'Tis the Season

Almost there!!! Holiday spirit entering the system...putting light in the Christmas palm tree...yes you read right, we decorate a palm tree (one of our house plants) every Christmas with teeny lights and lith ornaments, and then it gets to drink a little extra water to compensate.

Seriously, there were no Christmas threes whre Jesus was born, harvesting and throwing out threes is wasteful, its an expense, and those dang needles, we dont own a vaccuum cleaner, and there is some sort of ethereal war going on between Christmas trees and house plants..so threre you go, these are the reasonings that went on before this became a tradition thanks to the height before the branches begin, tons of presents fit in under the tree.

The pets are enjoying the snow..got extra walk to school-pickup, Prancer and Magnet-Nose made sure they earned their names and went to sleep early...the cats must be listening to house foundation rodent radio with their little faces pressed to the carpet listening and listening.

...tomorrow is a snow...I mean show in Selden..lets see how the last show for the season goes..come and see us-esmeraldadesigns have 20% in shovel-discount tomorrow and Sunday:-)

Showtime!

'Ti's the season...gathered some images from Esmeralda Designs shows throughout the year to show what it is like showtime in NY...lovely, rainy, windy, cold, hot ...in all an amazing experience that our little booth perfect in California definitely was not prepared for.. The latest one in the Box Gallery of The Creative Art Studio where we were surrounded by beautiful arts, talented artists and yummy music and food and soon by friends, too. Coming home that night I found to my joy that I am invited to the Pasadena Bead and Design Show this January ..thank you so much Anna Johansen...so these past days I was scrambling to get signed up amidst making commissioned pieces and gifts before Christmas and the Holy-daze.What I thought was a lazy sleepy January is no more...I will be busy preparing for the most prestigious show so far in the History of Esmeralda Designs...The Wings ring was created amidst all this...




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Esmeralda Designs Featured Interview on World Artisans Gems

Oh Joy!!!! Can you believe this one, I am so honored and grateful. Please check out the interview featured today on World Artisan Gems website, http://worldartisangems.com/2008/12/08/christina-bjenning-esmeralda-designs/

This is what this amazing website does: promotes emerging and talented jewelry designers, and check out the other taeted artisan that are being featured every month. Wow!!!!!

• Exclusive interviews with the most talented emerging and established artisan jewelry designers, beadworkers and glass artists from around the world.

Lovely Show for The Art League of Long Island in East Northport see top images...now off to clean my house and then off to the studio..
More later:D

Winter coat on

So....the studio is getting ready for winter-times; insulation is being put in the windows and on the door to compensate for almost 100 years of standing in a slope-cracks...The light is so beautiful and as you can tell, Bob is happy saving on heating of the studio later this year. The dogs are schnoozing all day while I work and hopefully help generate a little heat, too.

As you can see, my tables are filling up with new pieces, getting ready for shows in November and December. I am so happy about my I love tea pendant and my lovely dagger earrings

Metal broom handles and lightning: less cackling, more crackling

Fall is here!!! Lovely light & leaves, my studio is still warm enough to work in without heating (most days:-) and the dogs love the yummy scents that seem to ticle their noses every inch on our morning promenade it seems. So all the leaves are starting to cover our grounds and the need for a new broom arose. So my amazing husband offered to pick up a couple of good old brooms at Home Depot-the wood handle ones, you know, to make the leaves pile in a more organized and bag-friendly way. Lo and behold. There ARE no wooden handle brooms to be had anymore. Oh, the liabilities involved. Can you just imagine a witch flying off with a cat on her way to a brew or a party somewhere and....ZAPPP!! lightning strikes and the handle being superconductive...Oh horror. As hubby put it...less cackling more crackling..


Have been making peace signs and angel wings...sign of the economy and upcoming election...

Of Dragonflies and Hearts of Bronze

This weekends shows were diametrically different. The Bridgehampton show amazing weather and costumers strolling by on the beautiful grounds of the Presbyterian Church. The Pastor, Reverend M.Eileen Rhodes paid a visit to my booth and I am delighted to know that this very cool Reverend is letting one of my bracelets have a Divine time:D

A beautiful Dragonfly landed on the road, looked shaggy something tried to eat him:-( and decided to hang out in my booth for the rest of the day. He hiked to Sea Cliff with us at night and enjoyed the whole next day sitting in the booth, with water and sugar and still his time was up so sometime last night he lifted his wings and his spirit flew to heaven.

