options_preferences

this is a new necklace i've been working to coordinate with the DRAPE earrings, but i'm trying to decide which connection i like better. simple jump-ring or hand-stitched leather... which do you prefer? i've love to hear your opinion!

inspiration/confirmation

this week i had a couple great conversations with my friend paige about inspiration & in particular, the act of drawing inspiration from outside sources. i find myself going in waves, like seasons, of looking outward - almost searching for a collective read on what "everyone else" is doing. and then there are times (like now, when i am knee deep in a big project) when i need to minimize my exposure to "everyone else" because it clouds my judgement or impedes upon my own clarity of vision for what i am working on. it is during these times that signs of confirmation reveal themselves and i find connections to things i've already done. i begin to recognize my work in the context of a bigger picture - a larger pool of ideas that transfer through all of us. i really believe that the same ideas are revisited, reworked, renewed throughout the world and they have been throughout time... ideas that help define us, reflect us, and help us relate to each other.

i have been inspired by maya lin's work for many years, and this morning i opened the july issue of Architectural Record and discovered her third Wavefield. the image immediately resonated with me, as if i was looking inside my own brain at my own vision of a contrived landscape = contrived topography ... the TOPO around your neck or hanging on your arm. this Wavefield project (particularly in contrast to the first and second wavefields which exist in rigidly-defined environments) is fantastic and involved and much more complicated than a bracelet. but i also feel that there is an underlying thread - like wearing a necklace or bracelet could make one feel more connected to nature and constructing a natural environment allows one to really see (and thus feel more connected to) its environment that naturally exists.

the video (below) that architectural record features on the project contains some great still-shots of the rolling hills in the context of the natural rolling hills and is essentially a video version of the article that is printed. this video by The New York Times is a nice bit about maya herself. there is much that i admire about her and her work, but perhaps the thing i relate to most is that she works in different scales and scopes - within one project/thought process as well as between the larger worlds of architecture and art. and i love that she says it is hard to exist between the two. "making architecture is like writing a novel. making a work of art is like writing a poem."

(horo) SCOPE

i'm not one who really follows my horoscope. i might look at it a few times in an entire year -- but this one from a couple weeks ago was so appropriate and timely that i cut it out and stuck it to my fridge.

i have, for a while now, been trying to come to terms with my work in the larger scope of the market.... of jewelry, modern jewelry and particularly laser-cut jewelry. ponoko included me in a list of 40 designers making laser-cut jewelry (scroll to S to find me) and i haven't even used their services. (thank you, ponoko!) i've known about them for some time now, however and it really has made me consider what makes my work unique, when the fabrication-process is so accessible to anyone. more so, this horoscope has me considering what makes my *talent* unique. i think it is more than the fact that i use a laser-cutter. sure, i can say that i execute every step of my process - i man the machine. on one hand this fact reveals a certain level of knowledge, skill and involvement in my work. i'm not just ordering it from a chef in some far-off place. but it also affects the price-tag, because my time costs more. and this is certainly something i am contemplating.

"a lot of people do what you do, but it's not the same" as ponoko's list shows, there are at least 40 people doing what i do. it doesn't take into account the numerous etsy-ans with shops selling their goods at prices that would never survive a wholesale/retail world. "but it is not enough to be different. Understand why you are different and hone that aspect of your talent." this is what i have been doing - even before stumbling upon my aries-message-of-the-day. i recognize that experiences mold people and people mold their visions. after 2 years of lucky-opportunities and trying the things that it seemed i should - i am challenging myself to do the things that seemed the most obvious, that made the most sense ... that could actually equate to a living (not a hobby) that i haven't yet done.

so, i have set a master-plan in action for this summer. with the help of my oldest brother and my youngest brother, a lovely new friend/photographer, a selection of lovely women, a long list and some good old sweat and visual-brain power -- i am hoping to set myself afloat by the end of this year. i am focused - even to the point of saying no to fun projects with friends. i am focused, challenged and ready to hone my talent. i look forward to sharing some of these things as they unfold - alas it is a bit too early at this point. but i will ask you this... if there is a museum, design or gift shop in your part of the country/world that might seem like a good fit with my work, i would love to hear about them and greatly appreciate the recommendation!

