Market Days--WOOT!

morning out there,

yeah, I have been busy again. I finished up all my California spring shows and two saturdays ago started my summer Farmer's Market at 3rd&Curry St. in Carson City, Nevada. I absolutely adore my Market...yummo produce and just the nicest folks. I have to say, part of the appeal is my Elm tree(i set up under it every year) and my charming customers. I nosh on fresh cherries and ice water, (its arid up here) and talk ninety to nuthin with everybody. It is great to get out of my little studio and do nothing but talk and sell and listen. That last one is actually kinda important. I am having to write down all my "remember this" stuff each week. We have a nice mix of locals and summer visitors/tourists to the area. I am starting to have regulars from previous summers that want a companion piece to previously purchased items, and orders for resizings of rings, could this be in this color of stone please, and do you have blah blah....hey! I am turning into the local jeweler under the tree, chuckle, that just makes me laugh every time i think that actually. I love that I can combine making stuff with the smell of fresh strawberries and coffee brewing(i am down-wind of these vendors) with hearing live acoustic music from whomever the market decides to highlight that week.

So, that is summer currently. I work on Etsy commissions, and stock for the market during the week and sell on Saturdays. Life is good!

2011 Tucson

wow! I went, I saw, and I bought a lot....I attended Jan 31-Feb 3rd. Who knew it snowed in Arizona?? Weirdest weather ever experienced in 20 years of going I tell ya. At the Riverpark/Pueblo show, (which is one of my favorites) Ethiopian opal rough was EVERYWHERE, and fire agate from the mine there in Arizona; it was reasonably priced too. The GJX show....ehhh did not do it for me this year. Too pricey on all their materials. Electric Park was deserted when I got there due to the cold. I observed buckets of rough sitting in frozen ice. So, I went to the Gem Mall to blow my last hour of shopping. Boy am I glad i did. It is a wholesale only show, so bring your id, anyway, went in and found the most lovely Red River Jaspar cut by Intrinsic Trading. Go see these guys because they are gonna get big fast is my opinion. Top notch stuff in quantity and beautifully cut and polished. There was a good bit of all kinds of opal there too, and i bought accordingly.....Tucson is once a year heaven on earth for a jeweler, and i can't wait 'till next year

Tudor Jewelry

I have been recently catching up on a gorgeously filmed show The Tudors. Wow, all that very yummy jewelry. I know it is not exactly correct for the period, BUT as a jeweler who cares when it sparkles! I think David Yurman must have felt the same if you look at his renaissance inspired pendants....

I felt inspired by all of that glitter to look at what the court actually wore as well as the peasants, hey, they decorated too. Compared to our streamlined ways, the peasants were quite ornate. So I included a link to tudor jewelry in the title of this post(just click the actual title) for those that would like to examine what jewels were used where and why. Fun reading and inspirational for sparking a new jewelry design or two for your own horde. Let me know if you go... also show me what inspires you or what you might create that comes from another era.

oop, its been awhile again. The past few months have been an absolute blur of shows and making jewelry. I always look forward to January and a break. The first few weeks are down time so that my brain remembers how to function. Well, I am rebooted, and starting to climb out of my rabbit hole.

I have been cutting ammonites in preparation for when the ideas start zinging in. The above shot is my basic styles for 2011. It is VERY hard to make simple when I have lots of colored stones hanging around ... but I did it. Someone always wants just a plain, simple earring and there they are. These have solid backs and are still lightweight enough to wear all day. I like 'em.

Have a great day out there everybody, and I am off to do that exercise thing and practice a couple of new fiddle tunes. See ya,

traveling to jewelry shows

I was traveling to Marin Art Festival last weekend and had to drive by Lake Tahoe on my way there from my house. Wow, every time I see that water it blows my mind at how truly BLUE it is. Driving to these shows really helps to blow the cobwebs out of my mind and relax my show jitters somewhat. All the preparation of making bunches of jewelry pieces, the packing of the truck hassels, grabbing paperwork for sales tax, etc... just melts away looking at scenery like this. Thank goodness for my sanity!! This week I am only driving 30 minutes away to the local downtown farmer's market in Carson City, NV. I just love it there under my oak tree. Tomato vendor on one side and a glass artist on the other. Well, that is another day and another post. Bye now,