Ada Rosman

Sweet Betty Jean Ultimate Giveaway for American Cancer Society

2011-08-08T22:56:00.000-07:00

This week is the last week to enter for a chance to WIN an amazing package and it is for a great cause.....

Winner receives the best Sweet Betty Jean & her vendors have to offer:

~ Sweet Betty Jean - Miss Betty Package
~ Including 15 perfectly polished pinups & a lil' black book
~ Signature hair & makeup styling by Che'mel Salon
~ Lash Extensions by Salon Ish
~ Shopping spree at Orange Clothing Boutique
- Shopping spree at Vanity Fashion Boutique
~ Retro inspired jewelry made by me (Ada Rosman)
~ Over the top hairpiece from Lillie Miller
~ Custom pinup bottoms by Gay Springer
~ Six weeks of training with Taiso Fitness

All together more than a $3000 Value!

All you have to do is donate to the American Cancer Society!
For every $25 donation, your name is entered into the drawing for the ultimate Sweet Betty Jean session. So on and so forth.
Donate $100 and you get 5 entries!

Donations will be taken online up until August 12 and in person at The Hick Party on August 13 where the winner will be chosen live on stage! Need not be present to win but if you are, you'll be getting a little something extra!

100% of the proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.

ENTER YOUR $100 DONATION TODAY AND GET OUR LIMITED EDITION DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' TSHIRT! Available for donations made only from August 5 thru August 12!

ENTER HERE: http://christypelland.blogspot.com/2011/07/sweet-betty-jeans-ultimate-giveaway

Bunky Boutique// Hello Arizona!

2011-08-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

Bunky Boutique is a local contemporary independent boutique that is home to an array of clothes, jewelry, and accessories from designer to indie labels.

I am finishing up an order and soon you will be able to find my jewelry in Arizona at Bunky Boutique. If you live in the area, make sure to come by and take a look at this lovely space and my work.

Who:: Bunky Boutique

Website:: www.bunkyboutique.com

Where:: 1437 N. 1st St./ Phoenix, AZ 85004

Is it a scarf? Is it a necklace?

2011-08-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

What do you think..... is it a scarf? Is it a necklace?

Well the neck piece is a mix between a scarf and necklace so let's just call it a scarflace for now. Each of my scarflaces will be one-of-a-kind and truly fun. It's a perfect little accessory that can be worn year round.

Happy Father's Day!!!

2011-06-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

Being a parent is definitely no easy task and it seems like there definitely is no manual for it. I am grateful for such a great dad, who has taught me not to be afraid of doing things on my own. So in honor of father's day, here is a picture of my dad and I when my family lived in a refugee camp in Rome, Italy circa 1986.

I also wanted to share with you a sneak peek of a custom leather cuff bracelet that a wife had contacted me to design for her husband. They are expecting their first child on June 20th, 2011. They have already picked out his name, but haven't told anyone what it is. Shhhh.... don't tell anyone. HAHA. I can't wait to share with you what is written on the inside of the bracelet and the meaning behind it all. Congratulations to them both on this lovely new adventure in their life!

Wishing all the fathers and fathers-to-be a Happy Father's Day!!!

PS. I would love to ask you all.... what is something your dad taught you?

Bumbershoot 2011!!!

2011-06-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

I had promised on my facebook page that I would be posting some exciting announcements on my blog this week. Well here is the first one.....

I am excited to share with you that the Tacoma Art Museum will be featuring hand-crafted art. And even more thrilled to tell you that I was invited to be one of the artists to have their work at the Tacoma Art Museum booth at Bumbershoot this year. I will keep you all posted as more details become available.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

2011-05-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

A little sneak peek into what I am currently working on in the studio. This will be part of my new collection that is inspired by my recent travels to Florida.

Oh boy, I can't wait to share with you what else I have in store. This collection will truly be perfect for summer!

Wedding Day Teaser:: Custom Leather Bracelet.

2011-04-30T13:45:00.002-07:00

I thought I would share a little wedding day teaser. A few weeks ago, I was contacted to design a custom leather cuff bracelet as a wedding gift. This bracelet held a little secret.... it was designed to have a little message stamped on the inside of the bracelet for the wearer.

But you will just have to wait and see what it says. Congratulations to the lucky couple today and I hope they are enjoying their destination wedding!

Faworki (Angel Wings).

2011-04-29T20:28:00.001-07:00

Another food loving blog of sorts. This was a fun surprise to be a part of and get to see the person actually be gifted a custom pair of Polish pastry earrings that I had made. It was a custom Mother's Day gift order, but we decided it would be nice since I am visiting to surprise the lucky mom with them while I am here. And what better way to serve up a delightful surprise like that then with an actual tray of delicious pastries.

These sweet crispy Polish pastries known as faworki are made out of dough which are shaped into thin twisted ribbons that have then been deep-fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

A little fun fact that I learned today: The Polish word faworki "was the name reserved for colorful ribbons attached to either female or male clothing, especially such ribbons that were given to medieval knights by their ladies." Also, the word faworki ethnologically came to Poland from the French word faveur, meaning "grace" or "favour".

This mom truly loves her faworki and it was such a treat making these for her.

Food-Loving:: Bolivian Food.

2011-04-15T00:44:00.000-07:00

So for those of you who frequently read or happen to follow my blog know that Bolivia has a special place in my heart and is a truly unique place to me. I don't know for how long I've had this desire to have some good Bolivian food, but unfortunately there really isn't any great Bolivian restaurants here in the Pacific Northwest. So I did some internet research on Bolivian food in Florida.

And to my amaze I found a restaurant (Las Americas) that specializes in Bolivian cuisine in Little Havana, Miami. Eeek! I couldn't wait to try just about everything that was on the menu.

I had invited my mom to dinner and was truly excited about this because she has never had any Bolivian food other then the anticuchos (grilled beef hearts) I had made at home. Needless to say it was quite a feast. We started off with some salteñas-- a type of Bolivian baked empanada. I know I have mentioned in previous posts my love for these. Perhaps, I should try to make some on my own and share them on the blog.... what do you think?

Looking over on the menu I noticed that one of the soup specials for the day was sopa de mani (one of my favorite Bolivian soups), but the waitress soon informed me that they had just given another table the last order. So we ordered some bowls of sopa de quiona instead. Quinoa is a tiny yellow grain that is grown in the Bolivian highlands. An interesting little fact: the Incas held the crop to be quite sacred and actually referred to the quinoa as chisaya mama or "mother of all grains", the Inca emperor would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season by using "golden implements".

I wanted my mom to try a typical dish from the city of Cochabamba (side note: Cochabamba is definitely one of my favorite cities in Bolivia). This dish known as silpancho has quite a few different layers. The bottom of the plate consists of a base layer of rice, which is then followed by layers of potatoes, on top of all this is a super thin schnitzel-style meat, which is then covered with yet another mixed layer of chopped tomato, onion and parsley. All of this is then topped with either one or two fried eggs. Let me tell you when I first encountered this meal at Palacio del Silpancho in Cochabamba I was left a bit speechless and wasn't quite sure how I would finish it all. Las Americas Restaurant didn't disappoint.... it was pretty close in flavor to what can be found in Bolivia.

Plus we also had some pique macho, which is a meal that consists of chunks of beef, sausage (hot dog type) plus french-fry cut potatoes and to top it all off sliced boiled eggs, tomatoes, onions, olives and jalapeños. The entire dish is then finished with ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard. Typically in Bolivia instead of the jalapeño, a locoto pepper garnishes the dish. This pepper is primarily found in Central and South America.

Along with the meal we had mocochinchi - a dehydrated peach cider. This is probably one of the (if not THE) most served beverages in Bolivia. You can find it in any region of Bolivia and is surprisingly quite sweet. In Bolivia you'll see this sold on street corners and in parks and plazas, usually in large glass jars, along side other drinks such as chicha and somó. So as you can tell that it was quite the feast and it definitely helped fill that craving I had for Bolivian food.

Work in Progress:: Re-Styled Vintage Daisy

2011-04-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share with you a sneak peek into one of the NEW re-styled vintage pieces that I am working on, which will later be available in my Etsy shop.

I love playing around with the vintage pieces. I especially enjoy just putting them all out in front of me and just moving the different pieces around just like in a puzzle searching for the right piece. I have always had a love of all things vintage since as long as I can remember. I think my grandmother finds it a bit funny that when I visit her in Poland, how I can become so entertained for hours looking through random old things. I'll be posting more pictures of the necklace when I finish the piece and I promise to entertain you with some vintage treasure travel tales.

PS- I really like how these all of these vintages pieces flow together, what do you think? I personally think it would be a lovely piece for a bride.

Morocco:: Lemon Fashion Shoot

2011-04-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

I posted a sneak peek on my facebook page earlier today from Claire Eliza's "Lemon" fashion shoot with Miss Layne. I just wanted to share with you yet another glimpse here on my blog. This shoot featured one of my favorite necklaces (Morocco 3- Necklace) from my diseño collection.

I love how this piece gives a glimpse into a shape that is typically seen throughout Moroccan architecture. This simple scalloped shape can be seen used over doorways, on windows, adorning arches, and throughout the ornate tile work. I just can't imagine when I have the chance to travel to Morrocco, how truly engulfed I will be in the stunning architecture. Not many people know, but at one point in my university career I wanted to study architecture thus now you can better understand my slight love affair with architectural details. But for now I dream of traveling to Morocco through my architecture books.

Claire has put together another absolutely lovely fashion film that actually features the necklace pictured above. Thank you Miss Claire! Go ahead and take a look below:

To see more pictures from this shoot and other fashion shoots, please head on over here.

Work in Progress:: Kelly Green Bridesmaid Jewelry

2011-04-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It has definitely been quite some time since my last blog post. My trip to Florida was absolutely lovely and a much needed break from studio work. I definitely got a ton of inspiration and I'm looking forward to sharing with you the new collection that will be out later this spring. But until then, I would love to share with you some custom orders that I am working on.

Today, I would like to feature a special green inspired necklace. My friend contacted me if I had any green jewelry. Her friend is getting married and she is one of the bridesmaids. She forwarded me an email with the inspiration for the necklace--- the kelly green ties that the groomsmen will be wearing.

She told me that she really liked my re-styled vintage collection and would love to have a piece of jewelry that incorporated vintage elements as well as it being a statement piece. I came up with some sketches and emailed the following ideas to her.

From those sketches I was able to find out what Maria liked and didn't like, which resulted in the following design.

