Monday, July 30, 2007
could be trouble...
I just discovered that the Sienna Gallery has an online bookstore. OH NO! Online ordering is so fun!! You can view all the books published by Sienna gallery right here. Although a little pricey, you can never have too many books. I'm dying to see the book on Jamie Bennett's enamel brooches.
A few websites
So far the vacation has been wonderful! We are at Cape Hatteras where the water is surprisingly clear and warm. Im not usually the kind of person who swims in the ocean, but I spent the good part of yesterday riding waves and playing in the surf with my best friends. I have gotten a little sunburned, but its a small price to pay for so much fun.
I am so glad I brought my computer, I have had tons of time to play online!! I have been researching holiday shows on the east coast with deadlines i haven't missed. Id like to do two or three this year, and see how things go. I have also been looking at websites trying to figure out how i would like mine to be re-built. Suggestions??
DesignSpong is a blog i check daily (along with every other blogger in the world), and through this blog i found the website for Prisera Design. Laura Su is the designer/owner, and she has got one great eye for design and one lovely website. Its amazing what a difference putting the jewelry on models makes! It looks so professional. Her Flora and Folium collection is by far my favorite collection. So simple! One of those collections that makes me say "why didn't i think of that". This collection uses a combination of stainless steel and sterling silver.
Another website I have been pouring over is Sarah Hood's. Sarah is not at all new to the art jewelry industry, but for some reason, I had never been to her website. Much of her work is recognizable from being in jewelry design books and magazines over the years. My absolute favorite piece of her work is this ring she made using a Japanese lantern skeleton. The natrually complex structure is so delicate with a beautiful pattern that really appeals to me. I probably saw this image years ago, but got to see it in person recently at gallery M.I.M. as part of their Material Alchemy exhibition. They were displayed in perfect wooden shadow box's and ready to be hung on a wall, or set on a shelf. You can also find Sarah's work on etsy.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Vacations
I'm leaving bright and early tomorrow morning for the Outter Banks with two of my best friends. I am so excited, and have been looking forward to this trip for such a long time! We don't get spend much time together anymore, so Im ready for a little girl bonding sea-side. I have the Sex and the City dvd's packed (btw, how excited are you that they are FINALLY making the movie), lots of nail polish, cute summer dresses, and lots of suntan lotion, because I am sure to burn. And i just found out the house has wire-less internet..fabulous!
Speaking of great girl bonding, last night I had dinner with Annie from Imogene. Annie and I graduated from Towson together about 2 years ago (yikes!), and we have continued to keep in touch. I can't tell you what a great time I had with her. Reminiscing, talking business, catching up, laughing. I really don't get to see her enough. I left dinner truly inspired, and ready to give my business the attention it deserves! What a great role model!
She also just happened to be wearing her new squirrel necklace, which is totally adorable. The photo doesn't do this piece justice, its the perfect piece for summer!
Speaking of great girl bonding, last night I had dinner with Annie from Imogene. Annie and I graduated from Towson together about 2 years ago (yikes!), and we have continued to keep in touch. I can't tell you what a great time I had with her. Reminiscing, talking business, catching up, laughing. I really don't get to see her enough. I left dinner truly inspired, and ready to give my business the attention it deserves! What a great role model!
She also just happened to be wearing her new squirrel necklace, which is totally adorable. The photo doesn't do this piece justice, its the perfect piece for summer!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
CW Roelle
phewwwww..artscape is over!! The Metals Guild had a really good show, but i am glad its over! Now i will have time to relax and work on my own stuff again.
While i spent much of the weekend working, i did get to walk around a little see some of the work that was being sold at Artscape.
Although, i only bought one photograph, i did find two artists who's work i feel in love with...
C.W. Roelle makes artwork using metal wire. They are AMAZING! I was immediately drawn to them because of the line quality, but the more i looked at them, the more intersting they became. He does images of people, boats, landscapes, and my favorite; birdcages. I LOVE LOVE LOVE them, and hopefully one day soon, this piece will be hanging on my wall. Def check out his work here!
And.. the company Had Matter. They make little box/wall hangings and key holders to hang on your wall. She did a nice job pairing found objects with images. And for a very nice price. Here is one of my favorites.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
New Stuff
After a day of setting up for artscape, i was finally able to sit down at my bench for a few hours tonight. It felt sooo good!
Here is what i came up with... both for sale on my etsy page!
I went home last night and had dinner with my parents (mmmm, what a treat!), and this is what my mom whipped out! AWESOME! This bracelet has 14 images of queens. On the opposite side of the queens, there are images of crowns, letters etc. Its great, and looks even better in person! Hmm...a little competition...
