Seattle's Everything Bracelet **SOLD**

Seattle's Everything Bracelet
7 1/2 - 8" (Completely Adjustable)
-Sterling Heart Lobster Clasp
-Swarovski Pearls & Crystals
-Sterling Silver Rolo Chain & Headpins
Time: Total of 1 1/2 hours spent on this bracelet (I didn't make it in one sitting)

For those curious ; )

Availability: ***SOLD***

Thank you everyone for your kind words about this bracelet!
I will be posting a series of bracelets inspired by my "cruise" today on the Seattle Spirit Ship.

We took a beautiful 1 hour tour of the the Elliot Bay.

Stay tuned, these next few bracelets are really pretty! lol

I'm bold to say that, so you know they're going to be somewhat purdyyy.

They're be posted tonight!

See you then!

Steph

Visit: www.dskblogsale.blogspot.com if you're interested in MAC cosmetics!

matthew coombes does grief.

today i stumbled across the interesting work of matthew coombes & his lovely 'non-therapeutic tools of grieving' project. as a further discussion of my previous entry, i find that grief (& the outward process of) as well as ugliness & disfigurement, are taboo in society. i've often heard that americans have a very unhealthy process of grieving & dealing with death; since i was born & raised here, i feel a little inadequate to agree or disagree, but could see how this might be true & how artists such as matthew may feel the urge/need to create as a discourse to this taboo.

my other interest in this work is the notion of collecting, especially in the case of the pictured tear vial. as a obsessive collector myself, i've long been interested in whether or not tears can be collected & i love the idea of this, in all of his victorian grandeur.

i also recommend taking a peek at the interview matthew did regarding grief & his works here.

Brooch Diplomacy - Madeleine Albright Communicates with Jewelry

If Michelle Obama is ushering in a new era of power brooch diplomacy, she wouldn’t be the first. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, a tenacious negotiator, loved to communicate her mood and intentions through her brooches, and now the Museum of Arts & Design in New York will exhibit 200 of her favorites.

Albright "found that what she wore and how she presented herself had a lot of interpretive meaning to those she was with," said Holly Hotchner, the museum's director. "The pins became an added way that she communicated as secretary of state."

"Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection," scheduled to open today, comes 10 years after the museum presented "Brooching It Diplomatically," a show of pins created by contemporary artists inspired by the ones Albright wore.

"She started acquiring pins because of their inherent messages, their whimsical and pictorial quality," said David Revere McFadden, the museum's chief curator. "It's not about jewels and gems, it's about jewelry as a communication device."

The collection is diverse, ranging from Americana styles — including flags and eagles — to ones with flora, fauna and insect themes. She always brought a selection with her on her travels so she could be ready for any situation.

For instance, Albright chose to wear a bee pinwhenever she felt talks amounted to "something like a sting," McFadden said.

"It's a very gentle way of saying to whomever she is speaking to: 'Listen carefully because I'm kind of telling you where I think this conversation is going,"' he said.

When she thought negotiations would likely go well, she would wear a balloon pin. Another pin, made of stainless steel, shows the head of Lady Liberty with two watch faces for eyes, one of which is upside down. The pin allows both her and others to check the time.

I wonder how many times Albright said the word ‘pinhead’ during the Bush administration?

The exhibition, running from Sept. 30 though Jan. 31, 2010, will be accompanied by a book, "Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box," written by Albright.

on ugliness

lately, as i've been sketching for my upcoming show, i've been thinking about changing my style of painting. i find myself drawn to objects & figures that are inherently ugly, disfigured or odd. in general, i find that my current painting style leans more towards being "pretty" although they are usually all metaphors for ugly/dark emotions or past tumultuous occurrences. as someone who is slightly, secretly disfigured i'm often drawn to things & people that are considered "ugly" because i find the convulsive beauty in them.

which brings me to a book i've been eyeing, 'on ugliness' which is a collection of artwork edited by critic umberto eco. i had a chance to peek at this in person on a trip my love & i took to the massive penn bookstore last week. inside it i came across the painting pictured below, which has haunted me ever since. i think if i had the magic ability to paint however i choose, it would be exactly like this:

portrait of antonietta gonzales by lavinia fontana.

besides having the name of my most favorite character by shakespeare, she painted more than any other female artist of the 1700's.

x

Mariah's New Record and Record-Breaking Diamond

With all the buzz about Khloe Kardashian's 9-carat diamond ring cluttering the airwaves, it's easy to forget about other celebrity bling that made our hearts skip a beat.

