October is, among other things, World Menopause Month. The first week is National Mental Illness Awareness week. And I am currently experiencing the effects of both. I have made a decision to take a break
The Very Aspirational Necklace I have a new project in mind that I think of as the Very Aspirational Necklace, or VAN. Because who doesn’t love an acronym? Anyway, the VAN consists of multiple layers
What a busy and productive weekend it’s been! Following an absolutely brutal summer, the weather finally cooled down enough that it was more appealing to be out in the garden than inside in the studio.
Do you believe that gemstones have power? Many cultures revere gemstones not only for their beauty, but also for their perceived metaphysical qualities. Romans made chalices from amethyst, believing that it could ward off drunkenness.
The weather’s still hot and the trees are still green, but it’s September, and that means it’s time to start planning for fall. If you managed to get a garden in this year, you’re probably
A colleague sees me eyeing the collection of smooth river rocks on her desk, and invites me to take one, which I joyfully do. Something on the floor catches my eye—a small circle of leather
I have some gorgeous pieces in copper, brown and green coming up for fall. I’ve used a lot of wood in this collection, including some lovely sandalwood in its natural color, a soothing olive tone.
I spent much of the week practicing soldering and other metalworking techniques. I’m happy to say that I managed to make an entire cut in a piece of copper without breaking my saw blade! And,
As a child, I was never into baby dolls. The trend when I was that age was to make them “realistic.” I’ll leave the specifics to your memory or imagination. If it’s the latter, I
In a possibly misguided attempt to accelerate my metalsmithing journey, I decided I would try to create a piece of jewelry designed by AI. I fed DALL-E the prompt “A product photo of a piece
I have a love/hate relationship with how-to videos. On one hand, it’s possible to learn how to do virtually anything simply by watching a video (or several). On the other hand, the online practitioners sharing
Do you love opals, with their marvelous play-of-color and kaleidoscopic effects? I frequently browse opals when shopping for gemstones, but the high price tag on fine opals puts them out of many people’s reach, mine
Let’s keep in touch! Join my Collectors’ Club today and I’ll give you 10% off your next purchase. Join a like-minded community of curious women. Come on, you know you want to. ❤