The necklace will incorporate a mix of magnesite turquoise, a strand of silver colored freshwater pearls, a lovely vintage chunky faux gold chain plus two strands of green mother of pearl shell coin beads. Plus some lovely vintage art deco glass buttons in green which will be incorporated randomly throughout the necklace. I can't wait to share with you the final piece, but you'll have to wait until May for that! ;)

sun and sand.

2011-03-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

Florida.

2011-03-07T20:32:00.000-08:00

Last week was quite busy, I am quite sorry for not getting to all my posts. I am now off getting inspired by this beautiful world we live in. I will plan on posting all of the other blog posts once I get back from my trip to Florida.

Until then I will randomly post things that inspire me on my travels here.

Sneak Peek :: NEW Website.

2011-02-28T22:16:00.001-08:00

Okay, so today's post will be short, but super sweet. I am so excited about my new website design that I wanted to give you all a little sneak peek at it. Alex Penny has done a wonderful job of listening to everything I have wanted and it looks absolutely awesome. I can't wait to see it all finished.

Thanks Alex!

Swan Lake.

2011-02-25T12:26:00.001-08:00

The inspiration for this photo shoot was ballerinas----think a beautiful mix of Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Black Swan. Lace, ruffles, layers, and pearls. As I got to designing the pieces for the photo shoot with Claire and the ladies, I decided to incorporate this vintage fabric I had hidden away.

When I bought the fabric I didn't really have an idea in mind, but rather just loved the look and feel of it. I loved the delicate embroidery, scalloped edges, and those sweet little eyelets. I wanted the piece to incorporate all of the inspirational elements as well as to have this feminine feel that also evoked a sense of innocence.

Thus this ruffled half-Peter Pan collar came about. There are several items that distinguish a Peter Pan collar from other types of shirt collars, however, the most characteristic is the rounded edges.

As I got to researching more about Peter Pan collars and how they came about. The name of the collar is actually a reference to Peter Pan (yes, that lovely fictional character that lived in Neverland in the novel of the same name, which was written by J.M. Barrie in the early 1900s). As many of you know the story is a fairytale about a mischievous little boy who can fly that refuses to grow up, and the Peter Pan collar is intended to evoke the same fairytale sense of eternal youthfulness.

The shape and name of the Peter Pan collar seems to have originated in the mid-twentieth century. This design was very popular for school uniforms, but also started to spill over into popular culture. Despite the collar being named after a masculine character, the Peter Pan collar has been mostly associated with feminine fashion and rarely does it appear in men's fashion.

Peter Pan collars are typically quite modest, since the collar itself hugs the neck thus not leaving much room for display of décolletage or cleavage. Instead of creating a full traditional Peter Pan collar I opted to make half of one.

I love the way it looks worn on the body. The necklace gently hugs around the neck mimicking a Peter Pan collar with the rounded edge in front, however, it starts to take on a new look with the focus being on the center adornment. The middle portion where typically the collar edges would meet is layered with various white freshwater pearls that have been hand stitched and mixed in with pieces of vibrant amethyst and layers of sterling silver chain.

This has definitely become one of my favorite pieces. I can't wait to share with you next week some of the other images from the Swan Lake shoot as well as a wedding-esq inspired collar plus more custom/personalized work. Have a wonderful weekend!

-------------------------------------------
Fashion Shoot :: Swan Lake.
Model Photos by Claire Eliza
Hair and Makeup: Melissa and Ashley at Che'mel Salon
Outfits: Vanity Boutique. Tacoma, Washington

Fa'atasi.

2011-02-23T18:09:00.000-08:00

This past summer, Katie had contacted me in regards to personalizing a rectangle shaped bracelet in my Etsy shop. The bracelet was a gift for her boyfriend and she wanted the bracelet to be personalized with the word: fa'atasi

Fa'atasi is Samoan for together, in unison. She wanted to get matching bracelets as a way to show their commitment to each other and their relationship as she was leaving for the Peace Corps in Samoa in October. Thank you Katie for sharing your story.

Wedding Walk Tacoma.

2011-02-22T22:44:00.000-08:00

So my table at the Wedding Walk this past Sunday was at the Tacoma Union Station. The Tacoma Daily Ledger had once praised the building as "the largest, the most modern and in all ways the most beautiful and best equipped passenger station in the Pacific Northwest". The space now serves as a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.

The space is now adorned with various Dale Chiluly installations that are truly massive in scale. His pieces look absolutely stunning against the architectural details at the Union Station. The bursts of colors pop against the coffered domed ceiling. It so neat to imagine that at one point in time this was a key hub of transportation for so many.

Tammi's (TLB Events) vision and execution of the design for the space was absolutely brilliant. The space was adorned with crystals, pewter tones, and splashes of hot pink throughout the space. While Maria of Weddings Northwest created these gorgeous floral arrangements.

I got to share the afternoon with some of my favorite ladies. Our tables were arranged together in one corner of Union Station. Here is Melissa's lovely table of Che'mel Salon:

Lillie's table of custom wedding hair pieces--- flourish by lillie.

Plus Christy Pelland's Sweet Betty Jean pin up artistry.

And here is a few pictures of my table as well as some detail shots of my custom wedding jewelry. Plus you can also see how I used those collection cards that I blogged about yesterday.

To see more photos from the day, head on over to my: flickr page

Wedding Collection Cards.

2011-02-21T19:58:00.000-08:00

Today, I thought I would share with you some new collection cards that I designed for the Wedding Walk this past Saturday.

Thank you to Tammi of TLB Events for inviting me to be a part of such a lovely event. I will post some photos of my booth tomorrow.

re-styled vintage jewelry :: french inspiration

2011-02-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

These next few images of pieces from my new re-styled vintage jewelry collection have a bit of a French feel to me. Adorned with coral pink bows, a golden floral bouquet, and sweet little faux pearls.

Each piece is romantically chic, yet a bit whimsical and darling.

re-styled vintage jewelry.

2011-02-15T19:44:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the pin-up esk jewels that I promised to share with you. This new collection of jewelry is a collaboration that I have been working on these past few weeks. All the pieces are made from vintage jewelry/materials that have been re-styled into new pieces. These pieces were designed with Christy Pelland's Sweet Betty Jean pin-up artistry in mind. Each piece of jewelry is one-of-a kind or limited edition and is truly unique and special. Here are just a couple of pieces from the collection....

As you can tell each piece is bold and fun! I'll be posting another batch of jewels tomorrow.

Che'mel Salon :: new jewelry.

2011-02-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it is already February. Eeek.... what happened to posting more often. I guess a few weeks have gone by since my last post. Things have been quite busy in the studio with new pieces for Valentine's day, an absolutely special custom order, and a few different collaborations. I have been trying to keep my facebook page updated with quick posts as much as possible, thus I have neglected my blog. Oops.

Anyhow, I wanted to share with you some pictures from my new installation of pieces at Che'mel Salon.

Also, as Christy Pelland prepares to launch her official website launch of Sweet Betty Jean pin up Artistry on Valentine's Day, February 14th. Che'mel Salon will host be hosting the Sweet Betty Jean presents The Peep Show event on Saturday, February 12th at Che'mel Salon on Tacoma's 6th Ave from 6pm -9pm. I am creating some pin-up esk inspired jewels. I will be sure to post some pictures tomorrow.

Holiday Recap.

2011-01-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

As promised here is a holiday recap filled with just pictures.... pierogi, bright lights, snowy winter wonderland, and great family memories. Enjoy.

Wedding Reception: Lela + Taylor

2011-01-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has been enjoying the new year thus far. I would like to start of this year by sharing a few photos from Lela and Taylor's enchanting wedding reception. Claire Eliza photographed this couple's small reception party in the gorgeous forest of Flagstaff, Arizona. The couple invited some of their closest friends that weren't able to make it to their family ceremony.

Lela the lovely bride wore my Morocco 4- Necklace at their reception party. However, Lela wanted more of a vintage feel, so her necklace was finished with a liver of sulfur patina (black/grey finish). Below is a photo of the original Morocco 4- Necklace without the patina.

The couple had a such an unique and fun approach to their reception, instead of the traditional toast followed with cake these two had colorful sprinkle donuts with milk. What a sweet little surprise! ;)

Thank you Lela for letting me a part of your wonderful and truly special day. Also, thank you to Claire for sharing these delightful photos. If you would like to see more photos from the reception, please head on over to Claire's website: www.claireeliza.com

Here are a few teasers of what you can expect next week on my blog: holiday recap (filled with pierogi pictures), a truly one-of-a-kind wedding band, an introduction to some new jewels and a few more surprises. One thing this year that I am hoping to do more of is...... BLOG.

Until Monday.... Ciao!

All That Sparkles.

2010-12-31T08:16:00.000-08:00

With the new year just around the corner and the beginning to a new decade, I would like to wish everyone a truly wonderful New Year---- to great adventures and many happy memories!

As we say goodbye to this year, I would like to leave you all with this quote from T.S. Eliot: "For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."

Happy new beginnings!

(Fashion Shoot :: All That Sparkles. Photo by Claire Eliza/ Hair & Makeup: Kelsey Knutson)

Merry Christmas.

2010-12-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

Wesołych Świąt!!! Merry Christmas. ¡Feliz Navidad!

I can't wait to share with you some more pictures from the holidays.

Gift Certificates Available in my Etsy Shop!

2010-12-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

This past few weeks have been quite busy with a holiday show, etsy orders, and custom pieces. But I would like to share with you some great news. Are you looking to buy handmade? Not sure about which item to choose for that special gift? Or perhaps you have procrastinated a bit and waited until the last moment to go shopping. Give that special someone in your life an Ada Rosman gift certificate! These lovely gift certificates are now available in my Etsy shop.

Gift certificates are available in denominations of: $25, $50, $75, and $100.

Upon your purchase and payment, I will email you a .pdf file via email that you can print out and give to your recipient. If you want a gift certificate in another amount, I can create a custom listing for you, just contact me through my Etsy shop or email me at: adarosman [at] gmail.com

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T14:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May you all have a truly lovely holiday and a festive weekend with family, friends, and splendid food.

:: Black Friday through Cyber Monday ::
20% OFF* everything in my ETSY shop + FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING.
COUPON CODE: TDSALE
*excludes CUSTOM ORDERS and SALE codes can not be combined.

For extra SAVINGS--- Become a facebook fan of my page: www.facebook.com/AdaRosman

Thank you all so much for following my jewelry adventures!

Argentina Destination Weddings.

