Yet another awesome show/sale at Equinox Gallery. This is the first time I'll have my production jewelry sold at a Gallery/Boutique. I'm very excited and honored to be selling with such talented artists.

I'll be selling my Hunted line of jewelry, with my most popular item - owl talon earrings.

All jewelry sold will be under $100 - a great deal especially since it's all hand made!
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Song of the Day: "Ritual Union" by Little Dragon

This song makes me happy, let us have a ritual union with art, oh yes!
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One Year Anniversary sale on Etsy

I didn't even realize, until yesterday, that I'd been selling on Etsy since Feb. 11th of last year.

And since I had a very sweet customer email me about a piece that I decided to celebrate with a sale on my Deep Sea Jewelry. All Deep Sea Jewelry is 25% off!

I've created a special coupon code, ANN14. Use this code at check out, only for Deep Sea items.

Here are just several pieces on sale...

Black coral and ammonite - both from Mexico.
With the Etsy coupon code it goes from $140 to $105!!

Sterling silver cuttlefish cast earrings
with a punch of red coral - direct from the deep blue sea!
SALE Price $ $63.75

Love this combo, black coral and ammonite.
SALE PRICE: $63.75

Get'em while they're hot and on sale - my anniversary sale ends March 1st.

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sneak preview

I'm SO, SO excited about several electroformed pieces I'm working on...it's for my contemporary techniques class with Ken Bova.

So here's a morsel of the meal that's to come in the next month (why do I refer to my jewelry as food...maybe because I love them both so much!).


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My funny little Valentine

My dear boyfriend got me these pretty winged earrings from for Valentine's day.

They are from Tribal Style jewelry. I already have two other pairs of their earrings but I just love how the white contrasts with my dark brown hair and fools people into thinking I have gauges!

Part of me feels bad for indulging in such a commercial holiday but the other part of me loves celebrating a day for those you love - not just your partner.

So I hope you too are celebrating a day of love and sharing (as cheesy as that sounds). And from me to you - Happy Day of Love!

Thanks for reading!
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Lumina Gem

This past weekend I drove down to Wilmington with my boyfriend and it was so nice to getaway from Greenville and explore a new city.

Wilmington is great because there are beautiful beaches, a diverse downtown scene with a waterfront and, from what I've encountered, a decent art scene.

While we were in town I figured we'd visit Lumina Gem, where Brad Bass runs his jewelry shop. Brad used to apprentice at the Jewelry Doctor, where I currently apprentice, you can see the influence Ellis has on his students, Brad's jewelry display is quite tasteful...there were several pieces I wanted to try on and dream of purchasing.

I really wanted to try on the pave set earrings.

Brad's shop, Lumina Gem, provides a wide range of services; custom designs, repairs, GIA-knowledgeable expertise and contemporary jewelry such as David Yurman and other fine jewelers. Beautiful display of fine jewelry.

Brad's goldsmith shows us his custom built bench.
*He even made another bench for his home studio.

Brad's office space.

When I returned to work at the Jewelry Doctor today I told Ellis I'd visited Brad's shop and he was so proud; you can tell he enjoys nurturing the future generation of jewelers.

thanks for stopping by my blog and reading!

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Progressive Landscape

Watch this wicked video of Kat Cole's sculptural work for her senior show - it's like delicious bite of goodness...leaving you wanting more. Kat is graduating this spring with an MFA in metals/jewelry at ECU and I sure am gonna miss her.

Gah, I'm SO proud and kinda, in awe, of Kat's work - she really does bust her ass in the studio! I've known Kat since I moved to Greenville and have truly found her as inspiration and mentor in the field. I think you will too after you see what she's making.

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Cuteness of the day

This is so not jewelry/metal related however we all need some animal cuteness on a regular basis. Enjoy these rolly polly panda bears, *those two on the right look like they're making out! naughty pandas...

Happy Friday!!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
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Valentine's day sale

Tomorrow, Thursday and Friday from 9am-4pm
the ECU School of Art and Design guilds'
will be having our annual Valentine's Day Sale
featuring wicked artwork by budding artists.

The sale will be in the lobby of the Jenkins Fine Arts Building -
so if you live in the G-Vegas area come by and support independent artists!

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Erika Stankwytch Bailey jewelry

Here's a sweet lil' video of Erica Stankwytch Bailey talking about her work at the American Craft Council show in Atlanta...reminds me of the good ole' days when I assisted Biba Schutz and Valerie Hector, it's HARD work doing a craft show but that is where the market is at.

Erica is an ECU alumni, so that makes her extra cool! Just kidding, no seriously, it's wonderful to see her out there in the real world making it happen. She's been a full time metalsmith since 2004 - pretty impressive. Rock on Erica!

Hope you enjoyed.
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blogging for Crafthaus on the ECU symposium

Mr. Ebendorf and Leia Zumbro taking a break
between workshops.

Hello my dear readers, I forgot to post that I'm blogging over at Crafthaus about the 2012 ECU Materials Topics: Merging Methods Symposium that happend just about a month ago!

Please visit weekly, Sunday evenings I blog, to read about all the exciting workshops and discussions that happened at the symposium - I think if you do you'll want to come next year.
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fill in the colors

As you know, I've been learning a new craft, Screenprinting, and I quite enjoy it but find it intense and of course, requiring patience - just like any other craft. But once you learn the steps, like a recipe, it becomes less and less obtuse and more square....hehe, ok, bad joke!

I found Two Elm studio on Etsy by Erin Mcintosh and I love her work, it's a fun and simple investigation of color and shapes. Very liberal and dream like.

You can purchase her prints here on Etsy, support an independent artist.

Hope you had a great weekend!
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New earrings on sale in my Etsy shop

Fresh off the bench ya'll! These black coral hoops go very well with the cuff. Check'em out in my Etsy shop.

I'll have these on sale at the ECU Valentine's Day sale next week - if they don't sell by then.

Hope you're having a great week and thanks for visiting my blog!

Love that spiney texture.

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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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