I'm in Urbanite this month!

The June issue is in boxes now!
(psst-Mr. intern - I took those photos, not you!)

BEST in the Press!

Check out Baltimore Etsy Street Team members Smittenxoxo and Jen Menkhaus in Baltimore Magazine!!!
(ok, so I am pouting a bit that I was left out, but I will blame it on the small size of my work??)

Not about me.

I have been a bit selfish with the posts lately, and I am feeling a little sick of talking about my own stuff. Here are a few things I have noticed in the jewelry world lately .

OctopusMe.

Optimystic.

Re-Vision.

Alisamiller.

Roundrabbit.

BlindSpotJewellery.

Marianne Anderson.

Lost Dog.

Sorry this is totally non-craft related, but I saw this in Panera Bread and it broke my heart! Just thinking about losing Bella is terrifying. SO if you live in B-more, close to Towson, please keep an eye out for Carly!

Problem Solved!

I have finally figured how to get it to sit nicely on the body. I can't wait to make more!

Bling Bling

So these are huge - Like, 4" huge! They defiantly need a bigger chain. I can't wait to see who can pull these bad boys off!

UPDATE! They sit really nicely on this chunky chain!

I could not resist.

I bought myself a little present from LunasaDesigns!

A little Evolution for you...

Mama needs a new bag!

When the wooded handle on my favorite bag from De*Nada Design broke last month under the pressure of all my stuff, I was equal parts depressed and excited at the prospect of a new bag. Now I am overwhelmed by the options on Etsy and need some help. Suggestions? Votes? Tips? Show me your fav bag on Etsy! Your Ultimate Reversible Bag - Japanese and French Fabrics from Iragrant.
KULIUS TOTE - Green House from BungleBearDesigns.
Charm Forest - Reversible Bag from Charmdesign.
Emerald and Chocolate Brown Shweshwe Big Town Bag from TheWren.

Mimi Mini Messenger Bag from EllaOsix.

Sneak Peek

Here is a little teaser of something new I have been working on. Hopefully they will be finished on Thursday.

Squidfire re-cap

My first show of the season is over. My new displays seemed to work out really well, and the new rings were extremely popular. It started off rainy and cold but once the weather cleared up in the afternoon, folks came out to shop.

I managed to leave with only one purchase, soap from my favorite sisters of Biggs and Featherbelle. Jason picked up this really cool ring for me for Mother's day from Stephney Wallace (with only a little guidance from my sister) Thanks my sister! Always a HUGE help!
Next Stop - Pile of Craft! See you there on June 21!

We Have a Winner!

I assigned each of the 11 poems entered (without mine, of course) a number and asked Random.org to pick one for me. The lucky winner is Odie's Momma!! Congrats! Looks like slacking off at work has paid off! Here is the winning poem.

You pay me $15 an hour,meager, yes.
And although you think I'm hard at work,
I'm really killing time on Myspace, FaceBook and Blogger.
What you don't know you're paying for won't hurt you, right?

Thanks everyone for entering, it was SO much fun! We will have to do it again.

Last Chance!

You have until midnight tomorrow to enter the contest! Go do it!

Todays progress

I did not get as much done as I would like today, but I'll get over it. I did make some rings and finished this custom order of necklaces made from pieces of my customers great-grandmothers bread bowl. They will be gifts for her family. I love hearing the stories behind folks broken plates, I think I must compile and write a book (in my spare time...)

Spirits of the Abandoned

Anyone who has ever passed by an old abandoned building and wondered what was inside will love this site dedicated to exploring these places. Spirits of the Abandoned is a website (and eventually a series of books) dedicated to "visually documenting, not only the existence of these often derelict places, but their essence— through the wonderful photographic opportunities they offer."

The Maryland gallery is already full of amazing images from abandoned hospitals, schools, industrial sites and more. Readers are invited to discuss these places in forums as well as submit their own photos. Go Explore!

Made in England

The Made in England Project was conceived by the artist and mosaicist Emma Biggs. It is both a historical record and a demonstration of how signs and symbols influence our understanding of familiar objects and inform how we think today. Part of this project is a mosaic wall, to be installed in the entrance to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent, made from backstamps donated by the public. They have created a great website (well, great to me!) that is an encyclopeaedic record of all the backstamps are donated to the artist, together with an illustrated narrative of the people involved and a story of the times in which the tableware was made.

