Pagano DesignWorks CataBlog

Recycled Sweater Necklaces

2011-06-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Getting busy making new pieces for my nearly empty jewelry shop! Love the contrast between icy cool stones and soft sweater wool on this first one.

recycled sweater necklace - chalcedony and quartz druzy

I've been saving this lovely sterling Tibetan pendant for far too long. I LOVE how it looks with the red and turquoise recycled sweater bits! It feels ethnic, bohemian and vintage-y but at the same time, is very new and unusual.

recycled sweater necklace - hummingbird pendant

Refashioned Sweater

2011-01-10T13:08:00.015-07:00

My latest refashion project. Super easy! I found this Peruvian alpaca sweater for just a few dollars at the thrift store. Alpaca is soft and warm and I always buy the Peruvian sweaters when I find them.

Originally, it had long tan ribbed sleeves, kind of pilly and stretched out. There was also a zipper up the front. A little too "walk the mall" style. hehehe

I found the chain stitch that attached the sleeves and removed them. There were a few pieces of yarn that were sticking out from the color changes in the pattern, so I just wove them in. The raw edges of the armholes curl in nicely, but had they not, I could have sewn on a facing. Removed the machine stitching that sewed the zipper on, and voila! A fashionable knit vest.

Dyeing is easy

2010-11-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

Panicked frenzy here, as I get ready for my own show next weekend. This is the first time I've committed to a full 10x10 booth by myself, so I am retooling my displays a little bit. My sister was nice enough to make an Ikea run for me, as I live 2 hours from the nearest one and that tends to be a splurging sort of event. Only needed some WILMA curtains, but wasn't sure the color was quite right. They were close, a bright kelly green, but my displays tend to be more lime-ish.
So I dyed them!

Past dye experiments have taught me that it never is as easy as buying one box and going with it. I purchased some yellow, green and red just in case. The yellow and the green just made the curtains a little brighter, so I added a tiny bit of red. (Red being the opposite of green, it will tend to "brown out" green) Simply using hot water in my kitchen sink was easy and effective. I had a snippet of fabric next to the sink, and just kept checking my curtains against that until it was right. (you can see the orange-brown color the white label turned) I'll post finished product photos after the show, or come visit!
Plaza Palomino in Tucson Nov 5-7 booth 85

Ring display and banner ideas from Alice Istanbul

2010-10-25T12:06:00.001-07:00

Alice's banners drew me in. Two large images of her jewelry on live models hung from a pole that had been threaded through the roof trusses of the booth. I whispered loudly to my sister-in-law to check out the banners, “they say images on people sell better...what do you think?”

Super-friendly, Alice wanted to know who “They” were. We agreed we had gotten the info from craft show guru Bruce Baker... then Alice drew us in to more conversation. Initially, I thought I was just going to steer my group in, and out of her booth since I wasn't in the market for quality jewelry. Most of her wares were in two large glass cases on top of tall tables. But Alice's open discussion and enthusiastic participation kept us there. Long enough for my sister-in-law AND my mother-in-law to buy beautiful earrings!

Don't assume a dishy conversation about business won't result in a sale! Be nice.

The banners? Alice says the jewelry on models DOES make a difference in the positive response she gets from customers. (again, I will bring my better camera with the wide angle lens next time!) My sister-in-law is a crafty gal, a Harvard MBA and a biz consultant. Qualified! She felt images of jewelry on a model makes the piece look more expensive. (In a good way.) Food for thought!

After I looked closer, I realized Alice used a very innovative technique to secure her rings.

She used two free standing towel holders as a base, and created some wiggly wire pieces that curl around the support. Alice's rings are threaded with ribbon and hung from the wire. Customers are able to try on the rings, without Alice having to worry that they will walk away! Her rings also have a lot of texture and design on the back side, so although the rings hang upside down, there is a lot to see. She has placed a mirror under the rings to view the topside.

This display is the complete antithesis to the rings shown on a block of wood with nails that I shared with you here. Which suits your style?

The little birds on the towel stands blend nicely with the vintage iron elements used to drape and accent the jewelry within the cases. Alice's jewelry does have a bit of an archeological feel to it, so the architectural pieces support the aesthetic beautifully!

I had so much fun visiting with Alice...after we exchanged cards, we realized we had tweeted in the past. Warm and fuzzy crafty community feelings all over. For my next show, I am going to print out my avatars from Etsy and Twitter to put on my table, and hopefully some of my tweeps will recognize me and say hi!

See more pictures of the ring display on Alice's blog and visit her website! Alice Istanbul

LOVEly pincushion

2010-10-20T23:59:00.003-07:00

Had a weakness for small teacups since I was 11 and a friend gave me one for my birthday! Found these sweet little orphans and decided to make pincushions out of them. Filled with sand, they are heavy enough to stay put, unlike those damn tomatoes that roll all over when stabbed. (the "tea" is made of recycled sweaters...) I'll be showing at the Big Brothers Big Sisters show November 5-7 at Plaza Palomino, and these babies will be available for your gift-giving pleasure!

Display ideas from Junkin' Julie and Repurpose on Purpose

2010-10-18T12:38:00.004-07:00

A BIG post with lots of ideas from Julie Mckinney and Gail Ross.

These gals personalities are just as exuberant as their recycled jewelry and their well suited re-purposed displays! Idea after idea in here...couldn't even crop some of the photos. Julie and Gail say they love going to junkyards and finding materials with which to make their displays... it's as much fun as making the jewelry itself. Even their business cards are embellished with old bottle tops. I must say, their displays spoke to me, as I have some of the same components already stashed in my studio waiting for their day in the sun.

Vintage library cards are re-purposed as display cards for new brooches. (Pinned to a dress form near the entrance to the booth.)
A vent pipe is the perfect size for headbands. Simply hung from the canopy frame. These wires with hooks are sign hangers from a store display supply house. You could make your own, using ribbons or chains.

Anything with holes in it can hang earrings. The bird is a whimsical touch! Antlers are perfect for chains.
The scrabble tiles make wonderful signage! Those are old fashioned ice cube trays with beans in it to display little items. If your style is more modern, you could use plastic ice cube trays in a color that goes with your work! Muffin tins work well too. Notice the table covering is PLAIN. More pattern here would make a customer crazy!

Their displays suit their jewelry so well...and display quite a lot of it in a small space. Nothing spare or reserved about anything in here! I could NOT get a picture here without customers getting in the shot. They couldn't keep their hands off, which is a very good thing.

Look at all the different components that went into these two pieces. Lamps, colanders, wrought iron doo-dads, rubber stamp holders, faucet handles, lion and tigers and bears, oh my! Adding embellishments made out of the same material as your product is a Hot Tip. Here, they used old brooch pieces and bottle caps. You might add rhinestones, vintage neckties or the broken ceramic remains of a kiln accident!

I asked how they attach things. Julie says that E6000 glue is the re-purposer's best friend. I agree...I've used it to adhere glass stones to glassware (a slick to slick nightmare!) Julie also added that she uses plumbing pipe flanges to add the rakes to the colander. Buying the closest size pipe to the handle allows the top to be removed from the bases, making things much more transportable for shows. Another great thing about their displays: if they have lots of stock, they could load up the base of the rake stand with more earrings. Or keep it simple by showing less. All with the same piece looking fabulous, and taking up the same amount of table space.

I also saw a few S hooks and wire making the displays work. A bike rim suspended from the canopy is a great way to make use of vertical space and get pendants right at eye level.

