama. As much as I love the beauty of black coral, I've decided that this is the last piece of black coral I will work with as the implications of even removing it from the beaches still engenders the need for more...I love it but I love the ocean and it's survival more.

I've already made a cuff bracelet with it. I think I may cast the latice work of it...we'll see how that goes?!
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Charm and chain

Some lil' charms for good luck this year!

This pendant is delicate but strong at the same time. I never thought I'd love bronze so much but that high gold shine is irresistible!

Now on sale in my Eilisain Etsy shop.

I also have the charm talons in sterling silver.

Charm can also be sold without the chain.

This is a great layering necklace, to go with any other lil' charms one has collected, like me!

Hope you're enjoying the weekend!
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Discovery - Giselle Ganne

Oh my, I'm quite taken with Gisele Ganne's jewelry; the brilliant gold skulls and talon and pearl necklaces.

Gisele has worked for some high profile UK jewelers, Stephen Webster and Cacharel. And she's had big name peeps wear her jewels, such as Lady Gaga.

Dances with Wolves ring and bracelets...I WANT!

La Gazza Ladra necklace.

Her stone settings are gorgeous too.



Just a tad envious Florence Welch is wearing her jewelry...maybe one day she'll wear mine? A jeweler can dream can't she?

Gisele has a pretty cool blog too, check her out.
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style and fashion from jewelry design sisters

Anndra Neen jewelry designers & sisters Phoebe & Annette Stephens discuss their inspiration, how the dress and what motivates them to make jewelry.

Phoebe & Annette Stephens Closet Interview with StyleLikeU.com from StyleLikeU on Vimeo.

Great statement on jewelry:

"We love the idea of a woman who is in a relationship with herself. She buys a ring, a necklace, a cuff as if she is romancing herself." Phoebe & Annette Stephens

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History of Glitter

This is a really interesting video on how glitter was invented.

All That Glitters: The History of Shiny Things from Etsy on Vimeo.

Just goes to show that there are always new ways to invent and create small, shiny thangs.
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Captured - Orthoceras brooch

Just added one of my favorite brooches to my Eilisain Etsy site.

This is definitely one of those show pieces that I love.

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Do as I say, not as I do

Marlene Richey's book, Profiting by Design

Y'know the old saying, giving someone advice but not taking your own?

I feel a bit like that myself, when it comes to pricing and evaluating my work. I try to dispense the knowledge and advice from other makers yet, I tell myself I'm too busy to sit down and evaluate the time and costs it takes to make my jewelry. And for that reason I'm doing a complete overhaul and review of my work, pricing, logo, and general design.

I hope that you, my supporters and fans will be understanding when you see the changes; I've come to the realization that I've been undervaluing my work and my own time and energy spent on my pieces and it really isn't fair to me.

So here goes to the big leap and beyond!

P.S. Thinking I need to add another book on selling to my library, maybe Marlene's...
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Happy New Year!

Hope you had a wonderful and safe New Year, mine was so good and fulfilling!

Thank you for visiting my blog this year and being a supporter of handmade goods, especially jewelry!
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