Three Too Many...

In my twenties my co-worker, Debra, was diagnosed with breast cancer.  In my thirties my neighbourhood friend, Allison, was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Now in my forties my friend, Debbie, is diagnosed with breast cancer.  One for each decade and I am just one person ... that's three too many.  How many do you know?  How many do we not know?

For the second year in a row, I have created a small jewelry set in support of Breast Cancer Research.  I have created a simple necklace with a pink swarovski crystal pendant and three fine silver beads at the side to represent the three survivors that I know.  I have made a beaded bracelet in a pink jade semi-precious stone with a pewter breast cancer symbol.  I have brought back my fine silver link & pink swarovski crystal channel charm earrings.  The necklace & bracelet are $65 each & the earrings are $45.  Twenty percent of the sale of these pieces will be donated to the breast cancer organization and will be sold exclusively through my website www.orangeavocado.ca and through the lovely store "mbellish" in Sherwood Park.

I hate cancer; I love my friends.

Art Deco Movement: Fall/Winter Collection

I love the transition from my sketches to the actual production of my jewelry. This year my sketches have been inspired by the Art Deco movement of the 1920’s and 30’s. I have taken the stylistically simplistic forms of geometric shapes and deconstructed them into pieces of jewelry art.  The Art Deco era was also representative of the German Bauhaus movement in architecture; think modular shapes and clean lines that flow from one piece of furniture to another. I can’t get enough of the flow of the basic geometric shapes; when combined in the most creative of ways produces strong yet beautiful pieces of jewelry.  So here it is Art Deco relived ... with an Orange Avocado Jewelry spin!

Dear Hadar Jacobson: It was an honour

Dear Hadar Jacobson:

It was an honour to learn over the course of 4 days the art of metal clay through the eyes of an artist.  You have opened my eyes and taught me skills in mixing patterns of different metals to a higher level.  The art of Mokume Gane came alive with your techniques and inspired all of us to create outside of our boxes.  You are a woman of exceptional talent; I am humbled by your humility and unlimited knowledge. Over 4 days I was inspired by my fellow artisans who all came from different backgrounds of metalworking, glass working and jewelry making.  I am a speck in a sea of endless talent and beautiful women (and one token male) who want to learn, share knowledge and just do what they love to do...make some jewelry one piece at a time.  What a refreshing outlook on artisan made jewelry in a world of mass production.  

Thank you ladies

Thank you Hadar

Versatility - Orange Avocado Jewelry Pendant Clips

Versatility to your Life: Pendant Clips

I love to mix and match my jewelry with what I am wearing. Sometimes I like to wear a short necklace and sometimes I like to wear a long one but with the same pendant. My Orange Avocado Jewelry Pendant Clips solve that problem! I love my convertible long and short necklace with I can wear at short at 17” by putting the sterling silver toggle through a link, or long with my tanks and t-shirts by opening up the chain. Depending on my mood, I may choose my simple rose bronze heart pendant, or for a little more impact I wear my Three Bronze Pendant Clip with the necklace. I own a few of those name necklaces and add a Bronze Double Cloud link to it to add a mix of metals to my jewelry. The combinations are endless and unpredictable...just like my Orange Avocado Jewelry!

Enjoy!

Something Old...Something New...ETSY!!

Selling ONLINE...

As if I wasn't busy enough ... I decided to officially sell my Orange Avocado Jewelry Line on ETSY. I discovered ETSY in 2008, an online market for handcrafted goods, but I never really gave it a chance. I felt that I was busy enough with making and selling my jewelry at a multitude of trade shows throughout the year and in all of my fantastic stores in Canada. I loved meeting all of my customers, creating one of kind pieces for some, and representing the essence of my jewelry to my customers. That also meant a lot of time away from my family at these shows. My kids are getting older, but they need me even more after school hours. So in an effort to reduce the number of shows that I do a year (still doing my spring and Christmas shows!!) and spend more time with my family I decided to give ETSY a go. So here is the link to my shop online.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/orangeavocado

Give it try because I am!!

Rose Bronze: A Romantic Interlude ... Spring and Summer Collection Part II

We turn to colour to add life and spirit to our day. Shades of red have always been associated with passion, love, and sweetness. We are all passionate about something; sometimes we know what it is, sometimes it is is something to be discovered.

My Rose Bronze Collection is about passion, love and all that is sweet. The soft shades of my handcrafted rose bronze pieces is a perfect complement to my handcrafted sterling & fine silver pieces and Hill Tribe rose gold. A match made in heaven.

Enjoy xoxo

Caste Away - Spring/Summer Collection - Part 1

This past summer was filled with honing my silversmithing skills. I knew that I wanted to caste bits of nature; something that I love to be around all of the time. These branches were collected while watching my kids in their cross country running races in Gold Bar Park in Edmonton. I had bundles of branches in my hands waving and cheering my kids on in their races. I will look at these casted silver branches and they will remind me when my kids were in grade 7 and 9 ...running their hearts out.

It is mesmerizing watching your silver turn into molten silver and carefully pouring it into your caste. This traditional process, although centuries old, remains the same in its steps. And with a little help of modern technology each piece turns out unique, but perfect in composition. These branches are made out of sterling and fine silver (99.9% silver) and are simple, stunning and airy pieces of jewelry.