Make yours a Handmade Holiday!!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Face Metal Design Holiday Party, enjoying an evening of fun, snacks and meeting new friends. I look forward to the coming year and best wished to all. Just a reminder, the Handmade Holiday Craft show put on by the Richmond Craft Mafia, is being held at The Visual Arts Center, 1812 W. Main St. There is preview party tonight, Friday 12/12, from 7 - 10. There is an entry fee on Friday, $15 at the door, $10 in advance, to help support local crafters but it is free and open to the public on Saturday December 15th from 10am - 5pm. Come take a sneak peak tonight or check it out tomorrow!! I hope to see everyone there.

FMD Holiday Party

Thank you to all the wonderful people that came out in support of Face Metal Design. I wanted to say thank you to all of my clients that have made this year a prosperous one! I hope to see you all next year at the 3rd annual Face Metal Design Holiday/Client Appreciation Party!!

The Holidaze are here!!

Are you ready for the chaos to ensue? Here begins the countdown to the New Year and the lovely holiday we know as Christmas. Yes, there are other holidays that fall in the wonderful month of December, but none bring about the panic and flurry of shoppers that Christmas does. If you are one of the millions that will be shopping and looking for that really unique gift for that special someone? Look no further friend, you have found that place. I will have many unique, handmade, and beautiful pieces of jewelry and small objects for purchase at one of many local craft fairs and locations around the city in the coming weeks. This weekend includes: First Friday on the art walk, aka Broad St. downtown, The Fawn Shop will be open until 10pm with many local crafters, North Side craft show, aka LGRA craft show on Saturday from 10-5, Sunday will be the Face Metal Design holiday party from 5 until 9. I look forward to seeing you around Richmond this weekend!! Happy Holidaze!

the fawn shop

Richmond's newest artventure... the fawn shop!! This is a very limited seasonal shop held and created by RVA's local crafters and artists. Located conveniently on the art walk at 201 W. Broad St. Hours are from 11 - 7 Monday through Friday and 11 - 5 on Saturday. Nothing in this city is open on Sunday, too many hungover people.

You should check it out as I will be there representing Face Metal Design and of course there will be others over 20 local artist! There is also a Face Book group, check them out and make some new friends. We look forward to seeing you there.

Another wonderful event brought to you by the Richmond Craft Mafia!

Exciting Things for December

It's that time of year again, where everyone is working their fingers to a frazzle getting ready for the holiday season and all it's glory! I am in queue with everyone else getting ready for the busy season and I have several shows and events planned for the next month. Up first is the 5th Annual Ginter Park Show on Saturday December 6th at the Lewis Ginter Recreation Association, 3421 Hawthorne Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222. The show will be from 10 am - 5pm and so many different vendors will be there with various goods all artfully done. It's a great local show that you don't want to miss!

Directly following the LGRA show I will have my 2nd Annual Face Metal Design Holiday Party; Sunday December 7th from 5 until 9 pm. This is my way of thanking all of my loyal customers and supporters of my very fledgling business. I will have cocktails and various hors d'oeuvres for all that attend. Formal invitations will be arriving soon so save the date and I hope you can make it!

The Following weekend is the Handmade Holiday Craft show put on by the Richmond Craft Mafia and held at The Visual Arts Center, 1812 W. Main St. on Saturday December 15th from 10am - 5pm. There will be a preview party the night before, Friday 12/12, from 7 - 10. Come see all of Richmond's awesome craft people in an amazing art space!

More updates and news to come.

Outside Looking In

In my busy life it is hard to find the time to truly sit down and make art. So, when it does happen I feel so inspired and excited that it perpetuates an avalanche of new work. Currently the piece that started the mental slide is pictured here. It is a brooch made of sterling sliver, found twigs, robin egg shell (found broken on the ground), pearl and amazonite. I love this piece! I hope that you will find it equally inspiring and want to run out and make art. Currently I am working at a feverish pace creating new one-of-a-kind pieces for my upcoming shows around the area. Here is a sample of what is to come as the HOLADAZE approach.

12/6 - Annual LGRA Holiday Show at the Lewis Ginter Recreation Association [3421 Hawthorne avenue on the Northside] From 10-5

12/7 - Face Metal Design Holiday Party, Eat, Drink and be Dazzled!! Thank you party for all that support Face Metal Design.

12/12 - Handmade Holiday Craft Show at the Visual Arts Center

Be on the lookout for future posts with more details about these events!

