For the Love of the Vine {earrings of the month}

This month had me thinking about wine and the grape vines. A few vintner friends were talking about the early harvest due to the warmer-than-usual summer. So, inspired by my love of the vine - and, yes, the ensuing liquid libation that comes from those vines - I created this month's pieces in different shades of wine.

See the wines...

I used lemon quartz, green garnet, deep garnet, dusty Burmese raw rubies, green onyx and more to represent the palest gold of Pinot Grigio to the almost inky black of Negrette.

The last of the packages went into the mail today. I hope the gals enjoy these. Cheers!

Wine and Chocolate

When I received an email from a friend of my dad, asking for a donation to her fundraising event, I didn't hesitate. Her event - a wine and chocolate soiree for Girls, Inc. - immediately got my creative gears turning. Wine and chocolate. Two of my favorites!

I created a necklace and earring set with small, deep violet pearls that remind me of ripe Pinot Noir grapes, bronzite and a milk chocolate-hued Kazuri bead.

Years ago a friend invited me to a Kazuri bead party. Click here to read the whole story about Kazuri beads. The short version: these are made by women in Kenya, giving them gainful employment through a marketable handicraft. Kazuri, in Swahili, means "small and beautiful."

"All Sorts of Oohs"

Whenever I donate to an auction, I choose to do it because of the cause it supports.  I will always support the boys' school, my alma mater, and various foundations around the area that are close to my heart.

But it's not often that I get any feedback from the person who won it. I knew that a friend had been outbid.  I just didn't know who walked away with it in the end.  So, after having donated my Bacchus Lariat to the York School auction, I was very excited to get this email from the winner:

"Guess what: I’m the one who bought it. It’s terrific. I wore it today and got all sorts of oohs. Thanks from York, thanks from me. Love seeing those boys and being in touch from afar; they are growing up so fast!"

Enjoy!

And the Beet Goes On...

Beets made a double appearance on my dinner table tonight - beet-asiago gnocchi for dinner and chocolate-beet cake for dessert - so it's no surprise I gravitated to some beet-colored druzy nuggets when I sat down to make some jewelry this evening.

Druzy quartz is a thin layer of quartz crystals covering the surface of a host stone.  A good example of druzy is the layer of crystals inside the cavity of a geode.  These, I believe, are agate and are not naturally this color.  But I love them.

Don't worry, I have more of these nuggets, but this piece is mine, all mine!  Beet-colored druzy nuggets are handwired with sterling silver and three different shades of recycled red glass to form this one-of-a-kind necklace.

Bacchus II Lariat

To the Greeks he was Dionysus.  To the Romans he was Bacchus.  To both cultures, he was the god of wine and intoxication. 

I created a wine-themed lariat for York School's fundraising gala on March 5th, 2011; I liked it so much I decided to make a similar piece for sale with slightly different gems and glass pieces.

This Bacchus lariat features a hefty sterling silver grape cluster on one strand and Bacchus's face on a grape leaf on the other, recycled glass in deep red and black, garnets, and hematite are handwired with sterling silver complete this one-of-a-kind piece.  Click here to purchase this piece on etsy.

Bacchus Lariat for York School's Auction Gala

To the Greeks he was Dionysus.  To the Romans he was Bacchus.  To both cultures, he was the god of wine and intoxication. 

I created this wine-themed lariat for York School's fundraising gala on March 5th, 2011.

With a hefty sterling silver grape cluster on one strand and Bacchus's face on a grape leaf on the other, recycled glass in two shades of red, garnets, and sterling silver beads are handwired with sterling silver complete this one-of-a-kind piece.

For more information about the York School event, click here.

CHEERing for a Cause

It's fundraising event season around the Monterey Peninsula and, as always, I donate to a few causes that are close to my heart.  My boys' school and my alma mater top the list, but I've donated pieces to other local auctions as well. 

This year, I'm working on a few wine-themed pieces that feature sterling silver grapes and some luscious cabernet-colored recycled glass. 

Here's the choker and earring set that's going to the International School of Monterey's auction gala in March.  Click here for more information about the event.

Cin Cin Choker and Earring Set: a hefty sterling grape cluster hangs at the center of the choker. Recycled cabernet-colored glass, sterling silver, and garnets are all handwired to complete this one-of-a-kind choker.  Recycled cabernet colored glass and garnets are handwired with sterling silver and hang from sterling French wires to match the choker.