2010-11-18T23:19:00.000-08:00

First off, I wanted to congratulation Miss Claire of Claire Eliza Photography for being featured in the latest issue of the International Photography and Design Magazine CarneMagazine®. I truly love flipping through this online magazine and seeing the range of work from around the world. I always can't wait to see what is on the next page. I was so excited to hear that Claire's stunning work would be featured in CarneMag® Issue#6, which you can download for free onlne at: CARNE MAG

In honor of her feature in CarneMagazine®, Claire has extended her European Destinations deal of the century to Argentina! She will be offering destination wedding packages to weddings in Argentina minus the costly travel charges. Such a great opportunity!

Plus I will be offering custom bridal pieces along with some of Claire's packages.

Please email Claire for further details: claireeliza@live.com

You're Invited.....

2010-11-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

For those of you that weren't able to make it to the Polish Bazaar, you can stop by and take a look at my jewels at Derby Salon in Seattle.

I will be taking part in the first annual Holiday Shopping Extraveganza along with some other lovely local vendors. So mark your calendars for December 2 from 6-9pm. Hope to see you there!

the HOLIDAY shop.

2010-11-15T02:08:00.001-08:00

Okay, okay..... so the posting and introduction of the holiday shop was slightly delayed, but it is up today in my etsy store.

So my holiday shop (as I like to call it) will actually be a holiday section in my etsy shop that will feature products that are perfect for the holiday season. This includes some of my new products like the leather picture ornaments and postcards as well as some holiday jewelry designs. But make sure to keep checking back to see what other new products will be listed.

Many of these items will be up for a limited time.... basically only for the season. Some items might come back next year, while others may NOT. So if you like something make sure to buy it! ;)

New Items for the Holidays!

2010-11-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

As I am preparing to list new jewelry items on Etsy, I have also decided to make some new products to add to my Etsy store for the holidays. The first set of items, are these leather ornaments that can be personalized to say anything you imagine. Perhaps, a special place, date, names or perhaps some international holiday greetings. Each leather ornament has a slit where you can slip in your favorite photo. You can also use a fabric pen to write a special message on the back of each of the ornaments.

This next addition will have a seperate section in my Etsy shop and will include a range of postcards that have been designed by me. Many of them have some fun Polish sayings and there is even a design that is perfect for the holidays. The postcard below reads: Wesołych Świąt!, which translated into English means Happy Holidays. This postcards is adorned with white and red classic Christmas ornaments that are filled with various size hearts. Definitely a great way to spread the holiday cheer and love.

Tomorrow the holiday spirit will be in full swing with the introduction of my "Holiday Shop" in my Etsy store.

50th Annual Fall Polish Bazaar!

2010-11-10T23:59:00.000-08:00

Here is what I have been up to since my last blogpost. Busy in the studio: working hard on getting pieces down for the bazaar, finishing orders, making new jewelry designs, as well as some items that will be added to my holiday shop on my Etsy page. But more about the holiday shop on Friday.

Preview of new products that will be available in my shop:

Tomorrow I will share with you some details of the new products that will be available in my Etsy shop.

bridesmaid jewelry: Eileen + Walt

2010-11-02T01:15:00.001-07:00

This past summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to make some lovely bridesmaid jewelry for Eileen. Eileen found my work while browsing through Etsy and was drawn to my La Petite Pearle- Necklace.

It amazes me, how Etsy is able to connect people from different parts of the world. I was excited to hear Eileen wanted me to make her bridesmaid jewelry. Personally, I feel truly honored (also, a bit anxious) to be a part of somebody's wedding day. I think it is such a unique experience to know someone has picked your work to have as well as share with others on their big day.

While discussing details about the necklaces and perhaps using different stones or patina, Eileen mentioned she wanted some earrings to match. I shared with her an option that is currently available (Modern Pearl- Earrings) in my Etsy shop and also forwarded her an image of ones that have been featured on my blog before. She initially liked both, but was drawn to the dangling earrings a bit more.

I had mentioned to Eileen early in our correspondence, that I enjoy featuring work on my blog. I really take joy in having the chance to get to know my clients; who they are, where there from, and what the pieces mean to them.

A special little detail, that I love to do for my brides is to give them the option to personalize their jewelry bags with their wedding date and their initials or names.

As you can tell from the image below, Eileen and Walt's wedding was on July 31, 2010. Each of the bridesmaids had their names placed on their jewelry bag along with Eileen and Walt's wedding date. Eileen had also mentioned that the bridesmaids dresses would be a blue jay color, which I incorporated into the outside packaging with the ribbon and custom stamped name tags.

I learned from Eileen that she met her husband (Walt) at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania. They had been friends for a long time, however, they didn't start dating until a couple of years after they graduated.

Eileen said that "the wedding day was absolutely beautiful!" The weather leading up to the wedding day had been so hot (95 degrees plus) and on that day, they couldn't have asked for better weather (sunny at like 80 degrees). The day was filled with close family and friends. The bridal party was all family and friends from different aspects of each of their lives (work, college, life-long friends, church).

Thank you Eileen for sharing your story and for letting me be a part of your wedding day. Congratulations to both of you. Best wishes for a lifetime of love and happiness. And Eileen, thank you for sending over the photos of you with some of your bridesmaids--- you looked absolutely radiant!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T20:32:00.000-07:00

custom: Smiles by Sutherland.

2010-10-27T01:18:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you some custom pieces that I had the opportunity to make for a local orthodontist office in the area. The office provides the latest technology, from such items as Invisalign and use the Damon system for braces. It was a surprise gift for all of the employees of Smiles by Sutherland.

I designed a range of earrings, necklaces, and bracelets that had the letters SBS for Smiles by Sutherland stamped on the silver circles. Each piece was then given a liver of sulfur patina that was removed in spots to give a rustic finish. It was such a pleasure to work with such a great group of people and make them these custom pieces.

VAIN installation.

2010-10-20T23:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, alright... I am finally back to blogging. This time I will honestly be posting more frequently. Today, I would like to share with you a few images from the Ballard Artwalk, more specifically the installation of my collaboration with Claire. The Artwalk was a success despite the horrible downpour outside. Here are few images from the VAIN installation of Claire's lovely postcards and my new collection of jewelry:

If you weren't able to come by the Artwalk, you still can stop come by VAIN and take a look at our work. It will be up until the end of November. I will be uploading a few more images of our work on my flickr page.

P.S.- what do you think of my new hair cut and color (can you guess what color it is, since the image is black and white)?

Claire's Deal of the Century!

2010-10-08T15:57:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday Everyone!

Before we head into the weekend, I wanted to share with everyone an amazing deal that Claire is offering this summer. It truly is the deal of the century! Claire Eliza Photography will be offering wedding packages to European weddings with OUT the costly travel charges. You will get a truly amazing destination wedding photographer with out the destination price. Make sure to share this with your family and friends!

Here is a little sneek peak of Claire's work:

Head on over to Claire's website to read more about her as well as to take a look at her stunning photos: www.claireeliza.com

Here is to a great weekend and for those of you that can make it to the Ballard Art Walk... I look forward to seeing you at VAIN Ballard! :)

VAIN: España collection

2010-10-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

I am excited to share a special photo/jewelry collaboration that I have been working on with the wonderfully talented photographer Miss Claire. This past summer, Claire studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain and had the opportunity to travel throughout the country. Before Claire left for Spain, we had had talked about her inspiration for the images--- pictures that would best represent and give a glimpse of the beautiful country.

I really couldn't wait to see and hear about Claire's travels. In this collaboration, I created a new collection of work based off of images that Claire and I had selected from her travels in Spain. It was such a fun experience to look through the photos and to automatically see things that inspired me. Here is a sneak peek of some of the pieces:

Claire's photos turned unique, handmade postcards and my new collection of jewelry will be featured this month in VAIN Ballard. Please come by VAIN for the Ballard Art Walk this Saturday (October 9th). I will be posting more images from the Art Walk as well as introducing pieces from the España collection.

side note: i am trying a new format for the images on my blog. what do you think of the size of the images?

fall is here.

2010-09-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Hello All!
It has definitely been a long time since my last blogpost. I hope everyone had a truly enjoyable summer. It is strange to think that today is the first day of fall. I feel like summer wasn't even here--- I suppose I was hoping for some more sunny days. Oh well. I have so many new things to share with you: new collections, custom work, travel photos, and much more.

To get back in the swing of things, I would like to share with you a new job that I started this summer. I am a jewelry curator for VAIN in Ballard-- it is such a fun position. It has been such a pleasure getting to know about VAIN as well as being a part of the Ballard ArtWalk. I really enjoying looking for new jewelers to feature. It is always so interesting to learn about what inspires different artists.

During the summer period (June-August), VAIN features a new jeweler each month for the Ballard ArtWalk as well as live music performance by local artists plus drinks and food. August was my first ArtWalk alone, since Aran Galligan the previous jewelry curator, metalsmith, and talented hairstylist at VAIN headed out east to start her postgraduate studies at SUNY New Paltz. The featured seller for August-September was Nancy O’Connell of Black Rabbit. Here she is with her work:

While August's live performance was by Hoquiam. Hoquiam is a band that is made up of two brothers, Drake and Damien Jurado. With their self-titled release, they have created an album based around their childhood in Grays Harbor.

The rest of the year VAIN participates every other month in the Ballard ArtWalk by featuring a new jeweler. Part of my job is also to write up blogposts about the Ballard ArtWalk event at VAIN. Head on over to VAIN's blog to see more photos from previous events. The blog also features awesome blogposts by others at the salon about hair, products, as well as updates on all things VAIN.

custom rubber stamp.

2010-06-21T00:28:00.000-07:00

Today, I would like to share with you my new custom rubber stamp. I recently did a custom order with etsy seller: paperfruithair to design my logo as a rubber stamp. Melissa of paperfruithair truly did a wonderful job! The package from Canada arrived about a week and half ago--- I was truly excited to open up the package.

Take a look at the fun packaging as well as.....

the adorable matchbox that my custom stamp came wrapped in...

I also got a few other goodies. Some fun little tags to practice on as well as a sweet little cupcake stamp.

Thank you Melissa for this awesome custom stamp. I look forward to sharing in future blog posts how I will be using the custom stamp in my packaging. Head on over to Melissa's etsy shop and take a look at her fun designs: paperfruithair

sketchbook no. 3

2010-06-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

Haven't done a sketchbook photo in quite awhile. The shot actually includes the finished triskele-necklace that can now be found in my etsy shop. This necklace was actually a custom order, however, I really liked how the piece turned out and now is part of my diseño collection.

