Blog
Question from a fan- How do you make art?? Where do your ideas come from? It’s both harder and easier than it seems. At it’s best, you are constantly awash in inspiration, anxious to create. At the worst, filled with ideas you can’t execute, anxious to try...
Poetry
Have you ever been struck by the idea that the sea kissing the shore at your feet has also swept along the beaches on the other side of the world? I have. It fascinates me to think how small our world truly is, despite the vastness of all it contains. Sea of Whispers...
Poetry
Occasionally you ask me if I am a writer as well as a jewelry artist… and I am, actually. Aside from a random mix of short stories- and one very incomplete novel- I primarily write poetry. For the longest time I didn’t know what I was writing. It...
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Blog
I’ve been featured in a gift guide!!!! My work was chosen for the 2016 Gift Guide from Empower Design, and I couldn’t be happier. There are over 75 handcrafted jewelry artists featured- and they are all simply phenomenal. Click through and go look at all...
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Blog
Thinking of good gift ideas is easier if you understand one simple rule. It’s not about you; it’s about the person who will receive your gift. Finding the right gift for Christmas, an anniversary gift, a birthday present, or any other occasion means understanding the...
Custom Jewelry
Making custom jewelry means the world to me. All my pieces are one of a kind, but knowing ahead of time that I’m making a bespoke piece, just for one special person, makes my day. It makes me think about Renaissance artists, when much of the art that was created was...
Birthstones, Gemstones
Fire Born From WaterAs an artist, I think of opal as a bridge between the two elements of fire and water. I think of opal birthstone as a paradox, and a talisman of hope; a spark of light where there should be none. Why? Because aside from random artistic visions,...
Blog, Musings, Thoughtful Thursday
Earlier this week I wrote about how to streamline your jewelry box by adopting a Capsule Wardrobe plan- the Jewelry Edition. And some of you have been really excited! Excited enough that I’ve received a few emails of pictures of empty jewelry boxes- and...
Blog, Musings
Does your jewelry box look like this? All jumbled and cluttered? Some things broken, most things bought on impulse? Or because they were ‘just the thing’ according to that sweet girl in the store? I want you to think carefully- how much of that jewelry do...
Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog, Gemstones
Happy September! I should probably be talking about Sapphires, but to be honest, I’ve been dreaming of Amethyst! Amethyst is one of my favorite semi-precious stones- and it was the first piece of rough gemstone that I owned! I think I was 10 when I got it, and...
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Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
Last year I had the wonderful task of creating a series of pendants for one of my best customers. We’ll call her Mrs. Calgary. She didn’t order them for herself- but for the members of her family. It was an enormous amount of fun. First she picked Glacier...
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Blog
I don’t know about you guys- but I really love shopping on Black Friday. I would go with my Mom every year- before the crack of dawn, no less. I am not a morning person, but this is the one day every year I cheerfully set my alarm for o-dark thirty, and bounce...
A Piece A Day, Blog
There comes a time when you have to admit you were wrong. For me, the time has come. I was wrong. Before my family jumps all over this opportunity, let me clarify. I was wrong in my approach to design. I have taken great pride in the fact that my work is exclusively...
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Blog
Inspiration for my work comes from many different places, but one of the nearest and dearest is the artistic element of Water. The ebb and flow of waves, the soft ripples of a quiet stream, and the rushing torrent of a raging river are all endlessly fascinating to me....
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Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
Women I talk to seem to have this idea that you can only be elegant in a ball gown, dressed to the nines, and wearing gobs of high end diamond jewelry. Something like this picture. I think we can all agree that the model is definitely very elegant. She looks like she...
Blog
I am so excited- I am being featured at The Haley Boutique until October 22nd!! They have the most fabulous selection of clothing- and shopping there is an experience all it’s own. Elegant, lovely- you just feel welcomed and pampered as you walk in the...
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Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
One of the cornerstones of my work is that my jewelry is unique. I make each piece only once, and while some pieces are similar, no one else has exactly the same piece. Recently a lady couldn’t decide if she should buy one of my pendants that she really loved....
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Blog
Some times, I just cannot help but love my customers. Out of the blue, one of them emailed me today- a man who had ordered some earrings for his wife two years ago. I’ll call him Mr. Garnet. Mr. Garnet’s wife wears her forged silver and garnet earrings...
