Tag Archives: style

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Romancing the revamp

I can’t say that my shop on Etsy has been lucrative, but with the demands of my “grown up” job, it’s been the best option for selling my jewelry at this point.  After 2 1/2 years I’ve decided to start fresh and revamp my Stranded In The City shop.  This is going to include higher quality materials and craftmanship, better quality photographs, more descriptive product details, and best of all, new and improved jewelry.

I’ll still focus on upcycled vintage assemblage style jewelry, but I really want to get back to only making things that speak to me.  Meaning, not just making something because I think it might sell.  I want my shop to reflect my own personal style.

Have any of you ever set out on such an endeavor?  What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?  I’m looking for advice from anyone who’s been down this road before, so feel free to comment!

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Published Again :)

I’m so thrilled to be published again in the latest issue of Jewelry Affaire (on sale today)!  My “Love Letters” (originally named “Enveloped”) series as well as my “Miracle of Love” necklace were featured.  I hope you enjoy them.

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A Style Altering Moment

Have you ever experienced a moment that changed the way you design?  I had a moment like that in the Spring of 2011 when I discovered Jewelry Affaire magazine.  I hate to really even call it a magazine since it’s much more like a quarterly book.  The photographs overwhelmed me.  The techniques I saw were different from anything I’d ever imagined.  Because of the talented artists featured as well as the efforts of the magazine staff, my mind was opened to a whole new world of jewelry design.

Before picking up this issue (which I’ve probably read dozens of times since) I didn’t realize I was limiting myself by only using new jewelry components.  Once I realized that almost anything could be considered jewelry making media, the possibilities seemed endless.  A large portion of my designs now incorporate vintage jewelry or findings or found objects.  After discovering Jewelry Affaire, I bought both previous back issues (the magazine was new and only published twice a year at that point, but now it’s quarterly) and also bought up the past few years of its sister publication Belle Armoire Jewelry and I’ve bought every issue of both magazine since.

I’m very proud to announce that I will get to join the artists I admire when some of my designs are featured in the next few issues of Jewelry Affaire.  Even if you’ve never made jewelry before, I encourage you to check out the Winter issue on sale January 1st.  Not only will you get to see some of my work, you’re sure to be inspired in your own creative journey.  To see more of my work in the meantime, visit my etsy shop StrandedInTheCity.

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The Little Red Bead

I have a little, red bead in my possession that I’ve had for as long as I can remember.  I don’t recall how or when I got it and I don’t remember how old I was.  If I had to guess I’d say it was a loose bead that fell off some jewelry my mom had, and I must have been around 5 or 6 years old.

How this bead has stayed with me for 30 years and made it through at least 3 or 4 moves is beyond my comprehension.  Needless to say, although this bead’s monetary worth is probably only a few pennies, because of its persistence to remain with me, its significance to me personally has grown as the years go by.

So what can I do with a bead that means so much more than all the vintage gems and pricey jewels in my studio?  One idea is to encapsulate the bead in a glass bottle and create a necklace from it.  Thoughts?

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Kicking off June with fun summer bracelets

June is here and that means cookouts and lots of weekends soaking up the sun poolside, or if you’re like me, balancing the jewelry-making madness inside with spending time outside.  While most of the jewelry work I do would be difficult to take outdoors, the following idea is a pretty easy one to work on anywhere.  Last night I made four wire-wrapped bracelets and covered them in tons of colorful glass beads.  These bracelets only require 2 materials (beads and wire), a pair of round-nose pliers, and a pair of wire cutters.  I love to take my bead soup bowl, sit on the couch, and make these while I watch tv.  They’d also be easy to make while sitting outside by the pool!

I learned this technique from Joanna Hanna, owner of Crescent Moon Beads in Eureka Springs, Arkansas (you MUST stop in and visit her if you’re in the area) http://www.crescentmoonbeads.net/.  I may add a tutorial in the future to share the technique with you, but for now enjoy the photos and visit my shop on Etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/strandedinthecity to purchase one 🙂