ADequate

this random snap-shot of my son (wearing one of his .silvercocoon. t-shirts) taken with my phone-camera is so cute that it has my head spinning with ideas for marketing ... not too dissimilar from a project that i am currently working on. (more on that later)

a collection of ... things

yesterday i dropped off, among other things, a batch of summer-y colored earrings at the WALKER. (just in time for the hot summer weather!) new DRAPE earrings and THIN bracelets were in the mix.

this morning i met kelly (and her husband) for a quick hand-off of produce bags. wow - way more than i had expected which means i'm stocked-up on ribbon for a good long while. they were such a cute couple and so lovely for collecting them for me. THANK YOU!

this morning i randomly checked-in on souliyahn's little potting shed that made its way onto the house vote last april. (be sure to also check-out the design vote, the room vote, the kitchen vote & the gadget vote) i was happy to find that the thumbs-ups still out-weigh the thumbs-down.

my son has been home most of this week, meaning a lot of juggling for me, but he seems to be going through a change of some sort. isn't that what it means when they become 'fussy' -- even at three and a half? not sure if it is that his finnish-'brother' has returned home, or if he is growing, or if he is simply wanting to be home in his OWN space. but i kind of cave-in when he cries and states he wants to stay home with me instead of going to his grandparents' house. (is that mother's guilt?) he is becoming more independent and is really into making things right now. his drawing abilities have blossomed, revealing his creativity in entirely new ways. this is the mask we made yesterday. he drew it and i helped with the wear- ability-factor.

growing a green ... thumb

i've never been much of a gardener - much less a/n (urban) farmer, but i married a man with a magic green thumb - one who has managed to keep our (flowering) rosemary plant alive through 2 winters! this year, after some serious contemplation, we expanded our previous garden of pots sitting along our retaining wall to take-up the entire strip of land in front of the airstream. half of me was sad to see some of the minimalist qualities of our yard give way to the half of me that was excited by the idea of designing an affordable garden and growing our own food - organic and "handmade" all the way!

so, we started by building a frame and then digging/rolling-up the grass in the planting beds and using it to fill the walk-ways. we then covered the walkways with landscaping-clothe (to keep the grass from growing back) and then filled them in with gravel. we ordered a truck full of 4-5 yards of black dirt with manure and other 'organic' things.

by the 29th of april we had the main bed done and ready for planting. we also worked to make a third gravel walkway between the new bed and a narrow ground bed from the previous year. on the 3rd of may we planted numerous seeds (radish, carrots, beets, golden beets, kale, spinach & brussel-sprouts) and a few starter plants (broccoli, peppers, celery, tomato and dill plants) as well as transplanted lettuce, arugula, basil, green onion & tomato starters that souliyahn had started from seeds back in march/april.

you can see (click on image to view larger) how much the garden has transformed in the first month. from empty beds of earth to food that is ready to be eaten already! we had our first meal from the garden on june 2nd: tuna salad on a bed of baby greens & cilantro with radishes. so fresh, tasty and ...... gratifying!

2009 will the year that i can say my thumb turned a lovely shade of green. i cherish my early morning time to exercise and garden before the boys awake. it is easier to grow food than i used to think...it has taken baby steps each year for this big garden to not be so daunting. i must also say a word or two about radishes.....they are so easy to grow! they sprouted first, could almost entirely be harvested already .... but i must ask ... anybody have creative ideas/recipes for radishes????

deeper ideas & on going investigations

i tend to be creative in one of two ways. i have spurts of inspiration that result in a breadth of ideas and designs -or- i find inspiration by exploring deeper into one design or line of thinking. these THIN bracelets are derived from the TOPO bracelets - three individual bracelets forming one collective piece that creates space & volume that changes based on the way they fall around one's wrist. but thinner for comfort when working at a computer or writing a letter ;)

also inspired by the TOPO bracelet/s are some new wood versions that incorporate layering and more extensive hand finishing. this 3 layer bracelet is solid basswood.

these 5 layer bracelets accentuate the layer/ply effect and are made of solid basswood, walnut and purple heart. i've removed the dark-burned laser-cut edge by sanding them smooth which gives them an entirely different look and feel (to the touch)

the round 5-layer version is the most exciting derivation, where the topographical effect is found inside the bracelet like a secret gem not noticed by everyone. i'm currently exploring these methods and ideas even further...

