It's holiday time once again, and here in Rochester we are a little confused as we cut down Christmas trees in 68 degree weather. The weather forecasters are actually apologizing to the skiers!

Holiday time means seeing lots of my favorite customers, both at home shows and at the studio. And they have all overwhelmingly responded to my new work using "Precious Metal Clay". The "Fossil and Bones" Bracelet featured this month, is an example of the many and varied bracelets that are part of this new line.

This new product is a natural for me. I started my career as a ceramicist, and made decorative slab pieces. The highly decorated surfaces eventually led to a line of ceramic pins that suggested small paintings. This lead to a desire to make small metal frames for them, and once back in school for metalwork, I couldn't stop myself!

Now years later is a product that works like clay, fires in a kiln to produce a finished product that is pure silver. The marriage of my love for both clay and metalwork is truly exciting for me. I am sharing this excitement with other artists and students who have been coming to my studio for PMC workshops. I hold two workshops a month, for three to four people. Often friends enroll as a group. The structure of the workshops is a follows; the first morning we work in regular clay, trying out ideas, getting used to the smaller scale of jewelry, creating our "sketches". We break for a pot luck lunch, and clean up the work space in preparation for the metal clay. And the afternoon is spent making our actual pieces. (At approximately $30 an ounce we don't want to waste any!) I fire the pieces in a kiln, and the following week the students return to polish their creations. It is a thrill to see the look on their faces each and every time as these chalky white pieces from the kiln, do in fact polish to reveal the silver jewelry they, in fact, are. Students usually purchase two ounces of clay, and can get as many as 12 pieces from that amount. The cost of the workshop is $50 per person. I have had a lot of interest from high school teachers, bead makers, and fiber artists who want to make their own buttons.

Don't forget gift certificates for classes are available!

I hope that however you celebrate during this joyous time of year, that you are able to be surrounded by the people you love and who bring you a fullness of spirit.

soulful peace,

Elizabeth.

Wow, October was a busy month!

The latest excitement was receiving the news that I am the recipient of a "Special Opportunity Stipend" grant from the Arts and Cultural Council of Rochester. This grant will permit me to continue my new and exciting work with "Precious Metal Clay".

Also, last week I became active in the local Lapidary Society, and cut my very first cabochon. It was thrilling experience to cut my own stone, after using purchased gems for the last 15 years. And yesterday I entered a mixed media piece in an upcoming exhibit called "The Sixteen Twenty" at Center at High Falls Gallery, here in Rochester. The piece is titled "Elizabeth the Artist Paper Dolls".

I hope you enjoy the new "Sincerely Square" bracelets I am featuring this month. I take a great deal of pride in making bracelets that are fun and wearable. If you are going to wear a bracelet everyday, as I do these, they need to be up to the challenge.

All my bracelets are connected with jump rings that are soldered for security. Bracelets, perhaps more then any other piece of jewelry, are subjected to periodic pulling that can separate jump rings and cause them to fall off. This is special problem in areas where you are bundling into coats, sweaters, and jackets, where a pull, and release of a bracelet may not be noticed until it is too late.

I have perfected a toggle clasp that also is extremely safe. I have worn mine in all sorts of conditions have never had it work itself  loose.

The "Paired with Squares" bracelets have a beautiful selection of bezel set stones in them. Let me take a minute to explain the process of bezel setting. Bezel setting is a safe, durable and extremely beautiful way of displaying a stone. A piece of silver bezel "wire" is shaped exactly to the outside contours of the stone, removed from the stone and soldered together. It's now a continuous ring. This is placed on a flat piece of sterling silver and soldered in place. You now have a cup with straight side in which to place the stone. All trimming, filing, and polishing is done before the stone is put into place.

The stone, which has sloped sides is bigger at its base then at the top, like a slice off a ball. Once it is set into this bezel cup, the sides are meticulously and slowly pushed in around the stone, making it impossible for the stone to come out. Careful burnishing around the edge gives a smooth fluid line of silver around the stone, which is infinitely more pleasing to the eye, then a glued stone which reveals gaps between the silver and the stone. A well made bezel setting also eliminates the damage of dirt accumulating around the stone causing abrasion and discoloration.

These bracelets have a been a real favorite this year with my local customers, and they are delighted with the attention they get when they wear them. You will be too!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and make sure to take some time to actually find joy, and give thanks.

Elizabeth.

I am quickly accumulating email addresses for those of you who want to be kept up to date on new work. If you would like to be on that list, please let me know by email. Also, because I do a number of home parties around the country, if you include your mailing address, I can send you an invitation if I am doing a show in your area.