These displays work so well for these products because the "junk" is not disguised in either place. You can plainly tell what is what. If your product is more subtle, you might want to consider unifying your displays as to material or color. Maybe painting everything the same color...or sticking with just rusty metal objects. Remember that you want your products to shine! In this booth, the displays are really a product extension, and make the tiny jewelry items larger to attract more attention.

Learning to view everyday objects as display components is a great skill to cultivate. So experiment! And have fun with it, like this ladies certainly do.

Got questions? Email Gail or Julie!

Curried Pumpkin Soup Recipe

2010-10-13T10:30:00.003-07:00

Fall is FINALLY in the air here is Tucson. For a change of pace, here is a recipe! Yes, I very occasionally cook. This is one of my family and friends favorites, and is always on our Thanksgiving menu. Easy enough for every day though. I don't remember where it came from...maybe Bon Appetit magazine in the late 1980's?

Curried Pumpkin Soup Makes 6 cups

¼ cup butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 t curry powder

¼ t ground coriander

1/8 t crushed red pepper (this will give it a sm-med kick. Add more if you prefer)

3 cups chicken broth

1 ¾ cups (1 16 oz. can) pumpkin

1 cup half and half

sour cream and chives for garnish

In large saucepan, melt butter. Saute onion and garlic until soft. Add curry powder, coriander and red pepper; cook 1 minute. Add broth; boil gently, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes. Stir in pumpkin and half & half; cook 5 minutes. Blend in blender (or with hand-blender)

Can make ahead and reheat.

Earring Display ideas

2010-10-11T13:10:00.005-07:00

The owner of Fused Glass Fantasy, Mari Aoki Knight's booth was filled with light and sparkle. Her showstopper is a series of large glass flowers mixed with wire to form a statement necklace! Really gorgeous! She created these elegant earring displays that have the same curvaceous feel to them as her jewelry. Using a similar material for your displays as you use for your merchandise is always a good technique for making everything work together. Mari beefed up the scale, but repeated the same curly-cues that her dramatic jewelry uses. Smart girl!

Simply made of copper tubing and wire which she then painted gold. Notice she wires the base to a glass block as needed for stability. Mari brought up her display from Tallahassee, Florida and when you travel, it is nice to have lightweight pieces...but don't forget about wind! You can also make bean bags that match your tablecloth to place as needed. It is always a good idea to pack some tape too, just in case!

Copper tubing is relatively inexpensive and found at most hardware stores. It is easily shaped or drilled as needed and could be used as Mari did, or even more extravagantly to form trees or supports for your wares.

Spray paint is The Great Unifier! Just about anything can be painted, even if it has texture. I've seen suedette jewelry busts and tiny faux Christmas trees recolored with paint to great effect. A single color of paint can make your whole display cohesive, even if the items are from different sources or are of different design. If your jewelry has an earthy vibe, try painting different wood bowls or frames collected from thrift stores in the same color to collect items on your table. Do you make girly headbands? Try cheap-but-extravagant metal pieces like serving trays and candelabras all painted in shades of hot pink and drape your items over them!

Not a seller? You can try out these ideas for displaying (and containing) your things on your dresser. Feel free to post links to photos of what you do in the comments.

Mari does not have a website, but you can email her here or find her on Facebook.

Norcross Art Fest - Atlanta Georgia

2010-10-04T11:20:00.005-07:00

Just returned from a trip to Atlanta, where my husband got to play tournament golf with his dad and we all got to celebrate the in-law's 50th wedding anniversary. The ladies spent Saturday at the Norcross Art Fest, where we walked our feet off and saw lots of talented vendors.

My interior design background, along with a general love of all things repurposed makes me adore talking about creative craft show display options. Over the next few weeks, I thought I would share some of the nice artists I met with you, and discuss what makes their booths interesting to me. (Next time I will bring my good camera, and hopefully get better shots!)

Let's start with the booth shared by Rachel Greenfeld & Kim Quinn Nicholson

After I took notes on Saturday night while I edited the photos, I visited their websites. I had noted how chill these girls and their booth was, but didn't know that Kim's etsy shop tag line is “laid back, cool and simple” Yup. You nailed it girl!

So. The lesson here? If you are relaxed, and want to emanate that feel in your display, don't get too fussy or precise with your presentation. You can still look totally professional and make your items intriguing. These girls used unfinished and rustic materials, (paint-y ladder, sanded down window frame, painted two by four and nails, handwritten/stamped/type font on traditional manilla tie tags ) to send that easy-going message.

I really liked how their booth used some traditionally “male” pieces to display their wares. I don't know that they did this instinctively or on purpose...but both the cigar boxes and the vintage ladder are both kinda masculine. Rachel's belt buckles and the jewelry that Kim makes are not girly-girly and I bet their display pulls in women AND men who will like their work. (The booth was full the whole time I was there...) Note the aged painted box on the ladder. One could do something like this to store your bags and tissue paper at a show, or larger products spilling out. The ladder also shielded their chairs from view.

The whole booth has a very "go-ahead-and-touch-it" feel. Loved the burlap over the lacy vintage table cloth as well as the nails simply driven into the wood block to hold rings. Very casual and not too precious. Suited the wares very well.

Note how they have a buckle sitting on the shabby child's chair, under the window frame display. It is always a great idea to have items readily available for customers to pick up and touch. If everything is carefully pinned and displayed, people are often afraid to interact with the merchandise.
They also used risers well on the tables. Some wooden boxes were hidden under the burlap towards the corner, and an overturned bucket lifted a display plate. The mini pumpkins gave a little pop of color without going full-on thematic or being distracting.

More photos at Rachel's Flickr page

Be sure to check Rachel and Kim's Etsy shops to get a closer look at their work

I'll be posted more photos from other vendors in coming weeks...would love to hear your comments!

Buying Dilemna

2010-06-04T19:59:00.004-07:00

Is this not the cutest set you've ever seen?? The chairs PIVOT along the back edge to bring you closer together. This is just the kind of thing I happen across, don't buy and then forever haunts me. I have absolutely no place for this. Husband would kill me if I brought it home... But it would be so cute in a small kitchen for two. Or in a large hallway as a little telephone rest stop! Or a front courtyard, in view of a sunset for a spot to rest with your sweetie while you sip a glass of wine.

Do YOU have a place in your life for this? Contact me ASAP and I will play furniture matchmaker. I love to do that! Almost as much as keeping the treasures I find!

Challis Necklace

2010-06-04T12:39:00.004-07:00

On the worktable now I have some new necklaces made with recycled scarves combined with the sweater felt. On this one, I used a floral wool challis scarf with a bit of silk scarf too. Softly colored wood beads, some vintage pearl buttons and cotton thread to bind the pieces together! It was fun to put together!

Feels like it walked out of Anthropologie to me. How would you wear this piece?

Flower rings you won't sneeze at.

2010-05-18T09:51:00.003-07:00

Monster sized rings are my newest creation. Actually started off life intended to be shoe clips, but my favorite shoe store closed its doors. Sniff. Plunked some ring-y bits on and WOW! I am in love. These are large...2 inches or so. But so lightweight they are comfy. Since they are recycled sweater felt, they are also not over the top blingy. So you can wear them with jeans and not feel like Vegas is calling. Wore one out to shop yesterday and people came from across the store too get a closer look. This is part of my new wholesale collection, and I would love to hear what you think! Do you know a shop that would love them? I'm making a list, and checking it twice!

another new design!

2010-03-30T18:41:00.003-07:00

I just created this fabulous cuff bracelet using recycled sweater felt. The colors range from deep purple through various blues to a soft green and back again. Feels really lightweight but is very dramatic. Lots of sophisticated color schemes are popping to mind for this design! I've got both silver and gold toned bracelets. Let me know what you think!

