Happenings

It's easy to never leave the house in winter, or at least not leave often. Working from home, days can blur together into a sea of chain and beads and earring parts and bits of wire. Not being a fan of the cold and this being an especially long (LOOOONG) winter, I was happy to get out and about a bit this past week.

Yesterday I had the fun of modeling a few things for Nicole's Threads. Like this dress, which I completely must have. I just pre-ordered one and you can too HERE. There are 4 rad colors to choose from. Note: Yay I'm not quite as pale as the wall! Also I'm wearing my Kyanite Necklace.

A few days ago, I posted these earrings on Facebook and within 2 days 7 pairs had sold! These were inspired by Rachel Cloutier (owner of Sweet Lady Jane and Trinket). They are hammered and oxidized brass with sterling and brass chain. They are super long, very swingy and shimmery, light and free, still edgy and mysterious...and very rock and roll. Find them in my Etsy Shop
or at Trinket.

Last week I did a little trip South. You can now find my work at the Shoe Horn in Montpelier! Not only do they have a wonderful shoe selection, they have a large variety of clothing that's both fashionable and comfortable. I put together this custom display for them, it really shows off the earrings well. Here Marin is receiving the first batch!

I also stopped by the Stoweflake Spa. Elements, the Spa boutique carries the best products and features many Vermont made lines such as: Lunaroma, Way Out Wax and VT Artisan Tea Co. In May they will be carrying my wholesale line! When I first saw this great shop I thought my Chakra wraps would fit in perfectly and I'm so excited to work with the lovely staff.

Mel and Juliana from the Stoweflake spa modeling their new earrings!
If you haven't seen me posting about the contest I'm currently in (which is probably not possible cause I've been shoutin' it from the rooftops!) You can read about it HERE. And if you've been voting for me, THANK YOU!!! So much! You can keep voting once a day until April 4th. 

Not much else to report, just trying to make it through the Arctic tundra that is VT and longing for spring. The lake is still frozen and my bones are a bit creaky but I am gettin' a lot of work done...

Please Vote For Me!

When you vote you get a coupon code for my shop!

To vote: First go the link: http://bit.ly/Commune-Feed-Need-Not-Greed and "like" it, then click on my image where it says VOTE on the image. They will receive your public profile and friend list. I hope that's okay! You can vote once a day for the next 3 weeks so please vote daily if you can. Sorry to bother you! I wouldn't ask but as contests go, with only 9 contestants my chances seem pretty good. It would be awesome to make it to the final round and have a video made of me and my work and to have a chance for 1 of the cash prizes!

Read more about the contest below. Thanks so much for considering this!

Commune has asked me to take part in their competition. Commune is a movement of artists, designers, musicians and people that take a stand against tobacco corporations and their presence in the scene. 

Every month they host an event with a local band, DJ, designer and artist at Commune Wednesdays. By celebrating local and educating people about the things Big Tobacco does or contributes to that they may not otherwise support, they hope to shift the creative scene image from one that smokes to one that focuses more on creativity, music and art. This Wednesday will be Jacques Greene at Signal Kitchen. Next month I will be the featured artist! 
   
For this contest, they chose 3 local vendors from each of the Commune cities (San Diego, San Francisco and Burlington) to compete to win a grand prize of $750. This campaign is called “Feed Need Not Greed” and will help raise awareness about world hunger caused by the tobacco industry. 
    
There are 2 rounds of voting, after the first round 3 finalists (1 from each of the 3 cities) get a featurette video filmed by Commune's video crew and a 1 in 3 chance of winning $750. The potential prizes for the finalist round are: 1st - $750, 2nd - $500, 3rd - $250. Also, during the finalist round Commune will donate $1 per vote up to $1,000 to an organization that helps feed children in a country heavily affected by hunger caused by Big Tobacco.  

I'm so psyched to have been chosen as one of 3 vendors to represent Vermont and to help spread the word about Commune and their efforts. To vote go to: http://bit.ly/Commune-Feed-Need-Not-Greed
Thank you!

My new line: Botany

   I majored in Art and English at UVM. I did really well in my art and English classes, not so well with my general requirements, one of which was Botany. It was a very long, very early morning class with over 100 students, often with the lights low or off to see slides. This was more the recipe for napping then learning. I did do well in my labs, mostly because we had to draw plants, cell walls, mitochondria! That was fun.
    I've been toying with this idea for awhile now. I have so many friends in the herbal arts and herbalism is so interesting to me. Mother nature provides many wonders in the form of healing plants. Like many Vermonters, I turn to herbal remedies before anything else. My personal herbalist/amazing friend Kori Gelinas keeps me well stocked with herbal teas, oils and products. 
  A sweet customer/friend of mine recently gave me Rosemary Gladstar's beautiful book: Medicinal Herbs. Thanks Jane! It's really the gift that keeps on giving. How lovely it has been to gain more knowledge of herbs. I've so enjoyed the lush photos of these plants at their peaks, all of the green and brilliant color during these cold and gray winter months.
   I wanted a way to connect my jewelry to my love of herbs. So I've created 5 simple pendants to start and I will grow the line as interest grows. In trying to come up with a name for this new line, I had many ideas but they all seemed too long. Then it hit me, simply Botany. An umbrella word that well encompasses herbs, plants, nature, medicine.
 
I drew these plants in the styles of a botanical studies. I chose some of my favorite medicinal herbs to start:

Dandelion - This thriving plant aids in digestion and liver health.

Echinacea - As we all know, this is a go to herb for easing cold symptoms. It also helps provide general relief to your immune system.

Elderberry - Another immune enhancing plant and they taste amazing!

Lavender - Just the scent is calming. When applied to cuts and bruises it functions as an antiseptic and eases pain.

Chamomile - Can help treat more than 100 separate ailments and conditions. It is gentle but effective and provides wonderful support for the nervous and digestive systems.

These pendants are in my Etsy shop for pre-order, I will have them in sterling or brass on cord or chain. They will be ready in mid April. I hope they are well received by the herbal community! Which one's your favorite?

All the Rage - Raw Crystals + Brass

Modern and mystical, it's hard to keep up with these new necklaces. I've sold almost a dozen this year. These are great on their own or for layering up and they go so well with my hammered brass earrings. Raw kyanite and quartz crystals are interspersed with Kenyan bronze hishi and hang on 24" brass chains. You can find them in my Etsy shop.

Quartz channels universal energy. It enhances energy by absorbing, storing, amplifying, balancing, focusing and transmitting. It's extremely beneficial for manifesting, healing, meditation and protection. Quartz dispels negativity energy. It enhances spiritual growth and wisdom. It clarifies thoughts and emotions, which makes space for inspiration and creativity. It can also help with concentration, and retaining what one learns. Due to its ability to balance, quartz is excellent for harmonizing and balancing one's environment.

The blue and brass are a striking combination. Blue kyanite helps open psychic ability, enhances telepathic communication and assists in lucid dreaming. It has a potent ability to transfer and amplify high frequency energy. Each color of this stone has specific chakras that it works best with but all varieties are effective to amplify healing.

I love how they look together! I plan on designing some earrings too so stay tuned...