Not so glamorous...

Making jewelry is not as glamorous as wearing it...

Midnight Flora pendant - blackened sterling, 18k gold, diamond

I remember

Today is one of those days in history that people say "I remember where I was when..."

On this day, 8 years ago, I was at my parents' home in Pennsylvania.

I had been in Pittsburgh the weekend before, selling my work at the Fair in the Park. Rather than driving back to South Carolina after the show, I choose to visit my family for a week so I could attend my cousin's wedding the following weekend. I drove through Somerset County on Sunday night, where United Airlines Flight 93 would crash in a field 36 hours later.

I was enjoying my time off at my parents' and was sleeping in on Tuesday morning. A phone call from my brother woke me up. He tried to tell me what was happening. "We're under attack!" I thought he was joking and I laughed at him. He urged my mother and me to turn on the television. I could not believe what I saw....

I remember and I will never forget.

The first piece of jewelry I made...

I made my first piece of jewelry well over 20 years ago. Sure, I strung macaroni and made construction paper link necklaces years before that...but this was was first metalsmithed piece.

I had an amazing high school art teacher (thank you Mr. Pozun!) and he introduced jewelry making when I was a sophomore (circa 1986 - age 16). The funny part of the story is....I HATED it! We had to lay out our design on a sheet of nickle silver and cut it out. The tedious sawing and filing that followed was TORTURE. And Mr Pozun did all the soldering, so I missed out on the FIRE (aka the fun part)!

I truly discovered my passion for working in metals a year later, while at the PA Governor's School (a summer art camp of sorts) when I was introduced to steel sculpture and braising. Metal + Fire = LOVE!

And a year later, I was in college and concentrating my studies in Jewelry/Metals. Funny how things work out, huh?

To read about my fellow EtsyMetal members' first piece of jewelry, please visit the following blogs:
Andes Cruz http://andescruz.wordpress.com/
Beth Cyr http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com
Caitlyn Davey http://discomedusa.typepad.com
Clare Stoker http://clarestoker.blogspot.com
Cynthia Del Giudice http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com/
Delias Thompson http://deliasstudioinc.blogspot.com
duckduckGoose http://duckduckgoosestuff.co.uk/duckduckBLOG
Kerin Rose http://kerinrose.blogspot.com
Laura Crawford http://tangerinetreehouse.blogspot.com
Libby Rosas http://elizabethrosasjewelry.blogspot.com
Nina Dinoff http://ninadinoff.blogspot.com
Nina Gibson http://ninagibsondesigns.blogspot.com/
Sara Westermark http://sarawestermark.blogspot.com/
Tamra Gentry http://gentrydesignco.typepad.com/
Quercus Silver http://quercussilver.blogspot.com

Artful home fall catalog

A few of my items from the Midnight Marquise Collection are included in the fall Artful home catalog...which is due to shipped out any day now. If you would like a copy of this beautiful catalog please sign up on their website here or simply shop online!

Marquise Chain Bracelet, Layered Midnight Marquise Pendant and earrings: oxidized sterling silver, 18k gold and cultured fresh-water pearls.