Custom Orders Accepted

2010-03-29T14:41:00.003-07:00

I just finished making this custom order. Even though I don't have a line in this style, I do love it and often make such delicate things for myself or gifts. This one is a short length of sterling silver chain, embellished by dangles of semi-precious stones and freshwater pearls on handmade copper headpins. I love the mix of metals and the rustic-ness of the copper contrasted with the lightness of the stones. Super wearable!

hula hoops?

2010-03-21T12:18:00.005-07:00

New colorful earrings in lotsa colors! Each pair has its own personality and asymmetrical color mix. Some are soft and subdued, others hot and spicy. All are lightweight and fun! What do you think?

Memories

2010-03-15T21:10:00.005-07:00

I found this book last week and with it, a flood of memories! This was one of those books from childhood that changed me. I think I already knew how to sew when I got it, but its imaginative illustrations left a mark. Clearly, it was creative all the way through and I loved it! I remember poring over the Scholastic and Lucky book catalogs that arrived from school, choosing which books I wanted to order. The days that books arrived to take home were the best! Couldn't wait to get home and go through my new purchases. Hmmm. The more things change, the more they stay the same, don't they?

Sewing and making stuff makes me happy too!

Rioting Necklaces

2010-03-10T19:48:00.003-07:00

Today I finally got to do a little creative stuff! Still don't have a lot of energy as I recover from the Mother Of All Colds, and I (ahem) had to test the cable, as we have been having a lot of trouble with the signal. So I mostly camped out in the living room and worked on things that have been sitting out for awhile. Someone suggested that I create some sewn pendants, without the heavy stones, and I found some great ready made chokers at the gem show this year. Here is attempt number 1! I am trying to create more wearable, less expensive pieces.

In that same vein, it was also suggested that I sell ready made accompanying items, to help boost the bottom line. I am looking at some wholesale things that I could quickly add bits of sweater to, as well as things like rings that go with my jewelry, but that I don't make. What do other artists think of this concept? Is it a cop out in some way?

And those of you who just buy jewelry...do you think that dilutes my handmade things too much?

I am considering opening up a store front on my own website for my complete collection. I desperately want a REAL brick and mortar store, but that is just not likely to happen in this economy, with two kids in/on their way to college! So my concept may just have to go online... I want to offer a full line of housewares, lamps and furniture (to order) as well as all the vintage things I love to collect AND bits of jewelry!

Successful Day!

2009-12-09T21:01:00.003-07:00

A very successful vintage shopping day today. Check out these shoes!! Turquoise velvet with silver trim and silver heels! Late 1960's and in very good shape. Wow! I also found a bunch of vintage textiles and some interesting coats. Also spent some time with my torch and made these rings. I am getting better at soldering...though I still really like the rough look. Next up? New necklaces using these babies.

New Sofas!

2009-12-01T12:27:00.008-07:00

Just before Thanksgiving, we bought these two new Ikea Karlstad sofas. So far so good! I chose two sofas instead of a sectional so that we would have more flexibility. I like to move furniture around. Love the long slipcovers that Ikea recently introduced for this sofa. I also like that it has just two seat cushions, instead of three. Looks sleeker.

Here are some photos of the room, and vignettes in the area.

Love the pair of lamps I found. The hammered metal is perfect in my house and the scale helps to balance the high ceiling in the room. Bowls are useful to hold all sorts of little clutter stuff that I like near me in the living room. (Remotes, headphones, pen/paper)

Now I am searching for fabric for new pillows.

Look how pretty the light is going through the glass! I liked grouping a bunch of finial shapes together here. Colors pull in the thrift store painting.

View from the front door. You really don't see the balls under the table in real life. Looks like too many in this picture! The old sign making stamps on the table say "Welcome" and "?" and are of course, backwards. Love that... The table serves to separate the Entry area. Usually, I like to make the seating area more welcoming, by keeping it open, but this works better here.

Indie Chic on 10th Street

2009-11-30T20:16:00.003-07:00

This Saturday, Dec 5th I will be up in Tempe taking part in Indie Chic @ 10th Street from 10 am to 5 pm at the ASU Art Museum.

Indie Chic @ 10th Street is an alternative craft fair with a collection of art and crafts. The show features local vendors and handmade items ranging from clothing to jewelry to ceramics and wall art. Free parking is available just outside of the Ceramics Research Center on the NE corner of Mill Ave. and 10th Street, in museum-marked spaces. Metered parking is also available on the street.

Hope to see some of my Phoenix friends there!

A new toy!

2009-09-27T20:49:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you find something so wonderful, you just gotta have it!
This is a portable sewing machine from 1952, nicknamed the Grasshopper. It is designed to fit snugly into its case, which then slides into the free arm to create a table. I was surprised to see the two bakelite oilers were included, as they weren't mentioned in the auction.

But the most fabulous thing is, these things are GREEN!!!!!!! I've just got to figure out how to use it in my green Honda Element...

Hot date!

2009-08-20T15:44:00.002-07:00

Today we dropped my oldest son off at his college dorm. I won't go into the emotional fallout...suffice it to say, he will do fine and I will survive!

So, my husband took the day off to help on moving day. We started off very early and were kicked out of the dorm by 10 am. So there we were. Younger boy in school, empty house...

So we went to Harbor Freight Tools! We have a hot life here in Tucson...

See my new toy? I am going to see what else I can do with that vintage tin. I also bought some circle cutters, but I am not optimistic. They are a bit small. But at Harbor Freight, you can experiment a little. Hope you have a hot date with your main squeeze soon!

Raindrops on Roses

2009-08-18T14:00:00.008-07:00

It's a blue day. So I tried going to the studio to drown myself in loud music and creativity. Leaving the half-finished projects undone, I decided to go straight for the idea that has been in my head for awhile. I bought this pretty tin tray at Goodwill...I think it was even half off...with no particular project in mind. Today I finally cut into it! I cut out a few squares with my shiny new tin snips. Sanded most of the roughness off the edges. Bled a little (good for you) and started to play around with different felt colors and ideas. Absolutely nothing is settled yet, but I am excited to see what is taking shape! I knew the tray was familiar, but I didn't realize just how closely the pattern is to one of my favorite things. When I was about 12 years old, a friend gave me a tiny tea cup and saucer for my birthday. I loved it. (Thank you Anna!) I was able to find one more at the same antique shop and searched ebay for years till I found a few more.When my boys first started school, we would have "tea parties"

when they came home, so they could

tell me about their days. We would share super-sweet

raspberry tea and cookies while we used our tiny tea cups. They loved it! It was very civilized and grown up and they were so careful with the tea cups.

Look how well my new tin necklace parts match the china pattern!! I do hope I will be able to get more than one necklace out of this tray, or it is going to be awfully hard to sell it...

Rearranging is good for the soul

2009-08-11T20:56:00.003-07:00

I did a little bit of moving things around today. Sadly, I've let my own house fall by the wayside lately. Time for a pick-me-up-pick-IT-up!

This corner used to have a tree in it. An old ficus that I had miraculously kept alive for I believe 15 years or so. It caught a bug, and I decided to let it go. Ficus trees are a bit passe in the decorating world...but a tree is a tree! And it filled the space.

I've had an empty corner for awhile now, and it was time to do SOMETHING with it. Let me be clear. This is not your amazing transformation, ready for House Beautiful, photo. This is a "gather what is in the closets and make it look better before your mother-in-law gets here" situation. But maybe it will give you some ideas. I find that playing around with what I have already, helps me to define what is good, and what needs improvement. Then I can shop for just the right thing. Next on my list is new sofas. My red leather sofa finally ripped. These brown chairs are on their 3rd slipcover. I think I want to attempt white slipcovered sofas...two of them. I think they will be a nice backdrop for a "desert industrial loft" feeling.

