Finally, a blog.

It's taken me awhile to catch onto this blogspot business. I'm an avid facebooker, but I was a bit wary of a new addiction. (Although I did have a Xanga back in the day. Have you ever delved back a few years and read old blog entries? Embarassing!)

So, anyway. The purpose of this blog, I think, is mainly to get my name out there as a jewelry maker. I'm a bit new at this, really. In the past, I've mainly done portrait work. However, I've found that taking commissions is really quite stressful. I admit it - I'm a people pleaser. This summer, I've taken a step away from paint, and a step toward jewelry. I really, really enjoy it so far.

Here's a bit about my process - Just like in my childhood, I'm venturing outside and returning with a bunch of pebbles, rocks, shells, feathers.... whatever I find. I then scrub them up in the sink with an old toothbrush, then accent them with recycled or reclaimed metals, found objects, and semi-precious stones. Voila! Beautiful, natural jewelry.

This afternoon, I decided to see if coins were soft enough to hammer. As it turns out, they are. I found a nice flat (ish) rock in my backyard and hammered the stuffing out of them. It took a bit of manpower, but eventually I hammered them flat enough for use. I'm hoping I can drill holes in them with a hand drill so I don't have to use wire-wrapping.

Soon, I'll upload some pictures of some things I've made. Have a lovely day!