Blog, Gemstones
Recently I came to the realization that I dither way too much. I found this out when I realized I’d been daydreaming over my gemstones for about an hour and had almost all of them spread all over my bench, and I still hadn’t decided what stone to use in...
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Blog
Last week I had the honor of attending my niece’s wedding. It was gorgeous, the bride was beautiful, the groom was wonderful… All in all a fabulous time was had by all and I got to help! The groom had already gone and picked out rings- which were very...
Blog, Gemstones
If you know anything about jewelry, you know that for most people, it’s about the gemstones. Those sparkly little bits of color that make us stop suddenly and say, “Wow! What’s that?” Which is what I did when is saw this: I must have waxed...
Blog
Expectations are tricky things. Great Expectations are phenomenally, amazingly, absolutely wonderful! Why, you ask? Let me explain. I always expect myself to do my very best work, be it writing an article for you, or creating my current amazingly elegant pendant. My...
Musings
I wanted to take this time to wish you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas, and wonderful Holiday. As I can’t be there in person to give you all a box of my famous handmade truffles, I wanted to share a smile instead. Just a little something to make you...
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Blog
I really love the Lord of the Rings. I had seen the Hobbit cartoon when I was growing up, but when I read the series early in high school, I just fell in love with the imagery, and the inspiring struggle between good and evil. I also admit to attending Rennaisance...
Blog, Luscious Recipes
Yay and Hurrah! It’s officially Fall at my house. This morning, there was frost on the crimson leaves, the fog was so thick I couldn’t see through it, and I had to break out my beloved cashmere socks. The best part, however, was having my kids ask...
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Blog
Don’t you just love packages? Whether it’s your birthday, Christmas, or just because, receiving a brightly wrapped package from a loved one is one of life’s ultimate pleasures. What is it? They obviously went to a lot of trouble… What could it...
Blog, Thoughtful Thursday
It’s that lovely time of year again. Late Summer. The flowers are blooming, the birds are cheeping- and while allergies are in full force, at least our chances of pneumonia and bronchitis are greatly reduced. It was not a good winter, spring, or early summer,...
A Piece A Day, Blog
A breath of smoke encircled the creature, glowing embers of living flame flickered in the air, and the spicy smell of cinnamon streaked with silver enveloped me… Here was a Fire Sprite, the living being of fire, dancing in the evening light for purest pleasure....
Blog, Musings
As much as I may tell my kids not to rely exclusively on someone’s outward appearance- it’s a fact of life that we all judge one another on first impressions. Is this person trustworthy? Well he must be- he shook my hand and looked me straight in the...
Blog, Luscious Recipes
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about five things you can do to feel beautiful. I happened to mention an off-the-cuff recipe I’d created for my birthday dinner, and several people asked me for the recipe. So here you go…. Sherried Pork Medallions in Demi...
Blog, Musings
My neighbor came to dinner a little while ago, and studied my china cabinet with interest. “I bet every one of those has a story,” she said- and she was right. As I looked at my glassware and china in this huge display cabinet, I realized that it was...
Blog, Musings
Sometimes you just feel like the sludge at the bottom of your coffee cup. Even though the weather has turned, allergies refuse to let us go- and it’s hard to feel optimistic with politics looming in such uncertain economic times. It’s enough to make a...
Blog, Musings
On this holiday I want to wish you a very happy Valentine’s Day, and to tell you how much you mean to me. We’ve probably never met, but when you read my blog, like my items, or just show an interest- you make my day. All year long you click, read or share...
A Piece A Day, Blog
There is nothing more cheerful than a gorgeous ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Even for people like me, who love the rain, the shimmering glow of glorious light where there were only gray skies is uplifting. All of which was going through my mind as I forged this...
Blog, Musings
There’s something I feel you should know about me before we go any further in this blogger/blog reader relationship. Brace yourself. I adore Shakespeare. The arguments over who “really” wrote Shakespeare’s plays don’t matter...
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Blog
I am by nature very… forthright. I was labeled “To the Point” in my yearbook, and am known for my direct honesty even now. Which is why I value honest feedback, even if I don’t like it. I recently met a lady, who commented on my jewelry, and...