So maybe my afternoons efforts will give you some ideas for your house! It doesn't take money...just creativity.

You can see the very attractive surround sound speaker hanging up there. I needed something tall to detract from its beauty. I bought these straight twigs at Ikea a while back. I filled a metal container with plaster I had saved from when my boys made handprints in sand. Then stuck the twigs in. Makes a nice screen effect! The urn is something I acquired from my mom a number of years ago. I think she bought it at Cost Plus. It was in the hallway by the door. The table? You can't see them, but the feet are very cool and pointy and I found the table at Goodwill for $35. I had seen a similar shape in a very chi-chi design studio, in black, for a boutique style price. It was shoved in a closet when it's last space was taken over by a weight bench/clothing rack. I wish it was painted already...but it's not. The former tree basket is still under the table, because it fills the space under the table with a little texture as well as hides cords a little bit. In this view it needs something in it! Maybe balls or something. It will probably get magazines tossed in though. There is a light on a timer behind the twigs. That will instantly add glamour to your room!

I added a painting sans frame that I bought at a swap meet decades ago. It is spotted but I always liked the colors. It still brings a pop of color and a little depth to the arrangement. A pewter bowl from a thrift store is holding some earrings I need to list on Etsy. (This is my favorite chair in our family room. I live here.) I use the old typing table for whatever project du jour is going on in the chair. It is never this clean. But my in laws are nearly here! A candle is nice, and not likely to be knocked over. My new extension phone is convenient...now I just have to wait for the new season of Mad Men and Project Runway to start!

Vintage Sailor Dress with manga potential!

2009-07-31T13:59:00.003-07:00

Just listed this dress on etsy. I am going to *try* to upload it to Polyvore so we can all play paper dolls with it! I am about to give up!

Vintage clothing on Etsy

2009-07-13T16:54:00.003-07:00

I've starting listing some of my vintage items in my etsy store. This is a dress/coat by Saybury in a fab modern floral print. I will attempt to upload it to Polyvore to experiment with accessorizing. Let's see how it goes!

Facebook experiments

2009-07-05T02:04:00.002-07:00

Just testing out some applications to link my blog with my Facebook account. Just in case, you know, I ever actually get around to blogging.

My July newsletter will be coming out any day though! If you are not already on my mailing list, please sign up at http://eepurl.com/bXqQ.

Guest Artist!

2009-06-02T12:53:00.002-07:00

I've been invited to be the guest jewelry artist at one of my favorite Tucson galleries! Gallery Row is doing a new promotion, jewelry nights on every first Thursday from 5-7pm. I'll be at Details Art & Design!

I think it will be a trunk show dealio...I'll be bringing everything I have in stock. I've been working hard to make more, more, more!! (Ok. I need to work harder.)

When we first moved to Tucson, almost 16 years ago, we went on a lot more family outings with our kids. We used to go visit Details and Green Shoelaces down at Plaza Palamino. Vicki moved the gallery up to the Foothills a number of years ago, but Details Art & Design has a similar funky mix of high quality, colorful funky things. Frankly, I am kind of astonished that now I get to show my work there! If you come and visit on Thursday, don't pinch me too hard...I might wake up!

Going home!

2009-05-23T17:51:00.002-07:00

Say goodbye to "Slick," as it was just purchased from my Etsy store. Matte onyx stone squares, wired together with oxidized sterling silver, subtly colored felt circles and tiny pearls. I chose colors for this necklace that were found in the opalescent shine of the pearls...such as you might see on a slightly oily puddle in the sun.

I liked this necklace a lot...and I am sure its new owner will too!

At the opening of Re-Visions

2009-05-23T17:27:00.004-07:00

A photo, lifted from the pages of Karen Lukacs' blog showing my necklaces. (On the brandy snifter, made from recycled felt pieces, beads made from broken wine glasses by Lou Fedorick, and laying on the floor of the display is Felt Rocks!) Karen also works with recycled fiber. Her purse here is made of a sweater and the tiny bag, out of a silk necktie. The necktie bag and my necklace look particularly fab together! Also shown in this case, brooches made from aluminum cans by Mark Ramsour. One says "act cool," made from a Cactus Cooler can. I overheard Mark saying he can't find anymore of those discontinued cans, but if you've got one, he wants it! Evidently many people want to "act cool" but this is the last pin, and not for sale. Do go see the show at Tohono Chul!

Gallery Show coming right up

2009-05-19T00:51:00.006-07:00

I just dropped off my two necklaces that are to be included in Tohono Chul's next show! Re-Visions will feature works created out of reclaimed materials. I peeked around a bit and there are some interesting things to see!! The artist's reception is Thursday, May 21 from 5:30-7:30 and I would love to see you there. Show will run all the way through August 23.

I'm also working diligently on finally getting an email newsletter up and running. So much new technology to learn, so little time to actually MAKE stuff! I certainly don't want to spam anyone, so if you are interested in joining the list, please sign up in the little box right on this page!

Gotta get all these earrings I have been making up on my Etsy site! Poor little shop is empty...

I've also got some fabulous necklaces to list, made by my friend Barbara as well as some funky vintage finds. My studio overfloweth!

Also this week, my oldest son graduates from high school! A huge milestone for all of us. Please, pass the tissues though...

a few recent finds

2009-04-23T17:21:00.003-07:00

These are a few interesting pieces I found on my travels recently. Filigree rectangles, unmarked, have a ton of embossed detail, front and back. I'm waiting for a testing kit to arrive, but I don't think they are anything more than base metal.
Little coral colored plastic flower clips have tiny rhinestones on them. Also unmarked.

My favorite find is this little pair of UFO tassel earrings. Unmarked, with aqua rhinestones all around the diameter and on the delicate little ear wires. Sweet!

New Work

2009-04-01T19:58:00.005-07:00

Can it be true? I've actually been creating things?? Take a look!

First up, a pair of shoes I created for myself. I made up a variety of sweater felt flowers, and simply glued them on to a fab pair of shoes I picked up at a thrift. (Yes, cute Charles David shoes!) I was planning on making them shoe clips and just attaching them temporarily, but I knew I would never change them around...so glue it is!

On my last visit to our local Buffalo Exchange, one of the managers oohed and ahhed over a flower headband I had on, and asked me to consign some. Here is a photo of the festive floral adornments you can pick up by visiting.

Finally, I am really excited about a series of necklaces I have been working on using vintage pins, buttons and baubles. This one is made with beads my online bead friend Lou made from some broken wine glasses she saved! I need to take some better photos of those beads... This series of necklaces is very fashion forward this spring, as Statement Necklaces are finally back in vogue. Fun to wear too!

Loving this room

2009-03-07T20:50:00.003-07:00

From the New York Home Design section...this is actually an office. But I think it looks blissful! Maybe minus the airplane models, though, I have always liked that kind of thing!
From an aesthetic point of view, I love the black walls and bookcases and the traditional chairs upholstered in a funky way. Great mix of modern and traditional. But mostly, I can see myself living in a room like this, just moving from chair to chair with a huge stack of books. It FEELS good to me.

Magenta-Orange

2009-01-31T20:40:00.004-07:00

I am obsessing over this magenta-turns-to-orange color found in the bottom right of this photo. We found it recently on a dress lining that had turned color with age. The lining was a little, uh, funky...and sadly unusable. So I must recreate the color somehow. Not quite sure yet what the application will be. Flowers? A necklace? I'll share it when I figure it out!

