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.

An Etsy Christmas

One of my favorite customers (who also happens to be an Etsy seller--Yarnpirate) has been posting about buying handmade this holiday season. She sweetly mentioned ShopClementine on her blog, which I was super psyched about. And if I could knit to save my life (seriously, if I were being tortured and had to chose between knitting a scarf and waterboarding, I'd go waterboarding all the way) I would buy all her yarn because her colorways are to die for.

So follow Yarnpirate's lead and make this Christmas a handmade holiday and support the artisans who work to make qualilty goods year-round.

Welcome Etsy v2!

Like any good birth (or rebirth), Etsy v2's entrance has been dramatic. Love it or hate it (but mostly, you gotta love it), the new Etsy.com is poised to take the lead this online holiday shopping season.

But first, we've got to get over a few humps. As with any complete relaunch of a website, Etsy's got a number of bugs right now. In homage, I created a "Buggy" treasury list. It's featured today on the home page! Hopefully this is just the first of many times ShopClementine is front-and-center on Etsy.

I dream of rolling mills and dappling blocks

This past summer, I spent a week in a metals course at Snow Farm in Williamsburg, MA. There, I made a beeline for the rolling mill, a very expensive roller that allows you to make impressions on metal. Oh, how I dream of having the unlimited funds that would allow me to play with metals and rolling mills and dappling blocks all day.

My favorite impression was made by lace, and produced a fantastic snakeskin-like effect. I created this cuff out of brass and copper. The body of the cuff is just under two inches wide. The underside is mirror-smooth, and the top features the lace effect. Sitting on top, anchored by a brass rivet, is a domed copper circle with a contrasting snakeskin effect.


Honestly, the thing is gorgeous. And it's truly one-of-a-kind, since unless I find some rich benefactor who wants to buy me a rolling mill, dappling blocks, and a whole lot of sheet metal, I doubt I'll be able to duplicate it anytime soon. I toyed with keeping it for myself, but realized it would bring me more pleasure to have someone else wear and love it.

Check it out in my shop at Etsy.com.

Let the holiday shopping season begin!

Yes, it's that time. No matter that you still haven't gotten all the caramel off your keyboard from the Halloween candy. You'd better start buying for the Holidays now--or else.

Here to help you is the Modish Holiday Guift Guide. This year, the Modish guide features a ShopClementine charm necklace. At $19, it's a serious holiday no-brainer.

Alright, already, I'll jump off the bridge if everyone else is doing it.

Hello blogland. Let's start this puppy off with a bang--or a close fascimile thereof.

I make jewelry. Sparkly, pretty jewelry. I have a shop on Etsy.com -- http://ShopClementine.etsy.com -- and I have listings on http://www.HomeGrownMarket.com (search ShopClementine). Check them out!

On Monday, October 30, my Gemstone Simplicity necklace was featured on Arizona's Sonoran Living. You can find it on both HomeGrownMarket and Etsy. And yes, it really is that sparkly in person.