Link to necklace in my Etsy shop: Triskele- Necklace

custom: silver ring (part 2)

2010-06-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

So here is the second part of my custom: silver ring blog post, where I will be sharing some of the rings that are now available in my etsy shop as well as giving you ideas on custom rings. My 143 (I Love You)- Necklace is now also available as a ring! The 143 sterling silver ring is 5/16" inches wide--- the simple band has the numbers 143 stamped and has a liver of sulfur patina that has been removed in spots. Similar in style to the necklace!

Class of 2010- Ring has the numbers 2010 stamped... which would definitely make a great gift for a recent graduate!

I recently had an order on etsy where I customized the Class of 2010- Ring with the initials of the graduate's university. The recent graduate had just finished studying at Florida State University and didn't want a ring that was traditional, but rather something a bit more unique. Congrats to all the 2010 graduates!

This band can truly be customized to say anything you want from anniversary dates, your children's initials or names, high school or university names, fun words.... anything you can imagine! You can get the 5/16" width sterling silver band customized at no cost with up to 15 letters and/or numbers.

custom: silver ring (part 1)

2010-06-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I can't believe it is already June. Time sure does fly. So I have been meaning to share with you some new ring additions to my etsy shop as well as lots more updates on new collections and stand out prom happenings. Looking forward to sharing all this with you-- next week.

In regards to those new ring additions in my etsy shop, I would first like to share with you a story about a custom listing I recently made. A fellow etsian contacted me in regards to making my 143 (I Love You)- Necklace into a ring. She wanted "143 xIP4I" stamped on the outside of the band with the same finish as the necklace.

I had asked her if she wouldn't mind sharing what "xIP4I" meant to her and she had told me it was their own personal little message, standing for "to the infinite power, for infinity"

She continued to share with me that she had recently received a "promise ring a few months ago, but that's now changed hands to be a sort of pre-engagement ring, if you will." She wanted to also get her fiancée something that was of equal importance. I was excited to be included in this special surprise. It was so cute to hear that they have used 143 since the beginning, and that they still have "battles pretty much daily" to say I Love You at 1:43. Which is something I had never thought about before.... very fun! Thank you Cam for sharing your story and congrats to you both.

Tomorrow I will share some of the new additions that can already be found in my etsy shop and some fun ideas for custom orders.... so stay tuned.

sneak peek!

2010-05-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

So I have been busy since the last blog post. We are all preparing for the next Glam Night this Sunday (May 23). I am making some new jewelry especially for the event... so my studio has been quite busy. But first, I wanted to share with you a quick sneak peek photo of some new work that Christy Pelland and I have collaborated on. Photo taken by Christy Pelland of c.pelland photography. More on the necklaces in the weeks to come!

GLAM NIGHT UPDATE: We only have two spots left so make sure you contact Che'mel Salon at 253.548.8910. We need them filled and have dropped the price to $100! Help us raise the last bit of funds for the STAND OUT PROM Scholarship by attending GLAM NIGHT this SUNDAY!

custom: Believe in Miracles- Necklace.

2010-05-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today, I would like to share with you a custom sterling silver necklace that was especially designed for a very unique masquerade ball. I was contacted by Meghan Swanlund who hosts an annual Masquerade Ball and this year they were adding a silent auction aspect to the ball. This year's ball benefited the BJH Believe in Miracles Foundation and Meghan was looking for a necklace to place in the auction. She wanted the necklace to read "Believe in Miracles." Here are some of the ideas for the piece:

Meghan ended up picking option #1 along with a wire wrapped bail. The entire piece was a given a liver of sulfur patina that was removed in spots and the words "Believe in Miracles." were hand-stamped on the right side of the pendant. The pendant is designed to be unisex.

Here is a photo of the necklace that was included in the the Masquerade Ball, which was held on May 1, 2010:

Meghan and I had also spoke about making the necklace available to more people. So I designed this display that included some information about the piece, along with a sign-up sheet. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the necklace went towards The Brandon J. Hendrick Believe in Miracles Foundation.

Here is some information about the foundation:

"The Brandon J. Hendrick Believe in Miracles Foundation is dedicated to the principal of providing financial assistance to families of children and young adults who face life threatening illnesses. It was founded in 2008 shortly before Brandon passed away from osteosarcoma. It was his wish to have a foundation set up that would help others who had to endure the physical, emotional and financial burdens associated with losing a loved one."

The necklace is now available in my etsy shop, link to necklace: Believe in Miracles- Necklace. Half of the proceeds from the sale will go towards the BJH Believe in Miracles Foundation. So please head on over to my shop and support a great cause! The necklaces will only be available for a limited time.

For more information on the foundation, head on over to the foundation's website: www.believeinmiraclesfoundation.com

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T20:21:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to wish all the mothers and mothers-to-be a truly Happy Mother's Day! I am super thankful for a having such an amazing mom in my life. Kocham Cię!

Stand Out Prom 2010: WINNER!

2010-05-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you meet people and they instantly knock your socks off! You know in the first ten minutes that this person is going to do great things with their time on this earth because of the passion and talent they possess. with Stand Out Prom we're looking for that 'it' factor but also an overwhelming desire to give back and share those gifts with the community. We found all that and more in this year's winner, Miss Kayleigha Holten, from Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup.

Kayleigha first caught our attention with her incredibly well crafted application that immediately had us rolling with answers to questions such as the following when asked what areas of the creative arts she is involved with,

"A little bit of everything … meaning dragon masks created from bubble wrap and masking tape; hot pink suspension bridges of laminated spruce and gorilla glue, and of course, a bedroom papered with pencil drawings, pastel portraits, and the immortalization of the Hamlet cast in full-color cartoon."

she went on to describe other areas to including studio art, graphic design, photoshop play, piano, concert choir and her true passion, theatrical lighting design. that's one heck of a list - and i promise you, she does it all extremely well!

Along with a long list of volunteer activities Kayleigha explained where she plans to take her love of the creative arts,

"I plan to utilize college education to pursue lighting and set design, as well as painting, drawing and other studio art forms. In the college setting I will have the opportunity to work as I would in the professional theatre industry as a lighting designer, and learn the CAD program, VectorWorks, for creating lighting plots.' She went on to explain how she's going to do that, 'I will attend Boston University next fall to major in theatre lighting design in the College of Fine Arts. While there I will have the opportunity to take advantage of the theatre program’s partnership with a professional theatre to find employment opportunities and develop the skills necessary to pursue theatre as a career. I am also contemplating a Master’s degree in teaching and becoming a drama teacher."

As you can imagine.... at this point, we were all very impressed.

The last question before the essay was 'tell us anything else about yourself that makes you - you.' Kayleigha's response couldn't have been more perfect....

"I avoid the norm, so I customize everything. I love Shakespeare and classical literature, including poetry. I love to lead, and have been a class officer all three years of my high school career, making me responsible for planning this year’s prom. I give everything one hundred percent, and throw myself at life. The walls of my room are covered with my artwork and pictures of friends and family—you cannot see the paint underneath. Hanging from the valance above my window is a collection of over twenty scarves, a few of which I have knitted. I wear these all the time, because they go well with my fancy black theatre clothes (remember this), although I love to surround myself with color. My friends tease me for my collection of patterned gloves, which I showcase whenever it is cold. They love my feisty lightning bolt earrings, too. My favorite animals are cows and tigers, and I love the colors red, white, and black together, because they are classy and professional. I strive for this same professionalism in everything I undertake, and work hard to maintain my 3.97 gpa. I have been described as an ‘old soul.’ I love old music, and also have an interest in politics. Musical theatre inspires my life. I can’t get enough of it."

I think at this point we all knew we wanted to meet his girl, but after reading her essay I thought we really had found our winner. Kayleigha's essay:

Light exposes things in the theater. It storms the stage, a strobe of lightning shadowing a haunted house. It sets the scene, uncomfortable colors squirming beneath a discordant Renter. It constructs a jail, blue bars crying softly into the bloody red of a Birmingham cell. I decide.

As resident lighting designer at Emerald Ridge High School, performing technical tasks both as a volunteer and a school district employee, I’ve made a career out of backstage obscurity. In the summer before my sophomore year a close friend involved in the theatre department at Emerald Ridge invited me to join the Technical Crew. Of course, I possessed a dearth of knowledge regarding lighting consoles, dimmers, and the fancy lamps that can’t be touched by human hands. Something twisted into a back flip in the region of my stomach when, less than a month after I’d begun my technical career, my friend informed me of my assignation to light board operations for the fall play. I could barely turn the light board on, let alone program and operate the beast. But one hundred and eighty three time-sensitive light cues later, as I watched the fading frosted box of light caress the innocent man lying dead upon the stage, I became conscious for the first time of a dramatic undertone that would become the intense focus of my high school endeavors.

Just as actors craft expressions, I craft moods. Should no change in lighting hurl Les Miserables’ Jean Valjean from the smokey blues of the Toulon prison into the grey, impoverished streets of Paris or the dank greenish hue of the sewers below, he might as well remain forever in captivity, lacking the means to convey his vehemence upon the stage. Such tragedy haunts the designer’s soul. Without soul in theatre, there is nothing, an emptiness as stark as a naked script not yet clothed in its robe of annotations and lighting cues.

Immediately following the enlightening fall play experience, I immersed myself in the technical field with enthusiasm. I adapted a more professional outlook on my dealings in the theatre, which bled into other aspects of my life; into my three-year tenure as an elected class officer, into my seasons as a varsity track and cross country athlete, into my amalgam of community service hours and resultant United Way community service letters. My passion for theatre prepared me for adulthood.

My first business letter inquired into the possibility of completing an internship at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse, where I undertook one hundred and ninety-five unpaid hours of lighting and set design. During my time at the community theatre I discovered the lighting manual for the board at my high school and invested hours learning to program subroutines, effects, and complex lighting cues previously inaccessible to members of the Emerald Ridge Technical Crew.

The internship led to my continuing seasonal employment as lighting designer for Tacoma Musical Playhouse Kids’ Camp productions. I have been able to give back to my community through the four hundred plus hours I donate each year for the design and operation of school events in the auditorium. I aid in lighting local elementary schools’ dramatic enterprises and participate in the high school Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly, which for the past two years I have directed. This year I wrote the script, blocked the scenes (including a Civil War reenactment complete with fog machines and time-period guns), and choreographed the final musical number. However, the accomplishment of which I am most proud is the lighting and set design for Les Miserables: School Edition.

Painfully aware that the board housed in the Emerald Ridge tech booth could not possibly suffice for perhaps the largest production ever undertaken by the Puyallup School District, I employed the writing experience gained in my other professional endeavors to appeal to local community members for the funding to purchase the necessary equipment. Although unable to purchase a new board, I did procure enough donations to allow its rental.