The Sea Cliff Mini mart started out in pouring rain and setting up the booth under a big blue tarp was so reminiscing of camping. The sun came out (yay, prayers do work) and we all had a great day, 50, 000 visitors, lovely costumers, fun cover band made it a great day, too.

I love meeeting amazing people,. This time was certainly no exception The Amazing Alex came by with his Mom, a project and a beautiful image he took of a ring I made that he is sending is sister. Amazing art connoiseur Lynne paid a lovely visit and purchased pieces that beautifully harmonized with her complexion and amazing personality. The very cool couple Amy and Rob Mansfield of Grassroots cafe stopped by for bracelet-talk and conversations and pieces all merged together for a very cool day.The images are of pieces that got to meet costumers, the bracelet HEY! (elkskin and fine silver) Soul pendant, flower necklace and Knight ring.

Music and Metal, yea mon'

It started with the art show I did in Sayville, LI this summer...awesome music lover Alex Diana stopped by, purchased rings, one to be custom designed. On a visit to my studio he brought me music! Never heard of Michael Franti before in my life and now, I am a huge (no not OD'ing on chocolate) fan and just purchased the New CD' All Rebel Rockers'. http://www.fan2band.com/home.php?artist_id=449 Now I am designing with his music around me. Awesome...check out designs I made with this awesome music in my ears. The Band is on tour right now, check my sidebar for info.

The ring is named "Grace" and feature a conflict-free rough diamond cube set in a ring made out of recycled bronze. The peace pendant...like Michael Franti sings: 'you can bomb the world to pieces but you cannot bomb the world to peace" yea mon'. A beautiful 1.5" long and 0.5" wide bronze pendant for a man or a woman. Nice mixture of smooth and rugged texture. The word PEACE is stamped on the front along with peace-signs that I carved by hand. The back is blank.

Also, a plug for Modish a great blog on all things handmade http://www.modishblog.com/modish/contact.html
This weekend I am happily buzzing around, two shows...Bridgehampton Saturday and here in Sea Cliff Sunday so tomorrow I have a major overhaul of myself and packaging and labeling o get ready...anti-rain dances, please everyone:D

The Incredible Journey

I am so excited! This morning I went straight to my computer from bed, even before the morning run, shower and breakfast as I was hoping to find out what happened. You might wonder *what* what happened...Well-this!: The rings got there!!!! Winnie Rose Reyes and John Frederick Moye are two incredibly talented artists that met last year in cyberspace for the first time when John commented on an image that Winnie had posted on Flickr of one of her artworks....their artist souls connected in cyberspace and today, a year later they have never met in person as John is here in the US and works as an artist and WInnie is in the Filippines where she is an art professor and independent artist. How's that for an incredible Love story...

Winnie and John found my rings on etsy and she especiially liked my ring The Incredible Journey and she described my art is such a beautiful way that I feel butterflies out of sheer 'honoredness' in my stomach everytime I read the her words.

This is what Winnie wrote to me: "love your designs. I love the raw quality of them. It gives them an ethereal quality. As if they've been spewed and culled by the forces of heaven and earth."

Winnie and John ordered The Incredible Journey rings that I made and sent and yesterday John opened the package while they both watched, Winnie through webcam...thousands of miles apart !
Winnie and John, I am so honored to be a teeny part of your incredible journey together . Please check out winnies blog for the story

http://wrreyes.wordpress.com/2008/09/20/the-rings/

Bronze Bronze Baby

I am totally in love with BRONZclay, an amazing ecofriendly material developed by kind and ultrasmart scientist Dr. Bill Struwe and available from Rio Grande . The material was just released and I was very fortunate to be part of one of the very first workshops taught by the amazing teacher and artist Celie Fago on her farm in Vermont.

BRONZclay is sculptable bronze...bronze as you might know is made out of copper and a little tin and was used by man already 3, 000 years ago. Bronzclay fits perfectly with my eco philosophy in that it is made mostly of recycled scrap copper, and 'regular tin' and a binder. . It is shaped and fired slowly in active carbon and the most amazing patinas form on the surface of the metal.

