Like a Moth to a Flame

This sterling silver chainmaille bracelet was constructed using the butterfly weave, but the shape of the "wings" looks more like a moth to me. The clasp didn't photograph well but it's gorgeous - bright sterling inlaid with a fiery labradorite cabochon.

I made the bracelet for my husband - I gave it to him yesterday as one of his gifts to celebrate our ninth wedding anniversary.

I have a brand new line of handmade chainmaille jewelry coming out for Spring 2010; you can see a preview by checking out my blog.

Orange You Glad You Stopped By?

I've been away from Philly Makes! for most of the summer, but if you recall my previous posts you’ll remember I love gardening. For my houseplants I’m partial to exotic flowers and succulents, outside I like to grow edibles. In my tiny yard I have an assortment of heirloom tomatoes and vegetables, over thirty herbs, figs, grapes and calamondins, a variety of miniature oranges that are similar to kumquats. The fruits are small, around the size of a ping-pong ball, and have a sweet rind with a sour inside.

I’ve had the calamondin tree shown in the photo at right for over ten years; it’s almost four feet tall and lives in the yard from April through October, then comes inside for the winter. It produces gloriously scented blossoms and fruit year-round, although every few years it takes a rest.

I made the tart in the photo above using this recipe from Epicurious.com. The top is covered with candied calamondins and the filling is made with ricotta, sour cream and toasted fennel. It was my first time making this recipe so I followed it exactly and used sugar, but next time I’ll make it my way and substitute honey or agave. I served it chilled and garnished with leaves from my tree and of course a pun: “Orange you glad you stopped by?”.

The Year of the Snapdragon

In Philadelphia snapdragons are usually annuals, but this particular plant preferred perennial status. Over the winter it was covered with snow and coated in ice, but it weathered each storm with its leaves intact. Several times this spring it was pelted with hail but managed to stay upright, then about a week ago it started blooming.

The photo was taken mid-morning with a FujiFilm FinePix A201. At this time of day the fence appears bluish-grey instead of white, and I love the way it looks with the green foliage and bright yellow blooms. My brain transposes everything I see into jewelry, so you can expect me to design a collection using this color-combo in the future.

What's the Story, Morning Glory?

When I was four years old I became obsessed with growing things. My first foray into gardening was an experiment with navy beans; they grew so fast I was afraid of them so my Mom took them out of my room.

My second planting was much more “successful”. I took several packs of morning glory seeds and scattered them all over our yard and the lawns of the houses on either side of us. No-one realized what I had done until the tell-tale heart-shaped leaves appeared. That summer the morning glories covered all three yards in a "Heavenly Blue" tangle (and because they are self-seeding, they were persistent for years after). Our neighbors were not amused, but my Mother never let them yell at me. Instead, she taught me about boundaries, respecting people's property, and of course weeding.

All these years later, when we’re out and about and see a wall or fence covered in morning glory vines, my Mom giggles. I took this photo last summer and saved it to frame as one of this year’s Mother’s Day gifts. This week I didn’t make a piece of art or a concrete thing, I made my Mom laugh.

The photo was taken in natural light with a FujiFilm FinePix A201.

Pigeons and Rainbows

In most cities pigeons are despised, but they are truly amazing creatures. Pigeons are smart, sweet birds that engage in monogamous relationships and take equal responsibility for sitting on their eggs and feeding and raising their young. They are social birds and live in flocks that usually encompass several generations of a family.

When I took this photo I was actually shooting the rainbow. In my old neighborhood I only saw rainbows a few times a year, but now I see them a few times a month. I believe it’s because my house is close to the Delaware River so there’s always a lot of moisture in the air.

This particular rainbow was a double, but the second one faded as I was taking the picture. Still, this is my favorite shot because of the pigeons. I was pleasantly surprised to catch them in flight, especially since I have an inexpensive 2.0 megapixel camera. The pigeon on the left reminds me of an angel.

A Tree Necklace in Honor of Arbor Day 2009

For as far back as I can remember my family has celebrated Arbor Day. When I was little the festivities were orchestrated by my Great Aunt, a clothing designer and seamstress who grew up on a farm in a family of seventeen kids, and my Godfather, a writer and avid gardener. Every year we’d join the community tree plantings - I always chose white birch, dogwoods and fruit trees - and also work on our own gardens.

We usually started our seeds in February, and by April we’d be thinning them out, trading varieties, sharing with our neighbors… It is thrilling to me that I make a living as a jewelry designer, astounding even, but I am most proud of the fact that I can grow things. I recently planted a new fig tree, and the photo at right is a sampling of my heirloom tomato seedlings.

Some of my favorite jewelry designs combine my love of shiny things and gardening. In honor of Arbor Day I made the necklace shown above - it features an artisan lampwork glass bead with raised glass trees that have swirled brown and olive trunks and vivid orange foliage. A deep blue sky is visible through the leaves.

The bead is a hung from a necklace of lapis and orange carnelian rounds that perfectly match the tree bead, and I added Bali sterling silver accents to make the colors “pop”. I like for my jewelry to look good coming and going, so the back of the necklace is embellished too. You can see the whole piece here.

Arbor Day is this Friday, April 24, 2009 - go plant a tree!

Before and After - Chainmaille Earrings

My name is Glamorosi; this is my first week participating in the Philly Makes project. I am a full-time jewelry designer with several online shops – you can see them all and find out more about my work on my blog.

For the theme “Before and After” I made two-tone chainmaille earrings with rose gold plated centers and sterling silver borders in a weave called European 4-in-1. Every single ring is opened and closed by hand, with special attention paid to the closures so that no gaps or sharp edges remain. I love making chainmaille of all sizes, but I especially enjoy the discipline of working with small rings - it is both relaxing and addictive.

The earrings measure 2.5 inches long from the top of the ear wire; you can get a closer view by clicking on the photo.