New Product Announcement:

Fan Coral Bracelet with
Australian Boulder Opal

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.

This Fan Coral Bracelet design was formed from overlapping fan coral shapes in Sterling Silver and 14K Gold. If you squint your eyes, you'll see the movement of the fan coral in the ocean current. The resulting effect adds dimension and movement to the piece, and creates a magnificent frame to display the Boulder Opal.

This new piece was first shown at The Gasparilla Arts Festival in St Petersburg, Florida. It was selected for judging, and ultimately received an Award of Merit! What an honor!

Click here for additional information.

New Product Announcement:
Mini Ghost Orchid Earrings

Since the introduction of our full size Ghost Orchid Pendant, many of you have requested a smaller version either for earrings or for a more petite pendant. Well...it took a while, but they're ready now!

As you can see in the attached picture, the new design has a new "personality" with it's "legs" taking a much more natural twist. I hope you like the look, it makes me smile every time I look at it!

These new Mini Ghost Orchids are available in three earring configurations...stud, lever back, and french wire. Also available are pendant and lapel pin.
Click here for details.

New Product Announcement:

Calla Lily Necklace

As promised in our last newsletter, the new Calla Lily Necklace is now complete!

When I created this piece in wax, I knew it was going to be something special. But I had no idea it would look this good! The contrast of the highly polished Calla Lily flower next to the textured finish of the naturally frilly leaves lends to this design a character and personality all it's own.

Cast is Sterling Silver with 14K Gold pistol in the Calla Lily flower, this necklace also features a chain and clasp at the back to make it easy to put on, and comfortable to wear.
Click here for details.

Hinged Bamboo Cuff

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. Because of our new spring hinge design, putting on this new bangle is easy and pain free!

This new coil design is cast in Sterling Silver with my signature bamboo leaf accents in 14K yellow gold. Truly an elegant design that's also comfortable to wear!

Event Highlights

The Coconut Grove Arts Festival 2010 was another 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!

We were proud to be one of the 360 artists participating!

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
for a Star Sapphire ring he owned years ago!

One of our neighboring artists at the show was David 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

Linda Cathcart was a vendor at the show too. She is the 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






Larry and Sherry Paulsen were also
participants at the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. Larry and Sherry have a 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!

Ronnie Hughes, one more notable artist from Coconut Grove works in glass. His botanical designs are amazing, including many exotic orchids. Now you know what attracted me to his display. www.hughesglass.net

With all the visiting going on with all our fellow festival participants you'd think I didn't have time to sell anything. But believe me this was a wonderfully successful show. Thanks so much to all of you who made the Coconut Grove Arts Festival one of our most successful ever!

Events: Mount Dora Festival

It was a 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.
But come Saturday morning it was all behind us, and even though we had a few sprinkles here and there, the show was on and the streets were full of smiling faces!...though some were bundled up just a bit.
As those of you who visited us there will attest, the show was an exciting place to be, and the level of art on display was exemplary!
Mount Dora is a beautiful town, with tree lined streets, old Craftsmen style homes, in view of a picturesque lake to the west of town. The downtown area is brimming with interesting shops, bakeries, and restaurants. A place we'd like to visit some time when we can take it all in...a little at a time.

Calla Lily Collection

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!

Baroque Pearl Pendant

If you like unique pieces of art, you're going to love this new pearl pendant. Formed around a very large baroque pearl with pronounced nodelles, I have designed a setting of fan coral and plate coral in both Sterling Silver and 14K Yellow Gold. And, to keep this piece looking shiny and new, I've added a Rhodium Plating to the Sterling Silver. It's designed to accept a medium to large width Omega Chain, or a conventional chain up to 4.5 mm in diameter. Because of the unique shape of each baroque pearl, this piece is one of a kind.

14K Oncidium Pendant - AOS Auction

Golden Anniversary for Southland Orchid Show

Twice a year the American Orchid Society has a Members Meeting which is hosted by an affiliated orchid society. This week we’ll have the Fall 2009 AOS Members’ Meeting in California outside of Los Angeles at the fabulous Huntington Library & Gardens from October 16 – 19th.

The meeting is being hosted by both the Huntington and the Southland Orchid Growers Show – this is the 50th Anniversary for the Southland Orchid Show and in celebration of that they have a special poster and AOS has a special pendant.

You can find the show information and the poster at www.aos.org under Events and Members Meetings. The Southland Orchid Show poster shows one flower of Oncidium Jiuhbao Gold ‘Tainan’ AM/AOS which has been reproduced in 14K yellow gold by award winning orchid artist Dawn Vertrees. Jeff Bradley, longtime AOS member, commissioned the gold oncidium pendant which will be auctioned off, along with exciting orchid trips, special orchids as well as other items at the AOS auction on Friday, October 16th at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Arcadia, California. Auction preview at 5:30 PM, bidding beings at 6:30 PM.

Everyone is invited to attend the auction – registration is not necessary. If you want more information and would like to bid on this piece please contact Susan Wayman at 561-404-2031 or swayman@aos.org or Carol Holdren affiliated_societies@aos.org

Kudzu...Could this be my next cuff?

Kudzu? Let's Vote...

HEALTHY FOODS - KUDZU

Why should I be eating kudzu

Kudzu 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.

What 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?

Those suffering from high blood pressure or angina pectoris

Those suffering from blood sugar imbalances. The fibre in kudzu slows the release of sugar from carbohydrates thus reducing blood sugar highs and lows

Those with intolerances or allergies to gluten and/or corn starch can use kudzu as a thickener

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?