Paper Parade

Come check out Team 8 Press at Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD! They will be there this weekend and in full swing. I have been busy working with Spencer and some of the other members on my hot new paper pendants made from test print samples from several artists work. These one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces will be available this weekend at SPX at Team 8's table. Come and spend the day with many of the east coasts premier print artists. Thanks!

Crafty Scene

It's official, my very first Crafty Bastards was a hit! The day was long and slightly overwhelming but I am glad to have been invited to come along. Heck, I wouldn't have even been there if it wasn't for Spencer, his Team 8 Press really has him busy with different craft fairs and events, literally every weekend for the next few weeks( hint, hint, check out the link so you don't miss the upcoming shows). So, the festival was fun and super-busy with so many awesome vendors, music and some food that I could smell. We were so busy that it was impossible to get much further than a few tents down from our own. So here's a shout out to both my families that came to support me and good friends that always know how to make me smile, thanks for the perpetual support and love, even though I only got to see you for a millisecond. Also, many thanks to all the new peoples that thought Face Metal Jewelry was awesome enough to buy some of your very own! This is one craft festival I really want to participate in again next year. The location was amazing, the staff were helpful and NICE and the event was well organized and marketed. What more can a crafty girl want? (hint, KILN)

Fall in love with this seasons Jewelry.....

The cool breeze, crisp air and the warm colors on the trees, all signal that FALL is here and everyone knows that means new fashions are hitting the runway and stores. I really love fall fashions, they are a bit more expressive than summer's whimsical and airy affairs. Fall is a good time to work on your collection of statement jewelry and add to your signature look. That brave and bold piece that's oh-so-you can be paired with so many other simple items in your cache. Large chunky pieces will be paired with smaller whimsical ones to create a beautiful balance with whatever fall fashions you pair them with. Look into chunky brooches, big bangles, large necklaces and more!

Check out some of the great new looks that the cool weather has inspired me to create on the site.( to be fully uploaded by the end of the week)
You'll find pearls interspersed with a multitude of natural and semiprecious beads,and if you add unconventional elements to these stones such as feathers, sea glass, and found objects, it will give you a look all your own!

Crafty Bastards

Come one, come all!! Spencer of Team 8 Press,(my hubby to be) and I will be in DC this weekend working the scene at the Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair. Checking out all the cool hand made stuff. So you should come too!! Let me know if you have any questions about the event or you can check it out on your own. See you soon!!

Every Dollar Helps

This is the last week to turn in your Change-for-a-10 dollars, so if you too are one of those people waiting until the last minute, please don't wait any longer, get yours done today!!

Change is in the air

It's that time of year again, fall, a change of season, back to school for some of us and while we are all thinking of these things let's think mostly of change. Art 180 is celebrating it's 10th anniversary with The Change for a Ten campaign. Having supporters of it's program raise awareness and funds for everything that Art 180 represents. You may ask "how can I help?", well, you can make your own statement by making a piece of art that represents what CHANGE you want to see in the community and send it in with your $10 donation that will help fund future programs for children. So please check out ART 180 and all of the wonderful things that they do in our community.

Also Known as Love

It's been a while since I have had the time, energy, strength and passion to write for myself. I am begining the slow, but necessary process of pulling myself out of my slump and will come to create again. I am inspired today by a lady 10 years my junior, who has seen war, and the great sadness that comes with that and is being an inspiration to herself and others through her creativity. Fifteen year old refugee Lovetta Conto came from war torn Liberia and has since moved to the United States where she has started her own campaign for hope and awareness through art and her jewelry business AKAWELLE. Please check out this amazing story and get to see her beautiful jewelry as well.

Precious Things

I am having one of those reflective moments we have in life, when we have lost something dear to our hearts. Carra Jacqueline Sowers Rose, my grandmother, namesake and one of the most beautiful people that I know has passed away after 72 amazing years in this life. I will post late the piece that I am making in honor of her. I just wanted to take this moment to remember.

North Side Craft Show!!

Come out to the best craft show to hit RVA!! I will be out at The Ginter Park spring craft show this Saturday, May 17 from 10am to 4pm at Lewis Ginter Recreation association [3421 Hawthorne avenue on the Northside] It's got a ton of local artists including Team 8 Press, and of course my self. Come and check it out!!

CRAFTONISTAS MAY FAIR!!!!!

I am excited to announce that I will be taking part in the Designer and Artist Fair hosted by Virginia Craftonistas. It will be held on Saturday May 10th at the Clarendon Grill, 1101 N Highland Street in Arlington VA. So come out for good food and great Art from 10 am to 4 pm. If you have any questions about the event feel free to contact me.

