Thursday, May 31, 2007

Waddaya want?

Okay. I've got an ongoing list of blog ideas (and some of them don't involve my cats...hehe).
What I want to know is: What do YOU want me to blog about?
Jewelry techniques, care of, stones, metals, concepts, history, trends, etc? You tell me. I'll even answer any questions you may have about what I do. I really want this to be enjoyable for you all.
So, waddaya want?

Sunset West CD release party

Sunset West was signed to Slugfest Records this winter and will be releasing their first record with them. The concert celebration is THIS Sunday at 3pm (June 3rd) at the Knitting Factory in NYC. It's a Punk Rock Prom! Plus the $10 entrance fee gets you a free CD! It's all ages with lots of cheesy prom goodness. Go have fun!

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Let the healing begin


It's been a rough week. We picked up Izzie's cremains on Thursday and I have them next to my Mom's on my altar. Hey, I'm half Mexican...of course I've got an altar! One of my next projects will be to design a ring with Izzie's ashes in it for me to wear. Of course I'll post it here when it's ready. Have you ever seen someone's ashes? I compared those of Mom and Izzie. Mom's are very silky looking. A fine grit with some tiny bone fragments. The color is this uniformly soft, foggy lavender brown/grey. It's really beautiful. Izzie's are more like crushed shells. The color is spotted dark grey, soft grey and white. Looks like the shell fragments that wash up in the sand on a beach. You know, in that spot where you stand at water's edge, where the waves wash over your feet. When the wave pulls back, your feet sink into the silky sand. Looks like those shells.
Yeah.
So Nico's doing okay. She popped her stitches (twice!) and has to wear this lovely lampshade for 10 days. What a trooper.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Where's my red shadow?

first time little izzie climbed my leg


getting my hair did


my sweet angel


favorite spot with frankie


chillin' with dixon


cuddling with sister nico


more cuddling...


I'm heartbroken. Our sweet baby girl Izzie died unexpectedly on Tuesday. She was 8 months old. We took her and her sister Nico to get spayed. She apparently had an adverse reaction to the anesthetic drugs and never made it. She was shaved but thankfully uncut. Her sweet sister is doing well physically, but is sad. Needless to say, we are smothering her and the rest of the kitties with love. More so than usual.
We are having her cremated and had a wonderfully compassionate experience with the gentleman at the pet crematory. My baby was my shadow; my "red shadow". She was never more than a few feet away from me, except when she was playing or spending time with her soul mate and sister, Nico. She was very sensitive and had a super sweet soul. I can't believe she's gone. Sweet dreams, fuzzy girl.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Sneak peek!


I wanted to let you all know that my new and improved website is very close to being finished!! Here's a little sneak peek at the new look...

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Drop dead gorgeous

Want something more precious than diamonds? How about a beautiful diamond created from your dead loved one? Seriously.
Check out LifeGem. They will create a colored (or colorless) diamond using cremated remains, or even a handful of hair, from you or your deceased buddy. You could be really creepy by proposing to your loved one with a "deceased mother-in-law" diamond ring!! OOH I LOVE CREEPY! Talk about an heirloom...

It's just creepy enough to be awesome.

But that's just my opinion.

better watch out, kitties...momma wants some bling!

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Mother trucker

So, it's our second Mother's Day without Mom and it doesn't get any easier.
I miss you Mom.

A few of Mom's favorite things


Altar at drunken grievers' headquarters


Altar at Mom's memorial at Elizabeth Park in Hartford, CT


Me at Mom's bench in Elizabeth Park.
Her bench reads: "she loved us all but I was her favorite"

...and yes, I was her favorite.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

The science of bling

I diamond is a girl's best friend. A diamond is forever. Propaganda that we've been fed by the likes of the De Beers Group for years. We've swallowed it down and begged for more.
Who doesn't love diamonds? They're sparkly, they represent love and status, we're supposed to want them...and did I mention they're sparkly?
Until recently, there's been a blind acceptance of diamonds. No one cared how they were mined or how they funded horrific civil wars. Blood diamonds, conflict diamonds.
The Kimberley Process was put into place to monitor the origin of mined diamonds and to ensure that conflict diamonds aren't hitting the market. Some see it as P.R. for the diamond industry and find that there are too many ways around the self-monitoring policies.
Well girls, there's a new diamond in town. The future is now.
The diamond industry does not like it.
Introducing...man made diamonds. These new gems are not mined from the earth. They are grown in a lab. They have the same chemical properties as "real" diamonds. Without the human suffering and guilt. Plus, they cost about 15% less than natural ones. There are two companies that are in the forefront of this new diamond industry: Gemesis and Apollo Diamond, Inc.
These new diamonds aren't mainstream just yet. But they're out there.
Although there's nothing quite as alluring as a diamond that has grown in the earth for thousands of years, there are new options for those of us who like our bling without the bad karma.
Something to think about...

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Think Small 3






Here's my piece from the most recent Think Small 3 exhibit a couple years ago. My piece is titled "In Bush We Trust". Materials; wood, velvet, bronze, brass, chalk.
The chalk marks continued on the back of the piece and symbolized each US soldier who was killed up until that point. It was over 1000 when I finished the piece.
The exhibit was held at Art6 Gallery and ArtSpace Gallery, both in Richmond,VA.

Think Small 2

A few years back I was invited to create artwork for a miniatures exhibit here in Richmond, VA. The exhibit was shown at ArtSpace Gallery. This is the 2 part piece I exhibited. Nurturing for the Suffering.


Nurturing; sterling silver, needle and thread


Suffering; sterling silver, muslin

For you, Adrian



Here's my little boy...at 4 weeks. He's now 2 months and full of wild kitten goodness. And I stress WILD.