Golden Geode Necklace- February Challenge Day 15

[Golden Geode Necklace]

This collection of purple pearls and beads have sat in a plastic bag together in my jewelry "to do" box without quite coming together perfectly. Today, they finally did. A few extra additions of the gold pearls really put it over the top. Plus we all know I love a gold chain.

Today is halfway through the Necklace a Day Challenge, and while it has been a challenge, I'm loving really digging into my work and finding something new each day. Thanks for all your support and kind words!

A Necklace A Day will continue all of February. See all the daily necklaces here. I'm joined in this challenge by a fellow East Bay Arts Collective member, Gwen of Gwen Harlow Design who will be crafting and blogging as well.

Happy Valentine's Day

[Eero Saarinen's Love List to his wife in 1954]

Originally found on List of Note.

Be Mine Necklace- Day 14 Necklace

[Be Mine Necklace]

 I thought I was going to do something pink or red and a little saccharine for Valentine's Day but I ended up playing around with a piece of repurposed black leather and created this instead. I'm not wearing it because I'm sporting a red cardigan my great grandmother made. (Or may have paid someone to make and then claimed she had made it. There is not of that going on here.) Still, this is one heart necklace you can give your sweetie to wear year round.

The details: black leather that I used my exacto skills to carve a heart out in the lower right corner on a strand of neon green vintage lucite beads from Japan.

A Necklace A Day will continue all of February. See all the daily necklaces here. I'm joined in this challenge by a fellow East Bay Arts Collective member, Gwen of Gwen Harlow Design who will be crafting and blogging as well.

Three times the necklaces- February Challenge

[Cora Necklace]

I may be late, but these three necklaces seriously have everthing I love working with to create jewelry- tons of beading and bling, vintage pieces, mixing textures and textiles, and even simplicity. Yes, simplicity. Check out that last necklace!

First up is a six string necklace with vintage pearls, blue seed beads and translucent purple glass tube beads with a sparkly vintage brooch on one side. It's statement-y, but actually not too big of a piece. I decided to name it after my grandmother. I think she would have liked the colors.

[Fringe Necklace]

 Next up is a STATEMENT piece. Full stop. Two layers of trim are sewn to a gold tone chain with the trim going all the way around to the sides of your neck. Layer with a simple dress and you'll be stunning. I first made one of these to wear to my brother's rehearsal dinner and everyone thought the necklace was attached to the dress. I made some matching earrings for this necklace, but those are mine all mine. The necklace is, as all February Challenge pieces are, up for grabs on Etsy. 

 

[Repurposed Monet Necklace]

Lastly, simple. I was playing with layers of this chain and decided the unusual shape should continue to be the main attraction. Three layers, simple vintage chain necklace. I even left on the original tag from the maker- Monet.

A Necklace A Day will continue all of February. See all the daily necklaces here. I'm joined in this challenge by a fellow East Bay Arts Collective member, Gwen of Gwen Harlow Design who will be crafting and blogging as well.

tumblights 2/12

Happy Sunday evening! This week's tumblights are heavy on the Design for Mankind. I must say, Erin Loechner has been killing it lately.

Interesting comparisons between cecilia paredes’ urban camouflage art via Design For Mankind and Kim Joon's Awakened Ceramics via alecshao

World map created by chipping away layers of the wall behind the map to reveal the landforms via design boom


Art created by painting while suspended in air via Design For Mankind


Prestige and Decay in China, photography of Harry Kaufman via The Fox is Black


Wrapped trees show the horizon via Design For Mankind

Large scale paintings by collaborative husband-and-wife team of Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings via Design Milk

Necklaces 8 & 9- February Challenge

[Apple Necklace]

 You don't have to be a teacher to want this apple necklace. Vintage lucite in green and blue and two strands of awesome flat gold chain hold this vintage apple charm with a jade colored natural stone "leaf" dangling. The lucite I found at my favorite Bay Area bead store recently and is originally from Japan.

[Calcite Necklace]

Close friends will recognize this necklace as a riff on one I wear frequently myself but these calcite stones are too amazing not to share. I wirewrapped the stone to attach it to an amazing gold toned rope necklace. I love the hazy pink color of the stone and how it vaguely resembles weaponry while remaining feminine.

Necklace Ten coming soon!

A Necklace A Day will continue all of February. See all the daily necklaces here. I'm joined in this challenge by a fellow East Bay Arts Collective member, Gwen of Gwen Harlow Design who will be crafting and blogging as well.

photobooth sf

Have you noticed my new Facebook/ Twitter/ all over the Internets photo? I had it taken at Photobooth SF, an amazing photography studio and event space that specialized in analog photography. Polaroids, Dianas, Lomos, even tintype. Not only can you have your portrait taken there, they sell refurbished Polaroids so you can snap your own retro art.

You can schedule your own shoot, or attend the Pre-Valentine's Party tomorrow that benefits Creative Arts Charter School. You can even get a tintype with your sweetie for a special price. If you are in the Bay Area, you need to check this space out. And if you aren't local, the images on the website are incredible on their own.