My 15 Minutes!

Nathan Branch, a freelance communications consultant  in Seattle,Washington, uses his website to write primarily about the global luxury and fragrance industries, and design in general. His writing reflects his interest and knowledge of those industries with the added benefit to the reader of a well developed sense of humor. Lately he's begun a series of articles he calls The Artisan Series. It looks at the small, independent crafts person, and the heightened interest from consumers in purchasing our work over what's available in the mass marketplace. Nathan interviewed me several weeks ago and has just published part 1 of the interview! The series is an interesting read for all of us in the ongoing struggle to educate the public about what we do and why it matters! Thanks Nathan!! (and stay tuned for part 2!)

citrine, sterling, 18kt gold

back to school...

Well, those crazy, lazy days of summer are over. Time to get back into the old routines. For me, that means it's time to put away the novels and pull out the French textbooks because it's back to French classes for me. I never really paid much attention to my French in High School, but I bet if I had, it would have been a heck of a lot easier... I have no gift for languages, and my head feels like it's about to explode after 2 hours in that class, mais je suis déterminé! Sigh, I just had to look that up.

hmmm, this will really put me to sleep tonight...

Oregon Beach Agate Rings

Oregon has a beautiful, rocky coastline. The water is chilly, the scenery, gorgeous. A trip to the beach isn't complete without spending some time sifting through the small, tumbled rocks searching for agates. Translucent, in shades of orange, butterscotch, and white, they often end up in a little bowl displayed on a coffee table or mantlepiece. At my house, however, they ended up in sterling silver rings...

Thanks to my friend Ellie, who gathered these lovely stones for me while on one of her recent trips to unwind at the coast! Below is her ring, which became the protype for the above grouping.

 a little starfish on the band

 

Each ring is as unique as the agates it showcases.

 

I'll have these rings with me at Art in the High Desert in a couple of weeks. If people like them, I'll be making more for my etsy shop!

Just for Fun Sterling & Glass Rings

I really love making these rings. I've been making them for quite some time and they never get tiring! Each one is different and I just have fun with them. Something they all have in common is a textured and oxidized finish. Custom orders welcomed!

sunflower, hot off the workbench!

see what's available in my etsy store!

Etsy Front Page Today!

Thanks Pey for creating such a beautiful treasury!

little dress earrings available in my etsy shop!

New Work

I been preparing for Art inthe High Desert in Bend at the end of the month. If you're planning on being in central Oregon about that time, check it out, it's a gorgeous show. Here are a few new pieces slowly emerging out of the basement studio...

dalmation jasper & onyx

dumortierite & freshwater pearls

petrified coral pendants

petrified palmwood & freshwater pearls

rutilated quartz ring

Oregon beach agate ring

Lotus Blossoms and Water Lilies...

On Friday, my good friend Kris, who is also a Master Gardener, and I spent a couple of hours in Portland's Classical Chinese Garden to see what was up with the lotus. The garden, in the heart of the city, spans an entire city block. Inside, except for some traffic noise and a high rise or two if you care to look, you're transported into peace and tranquility. Even though much of the flora is labeled, it was nice having a plant person along!

                                                                   

There were only a few lotus blossoms to see and they weren't in a place where you could get a close look, but we enjoyed our two hours immensely and vowed to make the short drive to Hughes Water Gardens the following Monday and get up close and personal with those beautiful blooms. If you're in the Portland area, and you've never been there, I'd recommend you get yourself out to Tualatin, it's worth it!

The place is beautifully set up and I'm guessing there are several acres with ponds, water features of all kinds and everything you'll need to make your own. Water plants abound, including huge South American lily pads and of course our quarry, the lotus.

I'm not sure which I love more, the flower, or the pod! It's no wonder the lotus is used so frequently as a design element...

Those amazing Victoria waterlily pads can hold the weight of a child. Found in South America, these pads are actually small in comparison to the 8' in diameter they can grow to. Kris,our lily pad princess, is demonstrating their strength. I was thankfully able to keep her from climbing aboard ...

You don't want to tangle with their undersides as they are extremely well protected by sharp thorns.

Many varieties of waterlilies, some outside and some inside the two greenhouses.

It's a beautiful stroll, and it's free! Except of course you may end up leaving with something beautiful for your yard. Personally, I lay in bed at night mentally going over my garden, wondering where I can fit in a cascading waterfall... I know Kris will be back to pick up a fountain she was eyeing...

Garden art by local metal artist, Marta Farris. I actually have several of Marta's pieces in my yard. Her work is very whimsical and colorful.

This must be how ants feel.

There's a large, looks natural, woodland pond with koi that are at least 18" long.

Hmmmm, I can see something of what Monet saw here...