New Toe Ring Revealed

I finally got tired of my current line of toe rings and decided it was time to freshen things up with a new offering. Introducing the "Twisted" toe ring. I just finished up a batch of 15 toe rings and have them listed in my shop. They will make their first show appearance in Galesburg, IL Art in the Park. Now I need to start working on a new line of jewelry for 2009!

Pimp My Toilet

So I have been thinking lately...why not pimp my toilet? My bathroom happens to be the least quirky place in my house...it is also my smallest and least favorite space in the house. What if I spruced it up with a little toilet art something like this perhaps....

BadassCustomDecals says it all with this decal:

Or what about this completely painted potty by Carlrfoster? A lot of work went into this toilet...you almost hate to sit on it!

Or maybe I could retrain my brain to like the room with this positive message by precisionengraving:

I think I just lost all two people that read this blog!

Award winning weekend and other art fair adventures!

My dear blog...my how I have ignored you! It was all in the name of art, I swear. I recently ended a busy summer art fair season and am taking a little break before the fall/holiday season kicks in. I had two shows in July and it all ended on a very good note. First there was my two art fair weekend with shows in Dixon, IL and Dekalb, IL. Sales-wise it was OK but award-wise it was fantastic! I have dubbed it my 2-award weekend.

Dixon "Nuts About Art" awarded me 2nd place in the 3-D division and I am not sure what I won at Dekalb but it came with a decent size check!

The next weekend I was off to exhibit at the Madison Art on the Square. I was a first-timer there and had been told by many what a great show it was. Everyone I spoke with told me to bring help and lots of jewelry. So I did! I convinced my BFF Kim to go up with me. I feel like I torchered her...with the long days, time away from her family, and by far the crappiest motel room we had ever stayed in. In the end we had a blast, she was a huge help, and sales were excellent. The day after the show we stuck around Madison and treated ourselves to pedicures, manicures, and shopping in the downtown/University area. Hope I get into that show next year!

Mutual Admiration

In the indie art world there is often a sense of mutual admiration....here is one case in point:

Neawear is the store of a Canadian jewelry designer Janick. I greatly admire her bold use of non-traditonal materials to create truly dramatic jewelry. The mutual part comes in because Janick is a valued customer of mine and has collected my entire line of Rox jewelry. Below is a pair of earrings I just have to have from her Deploy line!

Something Just To Start (Virtual Art Gallery)

I've been featured! Check it out today on:

Something Just To Start (Virtual Art Gallery)

I love this blog. She has a great sense for style and jewelry. I say that not because I am featured but because I admire so manu of the other jewelers she has on her site. I am truly honored to be there.

Jewelry/Jewelers from around the world - Saudi Arabia

It has been way too long since my last post but I have a great excuse....I was off discovering distant lands! I am lucky to have a day job that allows me to go to places most only dream of. The most recent trip took me to Oman and Saudi Arabia. It was one of my most exciting trips to date and it was filled with many firsts - My first experience wearing the Abbaya and headscarf (they are really beautful by the way), my first meeting with a prince, my first camel ride, my first coral abrasion thanks to the Red Sea, and real life experience in a gender segregated society. I could go on and on but it is not the point of this post. On a trip out to the gold market with our local guide I had a chance to see some local jewelers and their work space. I know they thought I was crazy for asking for pictures but it seems like everyone was ready and willing to strike a pose. To seem a little less crazy I would tell them that my father and I were both jewelers and I wanted to show him what I was seeing. The pictures you are about to see are from Saudi Arabia but you should know that most of the people in jewelery workshops are not Saudi but immigrant workers. You will see in the one picture plenty of Saudi women shopping for gold. I hope you find these as interesting as I did from behind the camera!

New Designs for Spring and Summer

I have been busy in my shop creating new designs for spring and summer. From my head - to my bench -to you.