Mount Gretna Art Show

I will be exhibiting at the Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show in Pennsylvania this coming weekend. If you are in the area, please stop by booth #146!

Saturday, August 20: 9am to 6pm

Sunday, August 21: 9am to 5pm

Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show

I will be exhibiting at the Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show this Friday and Saturday. If you in the area, please stop by this breath-taking show! You deserve something pretty, don't you?!

Where has the time gone?

WOW--I have be neglecting my blog! Has it really been 2 months since I posted?!? I'm sorry! I don't even know where to begin...The summer has been busy and it is flying by. I've been doing a few craft shows, working on several custom orders and wholesale orders, participated in a project w/ Lark Books, went to New York for a quick get away and had several family adventures. More detailed info to follow on much of this soon...in the meantime I will leave you with these amazing images...

"MMMM bagel!" via my safari ride at Hollywild

One of these things is not like the other via my safari ride at Hollywild

Buffalo french kiss via my safari ride at Hollywild

These Shadow Boxes are like Magic!

I was recently invited to participate in an art exhibition that was, ironically and unfortunately, not prepared to display jewelry. Normally I would shy (or run) away from organizations not able to properly display/secure jewelry. However, this exhibition pulled on my heart strings. It is the first exhibition for the past scholarship recipients of the Allied Artists of Johnstown---a scholarship I was awarded 20 years ago!

Feeling nostalgic, my mission began...find a way to display my jewelry that is secure and easy to ship. That is when I remembered an article I read in the Jeweler Resource Bureau about mounting jewelry in floating shadow boxes. These shadow boxes are two part frames which open at the center, allowing you to place almost any jewelry item inside. A clear, flexible plastic sheeting accommodates the jewelry and holds it firmly in place---virtually suspending it. A strong magnetic strip holds the two sides of the frame/box securely closed.

"Effervescence Wave Brooch" suspended in shadow box display

My next mission...find a way to secure this shadow box onto a pedestal and prevent it from being opened. That is when I turned to my husband, Ben Gilliam---metal artist, teacher and brilliant gig maker.
He designed and made me this wooden stand to hold the shadow box. It gets screwed to the top of the pedestal then the frame slides into the groove. He inserted a female thread into the bottom of the shadow box frame, and a screw then secures the frame in the wood base. Simple and brilliant, no?! Thanks, Ben!
These shadow boxes are available in bulk from Prestige Pak Inc. or in smaller quantities from Rio Grande.

Going to NYC

For years I have been wondering about the NY International Gift Show: "Is it a show I should do? Will my work & price point fit in? Will I be exposed to a different market?" And within the past two years, I have noticed more and more of my peers participating in the Handmade® section of the show. So, I decided to take a quick trip to NYC to see the show in person next week! I will have a few extra hours in the city, so I plan to go to the new Museum of Arts and Design and have drinks with some friends...I'm totally excited! I'll let you know what I think of the show when I return...

Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show

I'm off to Atlanta, where I will be exhibiting at the second annual Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show. It is a very intimate show with only 25 of the country's finest contemporary jewelry artists presenting exciting handcrafted work at the Defoor Centre in Midtown Atlanta. It's exciting to be amongst such talent. I hope to see you there!