NEW STUDIO

guys! it happened! i don't work from home anymore!

gone are the days of getting out of bed at 10 just to roll into the living room and watch Kathy Lee and Hoda (though I guess I can still do that). I'll TRY however, to get to the new workspace at a reasonable hour and work work work! The studio is in the Brookland Arts Walk and I'm just about finished setting up. What's glorious is that there is a retail part in the front! I can actually meet with clients to talk about a designs and not have them find me awkwardly at the bar on the corner. My friend and photog Kim of Time Bandit Photography came a few days ago and snapped some pics.

(fun fact- I've had that gold banner for almost 7 years. I made it with glitter letters and hot glue from michaels and MIRACULOUSLY it hasn't fallen apart completely) 

Me in my natural state.

Lastly, me enjoying my new favorite thing- the strawberry chocolate smoothies from Halsa.

And then today I jumped up and quickly taped off some shapes and this was the result:

Well well well

Remember when I said I'm back? And then I wasn't back? Well I might be back now in the blog world!

I HAVE NEWS. Soon I'll be putting on actual pants and actual shirts and LEAVING MY HOUSE IN THE MORNING to go to a new studio on the Monroe Street Market Art Walk!! 

I'll be joining the likes of Katie and Stitch and Rivet and the gals at Wild Hand Workspace  and couldn't be more thrilled/terrified!!!

In other news, I made these for bridesmaid gifts for a lovely soon-to-be-bride:

This labradorite pendant really came to life on this heavy gold plated chain:

A new series of Turquoise Starburst pieces:

And I'm in love with this pretty lady:

Lastly, Nido  is my new favorite place to eat/drink.

Stay tuned to see the evolution of the new space!! 

I'M BACK, BABIES

Here's the deal: I'm in a real funk.

I only got off the couch today to go across the street to get a cup of coffee, because I'm out of coffee at home and haven't gone grocery shopping. I saw Gilmore Girls was on ABC family, so I started watching. And soon, The Middle came on. A show I previously despised and am now slowly learning to love. And before I know it, I'm knee deep in Reba.

This is what happens when you work from home, and when sales dip down a teeny bit. Are there things I should be doing? Of course. I should do the dishes, I should do laundry, I should neaten the house. I should vacuum. I should ORGANIZE MY GODDAMN JEWELRY STUDIO. And sort stones!! And sort castings!! And buy things to put my stones and castings IN. I got this whole fancy drawer thing and instead of neatly putting thing in the drawers I sort of threw everything that didn't have a home into all of the drawers. So now there are just tiny galaxies of messy universes in each drawer.

I should be getting ready for my POP UP SHOP at West Elm next Saturday, which I'm super excited for! But also it's a week away and I'm all like, I'll do it on monday okay???

Even blogging this now, I should be at a coffee shop or literally anywhere else other than hunched over on the couch. A desk? What's that. Why aren't I making new designs? Or working on Stitchtagram stuff? Or outside walking? OR DOING LITERALLY ONE SIT UP. JUST ONE.

Like this- look at this pretty picture of me doing work out in a public space.

But I did dye my hair sort of pinky coral a little while back, which has faded to blonde. But once upon a time it looked this awesome:

And now I look like this:

Which makes me realize that people work out for REASONS. other than being healthy. it's so they don't have weird shadowy flubber arms.

that's why. I even brought out our weights to lift. Well, just one. I couldn't carry both down from the attic.

But do we like that bow necklace? The bangle looks like this:

It's way pretty in person. And I'm never taking mine off.

I also had the BRILLIANT idea to make a Landline Line, inspired by my landline's phone cord.

So far I have earrings:

And a pretty little necklace:

I've been torn between making dainty little gold bits and pieces that people seem to love now, and that I love too. But every time I try to make something small and simple it turns into something not so small and definitely not so simple!

When I started in on this ring, I had imagined something totally different.

But what can you do. You can't control the raging river that is the creative process, right? (is that a saying?)

In case you were wondering, before Gilmore Girls/The Middle came on, I was watching, very happily mind you, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills REUNIONS from YEARS AGO. 