When you send artwork to be casted in bronze you pay $15-$20/pound casted, this is not the case here, no mon', scrap copper is more expensive then mined copper and then you have the process of making the amazing BRONZclay too...but the end result is stunning...what do you think of my hand?

Mudpuppies, StreetShows and Magical Harp Music

We spent Saturday afternoon with amazing friends Ryan and Alan in their lovely villa next toa pond and a brook. The dogs, especially Bella went NUTS and turned into happy algae-feeding mudpuppies that swam, and swam and chased imaginary things.

Todays street show was a first, in a very cool neighbourhood on Long Island's south shore. Lots of rings got adopted and I met soomany nice people.

Monday I will start to prepare for the opening at the Box gallery where
Esmeralda Designs together with the sculptor Jeffrey Hollman and the Painter Peg Kolmar be part of an opening at Sea Cliff's new art gallery The Box gallery Sunday June 29 hosted by Megan Sirianni and Tracy Arnold.
My friend Ryan that we visited with Saturday will play his magical electric Harp..if you know of Andreas Wollenweider's music...you'll know what to look forward too.

Here is one of Ryans youtube pieces...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwmBdUOOFQg

SO please if you are in cyberspace close to Sea Cliff, Long Island, come visit with the exhibition!!

Esmeraldadesings: New adoptions and a first!!!

Oh so I have been busy working, working working and making many new amazing friends at etsy and on the artisan show circuit. My nails are in a state of less than despair today as I finally decided to go see a great beauty salon in Locust Valley that I knew would not hrrrmpf me, and It was so worth it parting with a little more funds. SO now my mallet fingers do not look like they were soot dipped any more. And the new pewter-silver metallic nail polish is a cats meow to a metalsmith like myself..ohh the title..you might ask yerself...when is she getting there...

Well here we go! I am right now alternating between singing "Oh Canada" and "New York, New York"!!!

I am so amazed that two of my favorite pieces; Gaia with a Peruvian Opal and Return of Spirit with a Coober Peedy Opal and emeralds are finding new homes with amazing two-legged soon-to-be-embellished friends in.

I am so grateful and I hope that these pieces spread joy and Grace and reminisce of our Lord's beautiful creations wherever they go.

I have a show this Sunday and am working to extend the collection of necklaces and rings by then.

And...I got blogged about by my amazing fellow artisan and a very talented musician Sunny Rising. I wear her belts and corsages and now she wears are ring by me-yaba-daba-doo!!, please check out her awesome blog:
http://www.sunnyrisingleather.blogspot.com

Hula Hoop

Ay it's grey out there and I absolutely am day-dreaming about the tropics and beaches and less of everything to go outdooors. Ms. Elle, who always wears a fur and webbed toes seems not to mind at all and happily trots along while I try to resemble the letter C, trying to minimize wind flux.
Well no tropics on the horizon for a while and If you cannot got to the mountain, how about making the mountain come to you? So I eat savory French coconut cubes yummy fresh pineapple and ...make hula hoops in precious metals with conflict free diamond leis. I choose 14K, 22K and 24K and fine silver and to the silver I add Labradorite, Apatite or rhodolite garnets. I hammer the soft metal so that the light reflects even better of them and then I wire the stones into the hoop itself and hang them from open french wires or leverbacks for us with wild lives and ditto hair, The hoops are 1-1.5" in diameter and oh so beautiful!

My amazing frostumer friend/costumer Donna is safely out of hip replacement surgery and and I wish her the speediest recovery ever!

Had a show this weekend in Stony Brook and I love the visitors, what great energy and how many interested visitors in my booth. Thank you all! Many pieces and especially rings found new homes and I am thrilled that when a ring really fits with the wording and the style it is so obvious that I do not have to point it out, the costumer usually dances around and comes to find me to tell me they will wear it out. One wonderful costumer, Jessica, found the most amazing necklaces and a ring that will be personalized to embrace life and hope, and she brought her mother, too, which is really special to me. Thank you Jessica! I made the ring today and will set the tiny diamonds tomorrow.