I'm baaaAAAAccckkkk!

2009-01-31T00:27:00.004-07:00

Well my darlings, I have returned. I am getting my creative hands dirty again. Yay! I have missed it. I have been reading some new-to-me blogs and have been gettting reinspired about what I want to share in this space. A mere recitation of what is new in the studio is so dull, and so much pressure! The truth? There isn't always something new in the studio. Except maybe piles. Those I am always adding to.

But the real action is going on inside my head! Things I see, people I meet, thoughts I think...

I will try to edit those last ones! But I hope to share more of what I find in this space. You will get a fuller picture of where my ideas come from.

(I'll just share a little bit of my crazy at a time.)

So here is an interesting site for you to check out! http://shrimptoncouture.com/

Fabulous, and I do mean FABULOUS vintage loveliness!! High end perfection. Plus, some really cool remakes of vintage goods.

I am personally deeply in love with this by TWIST:

I know, I know. Fur. Well. It has been dead a long time. Might as well use it. Just not in Tucson. You will die of heatstroke, even in February. These lovely plump roses are made of recycled yarn, reknitted and then felted, from what I can tell. I love the multi-color nature of the petals. I've recycled yarn. I've knit flowers. I'm not going to do that anytime soon. But I may experiment with my felted sweater scraps and see if I can get a more 3-d look to my flowers. I*did* buy a nifty fur scarf today. That I should be able to tolerate, even in Tucson. Even just one bloomin' bud will update it!

Lovin' the contrast of the funky fun colors and the serious fur. The vintage appeal. This would look so cute with jeans. On any age woman.

What do you think? What about this look on a brown sweater? Or a tee? So many possibilites!

Another hot little tip I am using that is helping me out. I've begun using Google Reader to gather all interesting blogs in one place for me to check out at once. I know there are other programs that do this, but I never quite got into the routine of those. Google Reader seems simplier to me. There is even a subscribe button you can download to the top of your screen, so everytime you come across a blog you like, you just click "subscribe" and into your Reader it goes. Just go to www.google.com and click on Reader.

How to Paint Shoes

2008-06-26T20:58:00.009-07:00

My examples were inspired by Missoni’s signature zig zag fabrics and Paul Smith’s swirling designs. Do not expect your design to come out looking smooth and even like screenprinting. Use the handpainted nature of your work to advantage, and don’t try to recreate a perfect factory made design. This is art, baby! Go with it…

Choose a pair of shoes in good repair, with an interesting shape for painting. A leather covered wedge or heel, or a pump with a lot of surface area might be perfect. Sometimes older shoes have more interesting shapes.
A light color is probably best, but you can cover a dark color. Thrift stores are fabulous sources as are the clearance racks of your favorite French mega store. (“Target” anyone?)

Lightly sand the surface you want to paint with very fine sandpaper. (Don’t turn your smooth leather into suede though!) You just want to roughen the surface up a bit so that the paint sticks well. I’m one of those “use what is lying on the table” kind of people, and have used an emery board with success. For paints, I have been using Jacquard paint’s Neopaque and Lumiere acrylic products to good effect. Their paints are formulated to cover well so you don’t have to apply it too thickly. Thick paint on shoes will peel. Don’t ask me how I know this… You can also add a little fabric paint additive to your colors to give a little more flexibility to your paint. I’ve not been scientific yet in my experimentation with this, nor I have yet tried the shoe “dyes” sold at shoe repair stores, but I would love to hear about your experiences!

(Missoni pointy flats $454 at Zappos.com)(Pagano DesignWorks wedges, based on Charles David shoes .99 cents at Savers!)Decide about how big you want your zig-zags to be. Lightly draw on straight lines where the zigs will zag. The lines do not need to be parallel…you can have wonky geometry. For the Paul Smith look, start off with an interesting swirl at the center of your shoe and work out from there. I planned my colors out in advance and did a little more mixing for the Missoni version ahead of time. The Paul Smith scarf I was emulating has swirls of mixing colors of paint, so I just allowed my colors to mix naturally.

Now the fun part, just paint! On the Missoni inspired examples, I added a little bit of sharpie marker since I thought my painted lines alone were looking too fat. (I was thinking of the fabric effect I wanted and added two thin lines with a slight checkerboard effect in between. My technique was very free and thread like…aka, I scribbled it on.) Once finished with both designs, I lightly applied some pearlescent paint mixed with “fabric medium” on top of all the colors. I think this smoothed out the application a little and made all the colors marry together a little better. I just used the edge of a rag and smoothed it on. Let everything dry overnight, then coat with a few thin layers of clear acrylic varnish. I used what I had…just something from the craft store, and I used the rag again to apply the clear coats. Let your new shoes dry for another day or two. I think that the extra time hardens the paint so that it doesn’t peel.

Enjoy yourself and the process! I look forward to seeing lots of handpainted shoes!

"Who me? A model??"

2008-06-06T12:00:00.003-07:00

Today I got to be the subject of a photo shoot for an upcoming story in the Arizona Daily Star! Here you can see photographer David getting the lighting ready for my big debut. I had prepared the night before by watching
"She's Got The Look" (the over 35 model search reality show) I must not have been paying close enough attention though, because David had to keep reminding me to MOVE after the sound of the shutter clicking... Ohhhh yeahhhhh!!! Many shots of me "naturally" swinging my purse as I stand still next to a colorful painting at the Tucson Museum of Art ensue. The story is a part of Kristen Cook's Style Scout series. I get to be the "local designer buys cute stuff at bargain prices!" I even wear a pair of shoes I picked up at a thrift store and painted. (Tutorial to follow!)

I think my day job is safe, but do watch out for my mug in the Accent section Saturday June 28th.

*Here is the article link to Secondhand Style by Kristen Cook* When it ran...the photo was scarily huge!! And the day before they did a "teaser shot" with a close up of my face looking oddly lizard like. My kids referred to me as The Chameleon all day. Sigh. So much for the modeling contract!

International Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

2008-02-24T01:37:00.001-07:00

This week my article in Etsy's Storque came out! I got to tour the Gem Shows in Tucson with my very own Etsy Press Badge. No one asked for it, but I felt better having it since they don't usually allow cameras into the shows. I am lucky enough to live in Tucson, so all the beads come to me every year. The scale is truly amazing...you hear languages from all over the world, out of the mouths of both vendors and buyers. Some buyers are negotiable unimaginalbe volume purchases, while others are trying to work a deal to buy just half a strand. In addition to my Reporter cap, I got to be Shopper for some of my online jewelry friends. Spending other people's money is always a good time!! Thankfully, I think they are happy with what I bought for them...and I had a great time tracking down beads I wouldn't normally have reason to buy.

See my whole report here:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/reviews/article/where-do-beads-come-from-tucson-sweet-tucson/1245/

Stitch booth 2007

2007-11-20T10:22:00.002-07:00

My little home in Austin Texas for the STITCH show! It was a lot of fun and I met some very cool people. Can you believe I fit all of this into two suitcases and a carry-on? Once the house lights dimmed and my lamps (including little puck light inside the cubes) were on, it popped pretty well. Thanks Austin!

Lots of views!