Can you imagine a more silly and useless thing to watch???? Current reunions are ridiculous. Imagine reunions from 2012. WHY. WHY DO I CARE. WHY DIDN'T I CHANGE THE CHANNEL.

Ok. This post was a good way to kill time and feel like I'm doing something other than watching horrible day time tv. Now I'm going to get into the studio and make a prong drusy pendant for a custom order, a silver dual stone ring with opal/turquoise, a black dripping heart ring with opal, and a drusy solitaire ring. 

Thanks for listening. Do you work from home? Do you go a tad bit crazy sometimes? Do share your stories. 

ch ch ch changes

blue hair, here to stay

News!

happy fall, all!!!

things are windy and sunny here today in DC. I'm waiting for my mama to arrive for a visit, and watching Mad About You. I'm working on an order for Urban Outfitters (we love them now), and dyed my hair kind of blue. Some photos:

BLUE HAIR. i loveeee.

I dressed up as Luke from Gilmore Girls for Halloween. Approx. 3 people got it. 

I am in love with this ear cuff.

And this one. 

And I'm making a bundle of things for Urban, including these rings:

Urban Outfitters Steals Again- UPDATED

UPDATE: UO has responded and apologized, removing the item. I do understand that they purchase from overseas vendors, and while they may be stealing from poor little Etsy sellers like myself (my pieces are plastered all over Alibaba, with other factories' watermarks on my pictures), it seems that UO isn't always aware of who gets copied by who. 

Anyway, I guess I can keep on wearing my many Urban/Anthro items of clothing.

Read on for the original scandal….

__________________________________

My friend Julia recently sent me a link to this ring from Urban Outfitters.

It looks suspiciously like my Cleopatra Ring. 

Notice their $10 sale price. 

How is that even possible?!?!

I carved MY ring out of wax. It was one of the first pieces I made when I started working in wax last year. It is cast in recycled brass by a wonderful company in NYC. I work with my hands to transform all of my jewelry from rough, raw castings into smooth, wearable, shiny pieces. Just to give you an idea of what goes into each ring.I have permanent blisters from cutting off the sprues (the left over little pieces of metal from when it was cast). 

This obviously isn't the first time Urban has stolen designs from independent artists.

Remember that time they copied Etsy seller Truche's state heart pendants? No? Here's a refresher.  (even though there was residual backlash that that design had been floating around the jewelry world already. but still.)

It also happened to Glam Trash. 

And to this graphic designer. 

And then there's this general awfulness.

So, that's that. Let the raging begin. 

Another Urban Outfitters Copy Cat Situation.

My friend Julia recently sent me a link to this ring from Urban Outfitters.

It looks suspiciously like my Cleopatra Ring. 

Notice their $10 sale price. 

How is that even possible?!?!

I carved MY ring out of wax. It was one of the first pieces I made when I started working in wax last year. It is cast in recycled brass by a wonderful company in NYC. I work with my hands to transform all of my jewelry from rough, raw castings into smooth, wearable, shiny pieces. Just to give you an idea of what goes into each ring.I have permanent blisters from cutting off the sprues (the left over little pieces of metal from when it was cast). 

This obviously isn't the first time Urban has stolen designs from independent artists.

Remember that time they copied Etsy seller Truche's state heart pendants? No? Here's a refresher.  (even though there was residual backlash that that design had been floating around the jewelry world already. but still.)

It also happened to Glam Trash. 

And to this graphic designer. 

And then there's this general awfulness.

So, that's that. Let the raging begin. 

I wrote something!

Hey gang! I'm BUSY AS A BEE over here. Seriously.

Luckily I get to put lots of chains on things now, so that means mindless television watching also. Maybe I'll catch up on #RichKidsofBH. (please please don't hate me).

I also wrote a little fun piece for the Washington Post! http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/08/11/whats-beyonce-wearing-a-necklace-that-i-very-likely-made/

Here are some snaps in case you missed them:

I love these teeny tiny (simulated) opals!

I'm really digging these wild claw studs with rubies. 

I re-stocked some pop necklaces at Pleasant Pops!