New Bamboo Cuff

Graduated Bamboo Cuff with sculpted
bamboo leaves
wrapping around the cuff

Medium Size Cuff
Widest Point Width: 1"
Smallest Point Width: 3/8"

 Available in two tone 14k gold & sterling silver
Shown in Sterling Silver, antiqued

Fusion Starfish Pendant

Fusion
Ocean Art

Pendant Size: 2"
Depth: 3/8"
Available in Bronze,
Sterling Silver (shown), 14k Gold

My wife likes Dolphins...Finished!

My not so great picture of the completed Dolphins.  I'm usually trying to get them out the door so that my customers can see their new jewelry but hopefully you can see the detail.


Mike also sent me a photo of his wife wearing the dolphins on her omega. I was so pleased to see how the two dolphins layed, it was better than I imaged...to me it makes an elegant statement.

Mike wrote me and told me his wife is very pleased

with the slide and wears it a lot!

This is where we get to play a bit...because I sculpted each dolphin separetely...I get to arrange them and visually show Mike some of his options for placing the dolphins before we cast them. And if your wondering which one we picked...we both picked #1

Choice #1

Choice #2

Choice #3

Their Close Up Shop
The machanicals come next...fitting these two on a
10mm Omega and still look real!

My Inspiration Photo

“playfully in love”

We met Mike in Virginia during the Neptune Show and he e-mailed me later asking for some Slider suggestion...well after a few ideas and sketches back in forth, he said, "My wife likes Dolphins".  I use to feel nervous about going out of my comfort zone but lately I've just jumped in and started sculpting, because now my real challenge is making sure that when his wife looks at her new playful dolphins, she just smiles.

So to my suprise...I can sculpt a Dolphin.

Mike's Dolphin Slider will be a one of a kind but due to my slip-up, I will be sculpting another pair

to fit a 4-6mm Omega.

Hermit Crab Necklace



"Herman"



Is it too creepy?



I know...I'm adorable.



This is what happens when your husband shows you an

adorable Hermit Crab with personality...

...I mean, look at this face, who could not resist

sculpting a cute little fella like this?

Tree Frog Cuff

 This is going to be one cool cuff.

The back legs and feet are actually what goes around the arm holding the cuff in place plus the upper left arm and hand just add extra support. The right hand props his head up and although his back is facing you now, when wearing him he is looking at you. So whether he is on your left arm or right, he is always looking at you. As pictured now, he is on your right arm scooting down...on your left arm, he is scooting up your arm. No profile shots yet...still fine tuning his handsome features.

The first casting will be all Sterling Silver with antiquing to bring out the detail and depth in the philodendrons.

My Little Tree Frog Cutie Pie Cuff with little heart

Philodendrons trailing down his back.



 Say Hello!  

Can you guess what's coming soon?

Cattleya Cuff Hinged Bracelet

Susan Fender Cattleya Hinged Bracelet
SOLD!



Katie's Bouquet

She said YES!!!

Dawn-
I recently saw some of your work at the Apple Festival up in North Carolina.  I am interested in having an engagement ring custom created.  I love your floral renderings and as such, the inspiration for my ring is the winter flower called the Snowdrop.  I'm not exactly sure how I want this executed (not being artistic and such).  Please let me know what I needs to happen for this to move forward, thanks so much for your time...

...well, first I needed to see what a Snowdrop Flower looked like and to my suprize...I loved this flower and immediately saw the flower draping over her finger. I pulled several pictures off the web and asked if these were what she had in mind and it was. Here are the inspirational pictures Katie & I agreed upon.

  

Once I started working on the ring I realized that either the ring was going to have to be shortened or she had to have long fingers, well Katie was blessed with very long fingers, so my Snowdrop Bouquet draping over her fingers could continue. 

This is what I sculpted...

My idea is for the open Snowdrop bud on top will hold
a diamond in a 6 prong setting.  I've added a blue wax ball
to visually show the placement of the setting.

Not your typical band but once together it all works together.

I love the additional draped buds on each side. Each semi-open buds
are three dimensional showing the detail inside the petals.

I have about one more day of fine tuning.


Katie's Update!

Next...Casting in White Gold plus adding the diamond!

A Wedding Gift for Kathy & Wynne - Completed!

