We're making progress

Finally...progress!

Having just submitted our proposed lease amendments to our real estate agent (who will in turn pass them on to the landlord's agent, who will pass them to the landlord) we are one step closer to signing a lease. The goal is to have the keys to the building by July 1st.

Wish me luck...

New Design & Adorn Website

Please visit our new website: http://www.DesignAndAdorn.com

Jewelry Photography (for dummies)

I've been searching the internet for tips on how to best photograph beads and jewelry and have come across several sites wanting to sell me very expensive equipment, but very little in the way of useful information for a novice photographer working without all of the bells and whistles. I found a "Portable Lighting Studio For Dummies" and I've been experimenting with that. So far so good. The diffuser box is very helpful. I may having the lighting situation more or less under control for now; however, I'm still not sure what I like in terms of composition. Here are two shots I took of the same bracelet.


Which do you like better?

I made this bracelet today from a new shipment of beads that I'm testing. (You know before any beads hit the showroom from a new source, I have to get some to inspect first.) I'm very happy with these lampwork beads. For this bracelet I used silverfoil zebra striped lampwork beads, clear/silver Toho beads, and sterling silver spacers and clasp.

If you like this bracelet I can show you how to make your own at Design & Adorn's basic stringing class. (Or if you want this one, email me to call dibs on it!)

Summer Sunset

The bright yellows and oranges in this necklace remind make me of the blinding light reflecting off my windshield as I drive west into the setting sun (not being from Arizona, I can appreciate these things). It's made with abstract muli-colored millefiori, fire-polished Czech glass, and seed beads on yellow silk. If you don't know how to knot silk, just ask at the bead bar or sign up for our basic knotting class. Once you get the hang of it, you can do it fairly quickly. Although I must warn you the technique can be quite addictive. Once I learned how to do it I wanted to knot everything!

Welcome!

Hi! Welcome to my blog!

Later this summer I will be opening Design & Adorn, Oro Valley's first make-your-own-jewelry studio. In this blog I will post progress updates and pictures as I work to transform Design & Adorn from an idea bouncing around my head into a real life version of my dream beading studio.