Now that Mariah Carey is running around on all the talk shows promoting her latest album, I am reminded that this diva has a rock to rival them all.

Do you remember the 17-carat pink diamond ring she got from Nick Canon back in 2008? The impressive sparkler from Jacob & Co is valued at a whopping $2.5 million and with a center stone weighing in at 10-carats – a little smaller than a dime.

"I wanted to do something extremely special, something that Mariah would really appreciate," Cannon told PEOPLE back in the day. "We got the pinkest stone we could find, surrounded by other diamonds."

Carey definitely approved. "It's so clear, you can see my finger through it," she said.

According to Jacob Arabo of Jacob & Co., Cannon "was very involved," in picking the ring, which has an emerald-cut fancy light pink center stone surrounded by 58 intense pink diamonds, flanked by two half-moon diamonds.

Stop! It's too much to bear...

Who wears your favorite celebrity enagement ring bling? Weigh in!

Week 39-Bowline Knot Pendant

This is something that I was playing around with this weekend while I was at a show. I have seen this knot tied with a single wire before but I wanted to try it with two wires woven together. I'm always impressed at how Corra can manipulate wire into knots and I wanted to see if this was doable. My problem was I had a picture of a bowline knot but didn't really know how to tie it. Fortunately the wire forgave me and I'm pretty happy with the way this turned out. The wire is 20 gauge and 26 gauge and I used a 6mm snapset on the end. The total length is 1 5/8".

Khloe Kardashian's Engagement Ring Bling

Well, jewelry hounds? I found the Khloe Kardashian diamond ring low down for you.

The wedding that has everyone in Hollywood buzzing went down yesterday evening between Khloe and her LA Laker bf, Lamar Odom - and of course Ryan Seacrest was there to film the fiesta for his Keeping Up With The Kardashians reality show (why that show gets ratings is beyond me).

Actually, I do see at least one angle of interest here. Khloe's whopper of a diamond engagement ring was finally spotted, and the 9-carat radiant cut bauble rivals that of fellow Laker wife, Vanessa Bryant (wife of Kobe).

While Vanessa lost in the carat count (she has a mere 7) she does win the dating game - hanging with Kobe for a marathon 6 months before walking down the aisle. Way to take your time, ladies.

Anywho, check out Jewelry.com for details of the wedding itself. Lots of celebrity guests, white roses, gourmet food and the like - and of course plenty of reality show cameras there to make sure America watches.

What's next? Hospital bed footage when sister, Kourtney, delivers her baby? I think I'll pass...

allison sommers does miniature monsters

(take a peek at the fascinating progression of this piece here.)

i've long been in awe of the incredible work of allison sommers. she's on my list of artists i'd donate a phantom limb to show at the toothless cat. her work is meticulously crafted and imaginative, filled with strange beasts and red nosed humans, often in states of devouring or hoarding. they are sometimes slightly sexually charged and with a touch of danger. most of the paintings are tiny tiny, which is amazing considering how much detail she can pack into her dreamscapes. i'm also interested in how much thought she has vested in the pieces, there is often a piece of literature attached to each one. i like to imagine her wearing a headband with a giant magnifying glass attached to it, looking like a mad scientist when she's painting.

x

Road trip

On Hwy 37, looking across the mud flats towards the San Francisco bay

Crossing the bridge over the north fork of the American River, just outside of Auburn

The creek I hiked down to in the El Dorado National Forest, still flowing despite the drought

Kelly before the start of the race

I took a little road trip this weekend with my boyfriend Kelly. He was riding in the Fool's Gold Enduro, which is a 100 mile dirt bike race, mainly on single track trails in the foothills outside of Auburn, CA. The trip was full of minor misfortunes and Kelly ended up crashing out of the race, giving himself quite a black eye. His knee is pretty sore too, but nothing appears to be broken, and we made it home in spite of the rear differential on the van sounding like a jack hammer for the entire drive. The way the weekend went I fully expected to arrive home in a tow truck! It was nice to get away, but after all that I'm glad to be home.