i've also been considering and exploring the idea of VOLUME within a flat structure/frame. these sketches are from mid-january as i began brainstorming for the voltage show. while many of my original ideas from that time were scrapped in order to better compliment arwyn birch's collection, the sketch below made it into the show in the form of prototypes.

even with this simple concept, there are a myriad of decisions and options to consider. for this prototype piece, i used a thicker satin-y fabric as the volumetric portion. i hand stitched the fabric into a tube and then hand stitched it on each end to the acrylic frames. i added 2 additional layers of acrylic on each end to balance the proportions and to conceal some of the stitching so that it wasn't the first visual impression, without entirely covering it up.

the earrings that i paired with the bracelet were different than i originally conceived, but turned out to be quite powerful on the runway - looking almost like lanterns. ----

there are many details that i am working through on this set and i am trying to find the balance between precise-cut components and the organically driven, exhaustive hand-work that ties the rigid with the fluid. i find this both challenging - and rewarding...

bottom right photo by promotion house

new earrings

these are the new earrings that i 'debuted' at the Walker sale. -- they come in 2 sizes...

...in black, red, orange, yellow & ivory...

and in a variety of woods including a new species: purpleheart that i am trying for the first time (upper left)

always concerned with the delicacy of cut-material and brittle-ness of certain woods - i've also tried layering 2 woods.

layering the materials makes the earrings thicker and a little more substantial. but the best part is that they are 'reversible' -- the smaller pair show here is walnut on one side and basswood on the other.

right now i am calling them the DRAPE earring (if you have any better ideas for their name, i'm open to suggestions!)

walker:display

i can't believe it has taken me over a week to post these pictures from the Walker Jewelry Mart! now that the weather is sooo lovely (and we've expanded our vegetable garden by 200%) i'm finding it harder to carve time away to blog --- (i will try harder, though, because the act of blogging helps me feel more grounded in what i've done and need to do)

the Walker Jewelry Artist Mart was a lot of fun this year. it was held in the Cargill Lounge for the first time, and i must say that i liked that space better than the skyline room because it sits between the entrances to two main galleries and it attracted gallery-goers who might not have otherwise found us upstairs. the energy was great and the place was full of people all day long! the added offerings (there were approx. 8 more artists than in previous sales) seemed to bring in more people instead of more competition which was fantastic for me! i had a great day - thanks to all of you who came out to look as well as those who purchased from me. i am happy to report that i sold out of the new BUNCH necklaces !!

i "spiced-up" my display a little this time: using one of our 3ft. trees to display earrings, adding 2 small image boards on each side of the tree, and displaying pricing on formatted cards that included small drawings of each item to keep information as clear as possible. -- i hate having to price each individual piece because tags distract so much from the work itself. it probably didn't save me any time, when all was said and done, but that's OK. i like the way that it looked.

recent press discoveries

we have received a smattering of exciting press mentions in the last couple weeks. an image of my HIVE brooch was included in vita.mn's mention of the Walker Jewelry Mart as well as in a beautiful print-piece from the Walker that my sister-in-law (in duluth) discovered in her New York Times 2 saturdays ago!

my HIVE necklace was included on designmilk.com as part of her guest-curator role on etsy.com! she was asked to pick 15 things to feature that she felt were "inspiring, different, and brave" {i like her even more because she used a comma after different! -- something that i do but others have debated me on...}

i was also pictured with karin jacobson and adrienne grahn in the "face time" section of the start tribune on may3rd for the voltage show. i've always wondered who those people are and now i can say i was one of them!

and i finally got my hands on a bona-fide hard copy of Nordic Reach magazine - expecting to see the same picture from their web-version of my article .... and to my utter surprise, there i was - a full page of me, frizzy-haired, holding my marimekko umbrella in front of the Spoon and (old) Cherry! the article Finnish by Osmosis, is probably my favorite to date. it really touches on my roots both culturally and in terms of the roots my parents gave me.... as a mother, i now recognize how easily a child can be influenced and how hard it can be do a good a job of it.

on the architectural/interior design side of things, we've also been included in Metro magazine as one of 3 firms to watch for (nice!) and my son Silo's room is featured in the Roomology section of Minneapolis/St. Paul magazine. both of these are in the current, MAY, issues of each respective magazine.

we've updated the press section of our website. use the little arrows on the bottom left corner to navigate and if there is an article you want to read, click on the little PDF below the appropriate image and the article should be legible in the larger format.