My Jewelry Affaire

echo:collections

There is absolutely no denying that vintage rhinestones give me a warm & fuzzy feelin'. The thrill of the find is almost as heart pounding as using one of them in that special piece,
AND then having it published.
If you look in my studio, you would say I have an infatuation with vintage rhinestones. I choose to call it my collection thank you =) Every once in a while it all comes together. Know that feeling? It is when you take that certain piece, lay it down on the table, take it apart, and then start adding pieces back to it. Ultimately it becomes a whole. A piece worthy to be worn or sold....or sent to a magazine in hopes it will be published.

I knew Jewlery Affaire was in the works. Jenny Doh and Stampington had talked about it for months. Beth Livesay gave out a call.

But, it wasn't until about two weeks before deadline that I saw it. The box.

Gorgeous creamy velvet on the outside, luscious soft satin in the inside....with a topper that almost made my heart stop.

The satin inside had the most soft buttery glow.
My mind drifted to a day.....
A day I would see my daughter in her wedding dress.

And, that is where it all began.
Often there is so much more behind the piece that's not shared in the magazine. I understand, as there are space restraints.
But, just like Paul Harvey would say..... here is the rest of the story.

"Wedding Necklace"
I sponged the textured box, which held the necklace, with Ranger Distress Ink~Tea Stained. Then I used a favorite swirly design stamp, using more Distress Ink~Walnut Stain, to add additional depth to the box.
I wrapped the necklace in soft creamy tissue before placing it inside. Tied it up with just the right color of vintage seam binding.
Then, laid it in the box.
But, there is still more......

~Tucked inside~

:the poem:

To my Daughter

How can a satin lined box hold all my wishes?

Or velvet coverd one

be filled with years of hugs and kisses?

I have you know,

they are all tucked inside,

Waiting for you to find this little box

and open it wide.

This jewelry was made for your wedding day,

oh, what a surprise!

To see the joy on your face,

and the love in your eyes.

I know of your thoughts,

What if this day would never come?

But I knew all along,

He had patiently been waiting

for just the right one.

So, please wear this necklace on your wedding day,

but, then don't keep it safely tucked away.

Wear it with your t-shirts and jeans,

and little black dresses.

Perhaps with your hair up,

or with your long flowing tresses.

I love you my daughter.

You know it's so very true.

Just remember the day

I gave this wedding necklace to you.

~mom

Vendor Night & Rhine$tone Dreams

After taking a class all day on Friday, Vendor Night came way too quickly!

It was a fast & furious set-up, but promptly at 7 pm the doors opened wide, and in poured the students.Little did I know that my daughter and her friend had made plans to come in from San Antonio! It's NOT easy to surprise me. But, believe me~they DID!
It was the best part of the evening =)
I met new friends....Amy Hannah and Pam Garrison.
Keith Lo Bue and Richard Salley.And, nearby were old friends.
Riki Schumacher, me, Diana Frey and Deryn Mentock.
In the back stands Charlene Gray, who helped Diana at her vendor table all night! She is such a great friend and student!
Just one more shot of friends~both old & new!
Me, Riki Schumacher, Ruth Rae, Amy Hanna, Stephanie Rubiano,
Pam Garrison & and Diana Frey.
It was a long day AND a long night, but I loved every minute!
I had chosen to take Saturday off. I was glad I had decided to rest and not take another class before I taught again on Sunday.
~Rhinestone Dreams~
It was a small class, but it held three incredibly talented ladies.
Thank you so much for a great day. I think your necklaces rocked!

Check out Marcy's here.
Click on picture to see bigger view =)
Aren't they all so different, yet all so beautiful? That's what it's all about.....making it your own.
I am so proud of you all!

Keith love from Adorn Me!

If I were inclined to be one,
I would now be an official groupie of Keith Lo Bue.

He is such an inspiring, talented, and gifted teacher. I had the privilege of taking one evening class AND one full day class with him. What an incredibly talented guy, AND just a genuinely great person!

He taught some great techniques and tips in both classes~
Getting Attached: Rivet Making Revealed and Papering Over It: Collaging the Found Object.

And yes, Riki and I were together in these classes too.
Think we planned this? Yes.

I will leave you with the back of one of Keith's unique pieces,
His Inner Life.

Adorn Me! 2010 Days 2 & 3

"Cotton Tops"

After one day of teaching under my belt, the next few days were spent with one of my best friends, Riki Schumacher. We actually took three classes together, and the first was a 2-day class, Found Object Sandwich, with the master, Thomas Mann. Who by the way, had just celebrated his 40th Anniversary as a Metal Artist. I must say, indeed he is! Not only did I FINALLY learn to use my jeweler's saw with ease, but I learned the dynamics behind many of my bench tools.
I came home with a new flex shaft, and a head full of ideas. I believe a 2-day class is the way to go, and I know that for sure, especially after taking a 2-1/2 day class with Stephanie Lee last Spring, in California.
However, the best part of this class, REALLY was getting to hang out with Riki. She is such a great friend, and teacher, as I am sure many of her students came to know in her classes.
We had waited almost a year for this day.
We had much fun, and didn't waste one minute of it!
Here are a few pictures of my Found Object Sandwich while it was a work in progress. I had etched a piece of brass at home,
knowing I wanted to use it in class.
There are actually four layers shown here, which we worked on, one at a time.
Thomas assured us that our picture was still positioned correctly under the plexi glass!
Yes, he was right~it was!
The picture I used for this project, you probably have seen before. It is a re-sized version of a cabinet card I have of some distant cousins, and is part of my sister's series.
I never tire of these little blonde haired dolls.
I had also brought a piece of filigree I wanted to use, and had found a robin's egg blue stone in one of Thomas' bins. He even drilled the hole in the stone for me in class!
But, once home, I continued to work on it.
I added another piece of brass, but I still wasn't satisfied.
On Monday I received a shipment of brass from my favorite brass supplier, Brass Bouquet.
Jill hand-patinas all her pieces in her studio, and has the most gorgeous filigree.
You can also find some of her items in her Etsy shop.
That was it. I added this piece and another smaller one.
Now....I am done!Here is Riki's FOS piece. Isn't it gorgeous?
She really added a lot of extra pieces on hers. A brass lock plate from home, and plexi glass, which I believe Thomas guided her in etching. Isn't it gorgeous? Her story can be read here.