The Tale of the Ring

Lately my jewelers bench has been budding rings of new and very unusual shapes. My focus is to create a ring that seems to hover, that it is so light there it is no feeling of a cuff. And my first attemps feel aboslutely awesome. I wish you could try them on.....next best is to see and read about them so here we go!

Heart and Soul gentle embrace ring
Soulful, beautiful fine silver ring with a beautifully and soulfully included 0.45 ct old mine cut Russian conflict free diamond set amongst 24K matte gold plated burnished-to-perfection tattoo-like-banner draped around the ring inscribed with the words 'Heart and Soul'. I designed this ring to hover; the ring is wrapped inside to be a gentle embrace and not hug your finger too hard. It feels amazing on, the outside is hovering, what a feeing!
Listen to 'My Baby just cares for Me' with Nina Simone to get a feeling for this ring, getting your priorities straight, care about the things that really matter. Oxidized to bring out the soul. My rings are one of a kind, this ring is 1/3 to 2/3" wide and in size 6.


Unvelievable Lightness of Beeing ring
Did you see the movie, the unbearable lightness of being? Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche and and Lena Olin make Milan Kunderas book come alive.
This ring is certainly not unbearable. I made it rather unbelievable!
Soulful, beautiful fine silver ring with a beautifully and-here i for the unbelievable part - a soulful 0.34 ct un cut conflict free Russian Champagne colored diamond, naturally clear and shaped like a capsule and set to expose 2/3 of the stone. This stone is amazing and conflict free diamond set amongst 24K gold plated burnished-to-perfection tattoo-like-banner interruptedly draped around the ring inscribed with the words 'the unbelievable lightness of being'. The diamond is set in an open manner so that the light can have a lot of fun with this gem.

The Incredible Journey Ring
This ring will move you! Fine silver ring adorned with .15ct Congolese pastis colored conflict free rough diamond cube and inscribed with "the incredible Journey". Wrap around-tattoo-banner style 24K gold plated band keeps you on the track, oxidized to perfection!
This ring feels just like "Bittersweet Symphony" by Verve, if you know what I mean...
Pictured ring is 0.3" widening to 0.5" and a size 8, this ring is custom made from size 4 to size 12, half sizes too


Bohemian Bowtie Ring
This ring my amazing costumer and friend (frostumer) Donna bought already almost before it hit cyberspace, and I wanted to show it because it is truly special! This ring has a bowtie wrapped around it in a very carefree, bohemian manner. I wrote "Heart and Soul" on it to secure it with some strong words. That is so needed as this ring soars like an eagle...of course Spirit has wings. It feels amazing on, this ring lifts you up where you belong, what a feeing!

Listen to Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warren sing "Love lifts us up where we belong" to get the feeling of this ring

Oxidized to bring out the soul. My rings are one of a kind, this ring is 1/3" wide and technically a size 8, because of the bowtie design it fits more like a seven.

Ahh these rings! Click the likk to etsy to learn more!

Sun and Wind Sunday

Wow-what a weekend-three amazing parties with so many cool friends/costumers/new friends.So many Pisces seem to prefer the waters around Sea Cliff, and they all brazed stormy weather to come party here! This weekend it was very little time and much to cold during the Sunday to work in the studio, so only two pieces got created, I am rolling up my sleeves for Monday, though!

Brrr!

Today will be a great day for studying the effect of cold indoor temperature on human motivation-just turned on the heat in the studio- I could see my breath, just the thought of removing mittens is froozen. And spring is acoming-I know it-my urge to make jewery in yummy peruvian opal, chrysoprase, strong murano glass, prehnite, amazonite and white jade is emerging right along the crocuses.

Making a necklace for a friend's nice who is graduating and making changes to current necklaces already for sale in a store. The layering look has not hit Sea Cliff - just yet that is:-)

And need to prepare for our lovicore pisces party..you might ask yourself what the Higgins is a locivor...well that is a person who eats locally grown food and i am throwing a party for my dearest man and two friends who all happen to be born these very next few days. Hence, I should be out there preparing but there is this magical mysterious force that pulls me up to my beautiful studio....stay tuned...

later that day....chrysoprase met with murano glass and decided to embellish . See pictures on top of page.