I launched into my customary eighteen hour days, arriving at school in the dark at six in the morning and often not leaving until the nighttime clock chimed midnight. I focused lights, built a rotating barricade, telescoping lamp posts and a flyable bridge, and painted stones upon the garden wall. Everything had to be perfect.

When Les Miserables opened, an elderly man approached me after the first Saturday show to share his opinion that he had ‘seen things on that stage that had never before been conceived,’ and that credit for the astounding look of the show belonged to me. That night I shed my first tears of joy. As a graduating senior, I hope to instill that same joy into the underclassmen I am training to assume lighting duties when I head off to major in lighting design at the Boston University, College of Fine Arts.

I will miss the auditorium which first shrouded me in its comfortable darkness, and then thrust me into full view as last year’s “Techie of the Year,” and earned my school-wide reputation as the “lighting girl who can do anything.” The relationships I have formed through my thespian pursuits will long outlive the transience of their founding productions. Because of theatre, I know, and I am known in, my community. Through the endeavor to procure a better light board I reached outside school boundaries to establish myself in the Puyallup community. In my work on the Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly I developed a relationship with my principal, choir director, office staff, and numerous adults in my high school community. As lighting designer, I earned citizenship in the dramatic world of the acting community.

Life to me is art and the world an empty canvas. I live to create, and create to live. I aspire to reveal the power and beauty of the world to those who view my work, and inspire them to see the artistry in life. In this way, I stand out.

What an amazing essay, right? I really enjoyed the part about how she "crafts moods" and how she used Les Miserables' as an example. I also really loved her conclusion, which is what truly moved me. After reading through all the applications we picked our top four girls and set up interviews for later that week.

All of the applicants are amazing young women who are truly following their passions for the creative arts and serving their community, but Kayleigha had something else, something very special. She was our last interview of the evening, she waited outside the doors of the private room at the Mandolin Cafe, patiently, in her black professional attire, with perfectly parted hair and her amazing binder in hand. As we debated back and forth about the other interviewees, you could tell she was nervous as she kept checking to see if we were finished and ready for her.

Kayleigha graciously thanked us for having her and immediately after introductions went into her work. As she spoke, you could feel the passion for her art was quickly eradicating the nervousness. As she flipped to specifically tabbed sections of her portfolio; she maintained a strictly factual account of each event - there was no embellishment need, what she has accomplished in her short career was absolutely amazing.

She went on to tell a few key stories that truly were the turning point in the interview. The first was about her contributions to a local elementary school, where she created a 'tech zone' out of duct tape and crate paper for a young boy in order to make him feel special. Then she casually transitioned into the detailed odyssey that was ERHS's production of Les Miserables which she expressed was her 'baby.' We were very impressed with her initiative to raise funds for the rental of new control board (which is explained in her essay) but were absolutely blown away when she began to reflect on her encounter with an elderly man after opening night of the show. She shed tears of joy as the man expressed his gratitude and then reflected on the moment to us confessing, '"I am so passionate about my art but had no idea it affected others so deeply."

At this point, we were all truly amazed and looking around the table at the other directors you could tell from all of our facial expressions that we had found the young woman we were looking for. Kayleigha is a young woman that is truly gifted and driven, but at the same time has this humble attitude and genuine heart for service.

The Stand Out Prom directors spent the next week and a half gathering items for the swag bag - everything to make Kayleigha's senior experience a grand one. There's the full prom makeover by Che'mel Salon, fashion session with Christy Pelland of c.pelland photography, custom jewelry from Ada Rosman (me), grad party invitations by rsj creative, grad party by TLB Events, manicure & pedicure from Pepper's Salon, tickets to the Grand Cinema, shoes from Vixen, a Stella & Dot gift certificate, handcrafted headband from Flourish by Lillie, a senior photo session by Jon+Moch Photography, handmade scarf from Christy Pelland because Kayleigha loves them, giant poka dot swag bag from Tammi, personalized notes from each of the directors and last but not least, a sweet mix cd of the director's favorite tunes! Oh yeah, and lets not forget the $2,000 scholarship!

Christy's last minute addition was this scarf. Since that was one aspect of the application that she remembered in Kayleigha's application.... dressing up the "fancy black theater clothes'"with a beloved scarf.

My signature hand-stamped STAND OUT sterling silver pendant. I am SUPER excited to start the whole design process and get working on Kayleigha's custom prom pieces. I will make sure to keep you all posted with details on this custom jewelry adventure!

During that time we also contacted the school, her teachers, play director and parents to inform them of the pending surprise. On Thursday, May 6th, the Stand Out Prom directors plus our official photographer, Julie Watts, gathered at the local coffee shop to assemble the swag before venturing over to the school. Most of us were working on very lil' sleep due to an overload of excitement for the big surprise.

It was almost 4 o'clock so we jumped in our vehicles and set out for Emerald Ridge. The sun beamed down on us as we strode toward the school - smiles as wide as Texas across our faces. We met Kayleigha's parents and her choir director, Rob Dennis, in the commons and proceeded to the auditorium where Kayleigha was in the middle of play practice.

All of us stopped at the doors for the classic PRIZE PATROL photo opt and then quickly passed through them. That is were I started to get butterflies... I really couldn't wait to see her reaction. We all scanned the room for Kayleigha, but she was backstage - the play director, Paul Hill, was in on the surprise and called everyone out onto the stage for us.

As the students emerged from behind the sets they looked incredibly bewildered and then Kayleigha stepped out. She saw all of us and it clicked - her face showed it all - the surprise, excitement and happiness. We joined her and in a shower of hugs, explained to her classmates what Kayleigha has won and why we're so honored to have her as our 2010 winner. The auditorium was filled with cheers and clapping - but most importantly, one incredibly deserving young woman who'd just received the surprise of her high school career.

After our quick presentation, we let the cast of Pride & Prejudice get back to their rehearsal. As we exited, Kayleigha's parents thanked us for everything and explained just how excited their daughter was to be apart of this process. Kayleigha's mother recounted how grateful and enthusiastic Kayleigha was after meeting with us and that she'd been anxiously awaiting our decision. She also mentioned that Kayleigha hoped to someday be like us, giving back to others.

We all walked out of that auditorium on cloud nine. Christy's description " I looked over at Melissa to see tears on her cheeks and couldn't help but hug her. This random idea that we started with on a whim last year has grown into something very special - a program that truly inspires young women." I am personally so thankful to be a part of the Stand Out Prom team... it is such a pleasure to work with these ladies and at the same time to give back to our community.

A very big thanks goes out to Kayleigha, her family, teachers and theater family. We couldn't be more pleased to have you as a representative of Stand Out Prom and look forward to giving you a senior experience like none other! You are truly amazing Kayleigha!

custom: 143 (I Love You)- Necklaces.

2010-05-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Today, I would like to share with you my 143 (I Love You)- Necklace, but with a twist. Each of the following pendants have a different story behind them. All of the necklaces have been hand-stamped with custom messages.

Instead of having 143 stamped on the front, one of my clients wanted to get a pair of necklaces with the numbers 11.11 stamped on them. The meaning behind 11.11 is the month and date of her and her husband's wedding day.

Other ways to have the pendant customized is by having the backs of the 143- Necklace stamped with either dates (e.g. anniversary, wedding, birthdays or perhaps even graduation dates) or couple's initials.

This next piece, the customer wanted to get the initial Z added to the 143 pendant as a gift for their fiance.

These are just a few takes on the custom 143- Necklaces I have made. Stay tuned for more in the future. I think these necklaces are a fun little way of making someone feel special and each custom hand-stamped piece comes at no extra charge. I will be making a new listing on Etsy this evening with further details.

new items: gifts for mom!

2010-05-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

So Mother's Day is now less than a week away. These necklaces would be perfect gifts for mom anytime of the year. This first necklace is truly fun and unique! The following necklace features the silhouette of a matryoshka doll also known as a Russian nesting doll or a babushka doll.

The necklace includes a set of 3 pendants that decrease ever so slightly in size. Each one is slightly smaller then the previous. These dolls are then personalized with your children's names that are individually hand stamped on each doll. The entire piece is then given a liver of sulfur patina then taken off in areas, and finally finished with a clear coat to protect the patina. These pendants can be worn all together or as your children grow up you can give it to them as gifts. Also, the pendants can be further customized if you have a larger family (more matryoshka dolls can be added), just contact me.

While the following necklace would make a cute gift for an expecting mother or even as a thoughtful little way of spreading some love to your mom. The word mother has then been hand-stamped organically in five different languages:

MOTHER- English

MAMA- Polish

MADRE- Spanish

MÈME- French

MUTTER- German

The sterling silver pendant has been given a liver of silver patina and then been taken off in areas to give an antique finish (measures .7" x. 8" inches).

You can now find both these necklaces in my etsy shop: www.adarosman.etsy.com

Special Mother's Day SALE!

2010-05-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

This morning, just as I was getting ready to setup my SALE in my Etsy shop. I logged into Etsy to find my Bloc 9- Necklace on the front page! What a fun surprise, the treasury featured Gift Ideas for Mother's Day. Thanks Etsy!

Now to the SALE part of things. I wanted to put together a special discount just in time for Mother's Day! From May 2-9 you can get 20% OFF* your purchase (*excludes 80's revisited series and custom orders).

Details for discount:
Upon checking out in message to seller write: MOM20 Money will be refunded via paypal. If you would like to see discount reflected beforehand, please contact me.

Happy Mother's Day early and happy shopping! Tomorrow's blog post will feature some items from my Etsy shop that would make perfect mother's day gifts for any mom.

Hello May!

2010-05-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

So I have been m.i.a. for the past month. I just needed a little blogging break, but now I am definitely back full steam ahead. Boy, this past month has been crazy, chaotic, and fun. Some not so happy mishaps for example car issues and laptop dying on me as well as my facebook account being disabled. HAHA. But also, a lot of fun happenings and new jewelry. I have loads to share with you about some past events like photos from our Urban Glam Night fundraiser for Stand Out Prom to a special piece of jewelry for a Masquerade Ball. So we have a lot to catch up on and I am looking forward to sharing everything with you in the days to come!

Thought I would include a nice sunny photo with today's blog post.... it's an image from a day trip to La Push, Washington. Happy weekend everyone!

48th Annual Polish Bazaar!