Completed!

Both matching pendants came out beautifully!

I love these kind of e-mails...

...We saw some of your work at the Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach. It's very impressive and beautiful. We are interested in getting custom wedding rings. Since your work is so true to nature, we're hoping you can come up with a design for us.

Their ideas...

We want a design based on two trees with their branches growing together. It's based on a story in mythology about Baucis and Philemon. We can't quite picture how this can be turned into a ring, but maybe you can. If we can't get a design we like for rings, we would consider pendants.

Here was my suggestion...

...One side of the tree is 14k Yellow Gold and the other tree,
opposite side of the ring is another sculpted tree in White Gold.
Both tree's limbs come together at the top.
Yellow Gold and White Gold limbs intertwine.

Due to my design being so wide, it would work for Wynne but not for Kathy, so we are heading back to the drawing board, which I love and start sketching on a new his & her pendant design based on the two trees.

Here is one of two Ideas...

"TreeHearts"



I have another totally different idea...I'll sketch this one tomorrow.

"TreeHeart 2"

Now don't judge this piece on my sketch...sculpted in 3-D, this piece as well as the double pendants above

will look as if I carved the tree and dipped it in gold & silver.

...and this is what I Sculpt.

One tree will be cast in 14k yellow gold and the other side

cast in 14k white gold. The oval would look good in

either Yellow or White Gold.

...and this is my inspiration tree outside my dad's studio in Cornelius, NC

Yep, that's Lake Nornam

waters down about 4'



New Kudzu Cuff Bracelet - One Special Cuff for Becky

...

Whew! And She Loves It!!!

It's almost finished, a bit of last minute fine tuning
before we cast this piece. The first one will be cast in
Sterling Silver and antiqued (patina) to give it depth.
Becky's will be specials, we'll be adding a bit
of gold to hers plus a little something she asked for. 

If possible, I always like trying the piece on my
arm.

I already know this cuff is going to be beautiful...my
number one rule is that if the wax looks good, then
the finished piece will look awesome.

Still in the rough but I thought you might like to see
another view or two...

And now my third set of leaves. I've spent about
30 minutes just getting them proportioned correctly.

I sculpted a smaller set of three leaves and attached them
next to the larger set.

Once I've layed out my vines...Kudzu have awesome
vines, I start adding my leaves once sculpted and textured.

The piece of wood in the background, that's an instant reminder of how
I want my groves to go in my vines.

Here I am gearing up to start sculpting the Kudzu leaves. 

The leaves are very unique so I want to make sure
I have them right. Drawing out the design a couple of times makes it easy to start sculpting the leaves.
You're working out the design in your head as well.

Ocean Fusion



Fusion Starfish Cuff

Fusion will be available
November 1, 2011



Fusion Starfish Ring

                In 1968, noted trumpeter and composer Miles Davis produced an album entitled “Miles in the Sky” incorporating electric instruments in a combination of jazz and rock elements to form a slick, smooth, and elegant jazz sound with a rock rhythm. They called it Jazz Fusion, and the name stuck! Since then many noted music artist have been noted for their contribution to Jazz Fusion.  Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Santana, Cream, Blood Sweat and Tears, Chicago, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa to name a few.

                In 1983, Wolfgang Puck, said to be a Pioneer of Fusion Cuisine, opened Chinois of Santa Monica. Known for creating Asian dishes using California’s fresh and accessible produce, combined with French Culinary Techniques, where you can find such savory dishes at “Whole Sizzling Catfish with Ponzu Dipping Sauce” or “Mongolian Lamb with Cilantro-Mint Vinaigrette.

                In 2011, Dawn Vertrees Jewelry Designer melded the design of Fan Coral with that of a Starfish, or form a bracelet like none other you’ve ever seen! Yes, she’s taken the Fusion idea to a new level.  Cast in Sterling Silver, this striking bracelet exhibits mirror polished fan coral seemingly cloaking a smooth tectured starfish that’s slipping out from under it. The bracelet fits on the wearer’s arm as if it found it’s way there while scuba diving in the Caymans.  Or is it off a ledge near Punta Bunda, Mexico. It means something different to each viewer, but one thing’s for sure, its awesome fusion!

Don Vertrees