Flora and Fauna

The blue rose earrings I made earlier this week not only flew out the door as soon as I'd listed them on Etsy, but I got multiple requests for more!  I only wish I had another dozen or so pairs, but I always say that's the beauty and bane of working with vintage pieces.

I guess I'm not the only one in the mood for flora and fauna this time of year, so I made a garden of new earrings and a necklace, mostly with this springtime theme in mind.

Roses, vines, soft colours, and some delicate religious pieces are where my heart is at right now.

 

I love the faded quality of this old celluloid cabbage rose.

 

 

And thought these hand painted Russian drops were adorable paired with chippy peachy roses.

 

 

Here cameos and crowns are mellowed with aqua quartz and chalcedony.

 

 

I always appreciate when you stop by!  Enjoy your week!  :)

 

 

 

 

Chasing Away the Winter Blues

With a mid-January chill in the air, and the festivities of the holidays behind us, many people find themselves experiencing a bit of the winter blues, myself included.

To combat this, I dreamt up some pretty new treasures this week with just a hint of spring in their step...

Butterflies, birds and flowers take center stage

with accents of moss, robin's egg and turquoise.

I also added one more Valetine-themed piece for good measure, this cameo and heart bracelet...

which is a perfect segue for me to remind everyone to please enter my earring give-away contest!

One lucky winner will receive these ruby heart earrings! To enter, simply share my blog with someone you love and comment here by letting me know whom you chose and why you love them. Drawing will be held on February 5, with the winner announced no later than February 7.

Thank you all for stopping by, and here's hoping your winter blues have been officially chased away! :)

Hot House Flowers

As a belated birthday treat, my family visited the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park today.

The reason we waited over five weeks to celebrate my special day is that we were waiting for the rainy weather to clear up. After a warm, sunny day yesterday you can see our efforts were in vain since the city's fog was relentless today, casting a cold gloom over the park.

At least my family's spirits remained cheery.

Here is my mom, dad, sister and bro-in-law carrying little Tilly. (Can you see her in the pink outfit and tiny feet hanging below his sweatshirt?)

Once inside, the large white greenhouse is a warm, tropical paradise.

Pathways lead into bright rooms with high glass ceilings.

Statuary and hidden benches peek out among the exotic plants.

The warm, humid air mixed with the cold fog outside conspired to frizz my hair...

but I'll bet this guy always looks dashing.

Different varieties of orchids were a big hit, posing for their photo ops from tourists everywhere.

This pond of lillies reminded me of a miniature Monet's Giverny.

And how cute is this tiny pineapple?

Ah, back outside in the bitter chill...

This week I'll be working on a custom order for my friend in Australia, as well as some new gems featuring raspberry and rhinestones. Please stay tuned! :)

Garden Party

They say February is a good time for gardners to start pouring through seed catalogues and dreaming up the flowers that will bloom in spring and summer. Though I don't have much of a green thumb, as a jewelry designer, it never seems too early to play with romantic floral themes...


And since I haven't posted any photos from last year's trip to Paris in a while, I thought this would be a perfect time to show you one of my very favourite gardens, Jardins Luxembourg.


The vast park-like setting features a 'pond' in its centre with statuary, topiaries, and places to sit encircling it.






This is me and my brother-in-law Ed squinting in the bright September sun.


And, of course, the well-manicured grounds were lush with colourful flowers.







And now for a little something from my imagination, I created these garden-inspired necklaces, each featuring some kind of floral element, from a petit point-covered coin purse to a flower basket, and a sterling silver rose pin to an enamel guilloche locket.






Thank you for stopping by, and please stay tuned for my Prayer Card collection, coming soon to The French Circus! Have a beautiful week, mes amis! :)