2010-04-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was the 48th Annual Polish Bazaar at the Polish Home in Seattle. I think having these sort of experiences allows you to learn more about how others interact and engage with your work. I really do enjoy seeing people's reactions for the first time... something that you don't get when selling online. Here are few photos from Saturday:

I had a wonderful time at the Polish Home. Until next week everyone.... wishing everybody a very Happy Easter weekend!

April Sale is No April Fool's Joke!

2010-04-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

An April Fool's Joke? Absolutely not! I will be offering an amazing spring savings sale throughout the whole month of April in my etsy shop. Buy 2 and Get 1 *FREE of equal or lesser value (*EXCLUDES: 80's revisted series and custom orders).

At checkout please write in the "notes to seller" box which item you would like. Again, the sale will run the whole month of April or until quantities last. So happy savings and shopping!

48th Annual Spring Polish Bazaar!

2010-03-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

The 48th Annual Spring Polish Bazaar will be happening this upcoming Saturday (March 27th) at the Polish Home in Seattle. I will have my own table with my jewelry! I would love to invite everyone to come enjoy some traditional Polish dishes and of course to look at all of the wonderful crafts upstairs.

I hope to see you there!

For more details head on over to my event page on facebook:
Polish Bazaar

Port Townsend Cruise 2010.

2010-03-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago was the annual Port Townsend Cruise hosted by ACHTUNING. The event is considered to be the "jump-start" event for the Pacific Northwest European car scene. This year there were over 450+ European cars that attended the cruise that also helped support NW Harvest---1600 lbs. of food and $200 was raised to donate to NW Harvest. Since my poor VW was & still isn't working, I tagged along with my friends. Here are just a few photos from the event:

I will make sure to post some more photos from the cruise on my Flickr page this weekend.

Also, just a little reminder: head on over to my my Etsy and take a look at the SALE SECTION.

Items will be on sale until March 25th.... fun jewelry for the spring and lots of great discounts! Plus FREE worldwide shipping as well as free gift wrapping.

Follow me on Twitter!

2010-03-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Monday! So it has been a while since my last post. Still having some issues with my poor Volkswagen, hoping to get that resolved soon. Anyhow, just wanted to invite everyone to follow me on twitter.

This is another great way to stay updated with fun and silly happenings, sales, new items, and much more. In the next few weeks, you can expect some special discount offers on items in my etsy shop that will ONLY be available by following me on twitter.

Link to: twitter page

STAND OUT PROM 2010- join the adventure!

2010-03-05T22:41:00.000-08:00

So it's that time again... Stand Out Prom is in full swing! Join us for the Stand Out Prom adventure as 5 Creative Professional Women look for a truly unique young women that stands out in the Pierce County community.

The contest is open to all high school senior girls in Pierce County. So if you know of any - encourage them to take a look at the website:

www.standoutprom.com

This year is quite exciting because we have also added a $2,000 scholarship along with the ultimate prom experience (that includes a glam prom make over, stand out prom photo shoot, custom jewelry (made by me), and many more swanky gifts) and a truly over the top graduation party!

For more details and to be a part of the adventure--become a FAN of the Stand Out Prom facebook page!

sketchbook no. 2

2010-03-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

This following necklace titled Morocco 7- Necklace is inspired by Moroccan tile work and is a continuation of my diseño collection.

This shape also reminds me of a simplified four leaf clover. This necklace would be great paired with my NEW Morocco 6- Earrings.

Here they are together:

book: Jewelry Making and Design

2010-03-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, my brother, sister-in-law, nephew and I all headed down to Portland for a day trip. And of course no visit to Portland is complete without stopping by Powell's Books.

I found this lovely Jewelry Making and Design book written by Augustus F. Rose and Antonio Cirino.

The reason I decided to get this book was because of all of the wonderful illustrations inside. I really like how simple the drawings are. I think the pages would look great framed.

Seeing how the book was published in 1967, most of the pictures are pretty grainy, but nevertheless I still enjoy them!

diseño collection- new pieces.

2010-02-25T11:55:00.000-08:00

Here are some new necklaces that are now available in my Etsy shop:

They are all part of my diseño collection that are inspired by patterns and designs across various cultures. These particular ones are inspired by Morocco. Next week's blogpost will include some more new additions to the diseño collection.

hike: Rattlesnake Trail

2010-02-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

Hello again! It has been a while since my last blogpost. I have been keeping busy in the studio and have lots of new ideas brewing in my head. Today, I would like to share with you some photos from my Valentine's Day hike with friends. We did the Rattlesnake Trail and hiked from one trailhead to the other.... 11 miles.

There was rain for the first part of the hike...

We even found some snow on the ground...

As well as some sun....

This heart was carved in one of the benches half way through the hike...

The view from on top of the Rattlesnake Ledges....

Head on over to my flickr page to see more photos: my flickr page.

BAM: INDULGE jewelry marketplace.

2010-02-13T01:26:00.000-08:00

Today, I would like to share with you some photos from the Bellevue Arts Museum: INDULGE jewelry marketplace. The event was this past weekend (Feb. 5-7) at the Bellevue Arts Museum.

Last Thursday was the setup day. Here is a little preview of my booth without the pieces:

My dad and I had designed my booth walls as well as made them ourselves.

These next few group of photos are detail shots of my booth. I had used some vintage suitcases to display some of the collections as well as wooden frames with fabric inserts.

These next photos show some of the various other artist booths at the INDULGE jewelry marketplace event. It was so neat to see everyone's work and how different each artist work was.

I would like to first say thank you to the Bellevue Arts Museum for inviting me to participate in this great event as well as a super special thanks to everyone that helped me prepare for this event.

It was such a wonderful adventure!

filling orders.

2010-02-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

So BAM: INDULGE has come and gone. It was a wonderful weekend. Tomorrow's blogpost will include photos from the event. Things have been quite busy these past few weeks preparing for it all, in the midst of that came Valentine's Day orders.

Here is a line up of some of the pieces.....

ALL of the orders have been made and mailed out! It was fun seeing some of the little custom details people wanted to include in their pieces, but more on that in a later blogpost.

This afternoon, I am off to the Spread the Love workshop with Rebecca Stewart-Johnson and Christy Pelland. Should be an interesting workshop.

rack cards.

2010-02-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been quite busy with the BAM: INDULGE event being this weekend, that is why I wasn't able to get to last week's blogpost about my new rack cards. Rebecca Stewart-Johnson designed my new rack cards.....

I think they look absolutely amazing. The front of the card includes an image of a textile storefront that I had take when I was in La Paz, Bolivia on Calle Sagarnaga (it's mainly a market street with artesano and souvenir stores). This is what inspired the World Textile (Awayo/Bolivia)- Earrings (image on the left). While the last image on the right is taken by Christy Pelland of c. pelland photography for the Urban Glam photo shoot.

The back of the rack card includes my artist's bio.....

along with my photo and details about where to find my work online.

I ordered a 1,000 of them before the show and they turned out great. Thank you so much Rebecca Stewart-Johnson for designing them. They are perfect!

Lost in Translation.

2010-02-03T17:55:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was the premiere of the sixth and final season of LOST! I picked up watching LOST towards the beginning of the fifth season and quickly became interested. This morning I found out my 143 (I Love You)- Necklace was included in a storque article about Etsy Finds: Lost in Translation. What a fun surprise to wake up to!

One of etsy adminstrators (emilybidwell) put together today's Etsy Finds with items "inspired by the secret messages and important symbols found by the marooned crash survivors in their efforts to find a way off of the island." Thanks Etsy for including my necklace in this fun article!

my description/meaning of necklace:

This necklace is your little secret way of saying "I Love You". 143 is a numerical representation of the expression 'I love you' where each of the three numbers represents the amount of letters in each of the words. One letter for I, four letters for Love, three letters for You. This necklace is part of my word collection.

This numerical representation and expression of ones love was commonly used when pagers just came out. However, 143 is still used in text messaging and online.

This necklace can also be personalized as a CUSTOM ORDER:
If you would like a custom message stamped (e.g. your child's name, couple's initials, special dates) or a different design/shape, please convo me on Etsy to find out pricing. I enjoy making custom orders!

This necklace would be a PERFECT gift for any special occasion.... a secret way of telling someone you love them!

side note: tomorrow is load-in day for BAM: INDULGE.... super exciting. Also, tomorrow's blogpost will include photos of my new rack cards for the event that were designed by Rebecca Stewart-Johnson---I look forward to sharing those with you!

custom work: owl necklace & earrings.

2010-01-29T02:48:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share with you some custom work that I had the pleasure of making for a friend of mine. Her fiancé had contacted me before the holidays about wanting to get some custom jewelry made for her.

Generally when I design custom pieces, the first step is to find out about the person. I ask various questions ranging from details about the person, their family, cultural aspects, history, style/asethetic, and so on. From there, I start to look at the details that matter to the person and start doing research before I even get to sketching ideas.

When Jordan contacted me he already knew he wanted to incorporate some of Elise's favorite things: owls and the color purple. He had also mentioned that he would like these pieces to be something that she could wear daily.

The above image is from my sketchbook and shows some of the owls that I had come up with. I think it is important to have options and choices so that perhaps even more ideas can form. Jordan really liked two of the four options. We decided to use one of the designs for the pendant portion of the necklace...

I ended up mentioning we could include Elise's favorite color by incorporating some purple sari fabric within the heart shaped chest of the owl.

For the earrings, I ended up piercing out a silhouettte of the other owl option that Jordan liked.

He knew very well that Elise preferred larger earrings and so that is how we came up with the oval shape.

Here is a snapshot of the pieces together:

I have been friends with Elise since the 7th grade and personally it was so neat to see how well her fiancé knew exactly what she wanted. Thank you Jordan and Elise for allowing me to share your story.

Next week's posts will include more snapshots and details as I get ready for next weekend's (FEB. 5-7) jewelry marketplace: INDULGE at the Bellevue Arts Museum.

Laurel Creek Manor: Bridal Bash (continued)...

2010-01-27T19:07:00.001-08:00

So here are some photos I took at the Bridal Bash. Take a look at the cute swag bags that each bride got to pick up as she came in. Each swag bag contained all kinds of goodies--- information from the various vendors as well as special Bridal Bash discounts.

Christy Pelland of c. pelland photography had a truly gorgeous table setup at the event... it was such a pleasure to spend the day with Christy and Rebecca (Christy's wonderful assistant and truly awesome graphic designer).

Oh, I can't wait to share with you the rack cards that Rebecca designed for me for the Bellevue Arts Museum: INDULGE event. I really love the design! I am so excited for them to come in the mail. So as soon as they get here, I will share with you all the details.