Blog, Musings
This is primarily a jewelry blog. But sometimes something so big comes along, I’ll talk about it anyways. I don’t know if any of you have heard of SOPA or PIPA, but I wanted to share this video with you all. PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight...
Blog, Gemstones
I am not normally one to get excited about pink. Other people I know are, but pink and I don’t usually get along. Except when it comes to Rhodochrosite. A stunningly pink banded mineral, and a truly magnificent stone that is not only pink, but practically stands...
Blog, Musings
One of the points of custom jewelry, is to make custom designs for your clients. You could even say it was the whole point, if you didn’t know how amazingly awesome it is to make custom jewelry. Which is why I get so overwhelmingly irritated with fellow designers when...
Blog, Musings
I am about to tell you the secret to all of my designs. Each and every one of the designs that you see on my website has been somehow created by music. Yes, there are usually a set of inspirational circumstances that come together for each particular piece, but by and...
Blog, Gemstones
I’m in love. Shifting colors, mysterious depths- who wouldn’t love Andalusite? All the warmth of chocolate sable, with hints of gold, olive, and crimson in it’s shadowed depths…. The perfect Autumn gem, actually. In order to rhapsodize over the...
Blog, Musings
So after setting up my bench, the thing to do is new pieces, right? Sure. No problem. Except I forgot to unpack my solder. I know I saw it in one of those boxes…. So this is the box I pulled out from under my bench looking for my solder. Note that it is...
Blog, Musings
Well until I find the rest of my boxes, and the miscellaneous garage stuffs get moved out of my studio niche and into the garage- this is as good as it’s going to get…. For now. I did however, decide this is going to be really an awesome place to work....
Musings, WIP Wednesday
Progress has been made. I’m almost sure of it. Tools are racked and stones unpacked, but materials are mostly missing in action… there’s still alot of boxes. Part of being a tool using artist, I think, is you just collect any tool that crosses your...
Blog, Musings
Autumn is probably my favorite time of year. Between the crisp temperatures, vibrant tree colors, and glorious sunsets, I’d be hard pressed to decide what my favorite part of fall would be… This year, however, it’s even harder, because I’ve...
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Blog
You will have noticed a distinct lack of writing on my blog recently. *ahem* Yes, I do realize it’s been months. No I’m not counting. To be perfectly honest it’s been a rather uproarious few (several… many… okay, lots of ) months. This is...
Totally Tools
I would like to know why we don’t have standardized screws and screwdrivers. Wasn’t it the Civil War when production companies discovered that standardizing parts and designs made things more efficient? Isn’t this 150 years later- and we’re...
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Blog
Goodness gracious, I thought I’d never get all the loose ends tied up on my database. When I originally put this site together, I knew next to nada about how to do it. With the help of some extremely talented developer friends, I learned all sorts of esoteric...
Blog
Some of you may have received a rather odd blog post written by “Mr.Wordpress” on my blog yesterday. I apologize for that. I’ve been inundated by Internet gremlins, and as a consequence I’m trying to rebuild my database. The more tech savvy...
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Blog
There are days when I can’t do anything right in the shop…… and then there are days where everything goes so perfectly I dance my way to the pickle. I just love my job so much. Here’s the second in the Anam Cara series for my lovely client. Due to circumstances, we...
A Piece A Day, Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
I traveled quite a bit growing up. By the time I was 12, I’d seen the majority of the USA. Summer was always a time of car trips, and amazing sights. One summer, though- I went on an ocean voyage. For one glorious week, we had charge of Somersault III, a schooner that...
A Piece A Day, Blog
It amazes me how interconnected art is with life. How one seemingly insignificant event will leap forth and demand a specific creation process in one’s art. For me, one such event is reading- and I love to read. When I read, the words don’t stay on the page, they leap...
A Piece A Day, Blog, Travel Adventures
Today’s piece of the day was inspired by sailing the ocean on a vacation adventure. After a long day of battling waves, wind, and -perhaps- pirates, the sun sinks slowly into the west as a golden gleam against the sails….
A Piece A Day, Blog
Today’s piece of the day is titled “Issaquah” and is inspired by the art of the Northwest region near my old home town. …..And click here for the listing for the piece by popular demand.
