Monday, February 27, 2012

Work in progress

It's been a while since I've picked up my watercolors so it took me a couple diamonds before I finally figured out how I wanted the watercolor to feel. So far I'm liking where it's going. Not sure what it's going to look like with ink added. Again, let's wait and see what happens...

Sunday, February 26, 2012

News for sale

                 
I walk by this storefront in my neighborhood quite often and I wonder, 'What in the world are they selling??' I really hope it is good news. People could use a little good news every now and then.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Moon on your neck?

I'm not one for luxury jewelry brands usually, but David Yurman just released a new silver collection called Cable Coil, and I'm surprisingly taking a liking to this necklace. Maybe it's because it reminds me of the moon...yes, thinking of the moon and staring at this necklace makes it so much more awesome.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

I'd wear that

Lovely things I'd wear from the Fall 2012 runway...

Patterns & Coats
              

Sweaters
 

Minimal & Black

All images via Style.com. From top to bottom: Mulberry / Elizabeth & James / Mara Hoffman / Band of Outsiders / Alexander Wang / Tess Giberson

Monday, February 20, 2012

Diamond Fever



























I've very lightly traced my diamond-crazed pattern onto some watercolor paper. I'm hoping to achieve a tiny bit more three dimensionality with a subtle wash of color. We'll see what happens...

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

We Go Together

It's been a slow and steady process achieving the status of 'jewelry designer'. I still don't even consider myself one and feel more comfortable labeling myself as aspiring jewelry designer. But at some point, the first step to achieving what you want, is believing you are that something. I've received some special requests in the last couple weeks to design friends' wedding bands and engagement rings. My initial reaction was 'Eeeek! Are you sure you want me to do it??' But then I thought, 'Why not me??' I'm working in the jewelry business; I went to school for jewelry; I'm creative; And I WANT to make my own jewelry. I think it's time to start believing that I AM a jewelry designer. 

So even though I haven't had the personal experience of designing something as special as an engagement ring or wedding band, I know I can do it and will do it AWESOME-ly. Challenge, accepted! 

Naturally, I've started noticing some unique ring pairings and in honor of Valentine's Day I thought I'd share some:





Aren't these interesting? Simple and subtle with a quiet impact. Just how I like it. Oh, and yeah, Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! Just know, someone out there is loving you and will always love you.


Monday, February 13, 2012

Gimme the moon!







































What?! This out of this world print is available right in my own city?? Must. Have.

Maybe James Stewart can get it for me...


image via Agent Gallery Chicago


Did you know...


...that jet originates from trees that existed 170 million years ago??

















It was also the gemstone of choice during the Victorian period after Queen Victoria adopted it as her mourning adornment. She mourned from 1861, the year her beloved husband, Prince Albert, died until 1901, the year of her passing. Can you imagine? Love weighing so heavily on you like that?? Lucky for her, jet is also super light weight making it easier to wear on top of the suffocating dress of the time.



There's something intriguing and eery about this stone. Maybe its association with death makes me feel like memories of people are buried deep within its heavy, black color...souls existing in jewelry...the thought of that just makes it so much more awesome! Maybe I just like the color black? I don't know! But this stone resonates with me for some unexplainable reason, and I hope to incorporate into my own work someday.

Other facts about jet:
-When it's warmed, it attracts lint and can support an innate heat, meaning it can spontaneously combust!
-It is associated with the deity, Cybele, aka the 'Great Mother'. She also represents death, vengeance, and fertility.
-Much of it originated from the small seaside town, Whitby Abbey, which is also where Bram Stoker set part of his novel, Dracula.


P.S. The brooch up there has the letters V-I-C-T-O-R-I-A carved into it. Can you see it??



Saturday, February 11, 2012

Regret Not

Swiss Miss had an interesting post the other day simply stating:

The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Some of these I feel ALREADY and I'm no where near dying (fingers crossed)...this just makes me want to do it NOW even more!



























Image via Scoutie Girl

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Bench

I received a wonderful gift the other day from a wonderful friend...my very own jewelers bench! Apparently, its previous owners have been an Italian goldsmith, who passed it along to another Italian goldsmith, who then passed it along to my friend. She's been making her jewelry on it for the last eleven years. And now it's been passed along to me. There's definitely a lot of magical mojo living inside this bench. I can't wait to pass it along to my own work. Let the magic making begin!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Diamonds & Cubes
















The boyfriend and I are getting lost in the endless arrangements these simple shapes can form. (Can you guess which one's got me mesmerized??) The repetitive motion of tracing the same shape over and over again is both meticulous and meditative. Once we come to a stopping point to this madness, we're thinking these will make some radical prints. Walls beware! You're about to get plastered with some pattern craziness.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

BACKPACKIN'

I lug around a lot of stuff everyday. Do I need everything I lug around, every, single, day? Probably not. But in the back of my mind, I know the day I don't bring it with me, is the day I'll need it. Wallet, eyeglass case, sunglasses, Kindle, a real book (just in case I'm in a different reading mood), chapstick, kleenex, hand lotion, Advil, pen, pencil, keys, makeup bag, gum...SO MANY THINGS. I do dream of a day when I can walk out the door and fit everything I need into my pockets. But until then, I thought maybe I should get a bigger purse? But then I thought, what about a backpack?? There had to be some out there that didn't scream I'm-a-27-year-old-woman-wearing-a-highschool-backpack! And so my hunt began...below are some of my favorites: 

1. Kormargeaux / 2. Mismo / 3. Dusen Dusen / 4. The Row / 5. Steven Alan / 6. Billykirk / 7. Baggu

So the verdict is, backpacks can be cool! My favorite of the favorites? Number 7, Baggu. Not only for the design but the price is on par with my budget. Double whammy! I'll definitely be sportin' one sometime soon.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Tucson



 

It's that time again. Time to travel through the mountains, up and down those narrow roads, and open up to the deserted desert town of Tuscon and marvel on the once-a-year, diamond in the deserted-rough, the 2012 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show...only, I can't this year :(  So I'll reminisce on last year's photos. If you're going this year, happy hunting!