My inventory is extensive, so it will be some time before I have photos of most of my work on line, but I am always interested in what people are looking for. Do let me know if you have interest in clip earrings, work in gold, specific stones etc. My goal is to have a complete showing of my work, so that you can print it out as a hard copy catalog.

I would like to take a moment to point out a piece I am especially proud of. The "Amber Missive Necklace" has been a big hit. In sterling silver with amber and garnet or amethyst, it is approximately 15" and rests at the base of your neck. If you look closely at the photograph, you will see that I have bezel set the amber with written text behind it. Each one is unique. The lovely amber pieces were hand selected at the Tucson Gem Show, so quantity is limited. They have a handmade toggle clasp, and sell for $350. I custom make these pieces to fit, so your neck measurement is needed. All jump rings are soldered for added security.

In closing I wish to thank all those who have already used my website for ordering work. It has been especially satisfying to receive special orders from those of you who enjoy my general style enough to let me design something specially for you sight unseen.

Thanks for dropping by!
Elizabeth.

Yep, the whole summer slipped by me without a single web update, life is so like that sometimes isn't it? I had it all rationalized in my mind, you all were out on your boats, and your ship to shore phones didn't have modems, so you'd never know anyway....

I come into my own at this time of year. Don't let anyone from Rochester hear me say this, but I really do like fall so much better then summer. And this summer put all of us to the test. I'll admit it I get grumpy, I mean, jeepers, how much Gatorade can you drink before you go over the edge? Not only that, but it's hard to sell jewelry when people just aren't wearing much of anything, and their fingers are swollen so they can't get the rings off they have. It's just plain hard to accessorize sweating people.

But those golden days of fall are on their way. A four mile drive brings me to the shores of Lake Ontario, and yesterday it was in its glory. The waves were active and violent, the water was churned up near shore, but further out it had so many distinct stripes of color it looked like malachite. The sky was lapis blue, and the mother of pearl clouds racing overhead were so dramatic. Everyone who comes here from somewhere else admits that Rochester has the best skies, and in the fall they just take your breath away. Anyone who thinks a cloudless sky is the way to go, needs to come visit.

I do actually get some work done during the summer, which pleases the cats, you know they like to know that food will be on the floor. But in the summer I have more fun delivering jewelry. I meet customers at the movies, in bookstores, we have iced lattes, or listen to an open air concert. It's fun to take a little time, enjoy being laid back, and delivering my little packages of pleasure in unlikely places.

Fall sets the cultural wheels turning, and it's time once again to enter exhibitions, start bulking up inventory for the holidays, and attending Rochester's annual gallery night. I am looking forward to doing some workshops in the schools, harvest time, and doing more experimentation with Precious Metal Clay.

Elizabeth.

Well, it's been a busy month. I've been working on inventory for all my spring shows, creating new prototypes for rings and necklaces, learning how to submit my website to search engines, and of course teaching my classes. I do a growing number of shows in people's homes, and this spring there is a wealth of them, including one in Washington D.C. I find it a wonderful, intimate way of meeting my customers, and I think it's substantially more informative for them. We have a chance to chat, drink a glass of wine, and try on lots of earrings! Of course I always find that the more I work the more the ideas come flooding in, so I have many new pieces on the drawing board. Several I will bring out at the spring shows for a sample run, and then on to the web pages in the near future. Customers are a real asset in my designing, just one suggestion for a slight modification can send me in an entirely new direction. Of course working on an email list for these shows is now in the works, So please feel free to email me with your address, so that you can receive invitations for shows in your area.

Thanks for dropping by!
Elizabeth.

Well, we survived our worst March snow storm ever, and
now it's time to turn our thoughts toward spring. I know there are crocuses under that 44 inches of snow, I just know there are! I was taking in some repairs for a customer the other day, and was explaining some of the things she might want to keep in mind when making her next jewelry purchase. Let me share some of those things with you.

Is it silver? Any piece that is made of sterling silver should say so, it will either be marked "sterling" or "925". If it's not marked it may be some kind of silver alloy, but not a fine enough grade to be sterling. This is important when it comes time for some repair that may require soldering, if it's not marked you may have a hard time getting anyone to risk a repair.

Check the back! Often times we are so excited by the look of the front of a pin, we neglect to look at the back until we put it on at home. But try it on in the store. The pin back should be soldered on about three quarters of the way up the back. Too close to half way, and it will droop when it's on. A fine piece of jewelry should always, always have a soldered on pin back. If it's glued on, it puts it in the category of "junk" jewelry. And though some types of glass, plastic or paper jewelry of course cannot be soldered, all metal jewelry should be if it's being marketed as well crafted. You be the judge, but just don't pay for something you are not getting.