A Piece A Day, Blog
Life is so cyclical sometimes. I made a bracelet in November of last year. I hadn’t even had a chance to take a picture before I sold it at my jewelry party. The person who bought it is a friend of mine, and she gave it away as a Christmas present. What happens, but...
A Piece A Day, Blog
I have done something that is perhaps foolish, but with only good intentions. I have committed to creating a piece of jewelry every day for 30 days. There are any number of reasons to do such a thing. I want to have the motivation to post daily again, I want to have...
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Blog
Custom design, bespoke jewelry, whatever you want to call it- it’s just plain fun. A customer comes to me and says, “I really want a unique piece tailored to my exact specifications. Can you Do that?” To which I always say, but of course. This time my lovely visionary...
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Blog
I have a weakness. Okay, I have lots of them, but for the last several days my weakness is reading. Specifically, reading anything( and everything!) by Patricia McKillip. I’ve read nearly all of her stories before, but in the last several evenings, I’ve re-read The...
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Blog
It’s finally, irrevocably, without a doubt no-you-can’t-take-it-back Spring. It doesn’t matter if there’s a late season ice storm in two weeks, or three feet of snow tomorrow. My crocuses, bluebells, and daffodils are blooming. Let the season...
Blog, WIP Wednesday
Share Happiness by Ben Heine Sometimes life doesn’t always go as planned. The dishwasher breaks, the road caves in, or you just mysteriously forget about how close a deadline really is… The result of all that is usually a mad dash at the last instant. A...
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Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
Take a Closer Look Inside by Tropical Blizzard In this busy world of ours, it is increasingly hard to stay focused and “on-task”. Even when under a severe deadline, I still have trouble, at times, keeping my mind on my work. So I thought I would share my...
Blog, Fabulous Feature on Friday
Diamonds, diamonds every where and not a drop to drink… Dreaming of diamonds by Swamibu Recently, I had cause to thoroughly research diamonds for an upcoming custom order. A gentleman approached me on his wife’s behalf, and requested assistance with a...
Blog, Thoughtful Thursday
staI recently had to wait with my children, and they asked me to make up a story. About what? I asked. After stories for the light switch, the potted plant, and my shoe they said, : About your necklace, Mommy. This is what I told them: A thousand bedtimes ago, in a...
Blog, WIP Wednesday
I crossed off several line items on my list today, not the least of which were a whole bunch of new bracelets! I picked my favorites for the photo, but I’m beginning to think I’ve grown a bracelet tree in my back yard…Just wait until you see the rest...
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Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
Milky Way- Jökulsárlón, Iceland by ovaratli Something I’ve noticed in life is that nothing waits for you. Emergencies happen, the unexpected crops up, and yet, life goes on just as it always does. Last week one of my children was very sick. I didn’t...
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Blog
This is just a quick note to explain my sudden absence. Life has taken a quick and sudden (but temporary) detour, so I haven’t been writing. I’m sorry! I expect to be back Monday on my regular blogging schedule, but I wanted to let you all know I...
Blog, Fabulous Feature on Friday
Birthstones are just totally rockin’. Rock. Birth-Stone. *ahem* Bad puns aside- I’m getting really excited for November. It’s my favorite month of the year, in my favorite season, with a completely beautiful patron...
Blog, Thoughtful Thursday
Do you make a Statement? Do you as a person think about what you’re telling people every day? I’m not talking about saying, “Hi, my name is Bob.” This is a ‘little s’ statement. No I’m talking making a...
Blog, WIP Wednesday
This week, I worked out what was troubling me with a design. It was one of those few times that my artistic vision was cloudy, so to speak. I bought the most amazing Marcasite-in-Agate cabochon from Gerard Scott Designs a few months ago. I was so excited looking at...
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Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
One of the hazards of being a jewelry oriented metalsmith is a nearly fanatical attention to detail. The difference between a design that’s a flop and a design that grabs the dreams of everyone who sees it is attention to detail. Did that solder seam get...
Blog, Fabulous Feature on Friday, Gemstones
Today I’m writing about Chrome Diopside, which is one of my all time favorite green gemstones. Why, you ask, when there are so many fabulously famous green gemstones like Emerald and Tourmaline? The answer is simple. I love deep flawless gorgeous green, and my...