2007-10-11T16:50:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy week!
I was blessed to be in many wonderful treasury lists on Etsy this week, and TWO made it to the front page! That just *doesn't* happen, so I am thrilled! Above is a screen shot of the Felt treasury...you can see my "Icy Stream" necklace on the right. It's made with recycled sweater felt and amazonite nuggets. A number of buyers bought some of my stacker earring collection. They are an inexpensive way to get in on the fun!
Here is a stacker fiesta in progress, earrings that have not yet been listed on Etsy.
The reason life has gotten hectic, is that I took a part time job as Assistant Manager of an Upscale Resale Boutique being run for our school district Foundation. You can visit its very own blog to see our progress. The store is coming together and should be fully open for business next Monday!

sweater felt rainbow

2007-09-23T00:34:00.001-07:00

TRYING to clean up and get organized! We're heading into the busy season now. Lots of shows coming up in November and perhaps a new job starting soon! Spent some time in the studio today, puttering. Got these small-ish pieces of sweater felt all ready and at my fingertips! I really need to tackle the closets and cabinets and weed out projects and supplies that are less than likely to turn into something interesting. Do I NEED a kids' wooden weaving loom? If it was plastic, it would have been gone years ago! Drafting supplies from college? I just don't know...the stuff at the reproduction place looks JUST as old!! My mother's old Dr. Spock baby care book? I know there are gems in there that would be great ephemera in some project...
being creative is very space intensive I tell you!!

I've been blogged!

2007-08-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that late last night I added a new shop widget to this Cata-blog. I finally put some new, exclusive items into my SmashingDarling shop that you can see a peek of just the right here. Woke up this morning to find that Trisha Ginter, owner and designer at SmashingDarling had decided to use all of my pieces in her blog today!!
http://www.smashingdarling.com/blog/2007/08/24/recycle-reuse-restyle/
Guess I had better get some more things in there pronto!!
I'm having a bit of a dilemna though. Many sellers post their one-of-a-kind items in more than one place on the web. (Etsy,Mintd,SmashingDarling,ebay,RubyLane...etc!) There is some concern about things selling in two places at once. Pretty unlikely. But, does it diminish the uniqueness of an item to see it all over the web? What do you think?
In other news, it is my sister's birthday today!! Happy birthday Nicki!! I love you!

Subtle Circles Necklace

2007-08-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

Wait...did you hear the fire alarm??

NO!!! You didn't and this is earth shattering news!!

I fired up my acetylene torch, made a bunch of stuff and DIDN'T burn the house down or injure anyone!

So I am freeeeeee to create at last! I made these copper rings and then attached a bunch of beautifully colored felt bunches to them with more copper wire.

This necklace is extra long and can be worn doubled up. See it in my etsy shop! Click the photo to be magically transported there.

Gallery Night, Providence RI

2007-08-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

Deb Clemons, curator at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, just emailed me this flyer for the upcoming Eco-fashion show. Look!!! There is my "Fresh Produce" Necklace!!! How cool is that??

It joins three other necklaces that will take part in the event on August 16th in Providence.

The fashion show is part of a larger, city wide event called Gallery Night. Free shuttles transport patrons all around the city to see special exhibits in many of the town's galleries. Art is big in Providence, as RISD is considered the best art school in the country.

EtsyTeam Blogged etsyBEAD and ME!!

2007-08-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

wooo hoooo!!!

The etsyBEAD street team has been working hard promoting our weekly Theme of the Week. And it appears Etsy Admin have noticed! I just found their blog post that features our current theme "Good Morning, Sunshine!" and a photo of MY EARRINGS!!!! (see the blog post here)

But there is much more than just my earrings available! The whole team is getting creative, and listing their items for super-saving prices.

Get to Etsy and search for the perfect sunshine moment!

Enter to win free jewelry!

2007-07-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

The Team of Talent, also known as the Eclectic Jewelry Artisans, that I market my jewelry online with has come up with yet another contest! We were all given the "ingredient" of WIRE to use in our creations...however we saw fit. (This is a close up photo of my entry the Ancient Golden Chandelier Earrings, of brass and citrine.) The entries are AMAZING!

Here's your chance to vote for your favorite wire project by the artisans of EJA and your chance to win a free gift bag that will include hand made jewelry and other goodies!! Just visit eeja.org/wire_com/wired.html and fill out the form. On July 25th, we will draw a lucky e-mail address from those that have voted. One vote per person. Voting on an item will sign you up for our newsletter that will inform you of future sales and other prize drawings.

EJA Meet Up!!

2007-07-08T09:59:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a trip to Atlanta to visit family, and am thrilled to have been able to meet fellow Eclectic Jewelry Artisan designer June, from MandalaJewels! June is just as sweet in person as she is online, and it was wonderful to be able to connect a real person to the fabulous, funky and colorful work June creates! She told us about a co-op shop she is planning to exhibit in, so after lunch my sister in law and I scooted right over to check out Beehive Co-op. What an adorable shop!! Very clean lined and modern, and it appears each local seller gets a little "cubby" area to display their wares. There is a whole back room for jewelry, where June's work will really stand out. Looks like they offer classes and have a light tent all set up and ready to go!

You can check it out too at www.beehiveco-op.com and see June's work in her etsy shop at http://MandalaJewels.etsy.com

High Tech Crafter

2007-06-24T13:30:00.001-07:00

I always thought High Tech things were uhh...high tech! My husband is an optical engineer. Seems they needed someone to make a multiple layer insulation blanket for an optical detector. For seamstresses, my husband's company had to choice of me...or another engineer's grandmother. I resisted. I tried to bring up all of the high tech reasons I could think of to avoid doing it. I am not exactly precise when it comes to measuring. Really, I'm one of those just-drive-the-nail-into-the-wall-and-hang-up-the-damn-picture kind of people. Early on in our marraige, we decided to try to speak each other's languange during projects. Forever more, he was supposed to suggest new ideas with the preface "Why don't we just..." which speaks to my FINISH THE DAMN THING attitude, and I am to say "I have an idea..." which fits in with his "let's reengineer the whole thing and make it better" method of operation. We ARE still married! However, I got suckered into the high tech project. The fabric is about 20 layers of mylar or something similar, alternating with layers of exceedingly fine mesh. All totally unsecured and slippery as hell. YOU try sewing on saran wrap!! In case you are curious, the infrared detector needs it really, really cold (that is a scientific measurement to me...) to detect what it is looking for. I can't tell you what it is looking for...would have to kill you!! But you my friend, are looking at the very first Detector Cozy.

Etsy front page

2007-06-19T17:02:00.001-07:00

Check it out! Eclectic Jewelry Artisans was featured on the front page of Etsy.com!!! There are my "Obi Earrings" third down on the right! It is always exciting to be on the front page as many people see your work and come to visit your shop. The Eclectic Jewelry Artisans are a wonderful group of very talented jewelry designers, and I feel privileged to work with them to market all of our work. You can visit our galleries at www.eeja.org, where each artist has a banner that links to their store.

Soda Pop Earrings

2007-06-17T13:24:00.001-07:00

The EtsyBEAD Theme of the Week is launched!! Every Sunday a new Theme is announced in the etsy forums, and etsyBEAD team members turn on the creative juices. First, we upload photos of our Theme Items to our EtsyBEAD Flickr group page...
http://flickr.com/groups/etsybead/
Then we list our items on Etsy with special reduced prices for the week!! Buyers can easily find the new items by either visiting the Flickr Group, searching Etsy with the tags "EBTW" or the name of the Theme, which this week is, "Summer Lovin Color"
Happy Shopping!!

Felt Rocks! necklace

2007-06-08T15:57:00.001-07:00

Here is the Sunset colored version that is now available in my etsy shop. The colors are actually just slightly warmer in real life than I see on my monitor. Maybe it is just that there isn't much of the orange felt showing in this photo. More photos in the etsy shop!