Ok, im off to hunt down some diet coke. Im going through withdraw, and yes, it is totally worth leaving the house for at 9 pm!Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Insanity
Artscape is fast approaching, and this year i am in charge of organizing and running the booth for the Metals Guild of Maryland. I am happy to do it, but it is soooo much work. I will be going non-stop until Sunday, and I'm already dragging. I can't complain too much though, this is what happens when you procrastinate. And anyone who knows me knows, i am the worlds biggest procrastinator. Id like to think of it as grace under pressure! When will i learn?!? Stop by our booth (#80) this weekend and see what you think. Also see work from yours truly, as well as many other talented Baltimore artists; including Megan Auman, Beth Pohlman and more.
With all my stress-induced grumpiness, I was very cheered up to find this delivery waiting or me when i got home from work today! There is nothing like an entire sheet of smooth, un-dented metal to cheer a girl up. Call me crazy, but any metal smith would agree! And the very best part is...i got it for FREE! I sent Hoover and Strong all my old bench scraps to be refined, and had a $250 credit applied to my account. What an awesome deal!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
latest
Here is what i was working on tonight. I plan on attaching more interesting treasures in the future, but for tonight, its just beads!
Again, photography is not a skill of mine, so please forgive the reflection! They are currently available at my etsy shop!
More to come later!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
It's a family thing!
Check out these cool "fragments" my mom has been making. She found such a great way to merge what she does (needlework designer) with the growing art of collage art. I will be getting mine on Thursday and I cant wait! Although I think most people wear them as necklaces, I am going to hang mine in my studio. Hang them anywhere, and get them while they are hot!
Hello Martha...
I have been busy running around getting things together for packaging, photographing and other things dealing with my jewelry. One of the stops I've made quite a few times actually is Michaels craft store. Michaels is usually a pretty fun store to shop in, but since they recently added Martha Stewarts line of craft supplies, I have cant seem to run in and run out of the store like i used too. I have always been a fan of Martha Stewart, religiously purchasing her magazines (both living and wedding), and cookbooks. Although I find some of her suggestions and ideas can be labor intensive, they are still creative and original. But i must say...I am in LOVE with everything in the Martha Stewart craft line. The paper, tags, kits, boxes, punches, glitter, ribbon....EVERYTHING is perfect!! Everything is designed to coordinate, so you can't go wrong, and it couldn't be easier. I can't wait to go back and look some more! You can rest assured that you will be seeing some of her products being used with Liz Mathews Jewelry Design!
Here are a few of my favorite products from the line. Garden labels (actually make me wish i had a garden), decorative boxes, and aqua glitter.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Real Simple
I was happily surprised to receive my new Real Simple in the mail yesterday. I feel like I just got last months issue, and have yet to read it. Where does the time go...
But i did have time to flip through the new issues, and found a few pictures i wanted to share. I love the objects they used, and wished i had the same set up somewhere in my house!
Bell jars are now topping the list of things i want to find next for the apartment! And i cant tell you how much i love the small letters they incorporated!
Obviously, i have not mastered the art of taking pictures without the flash getting in the way. This was the best of the dozen i tried to take. Sorry!
For those of you who don't know, my mom is a needlework designer. She owns and operates Carriage House Samplings from our home in PA. She is truly amazing at what she does, and has become one of the best and most prolific designers in her industry. This week she was featured by the leading international needlework distributor in their "Friday Feature" sections, so im passing along the link. GO KBD!
Saturday, July 7, 2007
New Directions
Ok...i think im really onto something here. I am totally loving all the new work i've been doing, and here are a few pics of my new direction. I have millions of ideas for this new work, so plan on seeing a lot of it in my future.
I'm not ready to give my secret material away yet, but it will be revealed in due time... The only thing i will say, is that each image piece is hand drawn, and colored, so each will be a little different.
Let me know what you think...
I'm not ready to give my secret material away yet, but it will be revealed in due time... The only thing i will say, is that each image piece is hand drawn, and colored, so each will be a little different.
Let me know what you think...
This is the start of a long necklace. Please know that the chain is in NO WAY complete. I just wanted to get an idea of what it will look like. The current plan is to make this a really long necklace that will wrap around the neck twice, with about 5 of the images connected randomly throughout.
And these earrings actually are complete. I made these start to finish in 3 hours. I was shocked! They are light and really easy to wear!
