Jewelry Gifts

Inspired by the Sea and Made in my New Studio!

On our recent, brief trip to the Oregon coast I picked up these seaside-themed gifts for a new friend (and neighbor) in Eugene. I have been invited today to a gathering of six teachers, and this is my gift to the host of the party. It should be fun drinking wine and conversing with Oregon teachers. 

* Earrings are made from embossed and painted recycled tin and glass. These are my FIRST pieces of jewelry made in my new (but still very disorganized) studio in Eugene.

Our realtors, who helped us by our dream home, have become dear friends. I made this set for Renee as a thank you gift.

* Seaglass, brass, recycled glass

Spring Fling

Spring @ Sunflower Flats 

Cindy Gardner, the owner of Sunflower Flats in Tillamook, Oregon, requested some new jewelry in a pink, lavender, and purple color palette for spring. Those aren't colors I usually work with, but I had great fun with these. 

Vintage beads, glass, mother-of-pearl buttons, bone, silver

Trade beads, seaglass, recycled glass, blue lace agate, copper

Rose quartz and amethyst drops, glass, silver

Embossed and painted recycled tin, glass, silver

Cindy's daughter, Natalie, sent me photos of the spring jewelry display case at the shop. She and Cindy always create such pretty and clever displays throughout the store. With the sunny warm weather yesterday and again today, it seems like spring has finally arrived, making winter a distant memory. 

Thank you, Cindy and Natalie Rieger! Happy Spring!

Moving and Setting Up My New Studio

On our recent trip to the beach, I packed up my entire jewelry studio from our old house. It was an overwhelming task to accomplish, but in the end we filled our car to the ceiling with 10 boxes and a zillion bead boxes. My jewelry room was seriously lacking storage, but a trip to a thrift store resulted in a $12 shelving unit and a lovely cabinet repurposed from an old Edison record player cabinet (if I didn't have all of that stuff piled on top, I'd take a photo of the Edison label inside the middle section lid). What a cool cabinet. Lots of useful, velvet-lined drawers!

My cat Missy is checking out the cheap shelves crammed with bead boxes and tools.

My work area is spacious and filled with light.

Not Just Jewelry

My friend Kirk Willis requested a keychain, so now I am making something entirely new. Life is not all about jewelry, I realize!  He has opened my mind to non-jewelry applications for beads and leather . . . window hangings, napkin rings, wine glass charms, etc. I love new projects!

* Brown & cobalt blue suede, very old trade bead, recycled glass, shell, bone, wood, antiqued brass charm/chain/beads.

Anyone who knows Kirk, knows of his fondness for bears. When he specifically asked for a bear charm, I was fortunate to find one in a cool antique shop in the town of Coburg

I had some leftover black leather strap (I throw away nothing!) and these enameled number tags. All of the numbers on the tags are just random, which made me wonder if customers would buy them if the numbers had no special meaning for them. I figured that "17" could at least stand for the current year. :) 

What are your thoughts about the randomness of these numbers? Do you think random numbers would appeal to customers?

* riveted leather strap, bone, shell, enameled number tag