Monday, November 09, 2009

the land of the free


who doesn't like free stuff? from the free floss and toothpaste i get at the dentist every 6 months to the beauty events at neiman marcus, free is good. but usually free comes at a price. for instance, to get my free floss, brush and toothpaste at the dentist i have to go through the annoyance of going to the dentist. no fun. to get my free bag of goodies at the neiman marcus beauty event, i have to spend a minimum of $100, and it is always safe to assume that i go above that minimum. i can go on and on. but, now there is a place where you can simply answer a question and possibly get something for free; and not just any something, but really great somethings. i know, since one of the giveaways was one of my baby geode necklaces. the bright side project was started by the lovely miss b. and miss k., who simply wanted to bring sunshine to the lives of others. daily--yes, 7 days a week--they feature a product that is being given away and a thought-provoking question. to be eligible for the prize, simply answer the question and check back a week later to see if you were selected as the chosen answer. if a winner, you circle back to let them know you want your goods and where you want them sent. it is that simple. no x-rays, drills to the teeth or cringe inducing credit card bills required to get in on the free! check them out at http://www.thebrightsideproject.com/.


Sunday, November 08, 2009

greetings from a terrible blogger

while this blogging thing is so natural for some, it is pure torture for me. i have a hard time thinking of things say. this pretty much sums up why there hasn't been a post in about a year! i figured it was time to put up something, so it would be a good time to post pictures of jewelry designs i have made over the past several months. i, for the most part, have moved away from designs that incorporate intricate coiling and tedious wire wrapping techniques. i was losing interest, as it is starting to seem so overplayed. that is not to say i won't still do some of that work, since i still do like those types of pieces, but it is good to do new things. in the past several months i have been working with more with earthier and more organic looking gem finds, such as turquoise cabochons, ranging in colors from lime greens to ocean blues and baby geodes with tiny crystal formations that resemble poured sugar. i really like mixing them with the more traditional looking faceted stones to create very special and unique looks that can be worn with jeans or even a cocktail dress. speaking of cocktails, i have really gotten into making cocktail rings, too. the bigger the stones, the better!

now on to some pictures of what i am talking about above.


a necklace of a blue baby geode set in fine and sterling silvers, accented by a chain of hand wrapped iolite rondelles and finished off with a sparkling citrine briolette.

a necklace consisting of a labradoriate cabochon set in sterling and fine silvers, with three faceted labradorite briolettes that dangle from the pendant setting. the labradorite is rich with shades of silver, grays, blues and even gold! i oxidized the silver to further bring out the beauty of the labradorite.

these tuquoise rings have been a huge hit. each is individually crafted from sterling silver, since each stone is unique in shape and size. i also have stones in a variety of colors from green, to teal to aqua with many veins of black. although it is pretty safe to say that all the stones are huge! these rings are showstoppers, and i am consistently told by people who own them that they always provoke conversation. as a owner of one, i can confirm this is very true! i have been stopped by strangers who ask where i got my ring--which i always like!

this ring, with a ametrine checkerboard oval stone, is part of my small line that i like to call "the crown collection" since there is a delicate crown of oxidized fine silver that surrounds a fine silver bezel setting. these rings, too, are not for wallflowers, since these are significantly sized stones that are set high for all too see!

more labradorite. and, like the other rings, a huge stone! i am a firm believer in the idea of "go big or go home!" cocktail rings should be noticed and make a statement.

a pair of earrings that mixes the organic look of natural turquoise tear shaped cabochons with bezel set faceted citrine in a rich honey color.


blue baby geodes set in sterling and fine silvers, with a faceted citrine briolette dangle. these earrings have post backs, but i also have some baby geode earrings with french wires, as well. these earrings come in a variety of colors since baby geodes are natural in color, so you have to work with what you can get! they come in a rainbow of colors, although the more common finds seem to be shades of blue or red and aubergine. though, i have scored some in green, pink and white.

it should also be noted that i have opened up a shop at etsy, since i want to open up my line to another audience that might not yet know of yen jewelry. these pieces seen above, and many others--including some of the older designs--may be found at yenjewelry.etsy.com, but you can still visit yenjewelry.com, too, although i am in the process of updating that site (which means it could be a year before it updates since i am slow at those types of things)!

i will try my best to make sure my next post shows up a little sooner than 12 months from the date of this post!