Celebrity Cake Studio had some truly wonderful cakes on display as well as samples!

I personally really liked the detail on this cake...

There was also some really delicious food by ACT 3 CATERING....

Kirsten Cabodi of Laurel Creek Manor had the honor of tossing the wedding bouquet. The beautiful bouquet was put together by Van Lierop Garden Market along with many of the other floral arrangements seen throughout Laurel Creek Manor. This was no ordinary bouqet, the lucky "bride" who caught the bouqet received some extra special discounts from all of the vendors!

Thank you Kirsten for allowing me to part of this wonderful event!

Laurel Creek Manor: Bridal Bash!

2010-01-26T16:25:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday I had the pleasure to take part in Laurel Creek Manor's Bridal Bash event. I made a new pair of pearl earrings, which were included in one of the raffle giveaways.

I had also brought with me some special discounts that were put in the swag bags for all the brides that came to Laurel Creek Manor. Take a look:

Thanks again to Christy Pelland for designing the the information card, which includes images of my work as well as some information about my custom pieces. The information card I had printed locally and combined it with this fun invitation kit that had this bright turquoise paisley design.

Tomorrow's post will include some more images from the Bridal Bash itself! So stay tuned.

(side note: today is my birthday... have definitely enjoyed everyone's birthday wishes online and have been working hard finishing things up in the studio. so sorry for the lack of posts.)

sketchbook no. 1

2010-01-19T13:27:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great weekend. This week I would like to start off by sharing with you a bit about my sketchbook blogposts, these posts will include photos from my sketchbook along with work-in-progress.

I am really excited for the following piece.... an interchangeable ring. This particular shape known as Chakana or Incan Cross is commonly seen used in Bolivian textiles as well as in ruins and artifacts. The inside circle of the Chakana will have space to insert various textiles that I have brought back from my travels to Bolivia.

This ring will be part of my World Textile collection, which is similiar to the diseño collection in the sense that it will use silhouettes of iconic patterns native to each country. However, this collection differs a bit because each item from the collection will include a piece of typical textile from that particular country.

These next two pieces are part of the diseño collection. Both of them focus on patterns commonly seen in Moroccan tile work and architecture.

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for under $50!

2010-01-15T08:39:00.000-08:00

So I thought I would put together a fun little post about some items from my shop that would make great Valentine's Day gifts. The best part is that all the items featured in today's blog post are all under $50 dollars! It is never too early to start looking.....

Malinka (red or pink)- Necklace.

Morocco 2- Earrings.

Petite Heart- Necklace.

143 (I Love You)- Necklace.

Malinka (red raspberry)- Earrings.

La Petite Pearle- Necklace.

...so happy browsing and shopping! Please read about my current turnaround time for items to be made and sent: shop policies

Plus ALL of my items come with FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING & gift wrapping!!! Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.

diseño collection.

2010-01-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

So in our dinner meeting last week, we talked about ideas about showcasing and getting more information out about my pieces and the various collections. Rebecca Stewart-Johnson has designed these wonderful information cards for each of the collections. Here is a preview of the diseño collection:

All the cards will be 5 x 7 in size and will either be mounted on foam board or placed in small frames. I wanted to share with you the diseño collection information card because I am currently working on a few new pieces. Here is one of the sketches for my first new Moroccan inspired necklace, that is part of the diseño collection:

The following image is of the finished necklace:

This necklace would look great alone or paired up with the Morocco 1- Earrings.

This arch shape of the pieces is influenced by architectural elements as well as tile work. I am really interested by all of the beautiful patterns and shapes that can be seen all throughout Morocco. Morocco is definitely a destination on my travel list... I hope to go some day! I will be posting more of my Moroccan inspired diseño collection pieces in upcoming blog posts.

You can now find my Moroccan inspired necklace in my etsy shop: Morocco 3- Necklace

thanks!

2010-01-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

This weekend I went on my first hike of 2010. I truly believe hikes are a great way to clear the mind and this hike was definitely much needed.

There are only a couple of more weeks until the BAM Indulge event. Still lots to do. Last week, I had a dinner meeting with Christy, Rebecca and Chris. I am so truly thankful for all of their ideas, wisdom and help. They are all truly wonderful and generous people. We talked about booth ideas, design stuff, and loads more. Thanks again for everything and for an awesome dinner as well!

happy new year!

2010-01-01T23:39:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy new year! I hope everyone has enjoyed the holidays with family, friends and great food.... and now is ready to take on this new decade.

I hope that everyone challenges themselves and truly follows their dreams in life. Take a chance-- is what I feel will be my drive for this year. So again... Szczesliwego Nowego Roku!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

Wishing everyone a truly happy and adventures New Year!

Bellevue Arts Museum: INDULGE.

2009-12-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome back! I needed to take a break from blogging these past few weeks to focus on things here at home. However, now I am back full steam ahead. I hope everyone had an wonderful Thanksgiving and that everyone is enjoying the holiday season!

I wanted to share with you some great news...

A few weeks ago, I received an email from the Bellevue Arts Museum in which they invited me to be take part in their jewelry only marketplace, titled INDULGE. The museum has selected 30 jewelers ranging from BC to NYC to show their work for one weekend! Here is snapshot of BAM's website (head on over there for more details):

I was truly surprised!

I am really excited to share with you my experience leading up to the event, my new work, the booth/display (thanks to Rebecca, Chris, and Christy for offering to help with that and for all the pointers-- means a lot to me), and of course images from the event. So I hope you will take part in my adventure and will read along as things unfold. These next few weeks my studio will be quite busy. (I will do my best to post new blogposts as often as possible.) Wish me luck!

Photo Doodle: No. 1

2009-11-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

As promised in an earlier post I will be introducing some new items into my blog. Since I got my new camera, I am continually drawn to looking at things a bit more closer and examining my surroundings. I have decided that it would be a fun experiment to take some detail shots of various textures, shapes, and colors at least once a week. It will be interesting to see how these images influence my jewelry. So welcome to photo doodle....

You are probably wondering what is with this name PHOTO DOODLE. Well, each blog post will be appropriately titled: photo doodle along with a numerical number. I came up with the name PHOTO DOODLE because I see the images as being just that doodles, but in a photo form which in the end will lead to doodles or sketches in my notebook.

Some days I will describe what I like about certain images or how I could incorporate them into my work, while other days I will just post images. So I hope you will enjoy these experiences with me. And of course feedback and critiques are always welcomed!

etsy holiday sale:: black friday thru cyber monday.

2009-11-23T09:18:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Just wanted to give everyone a heads up: this upcoming weekend I will be participating in the Etsy Holiday Sale along with other Etsians. Etsy wants to get "the word out about shopping on Etsy for unique handmade and vintage gifts — instead of waiting in lines at the mall!"

In my own shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/AdaRosman) I will be offering 20% OFF on almost ALL my items— *excluding custom orders and my 80's revisited series. The 20% discount will be refunded via PayPal after you have purchased your items. On top of that.... I am also offering FREE worldwide shipping until the end of the year and of course all your lovely jewels will arrive to your home already gift wrapped so they are ready for holiday gift giving.

This is a such great opportunity to get some of my jewelry as holiday gifts for the ones you love or perhaps something off your own wishlist at such discounted prices!

MOO| NEW MiniCards.

2009-11-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

I recently ordered another batch of MOO Minicards and they finally arrived this week!

Take a look at some of my new MiniCards....

gift wrapped: jewelry bags.

2009-11-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

Today I would like to share with you some of my jewelry bags-- I design and make each one of them. The following image is of my classic beige/cream jewelry bag along with my new logo. Special thanks to Rebecca Stewart-Johnson and Christy Pelland for designing my fabulous logo.

Last week, I had shared with you a few images of my NEW holiday candy cane bags. This is how you can find your lovely holiday packages once they arrive...

While here is how my custom wedding orders will come packaged.

I feel like craftsmanship is truly an essential part to EVERY piece, however, I also think that presentation is as IMPORTANT. All of my jewelry comes gift wrapped for FREE in my handmade jewelry bags and each pieces will arrive packaged in a jewelry gift box. So you don't have to worry about gift wrapping. I am also able to attach a short personal message.

SALE: Saturday & Sunday ONLY!

2009-11-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Buy any two items in my etsy shop.....
get an item that is $30 dollars* or less for FREE. Upon checking out please verify which item you would like. Plus FREE worldwide shipping!

holiday bags: candy cane.

2009-11-13T17:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a little preview of this year's holiday packaging in my etsy shop.....
red and white (candy cane) striped fabric has been combined with my classic beige colored jewelry bags. More details on packaging variations next week.

leaves of change.

2009-11-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

Just a little update on things here.... this past few weeks I have been dealing with my car (no fun). Anyhow, in the midst of that I have also been brainstorming some new ideas for blogposts as well as my jewelry.

I will be adding these changes to the blog in the weeks to come.

behind the camera.

2009-11-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

I decided I would include a little behind the scenes of my work.....

I enjoying being involved in every aspect of my work from designing and fabricating every piece of jewelry to photographing and editing images.

new: eco wear.

2009-11-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a preview of some of the new pieces from my eco wear collection that will be available in my etsy shop this week.

custom wedding: Rebecca + Chris (sneak peek)

2009-10-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

So as promised, here is just little sneak peek into some photos of Rebecca and Chris' wedding day (photos are taken by Christy Pelland of c. pelland photography).

I can't wait to share with you a few more details about Rebecca's necklace and earrings, however, you will have to wait a few more weeks for that. As soon as I get all the images together... I will be sure to post.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a safe Halloween!

custom wedding: Rebecca + Chris (continued)

2009-10-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

Another interesting fact that Rebecca shared with me about her family is that they also had Cherokee Indian heritage and that the feather was another important family symbol. Even though that aspect of her family's heritage is mostly unknown, Chris and Rebecca wanted to honor this part in their wedding by also including a Native American Wedding vase made for the ceremony.

In designing Rebecca's wedding necklace, I thought it would be an interesting idea to include both her Cherokee Indian heritage as well as her families' Irish background. I wanted these two aspects to be the focal components in the necklace. So I came up with a design that would basically allow Rebecca to have two necklaces in one. For the actual wedding ceremony, she could wear the sterling silver domed Claddagh design in the front.

And for the reception, she could switch the necklace around and have the Cherokee feather be the focal point. There are a few more interesting details about the necklace that I would like to share with you, but you will have to wait a bit to find out more about Rebecca's necklace. So stay tuned in the weeks to come!

