| American Orchid Society Project |
Don and I have been very fortunate over the past few years to have cultivated a wonderful relationship with the American Orchid Society. One outgrowth of this relationship has been a new line of Sterling Silver charms called  the "AOS Winner's Circle". These charms were sculpted using AOS award winning flowers as the models.With the purchase of any of these charms comes a small card which has a picture of the award winning flower as well as a brief history of the awards it's won and it's origins. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of these charms will be donated back to the American Orchid Society. The charm bracelet pictured is also part of the "AOS Winners Circle" line. It features 12 gauge jump ring construction, lending itself to easy attachment and rearrangement of charms as well as a very strong framework to hold these beautiful miniature works of art. Also features a large Infinity clasp making it easy to put on and secure to wear anywhere. |
From my first glimpse of this Boulder Opal stone, I knew I wanted to make something spectacular with it! It has such depth and color, it takes me back to the Bahamas, snorkeling over a sandy bottom with outcroppings of rock and coral.
As promised in our last newsletter, the new Calla Lily Necklace is now complete!
Yes, I've talked this one up so much it's about time I made good on all the promises! I think you'll agree though, this new design was well worth the wait! As many of you have found, bangles are generally tough to fit properly. Too tight to fit over the knuckle...too loose once it's on. But that problem is in the past now. Becaus
e of our new spring hinge design, putting on this new bangle is easy and pain free! 
landmark event! As a very well established event in an area of South Florida that really appreciates art, this show seems to continually break records in both attendance and quality of artists!
One of the highlights of the show was the sale of my first men's ring. This ring featured a 16mm Blue Star Sapphire in a Sterling Silver and 14K Gold setting. Our customer was so pleased to find a replacement
Berger. At set-up time, we discovered a nest of Africanized bees in a tree directly behind our booths! Long story short...the bees took particular dislike of David, making his set-up particularly challenging...and painful. As you can see by the attached picture, David is a very talented artist working in oils...and a very nice guy to talk to (don't know what it is about the bees). I hope you'll look for him at future shows. www.bergerartstudio.com
owner of Tropiflora Nurseries of Sarasota. Turns out she's from Lincolnton, NC...only a few miles from where I grew up in Cornelius, NC. It was fun visiting with her and talking about her beautiful tropical plants! www.tropifloral.com
unique line of art prints illustrating points of interest in the local area in which they are showing. For instance, at the Coconut Grove Arts Festival they were showing a collection of art prints that included the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Viscaya Mansion, and the Coconut Grove Playhouse. If you have a favorite landmark in your local area, you might check their website at www.cityartmarket.com They just might have it!
stormy night for set-up at our first showing in Mount Dora. That combined with being located on a sloping booth space made for a challenging set-up.
The Calla Lily has long been a favorite of mine and I've been working lately on a new group of pieces featuring these amazingly beautiful blooms. This newest Calla Lily design is big and bold, with the flower lip extending out over adjacent fingers. It's available in all Sterling Silver, Sterling Silver with 14K Gold pistol, and in Sterling Silver with 14K Gold pistol and Ruby, Sapphire or Diamond set in the tip. Having shown this new ring now at our last two shows, one customer commented that it's beautiful, but just not large enough for her...! So she paired up two of them on one finger, and we were both amazed at the result! The two flowers fit together like they were made that way. I think you'll agree, the new Calla Lily Ring is a great addition to our line...and if you like the ring, you're going to love the necklace coming soon!
Why should I be eating kudzuKudzu is a plant native to Japan and China. Its root has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine where it is considered to be among the top 50 therapeutic herbs. Practitioners of Chinese medicine use kudzu to treat a range of conditions, including excessive thirst, headaches, high blood pressure and angina. Other uses include diarrhoea, allergies, migraines, headaches and alcoholism.
Kudzu is also a useful cooking ingredient as it can be used as a gluten and corn-free thickener in soups and sauces. You can find it in health food shops and Japanese food shops.
Wh
at is it rich in?
Kudzu root contains isoflavones such as Daidzein. Animal studies indicate that Daidzein may reduce the desire for alcohol. Studies with alcoholic people show mixed results but heavy alcohol drinkers given 1000 milligrams of kudzu extract three times a day for a week significantly reduced their beer consumption. Daidzein also has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.
Who should eat kudzu?
Serving suggestion and amounts
Therapeutic doses of kudzu vary from 10-100 milligrams of the extract 2-3 times a day. However, as a culinary root 1-2 tablespoons in a sauce is usually sufficient to thicken it.
How interesting... And we thought it was just a pesky plant that's taking over the South!
Any comments?
Phalaenopsis Necklace
what the original necklace looked like.The new Phalaenopsis Orchid Necklace will be smaller, more flexable but twice the details the original one had. The design will be the same but it will have more buds, some half open buds, and a bit more smaller leaves.
The three flowers will be as perfect as I can get them, so I have chosen the Phal. H.P.
Norton to reproduce. I feel this Phalaenopsis is among the most beautiful I have seen. While I am making the flowers, I will be offering a single Phalaenopsis Pendant with an Enhancer while sculpting the necklace.
Wax Model pictures so far...
I will be sculpting 2 more orchids above the first one plus a few more buds between the flowers. After that, I'll be designing the leaf links to the back and a clasp.
I'm getting close to finishing up the wax model on this new project. I have sculpted several fan corals with plate coral peaking out from between the overlaping corals.
clusters of small aquamarines dotted around the necklace. One cluster on the left side and two clusters to the right. 
Ocean Reef Cuff
Sterling Silver & 14K Yellow Gold
Sterling Silver & 14K Yellow Gold
The Newest Addition to my 
