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Archive for October, 2009

What’s Next?

October 24, 2009 | Filed under: Uncategorized

The Beyond the Valley Studio Tour is over and it was a huge success! Thank you everyone who came out to this exciting event. It is always exciting to show one’s work and have it appreciated. All the artists in our group work very hard to make this studio tour enjoyable and worth visiting. They strive to provide new and wonderful creations for you to see, admire and perhaps take home. We, as a group, were very fortunate to be featured on Morning CHCH TV, the Friday before the tour. Lori DeAngelis interviewed each artist and Nick the camera man helped to make us and our work look great. This was done at Scott Barnim’s studio and we started at 10 to 6 in the morning. Then, on Saturday the Dundas Star News came by and snapped a photo of Michelle Guitard (my guest painter) and me which appeared on this week’s front page. It is wonderful to be supported by the community. But that is not all! A CHCH TV cameraman came by on Saturday and our group was again on Channell 11-this time the news at 6.30 and 11. This was wonderful publicity for us!!

What’s next you ask? I will be at the McMaster Museum of Art, Nov. 11, 12, & 13 for the MacFair. I was there last year and enjoyed it very much. 1400 people came through in 3 days. Please check my events page for hours. Free Admission.

I have had to replenish my inventory after the studio tour. So be prepared to see new designs in silver pieces and of course new stones. A new source has provided some unusually shaped decorative silver for me to use. I will also be dabbling in other metals such as copper and brass (chains). There will be more lapis lazuli evident. I often only have 1 or 2 pieces with this stone, but I will have more as I have found some beautifully shaped natural lapis and am looking forward to working with this wonderfully blue gemstone. Mother of pearl in different shapes and tones will also be featured. Look for grey, taupe combinations along with silver accents. Should be yummy!

I have several fundraisers and home parties on my schedule. If you have an interest in hosting either, please email me. 15% of sales in product or cash go the host.

My last major event is my Christmas Open House-which is always the first week end of December. More details later.

Posted by Stephanie @ 7:56 pm | Comments

BEYOND THE VALLEY STUDIO TOUR in DUNDAS–OCT. 17 & 18-this weekend!!

October 15, 2009 | Filed under: Uncategorized

The Beyond the Valley Studio Tour is upon us. Visit 7 studios this Saturday and Sunday and see 12 artists and their work. Right now it seems hard to believe and I wish that I had one more week.
Nevertheless there is lots to see, and it promises to be a sunny week end, altho looking outside at the weather today, the sun looks like it will never return.
Tomorrow early morning (Friday) our group will be on the a.m. show on Channel 11. I always wonder who is up that early (I am not a morning person). Many people it appears, as I met quite a few who had seen our segment when it aired the last time.

See you this week-end!!

Posted by Stephanie @ 10:52 am | Comments

Colours of Rome, Italy!

October 5, 2009 | Filed under: Uncategorized

Rome is a fashion hotbed! Men and Women are well dressed and have lots to choose from as boutiques abound. I did not see large, all inclusive department stores, but perhaps they are there.
Small shops with personal service, but touching is not encouraged. Show the salesperson what you would like to see in your size and out it will come. And the colours!!! Purple and Grey in every window! In many shades. At the end of our trip we had one more day in Rome and the windows were changing to fall colours–Dark Purple and Dark Grey!!.
Now the jewellery was eclectic except for the abundance of coral and turquoise as mentioned in my previous post. Long chains, short chains, in a variety of stones or just metal or silver or gold-many necklace styles.
Pearls in various sizes were definitely an “in” item.
For the BEYOND the VALLEY STUDIO TOUR on Oct. 17 and 18 (the week end after Thanksgiving), I will have baroque pearls in 14 mm. sizes on chains, bracelets and also earrings. There will also be flat and pear shaped baroque pearls. Some very interesting looks.
“What is new?”, you ask. Well lots of new stones such as striped onyx,
black rutilated quartz, moonstone in various shades, hypersthene, tri-colour agate (green,orangy brown, pale neutral) and also many new shapes in amethyst, chalcedony, lapis lazuli, black onyx, fluorite and blue iolite and the list could go on and on.
Our brochures have gone out and no doubt you have yours in hand by now. If you need any more, send an email to me and I will mail out some brochures or deliver if you are local.
And now back to work.

Posted by Stephanie @ 11:25 am | Comments

Back from Amazing Rome and the Amalfi Coast in Italy

October 1, 2009 | Filed under: Uncategorized

It is hard to believe that we are now back from 15 amazing days in Italy. We spent 5 days in Rome and 10 days on the Amalfi Coast with close friends. An incredible experience that I will treasure. While in Rome we walked everywhere. (Rome is very hilly so this was quite the exercise). We toured the Vatican (saw the Pieta which Michelangelo sculpted while he was in his 20’s) with a private guide. An excellent way to see the sights and you get to bypass all the crowds of tourists-well worth the extra Euros. We visited the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Forum and many, many churches (saw Michelangelo’s Moses in a small one) and basilicas. The decoration in the churches (and the Vatican) was almost unbelievable in its sumptiousness (hope that is the correct spelling or at least a word). But unfortunately as in many places in the world, attendance is down greatly.
Rome is full of grand buildings and many streets are still cobblestoned. It is a treat just to walk around. There are many piazzas or squares in Rome often with an important piece of sculpture or a large fountain anchoring the space. We were in Piazza Nuovo which has an Egyptian obelisk as well as a fountain. (there are 24 known Egyptian obelisks and 14 are in Italy). Cafes line the piazzas and it is very pleasurable and encouraged to sit, drink vino and watch the crowds go by. The Trevi fountain was magnificent as was the Victor Emmanuelle Monument. Pictures do not do these magnificent sculpures any justice. You just have to be there. The food was excellent-pizza is considered a snack and somewhat different from ours with a thinner crust. We found different restaurants for every meal, always ate al fresco, and were never disappointed.
And the shopping! I of course visited jewellery stores and was amazed to see stones and designs similar to what I create. It was so inspiring! And Italian women wear jewellery all the time.
Corals and Sleeping Beauty turquoise from the U.S. could be found in every jewellery store. The corals came in many different shades from bright red to soft pinks. I am hoping to have some pieces with coral ready for the Beyond the Valley Studio Tour which is the week end after Thanksgiving. If not then, there definitely will be pieces at my Open House the first week end of December.
Another thing worth mentioning is the traffic and drivers in Rome. It is fast, and frenetic. Scooters and motorcycles of all kinds abound. Not unusual to see a women in heels or man, in a suit with a briefcase on a scooter, obviously going to work. Public transportation is efficient and much easier to use. There are no lines or queues so you have to learn to push your way into a bus or train. But I would not want to drive in Rome!
When the passengers from our flight were disembarking in Rome, I noticed that a woman was wearing one of my amber necklaces. It was quite a thrill for me to see this and I must say that it looked superb on her. Next-The Amalfi Coast.

Posted by Stephanie @ 7:43 am | Comments


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