Welcome to My Studio

Bonjour, mes amis! I've been doing a bit of reorganizing in my studio this week, and thought I'd take some photos to give you a little look around.


I always find seeing the homes (and art studios!) of others is like a glimpse into their soul. Somehow I always understand people better when I've seen where and how they live. Perhaps this will help you understand me and my aesthetic better too. :)


The Paris Carousel photo on this bookshelf was a recent birthday gift from my good friend Sharon, and was taken by one of my favourite photographers, Georgianna Lane. She has wonderful images of the city of light, flower gardens and macaroons to tempt every romantic.



I found this Louis XVI lamp last month at the flea market! His partner, Marie, now lives in the bedroom. ;)




I love this IKEA cabinet for its stylish storage possibilities. Do you see all those white bubble envelopes on the bottom shelf? This was part of my weekend re-do. Much better than the cardboard box they came in!


Ah, there's Marie! She snuck off to try on some earrings...


I also love this flea market cubby I bought a few years ago. I originally got it to store my handmade greeting cards and other paper-crafting supplies.




Now for my desk. Yes, I cleaned it up before you came over. :)


I like having all my jewelry supplies in plain view for inspiration.


Another source of inspiration for me is this board I made by covering an old wooden frame with batting, muslin, and string tied horizontally. I stash favourite cards and artwork created by me, friends, and others whose work I admire.




And now for some of what I actually use my studio for... jewelry assemblage!


These carved glass rose earrings are so elegant.



And this black glass cameo locket on rhinestone chain is sure to be an instant classic in any wardrobe.




Always, there will be French-inspired pieces. Eiffel towers for the lobe...



And a pretty Marie Antoinette necklace with gold bows and pink accents.




These new pieces are currently available in The French Circus. Please stop by next time to see what else is coming out of the studio...


Have a beautiful week! :)

Good Knight

Yesterday was my birthday, and a dull, rainy day it was! I had to work, and the first in a series of bay area storms made for rather dreary possibilities. The only bright spot was that my friends Stephanie and Kris took me for dinner afterward! (I'm the old one in the middle.) Nothing like spicy Thai food on a cold evening, so it turned out to be a good night after all! My family has agreed to let me postpone the rest of my celebrations for a few weeks since I want to do something outdoors with them once the weather clears up.

In the meantime, today was a perfect day for making jewelry! Here's what kept me busy in the studio...


I call this one 'good knight' - get it? ;)





'sweet memories' features a romantic enamel guilloche locket and blue floral links.




I placed images of a Victorian couple inside the locket, but these can easily be replaced with your own 'sweet memories'.

Both of these necklaces are currently available in The French Circus.


And now for just a few new pieces coming soon to The Paris Carousel...




Thank you for stopping by, and I wish all of you a good knight! ;)

Silver and Gold

I've been busy in the studio this week working on some new designs using silver and gold-tone pendants, marcasites and rhinestones! Lots of rich details.

This Eiffel Tower necklace is a special order for one of my favourite customers. She had seen the bow and tower combo in a necklace I'd made with a pearl chain and loved the pendants, but wanted something else more suited to her personality. So, voila! We collaborated on a double-strand design using some of her favourite elements - a sterling silver crown, Paris links and red accents.



I also created these brass shield earrings for her based on some bracelet links she spied in another necklace I had made. These have tiny tourmaline beads and faceted garnet briolettes as accents.



Now for some new pieces in The French Circus tonight, this 'aquarius' necklace features a cherub pendant, wooden rosary cross and beads, and is complemented by light blue pearls and rhinestones.



I love that you can wear this piece with jeans and a t-shirt or out for a night on the town!



And now for some Art Deco-inspired rhinestone tassels...


Again, these are perfect from denim to Downton.



Finally, this 'old hollywood' necklace reminds me of a silent film star.


A sterling silver and marcasite pendant with tiny amethyst accents is the focal point, suspended from a mother of pearl 'star' (get it?) and old simulted marcasite bracelet links that remind me of a reel of film.




Well, that's what I've been up to! Please stop by my new vintage jewelry supplies shoppe, The Paris Carousel, if you're interested in creating your own assemblage jewelry. I'll be heading out to yet another flea market this Sunday, so there will be more and more goodies on the way! :)

Spring Cleaning

I took a day off last week from my usual jewelry endeavors to do a bit of spring cleaning. Every so often (especially as the weather warms and brightens) I feel the need to freshen my home, change some things around, and just generally re-group. The Goodwill is in for a very nice donation since I cleared out a lot of clothes from my closet that I no longer want to wear, and I also organized my shipping supplies to make for more efficient package delivery!


Finally back in the studio with a clean house and conscience, I created some new spring-like designs coming to The French Circus tonight.




Flowers and butterflies signify the promise of a new season...





as do light, bright colours like kelly green, candy apple red, aqua and citrine.








I also managed to do a fair share of flea marketing yesterday, in gorgeous 71 degree weather! Yes, I know we are really spoiled in the bay area. In fact, yesterday's show broke the venue's all-time record with over 13,000 shoppers! (Don't ask about the traffic driving home, though.)

So, here's a preview of what I'll be listing in The Paris Carousel over the next week...





See anything that inspires you to welcome spring?