Maricopa Point Collection

Just in time for fall, my Maricopa Point Collection features the colors of the Grand Canyon vista for which it was named. Wonderfully rich reds, browns and gold, with a striking bit of turquoise here and there, these pieces of boho southwestern jewelry will be versatile additions to your fall and winter wardrobe.

Anyone who has been there would tell you that it is truly an awesome sight. From any given angle the dramatic formation of the canyon is a wonder, depending on the time of day the colors are constantly changing and the textures are ruggedly striking. I tried to capture that character as I designed my Maricopa Point Collection.

Our trip to the southwest earlier this year inspired me to create three new collections. The first collection, Joshua Tree, has done well. The second collection, Maricopa Point, is also selling quickly. The third collection, Tioga Pass, is still in the works and I hope it will be ready for release sometime in late October.

Maricopa Point Collection on Etsy

Rustic Roman Glass Jewelry

Much of the Roman glass available today in the form of beads, pendants and connectors, was excavated in the early 2000's in Afghanistan along the "silk road" trading route. The estimated age of this glass is 900 to 1200 years old. It has a characteristic scaling of white and has an etched appearance, perhaps from exposure to wind and sand over many years. I find the blue, green and yellow colors and the primitive look of Roman glass very appealing and I love to use it in designing jewelry.

In this pair of earrings, I have combined the aqua colored Roman glass tubes with nuggets of matte green fluorite stones and discs of Czech glass. Love the combination of these colors together!

I am finding Roman glass to be very versatile. There is really no limit to the creative combinations that will show off this beautifully rustic glass, and it blends extremely well with my primitive Bohemian style.

Atop a body of hammered copper, I have added two layers of leather, and then the pale aqua discs of Roman glass. Wrapping light weight oxidized copper wire with seed beads around the layers holds them in place and protects the fragile glass.

Roman glass jewelry has proven to be in high demand. These pieces do not stay long in my Etsy Shop! This particular necklace is already sold, but if you have an interest in Roman glass jewelry, I would love to design a piece especially for you. Just convo me on Etsy.

Chrysalis Too on Etsy

Wire Wrapped Matched Pairs

I am not a trendy person. But I have to make an exception when something comes along that fits perfectly into my genre of rustic, tribal and primitive jewelry. Sets of matching stones are nothing new, but in the past year or so more natural edge slab cut stones are hitting the scene. Cut with the intention of being used in earrings, they often have mirrored patterns like the traditional matching pairs and are fairly thin so that their weight would not be prohibitive in an earring design. The fact that they are left with their organic looking natural cut edges is what sets them apart and makes them irresistible to me.

Because I am not the first or the only artist who loves these stones and uses them in earrings, I try to come up with a variation from the straight wire wrap presentation. Each pair will have a distinctive twist to identify it as mine. I'm having fun with these stones, and I hope you like the end results as much as I do.

You can find the earrings in the collage in my Etsy shop, Chrysalis Too!

Almost Summer Sale

<<< ALMOST SUMMER SALE >>>

It's time to get things moving! My Artfire studio is full of my own handmade rustic, Bohemian, ethnic, primitive, southwestern and tribal jewelry that must be cleared out. So here's your chance to score some great jewelry finds at a reduced price. I am offering a special coupon for my blog readers so that you can get an additional 10% off my already reduced prices. Just enter coupon code CURIOUS10 at checkout! Now through Saturday, June 14th.

If you follow my work, you know that I rarely have sales so don't miss this one! Here's a link to my Artfire studio:
Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire

Joshua Tree Collection

My new desert inspired collection expresses the character of the southwest, simultaneously ruthless and fragile. At first glance, the desert can seem bland and devoid of color until you take a closer look. Then the textures and the surprising colors are revealed and you can appreciate the determination of nature to not only survive, but flourish in this arid climate. I have been to the southwestern desert areas several times, and each time I find it more intriguing.

All of the jewelry pictured in the collage is listed in my Etsy shop. I will continue to add new pieces to the Joshua Tree Collection, so stay tuned for more in the near future.

Joshua Tree Desert Inspired Necklace
Rough Ruby and Garnet Earrings



Check out all of my Joshua Tree Collection on Etsy!

Over the Top Tribal

Green Jasper Carved Bone Necklace

In an ongoing quest to add new and interesting techniques and materials to my jewelry designs, I have been doing more designs substituting cord for beading wire. I like the look of jute, but I use mostly braided nylon cord because it comes in such beautiful saturated colors and because it doesn't fray easily. If I want the natural look of the jute in the piece, sometimes I will use both nylon and jute. Of course, jute is usually going to require larger holes in the beads as well, so if I use the nylon along with jute, I can use either to go through the bead and get the best of both in the finished piece. My plan is to include more and different types of fibers in future pieces.

This technique lends itself well to my tribal style.
Stone and Bone Tribal Pendant Necklace

The colors of the cord contribute to this fringe earring design.
Copper Metal Clay Flower Earrings with Fringe

Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire
Chrysalis Too on Etsy

Untamed Clay

It was inevitable. Polymer clay was calling to me, saying "Come . . . knead me with your fingers. Mold me into something wild.". So I listened. Whether it turns out to be a passing fancy or a direction for which I was destined, I am having so much fun making distressed and ancient looking beads and components.

When I can't find the right component for my design, it is so liberating to be able to sit down at my metal working bench or my clay table and make what I need.

Letting my imagination run wild, I can hardly keep up with all my new ideas. Just drawing and writing little notes, so I won't forget before I have the time to try them.

I try to use the clay color as just a base, and then after it's baked, coat it with layers of gilder's paste until I get the look I want. The colors are sealed with a matte fixative.

No plans at present for selling clay components, I just like having the freedom to make something outrageous for my own use.