Khloe Kardashian's Engagement Ring MIA

What's more outrageous than a 9-carat diamond engagement ring? Getting a 9-carat diamond engagement ring and not wearing it!

Reality star Khloe Kardashian is stealing the spotlight from her famous sisters this week with news of her last-minute wedding to LA Laker, Lamar Odom, after dating him for only a month.

"I'm thrilled to finally be able to tell you that the news is true...Lamar and I are getting married on Sunday!!!" Kardashian wrote on her Celebuzz blog Tuesday. "I couldn't be happier and I'm so excited that I can finally share the news with all of you."

Maybe his 4-year $33 million-dollar deal motivated her? Or perhaps the rumored 9-carat diamond ring sealed the deal? But the ring is nowhere to be found! What gives?

Apparently, the diamond dazzler is being sized so it's ready for the pending nuptials this Sunday. You can bet I'll be tracking it - once it makes its debut it will be hard to miss.

What do you guys think of Khloe's decision to walk down the aisle? Is she marrying for the money? Or do you think it's true love - with (some major) benefits?

IT ALL STARTED WITH HER.

I'm sure most if not all of you ladies (and some gents) know that PINK is one of THE hottest blogger in the realm of beauty blog. She's far from ordinary & extraordinary with aesthetics. She's a creative genius. If she can't make something desirable, I don't now who can!

IT ALL STARTED WITH HER.

She is the reason I started blogging last September, her encouragement & support persuaded me to ponder & create my first blog exactly one year ago. Little did I know there was a world of smart, beautiful girls with the biggest hearts online. I've made SO many great friends through blogger *tear*

I owe my blog existence to you PINK, without you~ I don't think DSK Jewelry, LLC would have ever been born.

To PINK: A lifetime of DSK Jewelry

If you haven't yet checked out her blog.

PLEASE DO SO: PINK (click here)

DSK Model PINK is modeling the DSK Baller Necklace in AB
(more photos on PINK's blogspot)

http://xppinkxx.blogspot.com
Swarovski & Sterling Silver Meet DSK Jewelry

I'm still not open for orders yet, but I do have a waiting list & you are welcome to add yourself.
I'm still filing and faxing paper work to various destinations.
I'll be back soon, thank you all for your love & support!

Check out PINK's blog if you haven't already done so, xoxo

Steph

P.S. Are all my friends sweet or what?
Holly, Lena, Pam, Eki, Jaime, Liz, Stephie, Bubbi, Hanhie
I love you all, and so will DSK Jewelry, LLC
I'll contact you all soon with real time modeling contracts with the company ; )

Barbara Simon workshop

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of taking a two day workshop in San Francisco with Barbara Simon. She's been working with PMC since the very early days and she makes some amazing things! This is one of the two projects we did (I still need to finish up the other one.) We bent copper wire into a free form shape and draped a textured sheet of of clay over it. I used one of my own textures, a squiggly line that I never get tired of. After that dried, it was removed from the wire form and the back piece was cut out, following the edge of the front. Then the fun began - fitting the two pieces together with a mitered edge. It was a bit tricky at first, but once I really got what we were supposed to be doing I quite enjoyed it, and was able to make a really nice edge on the piece. It's all in her latest book, but if you have a chance to do a workshop with her I recommend it. She was a good teacher and shared lots of information with us. This piece is quite different than what I normally do, but that's what I like best about taking these workshops. I do something I might not otherwise try.

Jewelry Trend Alert: Earring Hoop-la!

Hoop earrings (aka: the little black dress of the jewelry world), are making a big splash on celebrities and fashionistas alike this season. And the good news is: you don't have to jump through hoops to get a shining pair for your own jewelry box.


Classic hoops have always been a fashion staple for women of all ages, and while the style is great for anything from a board meeting to a girls' night out, we're also seeing them on the red carpets as celebrities and their stylists bring basics back to high fashion.


Beyonce wowed us at the VMAs with Lorraine Schwartz hoops rumored to be close to $1 million smackers, Kim K. wore a more classic hoop silhouette to the Emmys, and Padma Lakshmi threw in a bit of color to help her red carpet hoop-la.

Now I know you most likely already own a pair of classic gold hoops, but now is the time to take the look to new levels. Try a larger size. Add some color with a gemstone look. Grab a pair in a different metal. Go big with an all-diamond pair.