I am particularly excited because these necklaces have also been "buyer approved" for one of the BEST contemporary craft galleries in town!! As soon as the green one gets back from it's photo shoot, and I make a few more they will go to the gallery. This was the shop I used to wander through, in a reverent daze when we first moved to town. To actually SHOW there??? Wow! Feels really good just to think about it! I'll share a link to the shop just as soon as my items go into the case!

Another design in a book!!

2007-06-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

Very exciting week at Pagano DesignWorks!

I have just been informed that a few of my felt designs will be included in a SECOND book published by Rockport/Quarry press next year!! This one is called Sweater Surgery by Stefanie Girard. Look too for my work to be displayed in a second gallery in Tucson...not there QUITE yet, but in the works!

This brand new necklace is a prototype design. Superlong, it can be worn looped many different ways. I would love to hear what you think about it, and if you have any creative names you would like to suggest!

Ancient Chandeliers 2

2007-05-31T13:14:00.000-07:00

I am having Blogger-angst!

Dear soul, Linda of http://gallerialindashowcase.blogspot.com

has been helping me trouble shoot why there are no comments tags viewable...

Perhaps, they will only show up on new posts?? So I am doing a redeux (doing a redo? duexing a redeux???) of this item to see if we can get a conversation going here!

**edit**

Evidently there is a blogger problem with the comments feature. I am not insane! You aren't either!! Hopefully this will work out soon. Until then, you CAN leave comments by clicking on the post title and going directly to that post's page.

Ancient Chandelier Earrings

2007-05-27T18:06:00.001-07:00

Back in the 80’s, one of my favorite pairs of earrings were huge s-curls of flattened wire. Or maybe they were cut out metal…but they had that wonderful linear quality that wire can bring to a design. I have been having great fun experimenting with this new design, in a similar vein as those old favorites. Chandelier earrings are still hot, but I’ve become bored with the prefabricated components so many designers use. I wanted to create something really big and flashy, yet a little rustic. I think these have that archeological quality I was after…almost like they were just dug up or rescued from the bottom of the sea. Both the hand hewn quality of the wire work and the imperfect stones of carnelian, aquamarine and apatite contribute to this effect. With this ancient quality in mind, I have not coated the copper with anything to preserve its rawness. It will develop a patina of either brown or green, sooner or later! Since I am not sure how this is going to play out, I am wearing them for a while and will make more for sale once I see how they work! So far, they are very comfortable!! What do you think?

Blue So Phist Necklace

2007-05-22T10:12:00.001-07:00

This chunky necklace has already sold and is now living in New York leading an exciting life! It was one of my favorites, and the color combination is still intruiging to me, I am sure I will play around with this theme again. I really like the subtle variations in color and texture. Blue sponge coral gives that great denim color, labrodorite in both blue and green varieties add flash and sparkle as do the faceted surfaces of the brown pietersite beads. Irregular onyx pebbles and fluted ebony wood beads bring depth while the brushed matte sterling flat rounds bring a modern edge. All pulled together with my signature handmade “industrial strength” sterling silver chain links.
A very elegant yet earthy and modern look!

Mistress of the Rose earrings

2007-05-19T22:14:00.001-07:00

This pair of earrings just screams out "Ahna" to me! For those unfamiliar with the name, Ahna is the driving force and unstoppable web mistress and leader of the Etsy Street Team "Eclectic Jewelry Artisans" or EJA. (Sometimes, there is an additional E in front of the moniker, for the Etsy part of the name!) Ahna has a gothic, bohemian style and makes a variety of gorgeous jewelry, stained glass, perfume, candles and art. A very busy girl!! She collects roses...so these earrings are perfect for her. These carved onyx beads have a rose on both sides! The garnet dangles jingle a little bit. Ahna just received a mini care package from me, that included some of these beads, so I am sure she is busy creating something beautiful with them. Check out her work, as well as the other talented EJA team members by visiting our galleries at www.eeja.org

Fiery Felt earrings

2007-05-19T21:58:00.001-07:00

Fiery Felt earrings
Originally uploaded by pagano designworks.

I am so excited to be able to announce that this pair of earrings is scheduled to be published in an upcoming book entitled 1000 Jewelry Details by Sandra Salomony!!! I participated in a call for entries just a few months ago and am THRILLED to be chosen. My photographs are even going to be used...which is such a rush. I did end up reshooting the earrings, since my existing photos were taken with low-res, with the web in mind. I think I actually improved the shots. She's hoping to use a close up of the orange earrings similar to this photo, and perhaps a full page of a line-up of various similar designs. The book is scheduled for Spring 2008 release from publisher Rockport/Quarry. They also publish lots of books on interior design...maybe they'll be able to use some of my other projects?! Wouldn't THAT be cool!!

Latin Dancer earrings

2007-05-19T17:48:00.001-07:00

Latin Dancer earrings
Originally uploaded by pagano designworks.

A flirty expolosion of citrine and carnelian with the bounce and flounce of a gorgeous Latin dancing dress. Combined with a festive and exuberant sterling silver round, these earrings are ready for a party!

Many Blessings earrings

2007-05-19T17:45:00.001-07:00

Many Blessings earrings
Originally uploaded by pagano designworks.

Another wonderful choice for a bride or grad this year, the pearls represent the bountiful blessings you wish to bestow, both large and small. Made of luminous pearls and gold filled wire for classic and sophisticated beauty.

Kyanite Talisman Earrings

2007-05-19T17:43:00.001-07:00

Kyanite Talisman Earrings
Originally uploaded by pagano designworks.

These earrings have such a dramatic, earthy flair! It was difficult to capture the beauty of the Blue Kyanite in the photos. There are translucent and possess a beautiful "flash" like opal. A modern bride could wear these for her something blue and look smashing!

Green Kyanite and Gold wire wrap earrings

2007-05-19T12:32:00.001-07:00

Green Kyanite and Gold wire wrap
Originally uploaded by pagano designworks.

I love, love, love Kyanite! It is a lovely translucent stone, with opal-like flashes and a striated form. So when I found a bargain deal on these rough kyanite shards, in both green AND blue, I just had to add to my bead collection. This particular pair is mine, as I experiment with the design. Handmade gold-filled ear wires and gold fill wire wrap. I want to do a version with oxidized sterling silver as well...and may experiment with copper and brass. Of course, each pair of earrings will differ as the beads are all unique!

Breezy Industrial Strength Necklace

2007-03-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

Breezy Industrial Strength Necklace

So chunky, I call it “Industrial Strength!”
An easy to wear necklace, in a cool and refreshing mix of blues and greens for both casual and dressy wear. You will find a palette of turquoise beads, a large nugget of Amazonite, some denim blue sponge coral, lovely chrysophase with black matrix and recycled Indonesian glass, all tied together with fluted pumpkin beads, modern brushed circles and a rugged handmade chain of sterling silver. Nestling right at your collarbone, you will reach for this necklace again and again to add color and modern panache to your outfits.

Approximately 18” long (45 cm)

check my etsy store at http://paganodesignworks.etsy.com for availabilty or contact me directly.

Felt Earrings

2006-12-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

A series of these felt earrings just listed on Etsy.com. Part of my Recycled Rosie series of items made from recycled sweaters! I carefully wash and dry unloved wool sweaters which turns them into felt. The yarn used in this pair of earrings also used to be a sweater, this time a silk one that I unraveled and re-dyed using food safe dyes in my kitchen. I strive for a variety of colors in the yarn so you get a mix of shades. The beads are wired in place with sterling silver and the whole thing hangs from sterling silver lever back earwires.

There is an orange disk with carnelian and copper colored pearl, and aqua pair with pearl and apatite and a pink pair with pearl and rose quartz.
Find this series at my etsy shop http://www.paganodesignworks.etsy.com
see a similar series at Bohemia Gallery in Tucson

Dotty Purse (recycled sweater felt!)

