Snaps From The Studio…

My studio is really hopping these days! I am sooooo enjoying meeting new customers and reconnecting with friends who are contacting me after seeing my mention in the new February 2010 issue of Romantic Homes magazine. Thank you everyone for your kind words! Doing what I love and sharing it with you is what makes this creative journey so meaningful.

Until I work through my orders, there will not be much time for blogging or creating new products (like with the bluebird china pieces above that I’ve been itching to work with), but I am happily spending time in the studio….creating and shipping orders and being grateful for the blessings that have appeared.

This afternoon I was able to list a couple of new pieces, pretty French Charm Necklaces, in my Couture section on the website. Things in this section are snapped up quick, so go HERE if you have an interest.

I’ll be back next week with a fun Valentines craft project to share and also some more exciting news to share with you!!! Until then, have a beautiful and creative week ~ xoxo ~ Joy

Cameo Style Jewelry

There is something so sweet about cameo style jewelry. This classic style of jewelry making has been around for centuries and when shopping antique stores or flea markets, I am always drawn to carved cameos and portrait style cameos.

I went to an antique fair this past weekend with a girlfriend and found a few pieces that just had to come home with me! I’ve been looking for a Marie Antoinette style portrait brooch and found this little French sweetheart…

She is a turn-of-the-century, hand painted porcelain beauty and I plan to keep her just for me! So many of my special pieces end up being sold and my personal jewelry box, believe it or not, is practically bare! You know the old story about the cobbler’s children having no shoes…well, that’s me.

Right now, my muse is inspiring me to create jewelry using these romantic style components. Here are a couple more that I left the antique show with and these sweeties will be coming soon to my Couture Collection…

In the meantime, I just added these two pretty necklaces to my website.

I made both necklaces using vintage style cameos which I set in a silver scroll frame and surrounded each one with vintage rhinestones. The chains are doubled and each necklace has a single chain of coordinating pearls. These turned out really beautiful and unique.



Both necklaces are now available HERE.

Valentine Soldered Charms Now Available!

Valentines Day is less than 5 weeks away and I can’t wait! I look forward to this holiday all year long. How special it is to have a day set aside to celebrate all that is love and romance and show someone close to you just how much you care. In my book, everyday should be Valentines Day!

These are just a few of my newest charms….. and since Valentines Day is the official holiday of Cupids Charm, I always enjoy creating these charms that celebrate such a romantic holiday. This year, I’ve revamped my line just a bit. Most of the charms are reversible now, with two sweet and romantic images taken from my collections of vintage postcards. It’s like getting two necklaces for the price of one!

I’ve also added special charms made with bits of French Silk Ribbon, Antique Lace and Antique Paper Hearts, all layered together and created with pieces collected directly from the Brocantes in France. I think that using actual original snippets of these treasures is what makes these jewels extra romantic!

And they are not just for Valentines Day! I think these jewels are fun to wear all year long and are the perfect touch for just a little sweetness and romance in your day. Please come visit me HERE to see my newest collection ~ xoxo ~ Joy

A Beautiful Start…

Happy New Year! For me, 2010 is going to be all about looking forward, working hard, thinking positive and trying to make each day a little more beautiful. I’m not real big on resolutions, but this year I decided to focus on adding small touches of beauty to my day. First change? To enjoy my vintage china more…

I love collecting romantic pieces of china and I love to mix them up! These 3 plates are made by 3 different manufacturers, but look how pretty they look when used together! Even if I am eating a simple salad, for some reason, it looks more appetizing and crazy as it seems, almost tastes better too. Another bonus to using vintage plates is that they are much smaller than a typical dinner plate made today. So even if your plate is full, it has less food on it than a regular dinner plate. There’s a French term…Trump L’oeil….to fool the eye…. so fool your appetite by using a beautiful vintage plate and eating fewer calories!

I also love my cup of coffee in the morning as I work in the studio. When I came across this pretty cup at an antique shop, I decided to turn my plain coffee mug in for something with a little more beauty. The jumbo stainless steel tumbler has been banished to the back of the cabinet and I now enjoy my coffee each morning from this beautiful cup…and just like with the plates, the coffee seems to taste better!

These are just a few of the simple things I am doing to add a little beauty to my day. My wish for you in 2010 is that each of your days will be filled with beautiful moments too…no matter how simple or small they may be. There really is beauty in the details.

On a work related note - I am back in the studio today after enjoying a small break during the holidays. Thank you to everyone who came by to place orders this past week. Your orders will be on the way soon. Also coming soon…..

I am almost ready to list some special one-of-a-kind pieces in my new Couture line!!! The above photo is just a little tease! Stay tuned…