Field Trippin'.

Hey lovers.

Class field trip!

It was at the Baltimore Convention Center. I’m ashamed to say I don’t get downtown as often as I’d like, but I finally had a reason to. I suppose I don’t go because I never have money, and what are you going to do without money?

I picked up a load of postcards and such from a lot of different designers I liked. I loved looking at everything. It reminded me of an antiques mall. I didn’t start zoning out as I always do when I’m shopping or at a museum. It was probably because my dad sent me his coffee, and he likes his coffee super strong so I was wired for the rest of the day. Five minutes after I finished it in the car, I was shaking and had the jitters for the rest of the day. It’s 9:10 and I’m finally coming down.

In any event, these might be my favorites.

Manya and Roumen LCC
"Dove on a Walnut Branch ring"
Sterling silver, 2 emeralds, 2 rubies, gold-plating

This is my absolute favorite piece and group. There was this one woman and this man. I don't know if that would be Manya and Roumen, but in any event, Laura and I talked to them. They carve a wax figure and have it cast in whatever material they want. I looooooved the dove ring. She talked about how she had pieces carved and sent off to be cast and set in silver, and then pieces of the gold parts were put together at another location. I noticed that a lot of places would have things sent to another location to have certain things done, so it wasn't like it was all once place.

Hilary Hachey
"Avocado Cuff II"
Hand-fabricated sterling silver cuff is partially oxidized.

This one is very reminiscent of Megan's design. I had Megan Auman last semester.
I don't particularly love oxidized silver, but I really loved this design.

Jennifer Bauser

These spirals were on a necklace that I liked, but I couldn't find a picture of them online. It reminded me a lot of something that I saw one of the grad students (I think), Sherri, making.

Christine Simpson-Forni
"Floating Pearl Pendant"
Sterling Silver, Pearls

I liked how the gems did look like they were floating haha. I also absolutely love pearls. This looks a bit more industrial than the rest, but elegant all at the same time.

It was fantastic seeing it all because still blows my mind how these things are done by hand. I would love to learn glass blowing and however they make those Lucite jewelry pieces. I also want to figure out how exactly they get pearls and shells into some of the pieces without burning them.

I also would love to figure out how to make this ring.

I bought it at Boscov’s a few years ago, and unfortunately, it just got worn down. When the pearl popped off, I decided that was it. I probably wouldn’t be able to, considering materials haha

Seeing the show got me excited about stone setting. I can’t wait to see what I can make. And our next project will definitely be more interesting to me. I mean I like the techniques we’re learning because it’s an expansion but I want to apply it to jewelry.

I reaaaaally hope I can keep taking classes to use to the studio next semester. Bahhhh.

+Love+

She's a melody
That I've tried to forget but I can't
It still follows me
When I wake in the dead of the night
And I know that I can't find
That song going round in my head
Like the last things you said
"I'm All Over It Now" - Jamie Cullum

So Kim, my mom's business partner, went to the show yesterday. I didn't realize you'd have to pay to get in for the retail show, so I'm sooooo glad we got to go. She brought back a bunch of postcards that I liked and I must have missed. I wrote them down though so I could check it out on my own. kristinperkins.com (glass jewelry, wanna learn this!!) and elementsjillschwartz.com (vintage style beads jewelry)

I told Kim about my favorite one, the Manya and Roumen group and throughout the day I started to realize how much I loved them. I'm like half serious about buying a piece haaha except it'll have to be my wedding ring or something because I'm not made of money. hahaha good wedding ring. I love how it's a sculpture. It's definitely more art based than design based. Ahh I'm in love with it.

I wish I could go back, but I don't have a ride or anything. Allison has to work all daysies. :(

The Language of Metal: Part I

Hey lovers.

For our first project in Jewelry/Metals 2, we're exploring mechanical and chemical surface treatments to metals. In this case, I'll be using a lot more copper as opposed to last semester when everything I did was in brass. I love the color of brass and honestly, I almost kind of hate how copper looks. But it might just be because I just never used it and so I'm less than inclined to give it a try.

I had a lot of ideas and narrowed it down to a nautical theme (my favorite but almost kitschy), a hair salon theme, and a grade school theme (which I almost immediately eliminated). The nautical theme started go more in an abstract direction, with a focus on the close-up textures of things you'd find related mainly to ships. However, upon looking up photos, there were only so many things that began to interest me. I'd have loved to make images of anchors and nautical stars and ship helms but it was too iconic.

As I was looking up images, I ran across some fantastic photos of natural and unusual ice formations, and eventually decided I wanted to have the theme of water. I've always loved ice formations, clouds, and really, just a lot of properties of water and its different states. There are a million things I feel like I could try and I think it's a lot more interesting than the nautical theme so, here we go.

Mammatus Clouds. photosfan.com


Dry Valleys (Antarctica). Oddee.com


Natural Ice Sculpture. french.wunderground.com


Rio Tinto. nasa.gov


Iceland glaciers. travelvista.net


Snowflake. nationalgeographic.com


Chittenango Falls State Park, upstate New York. digital-photography-school.com


Water ripples. piedot.com


I linked all the photos I used to the page I got them from.


Last Thursday, I had to go to the Christopher Dresser lecture. I didn't care for the lecturer very much but some of the subject matter did catch my attention. I did remember seeing damask patterns that Christopher Dresser apparently invented and I absolutely loved that. I also like some paisley designs which remind me of damask patterns. Anyways, Dresser's designs were largely botany based. However, in nature, botany is rarely- if ever- symmetrical. Dresser turns botany symmetrical (another thing I like- symmetry). I also do like asymmetrical floral designs (just take a glance at my closet of dresses, skirts, tops, and headbands) but that's beside the point. I did like learning the design concept in the symmetry of botany that Dresser had but other than that, I wasn't all too interested.


Clothes I ordered last week. I got bored so I threw this thing together on Photoshop. I'm so excitedddd I can't wait to get the floral tunic! I love the back because of the cut outs. I always thought it can be very elegant and tasteful. :) And the gray dress was only 13 bucks! The white belt is a part of a nautical line (of course) but I already have a red belt and I didn't love the blue so white it was.

+Love+

Please don’t just laugh and clap right now
This is serious I’m not delirious
I’ve waited very patiently just to let you know
Who should run this show
‘Cause we all know these are the facts
Nothing to retract nothing too abstract
Concluding in this song I’ll say
No one’s better than you
"The Whole World and You" by Tally Hall