2006-11-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

Dotty is part of the Recycled Rosie series of items I make from recycled sweater felt. Six different colors of sweater felt plus a polka dotted silk blouse make up the majority of this small-ish handbag. You still get to use one of the shirt pockets, now inside for your cell phone or lipstick! Dotty measures 11” wide, 7” tall and handles hang about 5 inches. Each dot is carefully sewn on with embroidery floss and topped with a vintage button. The bag is edged in recycled silk yarn that I hand-dyed in my kitchen. Yes, that means this yarn was a sweater too! The bag closes with a tiny magenta button tab closure.

Look for Dotty in my Etsy store at http://paganodesignworks.etsy.com/ or email me for information regarding availability.

Ebony Geometry Necklace

2006-11-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ebony Geometry Necklace
I brought a bunch of my chunkiest, nuggetiest jewelry to Bohemia gallery in Tucson today. Since some of those pieces will need to be taken out of my Etsy store, they won’t be visible online anymore. What a perfect time to start my Cata-blog! Here you will be able to see many of my creations, new and old. They will remain here even once they sell, so you can get a sense of what kinds of things I do.

The Ebony Geometry necklace was a featured item on Etsy soon after I listed it, and got many positive comments. It is made of Tiger Ebony wood beads and sterling silver. I like how the negative spaces made by the holes in the biggest beads are visually matched with the brushed sterling rounds. There is a chain at the back which allows you to adjust the necklace to the perfect length from 17 1/2″ to 24″. This necklace is very comfortable since all the beads are flat. You get the hefty size of jewelry with presence, without the weight of hefty beads! Please contact me to find out if Ebony Geometry is still available.

master bath july

2006-07-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

master bath july
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Again, counters look great with the sink, but they didn't cut the faucet hole and sink may be set too far back. We'll see what happens. (it's always something...) But I know Rojo's is reliable.

guest bath july

2006-07-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

guest bath july
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

The color of the counter looks great with the sink and the lights. They concrete guys forgot to cut the hole for the faucet. I hope there is room given where they put the sink...they may be redoing this.

kitchen july

2006-07-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

kitchen july
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

See? The lines really don't look out of whack in here. The color of the floors is just about the same color as the oak edge detail on the counters, and the hyacinth chairs.

Floor is finished!

2006-07-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

living room
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Here is the living room, standing in the entry area. The sofa's look a bit pasty in this photo, but they are not. They look nice with the floor.

finish sample 3

2006-06-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

finish sample 3
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Finally, a light layer of gray-black. There is a laminate sample next to the concrete square. This is where we pulled the colors from. I brought in a sofa cushion and one of the dining chairs to check the color. They looked very nice together. The floor is not too light or dark, not too pink or yellow. It is going to be a nice neutral backdrop for furniture and rugs and added color on the wall.

finish sample 2

2006-06-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

finishsample2
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Now, another light layer of dark brown swirled on over the other colors...

finish sample 1

2006-06-24T13:39:00.001-07:00

finish sample 1
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Now the artistic part! This is just a sample square, which will be gone over later. It has the base coat rolled on and then they dip a damp rag in a terra cotta color and thinly swirl it on.

finish sample 1

2006-06-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

finish sample 1
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Now the artistic part! This is just a sample square, which will be gone over later. It has the base coat rolled on and then they dip a damp rag in a terra cotta color and thinly swirl it on.

Starting to stain.

2006-06-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

rolling on first coat
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

After the lines were laid out in tape, a second coat of concrete was spread on the floor and the tape pulled up, leaving "grout" lines. This second coat is a buff color...actually attractive all by itself! After that dried, the guys begin to stain the concrete. A base coat of stain is rolled on, just like painting a wall.

The way the kitchen grout lines fell

2006-06-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

kitchen with lines
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

There was some debate about how to lay out the lines. I was concerned that we may end up with tiny pieces of squares that would look out of place and off center in the kitchen and hall. I tried drawing it out many ways...with borders or change of scale...but it got very complicated, very quickly. We finally decided to go with a simple 30" square centered in the front entry and radiating from there. This photo shows how the lines ended up in the kitchen.

Concrete floors

2006-06-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

livingroomwith lines
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

I'm in the far corner of the living room, looking back towards the front door. You can see that the tiles are gone from the entry, and that the grout lines have been laid. This is a cool process! First, they spread a thin coat of gray concrete mix very thinly over the existing slab. Then they lay out the lines with skinny tape.

Entry

2006-06-20T13:07:00.001-07:00

Entry
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Here is the view of the floor without its lovely Harvest Gold patterned tiles. It looks bigger already. Wouldn't it be pretty to see a beautiful courtyard through the front door?

Living room

2006-06-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

Living room
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Progress! Here is the freshly painted living room without its carpet. The installers will float a layer of a concrete mix over the slab prior to staining.

no popcorn!

2006-03-08T19:26:00.000-07:00

no popcorn
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Here is a view of the living room, towards the dining room, sans poporn texture. Next the electrician and then the plasterer will retexture the ceiling. Finally, paint!

where the hood will go

2006-03-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

where the hood will go
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Here is the stove location, without the range...
Happily, the vent is actually heading out of the house, up through the roof.

We will be putting in a micro hood over a new range, instead of opening up the wall. The new appliances will be so much more attractive than the original huge range unit.

House without monster shrub

2006-03-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

House without monster shrub
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Look! No Monster shrub! The front yard now looks so much bigger. The neighbors said they had never seen the front window before. There is some kind of irrigation line extending out under the window, and we need to add some more rock ground cover. Also, the root still needs to be cut down a bit more. Evidently...it is really hard wood.

Daron sofa

2005-12-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

Daron sofa
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Here is the sofa!

dishes and pillow

2005-12-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

dishes and pillow
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

Here are some dishes I found at Ikea. The blue-ish one is called gray but it has a definite aqua cast. They look nice with the other vases I bought. The pillow on the left is new too. The brown stripe is very close to the sofa we liked. The painting is just one of mine that has the soft desert colors I am aiming for.

Hyacinth Chair

2005-11-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

Hyacinth Chair
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

oops. Forgot the picture...

Hyacinth Chair

2005-11-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81444677@n00/61926844/
Hyacinth Chair
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen. Something textured and light(ish) colored like this chair may work well in the dining room with the table already posted. A little concerned about durability of this material. If a light pine armoire is "inherited" for the living room, this would tie the color of the pine into the DR.

Dining Table

2005-11-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

Dining Table
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

This is a slightly rustic table from Cost Plus that I think may look great in the dining room. Also has a leaf to seat six. Graceful, but still chunky.

Color/texture palette

2005-11-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Color/texture palette
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

The vases are glazed ceramic in aquas and greens. Plus an aluminum one from my collection. I love these thick silvery pieces! A little bit of sparkle in the balls, plus different woods and textures of fabrics.

View of Living Room to Dining Room

2005-10-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

ovtLivingtoDining
Originally uploaded by Jenandmen.

The front door is to your back...this is all the original homeowner's furniture.

First Blogged Project

2005-10-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Here is our first blogged project! I am working on a townhouse for a couple who plan to use the property as a second home. The budget is currently being set, and decisions are being made about what needs to be remodeled immediately, what can wait, and what can be worked with. This property is in a GREAT location and has long term potential for the couple (B & S) as a full time home, should circumstances change. I am still learning about the blogging process, but hope to be able to post ideas and options as I shop for the home. This will be shared with the new homeowners, who may share with friends and family. We all look forward to your input too.
-Jenni