time to support japan

after japan's march 2011 earthquakes and tsunami, friends and family were contacted to make sure everyone was safe and sound. i began to think about how to help from so far away and what are things that i can do.

so in support of japan's relief efforts, i designed these brass, nickel, and sterling silver items that half of the profits will be donated to the american red cross.

please see them in my etsy shop and thank you for your support.

branching out

the first "branching out" necklace was made out of 14K yellow gold as a birthday gift for my sister. she had requested a small gold pendant that could easily be worn every day...with all of life's hectic moments, hiking, and kids! it's always fun to work on new designs with a specific goal in mind.

the lil gold pendant was just so cute that i then proceeded to make a sterling silver one and then another larger antiqued one too!

i will continue to make them and they'll be in my etsy shop!

initials

a customer on Etsy recently requested a custom-made, personalized necklace featuring the initials A, L, A of her children. it's always a pleasure to design and fabricate a piece of jewelry that holds meaning for the wearer and will continue to exist long after it leaves my hands!

thanks, lisa, for giving me the opportunity to make your necklace! hope you're enjoying it!

this necklace has the tiniest letters i have made so far, measuring 1 cm by 1 cm.

the egg & the eye

this past january, the Craft and Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) launched their curated boutique website The Egg & The Eye. it's a beautiful site with wonderful goods and i'm happy to be a part of it! the descriptions of artists, processes, and inspirations are thoughtful and fun to read. you can find me under the Featured Artists section.

Janus

the new year is upon us. as i celebrated with loved ones and practiced traditional acts of good luck. i then began to wonder about the significance of this time of the year, which i found to be very interesting...

the month of January is named after Janus, the Roman god whose two heads face in opposite directions, thus signifying a reflection of the past year and the future to come. Janus' name stems from the latin root, ianua, meaning doors and so Janus is the god of doors and passageways, which symbolizes beginnings and ends.

during this transitional time of the year, a poetic term coined 'negative capability' by John Keats is appropriate, where he describes living your life with confidence and happiness while accepting that it is filled with uncertainty.