Digital Drama

I am trying to be a good girl and be more involved with the community, especially the art community. So as a result I went with some lovely friends of mine to the symposium that VCU + ETSY + QUIRK held and I learned a bit about the way the internet market, of which I am really hesitant still, works with and against the community market. I have made it a focus of mine to try to work as local as possible and have yet to use my website as little more than a visual tool, a portfolio of sorts, to promote my work. I would like to sell online but this raises issues of where I am shipping to. So I am looking into it a bit more and I might have my own ETSY shop soon. Which I will let everyone know when that happens. If not that a bit more user friendly Facemetal site that the Richmond Locals can shop at and I can deliver the goods locally. If anyone has anything to say about this I'd love to know what my adoring public has to say.

Visiting New Territory

In recent days I have gone into uncharted territory with my jewelry and I am really enjoying the results. Spencer Hansen of Team 8 Press and my fiancée (had to slip that one in), just finished a collaboration project and I am very impressed with the results. He designed, and illustrated a very simple feather design and we did a 2 color screen print on recycled leather. I then affixed the finished small print to a hammered silver necklace with cast twigs and the ending result can be seen at Chop Suey on Cary street. I haven't gotten a photo of it yet but that will come soon.

On Mindfulness......

I am in a time of meditation about where I will take my next step forward in my work, my art and my life. I have been thinking about this step in my creative process and the time that I take to research what I feel I should be doing next, looking for the next step, rather than grabbing aimlessly, it makes for a softer landing.

on Mindfulness...
Mindfulness is the state of being mindful. To be mindful is to be aware of one's thoughts, actions or motivations. Mindfulness (Pali: Sati; Sanskrit:smṛti स्मृति ) plays a central role in the teaching of the Buddha where it is affirmed that 'correct' or 'right' mindfulness (Pali:sammā-sati; Sanskrit samyak-smṛti) is an essential factor in the path to liberation. It is the seventh element of the Noble Eightfold Path, the sadhana of which is held in the tradition to engender 'insight' and 'wisdom' (Sanskrit: prajñā).

So with that thought, statement and rambling, I will take some time to research and meditate on my next step.

¡Feliz cumpleaños a mí!

Ahh, as another year passes I will reflect on the growth and change that I am so proud of myself for. I have set goals and achieved them, except for winning the lotto, but I will get there in good time. I just want to take a moment to thank everyone in my life who has had any part in making this all possible, friends, family and lovers. I love you all and you have made my dreams and passions a tangible reality, thank you. So, ¡Feliz cumpleaños a mí! I got my wish!!!

HASHing out New Ideas

I have been in a bit of an artistic slump lately. Everyone goes through periods of this in their life, but for artists, I have found it to be a bit of a nightmare. I rely on my work to be new and exciting. So I am going through this when I have to stop off at Quirk on Broad St. to check in on my work and see how everyone there is doing. I walk in and I am standing in front of a wall of Arthur Hash's work. I went to school with Arthur back in the day, and I have seen him here and there on the scene in RVA but you know how life is, busy. So I haven't really paid attention to his work in a while. I would just like to say, the man is doing well. His works were beautiful and inspiring. So to cut a long and drawn out story short, I became inspired and I will let you know what happens later. Here is to inspiration, thanks Arthur.

spRING Fever

It's the bitter end of February and spRING Fever is in the air! You know you want them, the newest hottest rings around. I have been checking out a lot of sites lately and I have been seeing the alternative resources for metal rings come up a lot lately. My favorite material is very renewable and EVERYWHERE this spring...WOOD. Yes, wooden rings are awesome and I have a few here to share. I am playing with different accent materials and painted wood. I really like where this is going so let me know if you do too. The rings below clockwise from the top are: white painted wood ring with reclaimed rhinestones($35), black painted wood ring with copper embellishment($28), clear coated Poplar with silver tube($40), and carved Delrin($22).
Other cool sites to check out wooden rings:
Simply Wood Rings
Tropical Grains
Touch Wood Rings

BRICK

OK, so this one is going to be shameless and quick. I am on the cover of BRICK and there is a really good article that corresponds. You should check it out. Pls K Thx!

Stuff

As more and more of my attention is focused toward the part I play on this earth I can't help but note that not everyone thinks the same way. As a society we have been told to consume to be good little Americans. We are given incentives, credit cards and guilt trips to fuel the fire that isn't necessary. We obey and as a result, we have undoubtedly trashed our planet to the point of crisis and now are wondering, What Happened? We happened, we have to be better at how we handle the fragile ecosystem we have been place in. We have to work for a style of life that isn't toxic; not only for our planet and ourselves but for the future generations that have yet to be. I am providing a link to The Story of Stuff, a quick insightful clip about our consumer habits and what we need to do to get them in check. Thank you.