However, tomorrow I will be including a little sneak peek into Rebecca and Chris' wedding day.

custom wedding: Rebecca + Chris (the process)

2009-10-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a blogpost that I have been meaning to post since last week. I am really excited to share with you the custom wedding pieces that I made for Rebecca and Chris' wedding. I met Rebecca through Christy Pelland when we had gotten together to speak about my new website; these two wonderful ladies are graciously collaborating together to design it. Thanks ladies!

When I met up with Rebecca to talk to her about her custom wedding pieces, I had brought along some questions I wanted to know about her family, Chris, and herself.

Option #1:

I had also asked Rebecca what are some ideas that she thought were important to incorporate into the custom pieces as well as if she had any found objects that she wanted to include in any of the pieces.

With all of this information in hand, I started to do some more research before I started to sketch together all these ideas into her custom wedding pieces. For the necklace, I came up with three main options that all had slight variations among the symbols used throughout the piece.

Option #2:

In our meeting, Rebecca had mentioned to me that the Claddagh (a traditional Irish) design that features two hands clasping a heart, which is usually surmounted by a crown is something that she wanted to include in the necklace because of her families' Irish background. The elements that are incorporated within the symbol are often said to correspond to the qualities of love (the heart), friendship (the hands), and loyalty (the crown).

Option #3:

In tomorrow's post, I will describe some more aspects of each of the pieces along with some quick shots of the pieces... and more.

new location: Fancy Tiger Clothing

2009-10-26T23:25:00.000-07:00

Last week, I sent out an order of my jewelry to a new boutique. Here is a photo of some of the pieces before they were sent out.

I found out that the pieces arrived today at Fancy Tiger Clothing in Denver, Colorado. So if you live or are in the area, stop by and take a look at my items at this apparel and accessories boutique that focuses on small and independent designers.

who: Fancy Tiger Clothing
website: www.fancytiger.com
where: 14 South Broadway/ Denver, CO

Treasury: wow

2009-10-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Another one of my pieces made it into another lovely treasury this week. This time my Traveled No. 2- Ring is in a treasury put together by amelun and titled wow (a few of my favorites).

Thanks: amelun

Link to treasury: wow (a few of my favorites)

Treasury: Yellow Yellow....

2009-10-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

SundraSANDRUSI has included my Bloc 2- Earrings in her truly bright and lovely treasury titled: Yellow Yellow.... The treasury makes me think of warm summer days. Thank you SundraSANDRUSI for including me in this sunny collection.

Thanks again: SundraSANDRUSI

Link to treasury: Yellow Yellow....

I also wanted to remind you about my FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING.....

and if your still not a fan of my facebook page yet-- I wanted to share with you this week's SPECIAL OFFER (Oct. 19-26) that is ONLY available to my FANS! Get a FREE pair of Modern Pearl- Earrings in my Etsy shop!!!! To find out how, become a fan!

Link to my facebook page: www.facebook.com/AdaRosman

fall is here.

2009-10-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

So fall has officially arrived here in the Pacific Northwest! It is literally pouring cats and dogs here or as we say in Polish "Leje jak z cebra!" (translation: It rains as if from a pail).

A few weeks ago, I found this great wooden rack at a local thrift store. I thought it would be a great way to have easy access to all my scarves for winter as well as a fun way of display all of the wonderful textures and bright colors on my wall. The wooden rack was originally this dark blue color....

I decided to sand it down a bit and paint it a creamy white color so that all the scarves would pop against the color.

Wishing everyone a beautiful fall weekend!

custom work: llama earrings (part 2)

2009-10-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

So here are the custom llama earrings that I made for Mary's daughter, Brooke. Each earring included a silhouette of a llama pierced out of sterling silver. While the back of one of the earrings was stamped with Brooke's llama name Nuttin.

It was so neat to know that Brooke would be wearing these while showing her llama and such a fun experiencing receiving these images.

Thanks again to Mary for sending these wonderful photos as well as sharing her story about her daughter and her daughter's llama.

custom work: llama earrings.

2009-10-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

So I have been wanting to do this for a while, to share with you some of the custom work that I make. I really do enjoy making custom pieces because you get the chance to learn more about someone else as well as gives me the chance to create a special piece of wearable art that is able to carry the wearer's own personal story.

Recently, I got a custom order on Etsy from Mary in Wisconsin to make a custom pair of llama earrings for her daughter, Brooke. She wanted to surprise her daughter with these custom earrings that she could wear, while showing her llama. I later asked Mary if she could send me some information about Brooke and her llama. In the email, Mary explained to me that the llama is not actually Brooke's, but rather Brooke is part of the Jefferson County 4H club. The llama belongs to a local llama farm named Animal Acres Llamas that is owned by their good friend, Barb Parsons. Barb Parsons leads a 4H group and allows the kids to use her llamas to show. Mary's daughter, Brooke has been showing llamas with the Jefferson County 4H club for the past two years.

Last fall, Brooke and Mary were taking care of the farm when Nuttin was born on August 30th, 2008. Brooke had carried him in from the pasture. Nuttin weighed 25 pounds when he was born.

Mary said that, "He [Nuttin] is a very correct Llama and has won many awards for his confirmation and fiber. Brooke is lucky to be able to show him!" This month, Brooke showed Nuttin in the Jefferson County Fair and they won Grand Champion in Showmanship and Halter. Here are just a few of the images from a regional show that was on October 4th, 2009:

Tomorrow, I will share with you the llama earrings themselves and a few more pictures of Brooke.

hike: found objects.

2009-10-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

Made my way back down to Eastern Oregon last week for a few days. Just wanted to share with you some photos from the hikes. I have also recently been thinking about starting to sketch and design some new jewelry pieces from the all the found objects that I have been saving from past travels. But for now, I hope you enjoy these pictures.

Treasury: You make me smile!

2009-10-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

Kristina Sabaite of Krize has done it again.... another wonderful treasury! Take a look at this red and black treasury she put together, in which she has included my Malinka (red or pink)- Necklace. The treasury's is titled: You make me smile!

Thanks: Krize

Link to treasury: You make me smile!

The Set of 3 Christmas Cards are a new addition to Krize's shop and sure make me smile!

Thanks again Kristina!

PONCHO Invitational Fine Art Auction.

2009-10-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

The 8th Annual PONCHO Invitational Fine Art Auction, Grow Art, was held last Saturday, October 03, 2009 at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel. It was so neat seeing the various silent auctions and of course the live action.

Here is a group photo of mostly everyone at our table.

It was such a wonderful evening. The auction ended up raising $625,000 for the arts!

Next week's posts will include some of my custom work and much more. Wishing everyone a great weekend!

heads up: 80's revisited.

2009-10-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend I will be posting some of the 80's revisited pieces from the Urban Glam photo shot in my etsy shop. All of the pieces are basically one-of-kind work! Except the blue earrings, which will be available in a limited quantity.

FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING!!!

2009-10-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

So I have yet again extended my shipping sale: FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING until the end of the year! What a great opportunity to get all of your holiday gifts with no extra shipping charge.
I also wanted to share with you what some of the benefits of becoming a fan on my facebook page include: discounts sent to fans and early notification of sales! Hint: I will be posting some lovely fall discounts in the weeks to come, which will ONLY be available to my facebook fans.

Link to facebook page: Ada Rosman. (metalsmith + jewelry designer)

Olympic Peninsula.

2009-10-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

So last Friday, I didn't get around to posting new pieces from my eco wear collection because I am still a little behind in photographing those pieces. But by the end of this week I will share them with you on my blog as well as post them in my etsy shop.

Today, I wanted to share with you some photos from my camping adventures from two weeks ago on the Olympic Peninsula. Just trying to enjoy the last few moments of lovely summer weather around the Pacific Northwest by doing some fishing, hiking, and camping.

To see some more of my photos, take a look at my flickr page: my flickr

Tacoma Art Museum PowerPoint:: part II

2009-10-01T22:14:00.001-07:00

Here is the second half of my powerpoint presentation that I did at the the Tacoma Art Museum in connection with the lecture Transformative Visions in Northwest Contemporary Jewelry. In this portion of my presentation I focused on my production line work.

Here is a short description from my presentation about why I have a production line and what influences these pieces:

"While the reason that I am drawn to making production line jewelry is that I am able to tell a very dear story artistically, yet at the same time they are affordable enough to be enjoyed by a wide audience. I really enjoy traveling and a lot of my production line pieces are influenced by my travels, by the people I meet, various cultures, and places. My inspiration ranges from patterns, textures, textiles to architecture---anything that sums up and brings up memories."

I then went into detail about some of my collections.

The first collection I mentioned was my bloc collection, which is inspired by Poland and the role of the Soviet Bloc. This collection of work has to do with some photos that I had taken on a recent trip to Poland of typical Communist architecture known as blok or bloki in Polish. The role of architecture as well as the fundamental idea behind Communism was to unify people thus limiting the freedom of expression.

In the next slide, I described how I was drawn to these monotone, grey concrete buildings started to take on a new role after Communism. It was interesting to see all these vibrant colored balconies and people trying to make their space their own. In making this collection, I wanted the shapes of each piece to depict the idea of this grey, uniformed Communist architecture while the Baltic Amber to symbolize change. To me, each piece is like it's own little complex.

While in the next slide, I spoke about my World Textile series in which the pieces contain various textiles from around the world and silhouettes of iconic patterns native to the countries.

In the next group of photos I talked about my Traveled series. In which each of the pieces are meant to look worn and traveled as though it is something that you have perhaps picked up on your own travels or have worn it while traveling. In this series of work, I am fascinated by the idea of how items change or age during travel. How they seem to take on this vintage feel, but at the same time they are familiar items that have accompanied you through your journeys in life.

This next slide included images of a variety of my jewelry that all contain Baltic Amber that has been brought back from Poland. I really enjoy working with the Baltic Amber because of its unique range of colors.

One of the last collections/series, I spoke about was my new Eco Wear collection. Each of the pieces are and will be made from various items that perhaps might otherwise be tossed out, but now will become a new reconstructed, repurposed, and up-cycled wearable piece of art.

Lastly, I spoke about my decision to start a production line. My first audience was through my etsy shop online and from there I set goals to email various museum stores and boutiques about my work. In the presentation at the Tacoma Art Museum, I also spoke about the challenges I faced with my work, the involvement I have with my work as well as what pushes me to make my pieces.

Even though I was a bit nervous about doing my presentation. It was truly such an honor and thrill to have such a wonderful opportunity to speak about my work, since it is something that I'm so passionate about.

Thank you to the Tacoma Art Museum for including me in this lecture!