I'll post more as i get them done..im off to the studio!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Sparrow
I recently discovered the store BlueHouse on Fleet street in Baltimore. It bills itself as an eco friendly, pro recycling store. Complete with an organic cafe offering a wide variety of sandwiches and drinks. I was there 15 min before closing time one night, so unfortunately i had to rush through the store. In my rush, this awesome stencil caught my eye, and I knew it had to be mine. They had a wide variety of designs, but the sparrow was the one fore me. It only cost $10, which made it a no-brainer. Now I just have to figure out what color to use and where to stencil.
Interested in seeing more...here ya go!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Im back!
Ok so two months have gone by, and nothing from me. Didn't I just get done saying how I was going to be active and post more regularly. Thats ok though, because I'm pretty much certain, that not a single person reads my blogs. Hopefully that will change soon!
I just moved into my new apartment. Its my first time living on my own, and so far, I'm toally loving it. I have been working on setting up my studio, and getting all settled in. I had no idea how much work moving is! And i also had no idea how much stuff i had! Yikes! It has def. made me re-thinking bringing anything new into my house. It has to be something really good!
Im also getting really exciting about getting to work in the studio again. I really have no excuse now, since my studio is technically where my dining room should be. For a while, I was totally happy to be on a breif hiatus from metalwork, but now im ready to get back to it. I have had so many ideas over the past few days, and I'm ready to see them come to life. I also just ordered some gold, which I cant wait to work with!
Here are a few pics from my new place. All the spaces and things im loving most right now! It makes me happy!
My deck. Complete with adairondaks, citranella candles, and flowers!
Part of my studio. I feel in love with the postcard spinner from Pottery Barn, and it had to be mine. I knew i always collected postcards for something. If you have some, send them my way! I want to fill this baby up!
I got this HUGE chalkboard for christmas and had just been waiting for the right place to hang it. This is a little nook in my kitchen, and i think it works really well! Such a bitch to hang!
I'll post more later!
Thursday, March 8, 2007
workspaces
Two days in a row! Oh My!
I always like when people show shots of their work spaces, so today, I'm sharing with you a shot of my bench that was taken last night. This shot was taken of my workspace in my living room, and hopefully tonight i will be able to show you a shot from my studio downtown!
I always like when people show shots of their work spaces, so today, I'm sharing with you a shot of my bench that was taken last night. This shot was taken of my workspace in my living room, and hopefully tonight i will be able to show you a shot from my studio downtown!
I recently got this amazing book called "Where Women Create". It showcases nearly 30 woman who are successful in their respected fields, and gives you a glimpse of their workspace. The book stresses the importance of having even the littlest area that is your own, and that inspires you to create. This is a topic I'm seeing pop up more and more lately, and its one that has caught my attention. With this being said, I have been working at making my spaces more interesting and inspiring! I have been trying to surround myself with things that generally put me in a happy or creative mood. As you can see, i have pictures of my mom and grandmother, wine bottle labels, design samples, note cards, product labels, and various other stuff around. Its still a work in progress, but its getting there. I'll keep you posted. 
These images are both taken from the book. I dont know about you, but i would kill for space like these. Maybe one day...
Here is a shot of one of my current projects. Im calling them the India Pillow Pendants. Some will be sterling, and some will be gold. My India line has been one of my favorites so far! I keep coming up with new ideas to include in the line, and variations on what i have already done. After the pillow pendants, get ready for some color to be introduced to the line!
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
slow and stedy
It seems like since i have been unemployed i have had NO free time! isnt it funny how that works!?!?!
Megan Aumen, the current director of the metals and jewelry dept at Towson (my old stomping ground) gave the BEST lecture on using the internet as a tool for jewelers last night for the Metals Guild of Maryland. The lecture was positively inspiring, and i have spent the day checking blogs and just surfing the web. Its amazing whats out there! I'm gonna work hard at posting regularly on my blog, i plan on starting a flickr site, and continuing with etsy updates. I almost feel as though having my website is unnecessary. Hopefully I'll find a happy balance between all the fabulous things available on the web these days!
On a less technical note, just before Christmas i found the best store here in baltimore. Located in the quaint Belvedere Square, The House Downtown doesn't carry a single product i wouldn't want in my own house. They have products with lots of personality and style. On my last trip to the house downtown, i got on of these great bread and budder buckets. They are fabric covered and water-proof. They are definitely too cute to pass up!
Megan Aumen, the current director of the metals and jewelry dept at Towson (my old stomping ground) gave the BEST lecture on using the internet as a tool for jewelers last night for the Metals Guild of Maryland. The lecture was positively inspiring, and i have spent the day checking blogs and just surfing the web. Its amazing whats out there! I'm gonna work hard at posting regularly on my blog, i plan on starting a flickr site, and continuing with etsy updates. I almost feel as though having my website is unnecessary. Hopefully I'll find a happy balance between all the fabulous things available on the web these days!