I *heart* Craft

To be able to live in a place so endlessly rich with treasures for the sprit is satisfying beyond any measure. I find with every passing day that Richmond has so much to offer its’ citizens. This past weekend for example: Environmental film fest at the Byrd, presidential candidates at the Siegel Center, and the one I did get to attend, The Richmond Craft Mafias' crafter’s social at the Camel, 1621 W Broad St, Richmond, VA.
A very awesome group of talented individuals gathered under the banner of craft and formed the group in 2005. It has been a growing force in Richmond ever since. I had the grace of time on my side this afternoon and got to meet and greet the peeps that are making it happen. For more info on the group, check out the site!

'tis the Season!

As winter passes into spring, it also brings about the season's most wonderful phenomenon, Spring Brides!! I wanted to touch on the subject for the many lovely ladies in my life that have this wonderful event ahead of them. As overwhelming as they can be, weddings are a wonderful time for everyone as long as they are well planned for. Having the finer details tended to by people who are suited to that specific job make the brides wedding plans flow that much smoother. Why not dole out jobs that you would rather not do, like menu planning, organizing the guest list and coordinating the many outfits and gowns with accessories. So many areas of a wedding party are touched by jewelry that it is essential to pay attention to detail. By having one person cater to all the areas of the weddings jewelry, from the brides maids, to the mother's and especially the brides, you create a flow and unity to the look of the wedding that is often overlooked. I have fashioned a look for several different weddings that set them apart from the rest by creating the linear progression that the brides craved. Here is just a sample of what I can do. Please let me help to minimize what you have to think about on your special day by creating a unique and individual experience just for you.

I would love to be a part of your wedding! So if there are any questions that I can answer I would love to sit down and talk with you about what you have in mind. Thank you so much.

Carra

New Visions New Ventures

Hello again from the depths of the basement studio. It's Sunday and that means I get to rave about my soap-box issue of the week. This week it will be about how awesome the people are at New Visions New Ventures in downtown RVA. I am currently attending a business planning class there and I cannot stop talking about it. They are a non-profit group that helps women entrepreneurs get ahead in the business world by building skills and confidence. I am fortunate to have such a resource at hand starting my business. It is definitely worth checking out the site, I have a link below.

I will have cool new rings out next week. Just in time for Valentines Day! Very neat wooden rings with sterling silver inlay and some with crystals inset. These are a hot new item that I have been seeing come up on the scene more and more. I hope that you like the way I am going to interpret them.

Last but not least, Valentines day is fast approaching and for anyone that wants to buy their sweetheart a gift should check with me for options and possibilities. I have lots of cool stuff for the adventurous type and I can also make custom work if it needs to be toned down a bit.

Thanks everybody. Tune in next week for more exciting news and cool jewelry. Hopefully the rings will be a hit.

Mouse Trap Jewelry

As promised I am updating my site every Sunday, so people can keep up with the awesomeness. This past week was not as eventful as hoped but I did finish and Have submitted this FUN piece that I made for Ready Made Magazine. They are a fun publication that encourages and supports the do-it-your-self crowd. Check out the link below to see what they are about. I will update further when all entries have been submitted and I know what has happened to my piece.

This week also marks the beginning of the fantastic jewelry class that I teach at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond on Main st. It's a great way for kids from 8-12 to get a better idea of what art can be. Not only do they have MY fantastic jewelry class but many other various forms of art as well. Check out the link to the site in the side bar to see what classes are coming up next. I am also teaching a class further into the spring. I will give an update on that before registration begins.

Last but not least, Valentines day is fast approaching and for anyone that wants to buy their sweetheart a gift should check with me for options and possibilities. I have lots of cool stuff for the adventurous type and I can also make custom work if it needs to be toned down a bit.

Thanks everybody. Tune in next week for more exciting news and cool jewelry.

Copper Skull Pendant made by Skull-a-Day creator Noah Scalin

This was an awesome piece that Noah had asked for my help on for his Skull-A-Day project. He came up with the image of this cool skull and I helped him create it from copper sheet. This was a great project and I had a blast teaching Noah how to work with metal! I will be making a limited edition of 5 of these in sterling silver and selling them for $300 each. Please email me for more details or you can Buy Now by selecting the button below.