Bezel set stones. Bezel setting stones is a very popular way of mounting even faceted stones these days. It holds the stone safely in place in a durable setting that isn't susceptible to getting caught on clothing the way prongs are. Make sure the bezel is smooth and tight all the way around the stone. The bezel should come up around the stone and close it in. Be aware of gaps that can let in dirt and moisture, and try to wiggle the stone with your finger. If it moves, it can eventually move enough to fall out. Especially pay attention to stones that are set into recesses that mimic the look of bezel setting but do not come up around the stone, these stones have been glued in, and again you should not be paying the price for real bezel setting.

Ear nuts. If people paid attention to this tip, I'd loose a great deal of my repair work. If you buy a pair of earrings with posts, and the ear nut on the back is the plastic variety with the metal sleeve that slips over the post, get rid of them. Because they are larger then the conventional ear nuts, they are often worn to help counter balance a larger earring, and make it more comfortable to wear. But they are so badly made they often require a real push to get on, and the result is an ear post that snaps off. Larger "comfort clutches" are available in sterling and are well worth a few extra dollars to have in your jewelry box.

Paper, rock, scissors. Which is stronger? When you put that earring in your purse to take to the jeweler for repair, don't throw it into your change purse. The coins we use these days are nickel alloys that are considerably harder then silver, so what's going to scratch first? Bear in mind also that many ear posts these days are surgical steel, and they will scratch the surface of the earring next to it. Store them separately. And when you bring in an earring for repair, always bring it's mate. I always clean the repaired earring and the missing mate, then looks pretty tired. Hope these tips will help you maintain your enjoyment of those favorite pieces of jewelry!

Elizabeth.

GIFT BOXES. I want to remind you that attractive gift boxing is available, and that I can ship your gift directly. The jewelry comes in individual kraft colored boxes with red tissue, ribbon and hand block printed gift tag. Included is a brochure about the work and the artist.. that's me of course. Please include $2.95 for each gift box, $4.95 shipping for each separate address, and indicate how you want the gift tag to read.

CLIP EARRINGS. Most of my earrings can be converted to sterling silver clip or screw back designs if you do not have pierced ears. Add $10. to the price of the earrings, and indicate your preference of clip or screw back.

COLORED STONES. I have a wide variety of stones available and may not always show or list all the possibilities. Some of the most common I work with are: black onyx, carnelian, lapis, amber, peridot, garnet, amethyst, jasper, turquoise, citrine, agate, malachite, and bone. Any I forgot that you are interested in? Please ask!

GOLD. Most designs are available in 14K or 18K gold. Prices available on request.

Hi folks!

I just got back from my first trip to the Tucson Gem Shows. It was like being in a candy store, so many gems, so little time! This annual gathering of stone dealers is the biggest in the world, and anyone who thinks they can take
it in high heels is out of luck. Equipped with red high top sneakers and a backpack, I dragged my aunt down one isle after the other, looking, handling, and of course buying. I came home with polished fossils, florite, serpentine, amber, bone, agate, jasper, Chinese turquoise, just to name a few.

Of course Tucson at this time of year is a lovely place to hold this gathering, and when our eyes glazed over, there were Mexican restaurants to sample, Spanish missions to visit, and a side trip to the Tubac artist colony, where I indulged in fantasies about wintering over. The end of the day sitting in the hot tub watching the sunset over the mountains made the days complete. I want to thank my aunt for taking me everywhere my heart desired, to Jorge, now in Bolivia, for making the start of my journey a wonderful and poetic thing, to the guard at the security gate who told me how nice my jewelry was, and to Richard for worrying about my safe journey home in the midst of the airline slow down.

Back at home, I am sorting out stones, making sketches for new work, loving up my cats, and getting back on schedule with my students. The weather has been kind here allowing me a gentle readjustment period.

I want to welcome you to my brand new web site, (COOL, I've been waiting a long time to say that!). It's something that friends, supporters and customers have been urging me to do for a year now. I hope you will come here often to check out my new work, and leave me comments about what you see.

I will be using this space to tell you what's new, give you repair and maintenance tips for your jewelry, indulge in a little of my own chatter, pass on titles of really good books, you know that sort of stuff. I'll be updating every month.

Mostly this month I want to thank my true blue friend Frank Petronio who initially created this site for me. Considering all the big names he has designed for, it was a real honor to have his help and support. Check him out at www.frankpetronio.com

Thanks for dropping by!
Elizabeth.