And Jewelry.com has hundreds of styles for your browsing pleasure from the retailers you trust at prices you can afford.

Click here for our full selection of happenin' hoop earrings and bring the basics back full circle this season.

Searching for the Worst Dressed American

Jewelry hounds, admit it: We like to gawk at gaffs on the red carpet. From Paula Abdul's unfortunate turn at the Grammys (and OK - the 2008 Almas) to the misplaced pants suit (Jennifer Aniston? That means you!), I am certainly guilty of letting my horror get the better of
me.


That's why I am LOVING TLC'S latest contest. In celebration of its 250th episode, TLC's WHAT NOT TO WEAR is going on a nationwide search for the Worst Dressed American, and for the very first time in the history of the show, viewers will be in charge of nominating the worst fashion victim ever.


Mirroring a typical WHAT NOT TO WEAR episode, Stacy and Clinton will visit the chosen victim's hometown and interview her loved ones. But with an ambush on a much grander scale and a makeover like no other, the overall transformation for this victim will be the most dramatic one viewers have ever seen on the show. The show will air in January 2010.


TLC is still accepting nominations until the 25th. For details, please visit:
http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/whatnottowear/worst-dressed-american/worst-dressed-american.html



In the meantime? I would love to hear about your favorite fashion faux pas. You can reference someone famous, someone you know, someone you work with, even yourself - no one is off limits.



The pics in this blog are some of my top celebrity choices. Do you agree with my selects? Weigh in!

paul romano does the toothless cat.

while i'm on the subject of my gallery, i'm pleased to announce the forthcoming solo exhibition of artist paul romano this october 10 here in philly at the toothless cat. paul has worked in the music industry for over 10 years, creating the album artwork for popular bands such as mastodon. although i'm not familiar with any of this music, i had the great fortune of being introduced to paul's work via a visit to his studio, & was blown away. the exhibition promises to show a lot of the original work used for the album covers, but in this new context of the gallery, they gain a new meaning, transcending their original intent. the work itself is executed with classical precision from a master, at times steeped in myth & with a dark aesthetic. i'll be visiting paul's studio again after the opening for fecal face & i look forward to seeing some of you at the opening!

xxx

The Toothless Cat Blog

hi there. although i've been a little quite about it on here, i am one third owner of an amazing gallery here in philly called the toothless cat. i've been working on the blog for the gallery & now that it's up i wanted to share it with you. i'll be posting artists who we'll be showing, artists who we'd give livers to show, as well as other things we find amusing or interesting. i hope at least some of you hop on over to it & enjoy the posts from the other arena of my life that i'm conjoined to. above is a shot of an amazing skeleton airplane sculpture by philly artist eric eaton who we are showing this month. i'm completely obsessed with it.........

Jewelry Fashion at the 61st Emmy Awards

Diamond classics and splashes of color dominated the red carpet at the 2009 Emmy Awards yesterday, with a few new jewelry trends emerging to keep things interesting.

Before I get to the jewelry run down, can I just have a ‘Kanye’ moment for a sec? What kind of world do we live in when the guy from Breaking Bad beats out Mad Men’s John Hamm for Best Actor in Drama Series? Does anyone even WATCH that show? Criminal.

And OK. How tired are we of seeing Amazing Race and the Survivor guy win in the reality category? I like my reality catty and cringe-worthy thank you very much, with a splash of fashion and untrained throat-singing thrown in for good measure. Emmy? America has moved on.

Ok. Back to our regular programming.

It was great to see a return to blingy glamour on the carpet last night, with a few WOW moments thrown in for good measure (thank you, Blake Lively and January Jones).

I am loving the black diamond trend that emerged on stars like Heidi Klum and Alicia Witt. And clear jewels on lovelies like Ginnifer Goodwin (in Ivanka Trump) and Jamie Lynn Sigler surprised and satisfied.

Purple and red were the colors of the night, with strapless gowns and braided Swiss Miss hair making a strong showing.

But it was classic diamond glamour that reigned supreme, with most stars opting to bedazzle not just the ears this year, but the wrist and the neck as well.

Who was your favorite fashion celeb last night? It’s a toss up for me between January Jones and Blake – both in Versace.

Weigh in! And be sure to visit Jewelry.com for even more Emmy jewelry coverage.