Blog, Thoughtful Thursday
There’s something inherently powerful about milestones in one’s life. Birthday, Anniversary- or some other day of random importance, they make you really focus on the time that’s passed. Often in excruciating detail, dredging up long-forgotten...
Blog, WIP Wednesday
I just love my clients. They bring me the most interesting projects. Like this week, the lady- let’s call her Mrs. Superior- brought me a stone from her little stretch of beach on Lake Superior. “Can you make a pendant around this?”she asked. Of...
Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
Tuilerie Sailboat by Juggling Mom There are times when running a studio business is very much like running a ship. As captain, I chart a course amongst the craggy reefs of financial ruin and artistic failure. I tack to the winds of fashionable indifference, and...
Blog, Metal Monday
Golden Rose by Rolf Venema Somehow, over the last several hundred years, the rose has become nearly a universal symbol of love and devotion. Why, is open to interpretation, but as I am an avid gardener, as well as a jeweler, I must admit even the very name of Rose...
Blog, Fabulous Feature on Friday, Gemstones
Is there anything more life affirming than glowing, saturated, natural green? Green fields, green mountains, bright green new grass or green Malachite. Now while all those plant type things are green due to the chlorophyll inside their structures, Malachite is green...
Blog, Thoughtful Thursday
Last week I stumbled across a rather interesting new blog, Grace and Ivy. What’s so interesting is that she takes her readers on a Vicarious Vacation once a week to some exotic locale. She writes so well it’s almost like being there. I’ve had...
Blog, WIP Wednesday
So this week, I’ve been working on all sorts of things. Not with construction equipment, unfortunately. Although I do know how to drive a fork lift and a bobcat. No, I was fixing website errors. Forging a few bracelets. Spending ridiculously long hours...
Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
My name is Kaelin, and I’m entirely too stubborn. Not just the stubborn that says, I didn’t get it quite right that time, I’ll try that again. No. The stubborn that is still working to ‘get it right’ at 2:13am in the morning on a...
Blog, Metal Monday
There’s nothing quite like sitting up late one evening, and watching blooms of colors burst across the sky in a jubilant display of metalsmithing… Yes, that right- fireworks owe quite alot to the various branches of study that metalsmiths pursue. Some of...
Blog, Fabulous Feature on Friday
Faceted Amber by Sea Moon We humans have held some fascinating beliefs in our history upon this earth. We’ve believed that the earth was flat, that the moon was made of cheese, and that divine magic known as electricity came from Amber. Ancient Greeks also...
Blog, Thoughtful Thursday
This week’s thought-provoking whatsit took me completely by surprise. I was walking along, minding my own business, when wham out of the blue I was remembering in vivid detail a passage from one of my favorite books, Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley. The...
Blog, WIP Wednesday
Emotional Landscape by Nyah74 I love packages. Especially packages where brightly colored bows, paper, and sparkling ribbons abound, and tell the whole world something wonderful is occurring. Is it a birthday? A wedding? Or some other amazing event? The best part of...
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Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
Have you ever wondered about the effect of music on art? I think about it all the time. In our modern societies of helter-skelter, breakneck speeds, our musics often keep pace, driving our lives with strong beats and faster rhythms. Which is not bad- I love to forge...
Blog, Metal Monday
I must start this post with a bit of a confession. I love superheroes. When I was a little girl, I would run around with my hooded coat on my head as an impromptu cape, and dream that I could fly. Now that I’m a grown up I wish for the super-power of never...
Blog
Aureola Reboot by rawheadrex Being in the right place at the right time always feels like some sort of magic. What would happen if you turned this way down the street instead of that way? If you wear this piece of jewelry versus that piece? If you take your camera...
Blog, WIP Wednesday
I’ve had this nagging thought all day that I’m forgetting some thing. I found myself drumming my fingers on whatever surface was near while I tried vainly to remember what I was forgetting. Since it’s 8:15pm as I write this, looooong after I...
Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
I came across this quote from Oscar Wilde today: Be yourself, because everyone else is taken. I’m not a celebrity. Did you know that? Probably, I would think… I’m not Sandra Bullock, Audrey Hepburn, or Norah Jones. I have an aging Honda, not a Ferrari. I’m...
