Ocean Reef and Starfish "Flip" Ring

Look what I have! 

My Ocean Reef Flip is finally completed. The Starfish is 14k Yellow Gold, the Fan Coral is Sterling Silver and the Pearl is the buyers choice. Would look great with a Tahitian or South Sea Pearl.

Now I'm ready to complete the Cuff and the Necklace!

Starfish Ring with 12mm Thahian Pearl

Finishing up the Orchid Cuff today, I'm a bit delayed by a day. I burned myself on Friday...picked up a 450 degree pan out of the oven, "with" an oven mitt but obviously my so loved red oven mitt had seen better days. I might as well picked it up with a paper towel. 

Anyway...I'm starting on a new project with a beautiful natural color 12mm Tahitian Pearl today. Kathy has commissioned me to make her a Starfish ring based on my original design shown above...it will be fun recreating this ring, more later...

New Fan Coral Earrings

Sea Fan Coral Earrings

Fan Coral Earrings

These are going to make awesome Fan Coral Earrings! They will have a left and right earring with ear wires. The Fan Coral piece is 1.5" tall and 5/8" wide cast in solid Sterling Silver and then polished. 

Sarah's Orchid Cuff - Step by Step Completed

Orchid Wax Cuff Completed...if she likes it.

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Had a little change...

...We changed out the sesquipedales (on each side of the cuff) for the Aerangis articulata. It took some work but I totally understands her reasoning but glad we kept the main orchid, the sobennikoffia.

I can't really show off her beautiful photographs but look up the Aerangis articulata and you can see where I'm going with this.

Everything a little sharp right now...nothing has been attached, sort of laying on my frame at this point.

Making progress, all of the orchids will have a polished finish but I still have a lot of fine tuning before that can happen.

Sculpting three of these little orchids to put on 

the other side of cuff.

Working on the side of the cuff today.

I have added Orchid leaves, couple of buds and another smaller orchid to one side.
The other side is going to have a cluster of smaller orchids.

Once the whole concept is completed, I'll take all of the pieces off and fine tune every piece and add  the final detail to everything.

Fiddled with the design a bit, took the orchid off and now I'm re-sculpting it to look like a angraecoid orchid based on the photos Sarah has sent me. It has to be perfect and that's tough because I'm taking a very three dimensional flower and having to flatten it out yet have all the characteristics. I did make a little change in the design but that's why I quickly made the orchid and wanted to see it on the cuff. Great thing about wax...it allows you to melt, scrape, & cut until it's exactly like you want it.

Well so far, this was what I saw in my head...now I have to add the leaves, more buds plus add several smaller orchids to the right and left side of the center flower.

I have a lot more work to do...only about 20% completed so I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Well its time to start sculpting on Sarah's Cuff. I spent yesterday feeding my mind on orchid pictures, 

looking at stems, buds and flowers...

...so now its time to make the base of the cuff which I've decided to make based on the curly stems. I know those have a different name but "stem" is working for me at the moment. Once I make a base, I can start sculpting the orchid components...one petal at a time.

Etsy Wholesale - Accepted!

Etsy Wholesale

Awesome news today, Etsy purchased Tumblr to create a Wholesale Marketplace for small businesses like mine to be seen by wholesale buyers. I put my application in and I was accepted! 

Etsy is still in the Beta mode, gathering up artisan who want to go wholesale and fit their profile, so it will be exciting to see the unveiling of this new Wholesale Website from Etsy! I will keep you updated on the new site!

Fan Coral Necklace with Starfish

Fan Coral and Starfish Necklace

Dawn Vertrees Starfish Earrings

New Starfish Earrings

I love these Starfish Earrings, they are about an inch wide (tip to tip) 

and hang from one tentacle 

which make these elegant beachwear jewelry!

Available in Post & Ear Wires

Cheeca Lodge Signature Gift Shop - Exclusive Seahorse Collection

Cheeca Lodge

Cheeca Lodge Signature Gift Shop in Islamorada, Fl not only carries my Nautical Collection, but we have developed a line of Seahorses for Cheeca!

Meet ChiChi

Available at the Cheeca Lodge & Spa

This photo of Cheeca Lodge & Spa is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Verace Showcases my Nautical Collection

Verace

St. John, US Virgin Islands

I just received some really great pictures from one of the owners (Julie) at Verace in St. John US Virgin Island. They mainly carry my Nautical Collection but look how beautiful their store is...I'm going to have to add a pillow to my chair just so that I can sit a little taller in my chair.

I can't wait to do that Trunk Show!

  

Ghost Orchid Bronze Sculpture

Ghost Orchid 

Bronze Sculpture

The Ghost Orchid aka: Dendrophylax lindenii

The Ghost Orchid intrigues me the most. Books & Blogs have been developed, several novels have been written about it and a Movie, Adaptation with Nicolas Cage & Meryl Streep was based on the book, The Orchid Thief...there is just a lot going on with this particular orchid.

It is perhaps the most revered orchid in the United States, if not the world and It is one of the rarest orchids found only in South Florida, Cuba, and Haiti, most likely existing on other nearby Caribbean islands in addition and I am proud to say, I had the pleasure of seeing this leafless orchid in person!

A great blog for additional information on the Ghost Orchid: http://www.ghostorchid.info/

I sculpted this bronze sculpture in wax, exactly like my jewelry I make and then we cast in piece in Bronze. I added a high polish finish to the front of the flower and a stain finish to the back.

To purchase this piece, go to:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/120468242/ghost-orchid-bronze-sculpture

Ships in 2-3 weeks

Material: High polished solid bronze

Total Height: 9" 

Flower/Spur (stem) Height: 7"

                                    Base: 2" Tall x 4" Wide Square Black Marble Base