On a less technical note, just before Christmas i found the best store here in baltimore. Located in the quaint Belvedere Square, The House Downtown doesn't carry a single product i wouldn't want in my own house. They have products with lots of personality and style. On my last trip to the house downtown, i got on of these great bread and budder buckets. They are fabric covered and water-proof. They are definitely too cute to pass up!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
8 DAYS
Thats right...8 days until i am officially self employed. Yikes!
I spent last night researching shows to apply for, and now im just keeping my fingers crossed!
While i had fun at the buyers market with all of my old friends (and a few new ones), I was not entirely impressed with all the work i saw. Unfortunatly, i saw more than a few booths that seemed to have manufactured-ish peices. I think there is a large difference between production work, and manufactured work. With the reputation that the buyers market carries, i would have thought there may have been some higher standards. I left a little dispointed, and a little concerned with the direction the field is going in. We shall see...
Through the silver-plating, and epoxy haze i did find quite a few artists I am dying to look into:
I fell in love with the work by Catherine Weitzman. All of it was to die for, and her booth was PACKED with work! Cassavoy& Co has amazing floral work, and im sure no one would be suprised i loved it. Aside from the jewelry i also found the amazing frames of Sugarboo. These frames made me excited to move into my house! I'll leave you with one more of my favorites; Kathy Frey...amazing. I'll share more with you later!
ACC baltimore is going on all week, and i will be attending on friday! Cant wait to find more treasures!
I spent last night researching shows to apply for, and now im just keeping my fingers crossed!
While i had fun at the buyers market with all of my old friends (and a few new ones), I was not entirely impressed with all the work i saw. Unfortunatly, i saw more than a few booths that seemed to have manufactured-ish peices. I think there is a large difference between production work, and manufactured work. With the reputation that the buyers market carries, i would have thought there may have been some higher standards. I left a little dispointed, and a little concerned with the direction the field is going in. We shall see...
Through the silver-plating, and epoxy haze i did find quite a few artists I am dying to look into:
I fell in love with the work by Catherine Weitzman. All of it was to die for, and her booth was PACKED with work! Cassavoy& Co has amazing floral work, and im sure no one would be suprised i loved it. Aside from the jewelry i also found the amazing frames of Sugarboo. These frames made me excited to move into my house! I'll leave you with one more of my favorites; Kathy Frey...amazing. I'll share more with you later!
ACC baltimore is going on all week, and i will be attending on friday! Cant wait to find more treasures!
Friday, February 16, 2007
LOVE
I've just got to tell you how much I love everything that has to do with jewelry design. I have been spending the last few days doing the paperwork aspect of LMJD (Liz Mathews Jewelry Design). Even though paperwork can be boring, I just couldn't be happier!!! Today I also got to spend some time in the studio working one some prototypes for additions to my India line. I think im on to something.... And im happy to announce that I am beginning to work in gold. YAY!
This weekend there is a large buyers market in Philly that I will be going too to on sunday. Im hoping to be in this show in a few years, so im excited to go see all the work, as well as details like booth set-up, promotional material, and fun things like that. I'll be going with some old classmates, and Im looking forward to seeing them, and enjoying a little bit of philly!
Latest addiction: The Dixie Chicks new cd! Amazing! I cant wait until i know all the words so i can sing along in the car. Its one of my fav past-times! Def check it out!
I'm usually not a fan of things like this (and i don't know why), but i have really grown to love work by Sally Jean. There is something so charming, and appealing about the work she makes! I feel like you cant own just one of her pieces, it HAS to be a collection. I feel that way about a lot of things though... oh well... Sally Jean wrote a book out about how to make your own, and while i haven't ventured down that path yet, my mom has, and i have been informed its much hard than it looks. I'll stick with buying them!
My apologies in advance. Im trying to make an interesting blog, so Im following the lead of some of my other favorite blogs. Once i get the hang of things, i promise to be more original!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
By First Post!
I finally have a blog! I know I'm a little behind the times, but better late than never right...
I made a huge decision over the last few days. And while I am terrified, I'm also so happy to announce that I will be working on my jewelry line full time starting March 1st. I am going to be registering for substitute teaching in baltimore county a few days a week just to have some money coming in, but i thought it was time to be brave and take the leap. wish me luck!! I am so excited!!
I made a huge decision over the last few days. And while I am terrified, I'm also so happy to announce that I will be working on my jewelry line full time starting March 1st. I am going to be registering for substitute teaching in baltimore county a few days a week just to have some money coming in, but i thought it was time to be brave and take the leap. wish me luck!! I am so excited!!
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