It’s taken me a while to get around to this, but I wanted to share with you a commissioned piece I’m particularly proud of.  When my client, Kristin, approached me about making a keepsake necklace for her daughter’s 21^st birthday, I was thrilled and flattered to be chosen to work on such a wonderfully heartfelt and sentimental project.  Once the reality of what I needed to do set in, I have to admit I freaked out just a little bit!

This piece entailed incorporating over 30 different pieces from various family members, which included a watch, a ring, various pins, pendants, charms, and even a pair of pink Barbie glasses.  The materials ranged from plastic and pot metal to sterling silver and 14 karat gold, and represented many different decades.  My challenge was to create an aesthetically pleasing necklace that wasn’t tacky or overly clunky.  I realized right away that I would need to engineer a waterfall necklace, something with which I had no previous experience – but since I’m always up for a challenge, I tackled it head on.

After figuring out the chain structure (which ended up being three tiers), I set about preparing all the materials for inclusion in the necklace.  This meant clipping off hardware, filing and smoothing, wire wrapping, drilling and cementing.  Once the prep work was finished, I laid out the anchor pieces and started assembly.  Once that process started, the work flew along.  My biggest regret is that I didn’t get pictures as I went along.  I was so engrossed in what I was doing that it only occurred to me afterwards!

Kristin presented the necklace to her daughter on her birthday, accompanied by a scrapbook featuring pictures of each of the individual components along with a story from each contributing family member as to the piece they’d contributed.  I thought this was such an inspired and sweet idea.

I’m so glad to share pictures of the necklace, along with a picture of the lovely recipient happily showing off her birthday present.  I feel so honored to have been a part of this project!

Kristin was kind and gracious enough to provide this testimonial:  “I couldn’t be happier with the beautiful and one-of-a-kind treasure in honor of my daughter’s 21st birthday!  After collecting jewelry mementos from a variety of friends and family, I met with Amy to discuss potential design, materials, etc. Amy listened carefully, took great interest in the project, and ultimately designed a necklace that showed her heartfelt dedication to making this piece something my daughter would hold close to her heart forever.  We absolutely love what Amy created and will be finding more pieces and projects for her to creatively and beautifully assemble!”  Thank you for the opportunity, Kristin!  I look forward to working with you again soon.

Yikes.  It’s been a year since I last updated this thing.  Hard to believe, and at the same time not so much.  You know how it goes.  You have the best of intentions, and yet it doesn’t happen.  I hope you will forgive my absence.

So, what’s happened in the meantime?  A whole cavalcade of stuff, some good and some bad.  In the interest of brevity I’ll put aside the bad and focus on the good stuff.  Last year was the year of new shows and ventures to complement some (relatively) old favorites.  What might those be, you ask?  Well, let me share some with you!

Inside the Vault Textile Tours at the Center for Sacramento History
What a fun time!  We had a great crowd in fascinating surroundings, with vintage vendors representing many decades of fashion.  I had great neighbors and lively conversation with some very savvy folks.  In addition, it was awesome getting to see some of the beautiful shoes from the Center’s archives.  I’d love to be a part of their history again.

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Meet Your Maker: A Mini Festival of Bay Area Cultural Innovators
There were some unfortunate logistical issues with this show, but I really enjoyed getting to network and share with some amazing Bay Area artists, and I really appreciated the chance to widen my horizons.  The Bay Area was my first home and always calls to me, so there will be more shows there to come!

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Fall Gypsy Fair at the White Barn – Lincoln

What a blast!  One of the best shows in the area, in a truly gorgeous setting.  Though it was my first time doing this show, my hostess (Gypsy Chic) and fellow vendors couldn’t have been more friendly and welcoming.  There was such a great crowd, and we were extremely lucky that the rain narrowly missed our area, keeping our outdoor setup dry and relatively sunny.  I’m looking forward to this year’s edition!

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Blue Line Arts Holiday Show – Roseville

This show represented such an amazing group of artists, and I’m really glad to have been included.  Some folks I knew from other shows and ventures, but many of them were artists whose art I had previously admired but had never worked with.  It was a pleasure getting to know these wonderfully talented and funny people, and I hope to see them again soon.

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Handmade Holiday Popup – K Street Collective

One of my favorite shows of 2014 was hosted by Rosaura Unangst of Pigment & Parchment, whose hand-lettered work is so fabulous!  I was once again surrounded by amazing local artists who represent the best of what Sacramento has to offer – great talent and even greater hearts.  It’s so much fun to be part of a show that doesn’t feel like work!

Special bonus?  My sweet husband bought me this fantastic painting by Sacramento artist Jim Shepherd that I had been eyeing all day!

Though this was an impromptu show in a temporary spot, I’m hoping there might be future collaborations.  Keep watching!

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DISPLAY Holladay

Put together by Unseen Heroes, who are responsible for the GOOD: street food + design market and the DISPLAY retail space, this new venue in Oak Park was small but hopping.  I was so busy I hardly got a chance to take a breath!  Ana Apple, Graphic Anthology and Semi Sweet Press made fantastic neighbors.  We all managed to keep our (relative) sanity and even had a celebrity visit to liven things up!

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What does 2015 bring?  Well, I’m working on some new ideas during this first quarter hibernation period.  I’m figuring out some new designs, possibly some new product lines, and focusing more on doing commissioned work for customers just like you.

So here’s your chance to contribute.  What would you like to see?  Are there products that aren’t being offered that you would like an opportunity to buy?  Are there other materials you would like to see me incorporate?  I’m always up for a challenge.  It keeps me on my toes – and I’m looking forward to 2015 being a year for some serious dancing!