http://michaels.shoplocal.com/michaels/default.aspx?action=entryflash


Here is the link for big savings at Michael's craft store for INDUSTRIAL CHIC

leaving for France today.... First Paris and the flea markets...then the workshop out in Toulouse. CAN'T WAIT! I have lots of new material and ideas that I want to work with. Their will be a live pod cast I think.. sat afternoon from Paris. I'll face book it if anyone is interested. xxo

Award Winning Booth..Bo, the booth and I

Here is Bo, the Booth and I and....below the award that it won. I met Bo this weekend at the Michaels event. It was a huge showing with fashion show and all. It was done so well. I enjoyed the company, great food, and beautiful hotel. Anyways, here is the AWESOME Bo who designed the booth. He is fabulous!!

I was lucky enough this year at the Bead and Button show to meet up with my old friend and sales rep. Terri Principie. Terri used to rep my jewelry back 15 years ago when I had my company LEN.ART COLLECTION. I was based out of Chicago. She was awesome and really understood what my jewelry was about.
She is also a psychologist...so we always have very interesting conversations. One of the subjects that came up was the new color I was wearing. I have took to wearing a deep coral color....which to me , I was quite proud of putting any color into my wardrobe. I think many artists or designers work with so much color that we get tired of it in our day to day life...or that life is simpler for me to just put on a neutral color day after day so I can save my creative force for jewelry/sculpture work. Sink it into that medium instead.
Anyways, I'm immersed in coral color..... I even painted my room a metallic coral.

Terri told me that the color is worn for power, mental clarity and strength. That it is a powerful color. GOOD! She said it is important to wear on your wrist. I am wearing my great grandmothers 40 feet of small coral beads that was given to her on her wedding day. It's nice and smooth and worn...like a good Talismans. It felt good to have these hand cut ancient fossil on my wrist...plus when it is on your wrist (rather than your neck) you get to look at them.
Terri also told me that I did not need the points on my silver bracelets that I often wear....that I will just keep people away. well...there are some people that I am trying to keep away. I may file the weapons down to nubs. Maybe, just maybe I don't need to wear weapons anymore?? I think it's left over from growing up on the south side of Chicago..... should I file?....or should I not?? hmmmmmmmmmmmm

gg



The Bead and Button show was a good one. The classes went well. I had 6 days of classes ..introducing the Industrial Chic line.. and the booth.
Cheri and I started off with a 2 day class casting class with sterling silver. Cheri did the glass and I did the metals. We had a great time and students finished some awesome pieces. This is Cheri debut with the beaders so we were happy all went well. We called her "Safety Sister!!!" to the rescue. She is in the photo above to the far right. She said that she did not want to walk around the show since most people thought she was me..... well, we both do have loud mouths and similar mannerisms. It has been really nice working with her and she is a big help. Maybe we'll see more of her teaching glass throughout the year.

We had an awesome response to Industrial Chic. It really is a pretty cool line of components. It was fun finally bringing it out after all of the hard work we did last year. ..It was mums the word. I wanted to put up a few more pics....maybe tomorrow. I have lots of organizing to do today since I was away for so long.

Ok, After all of the hard work in the past year the Industrial Chic Line is finally LIVE!!! Check it out. It is a really cool line of jewelry components exclusive to MICHAELS craft store. It is my early Talismans work using found objects, metal bezels, mixed media and some of my hand carved charms.

http://www.michaels.com/art/online/static?page=Industrial-Chic

roman era glass

Here are some of my pieces that I have been working on in the studio. Anyone who knows me ..knows that I LOVE ridiculously tall rings. Love wearing them and making them.
These are done with Roman Era Glass.
I also have over the past year been working on a commercial line of jewelry...to be announced in about2 weeks. It is really, really cool. Last week I filmed out in Beachwood Ohio the technicalities of the new line.

street art ..Melbourne

Just back from Australia. I loved it there. Spent time in Melbourne..I thought it was really clean and safe.
Love the graffiti and street art

enamel poppies

here is some enamel work that I have been doing in the studio. I like doing multiple thin layers of enamel to get this look.
I also use the torch and kiln. I am enjoying bright colors in my work. This is a big change....I think I am happier lately....

The history of ice resin is this....I began using resin in my jewelry work in 2001. As a builder of Taismans I liked the idea that I could use tiny pieces like grains of sand, medicinal ground pedals and other elements that I considered to be used a relic. I ordered the resin and began mixing and experimenting in my then studio on the lake. I had problems with yellowing and I was very concerned with th toxic fumes that resins normally contain.
Being an artist for 25 years I need to take good care of myself so i can stay in my field and not become allergic to my medium. I always thought it would be such a bummer to master a material and then become allergic to it........ or damage tendons in my hands. I am always looking for non toxic materials and am very careful with my posture and tools that I use. Only the best. ....It has to be this way.
So, upon lots and lots of research and searching I finally found a parent company with gorgeously clear, non toxic resin. Together we developed a jewelers grade resin for the jewelers. It is thicker than most and has a beautiful doming quality. It stays super clear throughout time... at least 5o years. We know this history from the parent product. Anything that goes into a bezel and get filled with resin is magnified. I cast my figures and jewelry components with ice resin. I also use it on paper to make it transparent. There is so much more to do with resin besides pouring it into a bezel. That's what i like to teach in the certification program and my workshops. I love using this resin and have found nothing better.!!
Linda and I worked hard to get this product out on the market. The first launch was Bead and Button show 2008. Here is a picture od Linda and I. I am on the left. We founded Ice resin.
Here is some of my work. Enjoy.....

REAL PEOPLE ....REAL JEWELRY
Hey all,
We finished CHA about a week ago and are now taking down the booth from Tucson Gem and Mineral show. We did very well with our ICE RESIN! I showed some of new work in journals that I built using Ice resin on paper. The technique is on www.iceresin.com