If I Were a Shoe....

From the annals of Odd: a pair of shoes that share my name.

There's also a female bodybuilder that shares my name. She's not as cute as these shoes.

Poster Perfect

Etsy sponsored a contest for users to design a poster that showcased a curated collection of items listed for sale on Etsy. One of the 60 winning designs features my Teal Bow Earrings--what a thrill! And what a gorgeous poster by Lunalove.



Etsy says "We are going to be giving these posters away at fairs and festivals. They will be used to promote the featured artisans, the artistic eye of our curators, and a hint of the beauty to be found at Etsy." See the full archive of winning-poster-gorgeousity here.

Crime Scene Photos

So, I just went up into the attic of the garage to start collecting craft show stuff. And what do I find, hiding under a tarp, but a horrifying crime scene.

(Note to self: try to remember to remove food items from boxes after you move and *before* you store them in the garage and forget about them for three years)


Not only did the little buggers (raccoons? porcupines? opossum?) get at my Good Cocoa (MarieBelle, yuuuuummmmm.....I can't believe I forgot about it), BUT THEY PRANCED ALL AROUND WITH THEIR COCOA-COVERED PAWS. Seriously, that's just rude.

Gearing Up

As the summer days dwindle in length and number (and I think "where the HELL did the summer go?!"), my focus turns to fall.....and with it, the annual Craft Show Parade.

This year, I'm aiming to do three craft shows, which is two more than last year. Yipes! I'd better start ramping up the production now if I hope to have enough inventory.

I also need to make some modifications to my show set-up.


Here's the lovely booth I had last year at the Ashfield Fall Festival (a must-go for anyone in Southern/Western New England--it's the cutest small-town fair ever). I was really, really pleased with the way the grid turned out for the earring display. But I was underwhelmed by the effect of the big board of necklaces.


My uncle John (who does displays for the Winterthur Museum Store) came up with a couple of great suggestions that I've been playing around with. But if anyone else has any brilliant ideas on how to better display the necklaces and bracelets, I'd love to hear 'em.

Times I'm Glad I Don't Live in NYC Anymore

There's a lot to miss about my old life living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan.

But frequent subway flooding is not one of them.

The first time the subway flooded when I was there, I had to walk from 34th and 9th to 51st and 3rd (that's a bit of a hike). About halfway thru my slog, soaked up to the knees by the rain and puddles, a homeless man came running at me and tried to knock me down. Luckily, I parried and was able to keep my balance when he rammed into my shoulder.

Ahhhh, good times.

Dear Mr. Spider Living Outside My Bedroom Window,

you are one giant mo-fo. Please don't eat me in my sleep. Thank you.

So THAT'S why my iPod has a mirrored back.

Picture yourself on a walk down a country road on a late summer afternoon. The crickets are making that "it's so HOT!" noise and and the goldenrod is starting to paint the fields yellow. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a large bug does a kamakaze divebomb straight into your eyeball. In mortal terror, it burrows straight into the depths of your eye socket—and suddenly, all you can think about is getting that f**ker out.


You desperately jam your fingers in there, hoping that introducing another foreign body will somehow cancel out the terrible sensation of bug-death-throws-in-my-eyeball. You wonder if the neighbors will think you're strange when you run up and beg them for a mirror so you can get the damn thing out.

And then, you remember your iPod. Steve Jobs, you're a genius.

Blue Crush

Sometimes, as a jewelry designer, you get a set of beads that just rocks your world. You want to show them to everyone you know--Look at these! Can you believe these were hiding underground? Just look how preeeeeettttyyy!

I just got some bright blue Apatite that I want to show everyone. If they were edible, they'd be gone by now.


As soon as I got them, I sat down to make this Blue Crush Necklace, inspired by surfer girls and waves unfurling, all white foam with a bright blue core. You can see the listing here in my Etsy shop.

Lovely Lucite

Lipstick Red Vintage Lucite Oval Pendants

Ahhhh, Lucite. The Noble Plastic. Seriously, is there anything cooler than a sweet piece of untouched, vintage lucite? It's amazing to me that something made in the 60s and stored away in a warehouse ever since can look so incredibly modern and of-the-moment.

I've amassed a giant Lucite collection, so big that I've started to sell some of it to other designers in my second Etsy shop, LuluBeads.

This dynamic plastic is perfect for using in jewelry because it's lightweight, meaning you can make a big, dramatic statement without giving yourself a neckache or feeling like you're wearing weights for earrings. And the colors—amazing and varied.

Goodmorning Sunshine Earrings

And one of the most rewarding things about integrating vintage pieces of lucite into my work as a jewelry artist is the element of reuse: this lucite is decades old, and if current designers hadn't taken a shine to it, it would undoubtedly be in a landfill right now. And that's no place for something this pretty.

Let's Play Tag

I've been tagged by Hojpoj (that's her gorgeous work!)

Now I must list 7 random facts about myself and then get 7 other people do the same.
I'm pretty sure most of the Etsians who have established blogs have been tagged long ago--so I'd love to tag new sellers with brand-new blogs. Comment on this post and I'll tag you!

1. I eat nothing from the sea. The only exception I make is for crab cakes, but they must be about 10:1 on the breadcrumb: crab scale.
2. I have an extensive collection of Linda Ronstadt songs from the 70s.
3. I'm constantly calling my pets by the wrong names.
4. ack, I haven't responded to a MySpace friend request in over a month! Bad bad!
5. I have an orchid obsession. I currently have 8 plants.
6. I have a wickedly good sense of direction.
7. I watch The Bachelor. And I like it.

All the Etsy Tips You'll Ever Need

I found a great blog today, by fellow Etsy.com seller littleputbooks. She's a high-volume seller who does gorgeous work with handmade books and paper, and she's compiled some really thoughtful, helpful hints for selling on Etsy and succeeding as an independent artist/crafter.

Check out her blog here.

Washed Away!

Last week we had a killer storm here—first snow, then torrential rain. The dirt road I live on was completely washed away. They're still working to get it passable today, over a week later. It was surreal, and we were pretty much trapped in the house for days.

A visit to the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn

On Thursday, April 12, the local ABC news crew made a visit to the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. I made the trip down from Western Mass to hang out and work on some pieces at the great jeweler's bench setup at the Labs. I was excited to talk to the reporter and give a quick little interview about Etsy and the Labs. Unfortunately, I don't think I made it into the clip, but I might never know since the NYC ABC news site hasn't posted a clip yet. Maybe someday I'll see it...



But while I was there I worked on this braclet, made from a brass cuff form and a large silver lucite flower. I riveted the flower onto the cuff and I love the way the silver and goldtone of the brass play off one another. You can see it listed for sale here.

Antique love

I recently stumbled upon a basket full of antique buttons in a shop, and bought practically the whole mess of 'em. They are so gorgeous. I've been having a great time playing around with them. I slipped two little ones with yellow rhinestones onto goldtone earwires, and I've decided to keep those for myself. :)

But my favorites are a pair of filigree drops. I added gunmetal earwires to compliment the patina of the vintage metal. They're really a fantasic pair of earrings, and they're currently available for sale in my shop on Etsy.com.

Cycles of Circular Motion

I love circles. It's amazing that something so impossible to draw well is so easy to form with the right tools. To me, circles represent both the finite and the infinite; the simple beauty and vast complexity of life. Plus, they look undeniably cool nestled right in the middle of your clavicle.

My bestseller is the Grace Sterling Silver Circle Necklace:


Today, I created two more circle necklaces, this time out of base metal in a gold tone, with focal stones in Grossular Garnet and Carnelian, respectively:













So I think I'll go out on a limb and say that circles are a Clementine jewelry signature style.