From the website:
"Ceramic tableware, the cups, plates and saucers we use every day, is unusual in one respect -- each piece bears an identifying mark which tells a story. Although people may have noticed the marks on plates, they are not generally given a second thought, unless it relates to the rarity of the piece and its financial value. Marks are designed to be overlooked, they are on the bottom of plates because the important aspect is on the top -- the decoration – but there is a fascinating story to be told from looking at the overlooked, the things we simply take for granted. This project aims to do both aspects of what art should do – namely make us re-examine a familiar aspect of our lives and see it in a new way. It should also be visually compelling."

I think I need to revisit my brief stint with backstamps!

Porcelain Pistols

"The Porcelain Pistols by Yvonne Lee Schultz (YLS), are replicas of the famous James Bond Walther PPK and it’s sister P99, with friendly permission of Carl Walther Inc. They are hand-painted in the style of classic china motifs. Whether happy strewn flowers, a classic golden rim or the even more traditional blue onion pattern, they will blend harmonically into the perfect table setting, the pride of every house wife."

(Annie must pay for introducing me to FFFFOUND! I can't stop looking!)

Another Busy Day!

And Squidfire Too!

Bring your mom - Squidfire is the day before Mother's Day!

I'm In!

I will be a Crafty Bastard on June 28th in Silver Spring, MD!

I will also be sweating it out for 3 whole days at Artscape. You must come visit and bring water!

Style is out!

My issue of Style is out now! I am so honored to be in this magazine, and in this article about "cutting-edge design in Baltimore." I never would have thought that I could be in an article with Christian Siriano of Project Runway!

I must make a small correction to my article though. I am quoted as saying “The night before Jewish weddings, the mother of the bride and groom will often break a plate together...” That is not an accurate quote. I was referring to a (not often practiced) tradition that I have discussed in my blog called Tenaim. The Tenaim ceremony announces that two families have come to an agreement on the marriage of their two children. At the ceremony, the Tenaim document, a pre-wedding contract that sets out this agreement, was read out loud, signed and witnessed, and a plate is smashed to seal the deal. The mothers of the couple break the plate, symbolizing the impending breaks in their relationships with their children, who will soon take responsibility for feeding each other. Others give the broken pieces to eligible "singles" as if to say, "May a plate be broken for you soon."

Learn about other plate breaking traditions here.
To see a wedding plate project click before and after .

random rings

These are a few new rings from todays batch. I also cranked out 6 pairs of earrings. Phew, no matter how much I make, I feel like it is never enough.

Everyday People.

I hate selling, so glad I can do it on the internet. For more Everyday People cartoons, click here.

So Cool!

Craft:blog shared my Earth Day ideas with their readers! Happy Earth Day! Thanks to VerreEncore for the use of her great photo!

Random Poetry Break and Giveaway!

If you happened to catch This American Life this weekend, you probably heard many different variation of the poem, This is Just To Say by William Carlos Williams . I don't know why, but I found it endlessly amusing. I never studied this poem in school, but apparently everyone else has and had to write their own version of it. I guess, what is so appealing, is just how unapologetic the poet is in this supposed note that he left on the fridge. This is the original version.

I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox
and which you were probably saving for breakfast
Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold

Here are two variations that I particularly like:
1. by Kenneth Koch:
I chopped down the house that you had been saving to live in next summer.I am sorry, but it was morning,
and I had nothing to do and its wooden beams were so inviting.

2.by David Rakoff:
At our wedding I disappeared briefly to have sex with your sister up against the back of the port-o-sans.
What could I say the chardonnay was so fresh and cold and I, so full of love and dis-sense of family.
And I said I’m sure one day we will laugh about this well, by one day I meant that day and by we, I meant me and by laugh... I meant laugh.

Here is my take
I have broken your grandmother's plate that was securely displayed in the oak china cabinet
and which you were probably saving for when your young children marry
Forgive me, I was bored, it was beautiful and I had nothing to wear.

I want your non-apologies. Write your version of the poem and you will be entered to win this Diana Fayt pendant! Don't be shy, just do it! It's fun! I will give you until May 10th. For inspiration, you can download the episode of This American Life here.

Happy Earthday Eve!

What are you doing to celebrate? Check out my new post on Crafting in a Green World for some ideas!

Holy Moly!

I'm doin' the front page dance for a second time in one day! Wow!