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I just finshed this little birdie necklace for the last show of the summer.  I'm getting ready for the Anacortes Arts Fair, coming up Aug. 7-9 in the seaside village of Anacortes, WA.  It is such a lovely setting, and the biggest juried show in the area.  It has over 240 artisans, food, entertainment and huge crowds. 

I have done this fair for six years, and this is the first year I'm not including any Keum Boo or pmc pieces, since everything was stolen!  So it is kind of scary to not have those pieces included.  With the cost of pmc being so high right now, dollars kind of dictated using mixed metals for the summer shows, and making pieces up quickly.  So what do you think? Will people miss it and be happy with the new pieces? Those who do lots of shows, any experience with this? The Friday Harbor show was great, but most of the customers were from out of town, and didn't know my work.  But I have a little following in Anacortes that return each year, so we shall see!

I can't believe it is almost August! I have had my head buried in the studio since my feet hit the island making product for the upcoming shows.  Wow, the San Juan County fair is two weeks away, something everyone here on the island looks forward to.  Wonder if there will be baby piggies? I haven't played nearly enough, so after this last show, I'm going to play big time!!  More motorcycle rides, more boat cruises, and dust off my bicycle and get some exercise!  But making jewelry is playing, we are just confined to one room.  It is amazing what you can produce when the heat is on, and I don't mean that literally, since we're having record setting temps here in the Pacific Northwest.  My gosh its hot.  It was 85 in my workshop two days ago, I was dripping.  I kept climbing into the shower to cool off, three times one day! 

So wish me luck at the next show, come see me if you're in the area, ok?  Thanks again for all your support, it's all blue birds and good things from here on out.

Feathered Friends Reminder

Don't forget to sign up for the workshop!!

Our Feathered Friends workshop is not too far away, 9/26.  Please be sure to sign up asap. We are getting full, but still have room for you. What a fun way to take a class, make a designer necklace, and have a ball! Come on, grab some friends, and come to beautiful San Juan Island.  The weather should be beautiful, meet new friends, meet our camel Mona...ok not MY camel, but we have her on the island. She's a beauty. I'll get a picture of her and post it!  Just let me know, email me at rikis1@mac.com. 

Hope you can make it!

Friday Harbor Arts Fair

The Friday Harbor Arts Fair was a huge success.  There was a great attendance for it being a small town event.  Tourists came from all around, Seattle to Victoria, Canada, even Australia.

The shot of my display is on the second day. I was too busy the first day to take pictures, and there isn't as much jewelry left for the shot, but at least you get to see my new pieces of silver plate items, and my wonderful tree. It looks so cute all dolled up with chokers.

My friend Dona Reed (yes that is her real name) is a talented gourd artist. Since were right next to each other, we kept one side open to make it feel bigger and got to chat, it was a great way to spend the weekend.

So the art fair Gods smiled down on me this time, and the weather was perfect, the food delicious and the crowds accepting of my offerings!  Now I have to restock for the next, and last, show of the season, in Anacortes, WA. on Aug. 7-9.  

Hope you can come see the new creations!

My heart is lighter & soaring

There are hundreds of swallows playing acrobatics at our little summer camp spot here on San Juan Island in Washington.  They are so inspiring.  They are synchronized in flight, swooping while feeding. They seem so light, and uplifting.  I wonder what that feeling is like, flying till one's heart is content, almost frolicking for food?  What a wonderful way to fill one's heart and soul at the same time.

In applying one of Stephanie Lee's methods of solder and stampings, I attempted to create that freedom with an expression of love. What do you think, does this make your heart soar too?

New July earrings

I'm trying to keep inspired, and create new product, after the little incident in Redding, CA with the elves helping themselves to all my jewelry!
So, I'm starting over with earrings, and thought I would try some fun things with the cool etchings, the process I learned from the wonderful Stephanie Lee.

Do you like these leaf earrings? They are kind of long, but aren't lots of women wearing longer these days?

These are dainty little circle earrings. I love the way the etching turned out on this piece of brass. I left it in the solution a bit longer, the etch got pretty deep. (It was a really hot day up here in WA).

Here are some dangle copper ones with copper chain, and a little antique shoe button hanging off. They have some fun swing action.

What do you think? Are these too big? Will women wear these longer earrings?  I like a little smaller size, like the middle ones, but we try to not make things just for ourselves, right?

New pieces from June '09

Some new additions

I wanted to share some new pieces I've been working on. The heat is on getting ready for some summer shows, so it has been a bit of a flurry.

I'm having a ball working with the etched brass and copper.  I am getting some wonderful colors using different patinas.  

This is a bangle bracelet made from some pretty heavy gage brass.

It's fun adding these little stampings to the fronts of these bangles. Gives them an heirloom feel, don't you think?

I love making these little cuffs with chain. Then I get to sort through my hundreds of gems to set off the focal point. 

And I'm using a ton of etched brass and copper for pendants as well.  

Boy, it's great to be having fun again!!

And I used Stephanie Lee's method of using a base piece and flooding it with solder, attached the bird nest and dangled it from chain, then used  Diana Frey's style of wrap around some wire for a base.  

I love this piece. 

Thanks for looking! Which one do you like? Would love to know.

Take care.