I found out I had more friends in the class, once it started!
One I have known only by phone, for several months, Lisa Monroe, (first photo, far left) is a gifted PMC artist from Waco, as is Lorena Angulo, (first photo, far right) who lives in San Antonio, and then a new blog buddy, Marcy Antle, (third photo, in the middle) from Georgia, was also a part of the class! Marcy was in my Rhinestone Dreams class, which I will talk about later.

The back of my FOS is just as beautiful as the front. Well almost.
Always look at the back of a piece. There you will see the true mark of a master.
I met one at Adorn Me! His name is Thomas Mann.

Ever felt like the tin man?

I have been known to wear myself out! Bet you know what I mean.
Adorn Me! took a lot of time and preparation, and I enjoyed EVERY last minute of it.
I am one to not sit still, and I think you know that by now, if you have kept up with me for any length of time.
I have been working the last couple of days getting ready to list the Crystal Princess Drop tutorial in my Etsy shop. It is now there.
I am also in the process of stocking my Etsy shop with vintage bits and more to cover this project.
If you decide to buy the tutorial, and are in need of some vintage supplies right now, please contact me & I will eagerly show you some of the vintage bits & more I have for sale, and then reserve list it in my shop just for you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't forget about the drawing for the Crystal Princess Drop. Details are here.
I will choose a winner when I return from the Antique Festival, April 4th, 2010!

Crystal Princess Drop
~~~~~~~~~~

So, looks like Day Two of Adorn Me! (which I spent with my great friend, Riki Schumacher and Thomas Mann*wink*) will have to be posted another day....
You won't be disappointed, it was all GOOD.

Adorn Me! 2010

Day One ~ Crystal Princess Class

My first day at Adorn Me! was a teaching day, which was perfect for me. Turns out I had the most amazing group of ladies. They came to the class ready to learn, and learn they did!
Little did they know I had planned on having a load of goodies from my two favorite jewelry contacts! They were given first pick of some great vintage jewelry which they could use in class.
Class picture above:
Back row: Kathleeen (Katy, TX) & Charlene (Burleson, TX)
Middle row: Andi (Buckhannon, WV) & Kathy (Fayetteville, TN)
Front row: Carmen (Houston, TX), Kathy (Las Vegas, NV), me, Julie (Euharlee, GA)
& Deena ( Allentown, GA)
I knew they were bringing in pieces from home, which I had suggested in their supply list, but what woman can resist looking for new bits & pieces whenever possible?
Many of these vintage rhinestone earrings, rosaries & brooches showed up in their Crystal Princess designs that day!
Beautiful.....inspiring.....& what FUN!Charlene found a gorgeous rhinestone brooch to design her Princess.
Simply stunning! Great job Charlene! And, look at the rich amber colored chandelier crystal chosen by Kathy, from Las Vegas (from my stash), to design her necklace. She found a great vintage earring to use in class, and
I adore the bead colors she chose to work into her design.
Beautiful work Kathy!
And, how about Andi's Crystal Princess!
She shopped before class and found a gorgeous vintage turquoise glass bead rosary and a turquoise glass bracelet. She re-purposed them both, working in some beautiful Czech glass beads, to design a gorgeous necklace! Great job Andi! Kathleen, who owns a business called Hope & Glory, just so happens to live less than a mile from my home~in Katy. How crazy is that? She has the most infectious smile.
I love when a person's eyes turn to happy face eyes when they smile!
That is Kathleen, who you will see in a future post about my Sunday class~Rhinestone Dreams.
Here are some of the other beautiful creations.
Each one a work of art!
Thanks to each of you for a beautiful day creating and sharing.
I believe I learned as much from you as you did from me.
After our classes, Deryn met Diana, Riki & I downstairs. Deryn had just arrived to teach her first class, which was an evening class. Diana & Riki had taken a class that day with a new friend, Melissa Manley. Oh, how I wish I could have taken her Hard Candy class.
Diana & Riki loved it!
Now for some exciting news from my little shop, Rosa & Josie's!
If you were not able to make it to my sweet state of Texas, and be a part of Adorn Me!
Or maybe you were not able to make it into my Crystal Princess class....AND you would like to know just how I attached those vintage rhinestone pieces to the top of the chandelier crystals, I will have a tutorial listed in my Etsy shop beginning Saturday, March 20th.
One that day, I will post about it, and begin a drawing for one of these!
You must leave a comment to be part of the drawing on that day.
If you want two chances to win a Crystal Princess Drop,
you can subscribe to my blog on FeedBlitz. You will find the link on the right lower margin of my blog.
For a third chance, purchase a tutorial =)
And, just one more bit of news!
Beginning Thursday, April 1st, I will be selling goodies, like the ones I had in my classes,
in a new venture called Vintage Bits & More.
These wonderful vintage goodies (& more) will be listed regularly
in my Etsy shop.
Bet you thought I had gone on vacation after Adorn Me!
Stay tuned for Day Two!