Blog
You may have noticed I love silver alloys. I’d say of the last 200 pieces I made, 7 of them contained a metal other than silver. So I think it’s fair to say it’s my favorite forging material. As a metalsmith, I like silver for it’s easy working requirements, fantastic...
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Blog
Even with all the world’s gemstones to play with, there’s nothing quite like a fantastically decorated cabochon to set one’s design heart dreaming. Stones like this unusual cabochon I’ve used seem so unreal in their intricate patterning…...
Blog, Thoughtful Thursday
Iced Geneva Inspiration is sometimes a bolt of lightning from a new experience, or a blinding flash of insight into an everyday occurence. For me, contrary as I am, it’s most often both. I’ve loved this powerpoint for the longest time. It’s powerful,...
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Blog
Today I’ve been focusing on making progress on one of my custom orders. One of my favorite clients is getting married, and has asked me to make her wedding ring! I was so pleased to be asked, and I’ve been wracking my brain to get just the right design to...
Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
There are some days where it doesn’t pay to get out of bed. The dishwasher dies, the kids get sick, the dog needs an emergency run to the vet… we all have these days. There’s usually no creating done, but it’s only to be expected, right? But...
Blog, Metal Monday
How to tell real silver from the fake stuff… Do you have silver jewelry? Since you’re reading my blog, I’m going to assume that you do. But do you know what kind of silver jewelry it is? Or if it’s even real? If you said “um…no?” that’s okay! I didn’t know...
Birthstones, Blog, Fabulous Feature on Friday, Gemstones
Sapphires are arguably one of the world’s loveliest and most versatile gems. They are strong, durable, glamorous, ranging from sparkling transparency to deep saturated color They also have a secret double life. When most people think of sapphires, they think of...
Blog
This week I was inspired not by a metalsmith, gemstone, or view of my garden, but the description of a fantastically beautiful transparent bar of soap. I know. It’s soap! How inspiring can it be? Storm Soap by Crown of Rue Sea Spray Soap by Crown of Rue Pretty...
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Blog
Every so often, something happens- and I just can’t wait until the next day to write about it. Like today. Today one of my modest little photos got analyzed on one of my favorite Photography Blogs- Gpix. I was so totally excited! First, because I always feel I...
Blog, WIP Wednesday
I will share a secret with you. I really dislike soldering chain. Not the nice open link style, like in a charm bracelet- no. I’m talking about the microscopic, get out four magnifying lenses, and then squint before you even start to see the link kind of chain....
Art Happens on Tuesday, Blog
Photo by La Cuidad VisibleHello, my name is Kaelin, and I’m addicted to crafting. Hello, Kaelin I’m not kidding, either. In a recent conversation, a crafting friend of mine asked if there was anything I don’t do. I’m ashamed to admit…...
Blog, Metal Monday
Is there anything lovelier than gold? Gleaming good health imparts a golden glow, the sun is referred to as the “golden orb” in literature, and one can be as good as gold… Of course, the down side are all those pesky wars that were fought for it, and...
Blog, Fabulous Feature on Friday
Fabulous Friday Gemstones I come across more lapidary artists than I can shake a stick at (or afford), but one of my major down falls are unusually cut gemstones, like this stunning blue Topaz from Dr. Barbara Smigel’s course on Gemology shown here from her website:...
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Blog
… And I have a few really good reasons. First, amongst a series of illnesses, I’ve been working diligently to consolidate my focus as an artist, and as a result, have completely re-written my website from the ground up. Part of the new design means that my...
Blog
As much as I love writing on my blog, sometimes it’s fun to write on other people’s blogs too! So I wrote my continuing thoughts on spontaneous business matters on Noadi’s Handmade Business Blog. I hope you enjoy it!
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Blog
Image courtesy of nkzs. How long is your to-do list? I found out today that mine is 5 double sided single spaced pages- and still growing. The reason I know this, is because I came across some well-meaning advice. “Overwhelmed or stressed out?...
Blog
I get so bogged down in the day-to-day minutiae of life that I forget, sometimes, how amazing it is to love what you do. Not just to find enjoyment in your day, and to feel satisfaction over a job well done- but to really, truly, love what you do. It makes me happy in...
