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?

...a few new rings

Bamboo Bands

A New Phalaenopsis Necklace

Our Orchid Shows are gearing up and it's time to think about my Orchids again.

Phalaenopsis Necklace

I will be reproducing my Phaleaenopsis Orchid Necklace. The original one is way down towards the end of my posts but I'll bring up a copy just to show you 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.

Ocean Reef Necklace

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.

Some of the plate coral will be cast in 14k yellow gold but the majority of the necklace will be Sterling Silver. I will have 3 clusters of small aquamarines dotted around the necklace. One cluster on the left side and two clusters to the right.

I took two of my sketches and combined them, coming up with this design...I think you can see by looking at my drawings, I took the best of both.

Needless to say, it's going to take some time to complete this piece but I can assure you...it will be photographed. This is a one of a kind piece, and if anyone is interested in this piece, please call me.