Blog
Sometimes the project just won’t work. Sometimes the grand idea flops. It happens to everyone. The hard part for most people is accepting this failure. It’s probably that word. Failure. Just the very mention of it conjures up thoughts of personal...
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Blog
Have you ever stopped to consider how many kinds of ice cream there are in the world? Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Funky Monkey, Chai Tea… the list is as endless as one’s imagination! This week, I stood in the ice cream aisle in my grocery store and...
Blog
Help! I’m so confused when it comes to shopping for jewelry. I just don’t know what all those terms mean! Have no fear- Super Jeweler is here! Alright, not really, but I’m a metalsmith-jeweler and I can help explain all the little symbols and arcane...
Blog
I have met many different kinds of people in my life, and invariably when we discuss what it takes to be successful in life, they say things like: “You must be driven to succeed”, “Have a dream and pursue it!”, or even “All you need is...
Blog
Many people I meet seem to be under the impression that tarnish is something that can’t be avoided. They are embarrassed when a piece of theirs if tarnished, and that really, they should take better care of their jewelry, but simply can’t find the time to...
Blog
Once upon a time, on a sunny Tuesday about 6 months ago, I had a great new necklace design idea. This idea was so perfect in my mind’s eye, that I could see how the hammer marks would refract the light, and I could visualize the feel of how the metal would move...
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Blog
Druzy stones like the one I used in the piece above are the result of a stone cooling more quickly on the outside than the inside when it is formed from it’s near molten state. Nearly every stone that exists has the potential to have a small section of...
Blog
Many artists are inspired by their surroundings. How many paintings of the canals of Venice have you seen? How many poems have been written about Spring? For all those artistically minded people who wondered where I receive my inspirations…. Here are just a few...
Blog
…when I was fifteen, I learned to weld and forge steel and copper sculptures. I discovered the joy of creating art with metal, and the satisfaction of creating something inherently beautiful. It wasn’t exactly what my guidance counselor had in mind, I think, but...
Blog
When I was in college, this philosophical question was hotly debated in the halls, over meals, and shouted about in the classrooms. I was never really interested in taking part in these debates, as I was more concerned about learning all the fascinating techniques....
Blog
For this week’s Interesting Artist article, I was able to sit down with Amy of Oddcessories on Etsy.com. Amy creates a wonderful line of fabric art jewelry that seems to hearken back to the 1920s in design style. Good morning Amy! How’s your studio going...
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Have you ever skated close to the edge of destruction? Perhaps you love to snowboard, and as you slash through the snow, you suddenly realize you are nearly horizontal to the snow and you’re going nearly 20 miles an hour… Or maybe you love to surf, and...
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When I learned to knit all I thought about was the usual- blankets, booties and maybe a sweater. I learned about yarn, and the proper way to knit without injury and happily knit several dozen scarves, sweaters and baby blankets. Then I heard the siren call of metal,...
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This will be the first post of my new Interesting Artists series. Once a week I will pick an unusual artist to interview for Tales from the Studio, and we’ll peek inside the mind of another jeweler to see what goes on inside their studios. I hope you enjoy!...
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I am very pleased to announce my affilition with Trinity Jewelers in Parkville, Missouri. My work will be available at their shop located at 106 Main St and is home to a lovely selection of unusual handmade jewelry and luxury watches. Thank you very much to Troy, the...
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One of the results of the Zona Rosa Art Festival was meeting the owners of a wonderful gallery in Smithville, Missouri. The owners of North Bridge Gallery have graciously agreed to host some of my jewelry through the Christmas season. They were wonderful to visit...
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One of my favorite new materials is called “Druzy Quartz”. You’ve probably seen geodes around and about, and that is the common geological term for any rock that has an internal crystal structure. Specifically to the jewelry industry, the term for...
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Part of being an artist who sells their work involves finding people who enjoy the work to start with and listening to their responses. To that end, I did my very first Art Festival as a professional Artist this last weekend. The crowds were fantastic, the bands were...
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Hello! My name is Kaelin, and I am a metalsmith. This means that I use a hammer, anvil and actually forge metal into art. I create primarily unique forged art jewelry in precious metals featuring semi-precious stones. I post my work for sale on my website, and on...
