NEW etsy work!

I've posted some of my new etsy items I've been making lately… so go check 'em out!

I heart this ceramic ring

How great are these? Ceramic rings inspired by Barbie!
via Mixko

I'm not sure whether to laugh or look away!

"Barbie hoodie"
via flickr

Ahahahahaha okay, I'm laughing… what? it's funny! and gross… and weird. and so me. Thanks for sharing Diem :-)

Alloy Gallery

New work recently sent to Alloy Gallery in Newport, Rhode Island:

Smiley Necklace on torque
Sterling silver, Barbie™ doll smiles, resin.

I will likely make another version of this necklace at some point in the near future, because it's an idea I'm really excited about. I've never built up in tiers before, and I like how it allowed me to really layer and overlap the smiles to make it feel even more "crowded." I was aiming to create a chaotic 'audience' feeling, which I think I achieved.

This piece was the biggest ordeal out of the whole grouping however. It was a huge learning experience and overall I'm okay with the results, but I still feel like I need to give it another go 'round with slightly different construction/format to feel like I've really satisfied the concept.

Smiley Necklace (detail)
Sterling silver, Barbie™ doll smiles, resin.

Blue Eye Clover Necklace
Sterling silver, Barbie™ doll eyes, resin.

I struggled with the design/layout of this necklace for quite a while. It sat on my table for weeks while I kept re-arranging the parts. In the end I decided to just pick an idea and run with it and I turned out being pleasantly surprised by the results. For one thing, it's super comfortable to wear and hangs beautifully. I would say it's much more exciting on the body than off. I wish I took a close-up photo of the hand-made chain. Each link has been individually hammered which gives it a really unique texture.

Make-a-Face Necklace
Sterling silver, Barbie™ doll parts, resin.

6 Pack Abs Ring
Sterling silver, Ken doll abs, resin.

Pure fun with this one. Can't wait to use the abs in other works!

5 Senses Earrings

Sterling silver, Barbie™ doll parts, resin.

Smile Bracelet in Pink
Sterling silver, Barbie™ doll smiles, pigmented resin.

I'm enjoying 'breaking out of the circle' lately. One of my favorite things about this style bracelet is the shaped wire lips toggle that threads through the pink circle at the other end for closure.

Artist I'm Loving…

Houston, Texas based photographer Cara Barer's work is a mix of sculpture and photography. Barer finds discarded books and transforms them; sometimes by soaking them in water for a few hours or by folding, bending and manipulating the book's mass. The resulting photos are beautiful kaleidoscopic images, with fluidity and balance transcending the books original form. I think they're just lovely. For many more images, visit her website.

© Cara Barer

© Cara Barer

"Half Price Books became a regular haunt, and an abandoned house gave me a set of outdated reference books, complete with mold and neglect. Each book tells me how to begin according to its size, type of paper, and sometimes contents. "
- Cara Barer

© Cara Barer

© Cara Barer

© Cara Barer

© Cara Barer

6 Pack Abs

6 Pack Abs ring
sterling silver, plastic Ken doll parts, resin. © Margaux Lange 2008.

Quite the cocktail ring, no?

new Thank You cards

I finally bit the bullet and decided to purchase custom thank you cards from uprinting.com They arrived the other day and I'm pleased with how they came out, color/paper wise. It's great because now I'll be even more inclined to send off quick notes to people.

I made the VERY stupid mistake however, of not putting the title of the piece, copyright, my website info, etc, on the back of the card! Wow, dummy. I considered printing a sticker with the info on it but it just seems like an extra annoying step, (though it would be less annoying than hand-writing it all every time) I'm afraid a sticker may also be kind-of cheesy looking… I may still do that though, we'll see. Any thoughts?

In honor of Anti-Procrastination Day

Anti-Procrastination Day: A self-imposed weekly nudge to make the things I've been putting off HAPPEN. Be it writing a thank you card, cleaning the kitty litter… or in this case: blogging! (An idea discussed during my "Get Organized" class - which has ended.) I thought I'd take this opportunity to get you caught up on what's been going on in my crazy busy life these days…

• Working as my own boss full time RULES. I couldn't be happier about this decision and the timing was perfect. I'm taking on new galleries, filling wholesale and custom orders and have found my studio routines are really shaping up. Thanks so much to all of you who commented and expressed your support about this decision.

• I have an intern! Ashley, or more appropriately "Awesome Ashley" has been helping me out in my studio for the past four weeks and she's fantastic! I feel really lucky to have such great help. (more on that in a future blog post…)

• Pop Culture Collision Exhibition opened at Shaw Jewelry Gallery in Northeast Harbor Maine, where my work was exhibited alongside incredible jewelers such as Harriet Estel Berman, J. Fred Woell and Robert Ebendorf (wowza!)

• Alloy Gallery in Newport, Rhode Island is exhibiting my one-of-a-kind works starting this month, so if you live nearby… go check 'em out.

• I made a new grouping of work for Julie Artisans' Gallery in nyc that will be for sale exclusively through their website… a new venture for that gallery. The work I made for them is part of my wholesale line, (so it's made in multiples.) This is a big change for us because for the past five years they've sold only my one-of-a-kinds. Their new improved website is due for its' reveal this fall, so stay tuned. Here are a few glimpses of the pieces for sale:

POP smile Necklaces $210

(POP smile detail)

Smile Cufflinks $170

'Have a Heart' Necklaces $180

• I'm on twitter! I just joined, inspired by the fabulous Megan Auman. I've added it to the sidebar on my blog so you can get to it that way as well.

• Something BIG is in the works that I hinted at a while back… unfortunately I still can't talk openly about it, but soon soon soon! I'm really sorry for the tease (…sort of ;-)

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Well, it's official. Starting next month, I will be 100% my own boss, full time! Yes, that's right, I am finally saying goodbye to additional income part-time jobs and hello to the successful future of MY jewelry business! I couldn't be happier with this decision (albeit a teensy bit scared…) This has been my BIG goal for quite some time, and one I had planned to accomplish before my 30th birthday, so it feels good to be on track.

It is bitter sweet saying goodbye to Swallow however. I've truly enjoyed working there, getting to know my fellow employees, and have learned a TON about the wholesale jewelry world. I especially will miss being in charge of display/merchandising as well as the rotating wall exhibitions. It was fun to get to "curate" for our lovely little boutique! I'm leaving very much on good terms and am glad to know that my employers are happy for me and the future of my business.

So here's to my new life! There's no looking back now… full steam ahead!

Swallow 361 Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. (Brooklyn, NY)

The Little Zoo Box photos © Elizabeth Soule.


For more gorgeous photos of the store, check out the flickr set.

100th Etsy Sale!

Well, it's happened: I've reached 100 sales on etsy… hooray! In celebration I'm offering FREE SHIPPING on all items in my shop for the next week. (Friday July 18th - Friday July 25th)

Have you been eyeing a piece of jewelry… now would be a good time to make your move!

Sincerest thanks to everyone who has supported and encouraged me and my etsy shop. Being a part of the etsy community has changed me in so many ways. Now here's to the next 100 sales… cheers!

New Header… WOO hoo!

I begged my web designer Dave (aka my boyfriend) to re-design the "Midge's Mind" header at the top of my blog tonight at around 12:15am ----this, just after having carried a 150 lb refrigerator down 5 flights of narrow stairs from an apartment in Manhattan, where it was then loaded into the car, and transported from the west village all the way to Brooklyn---- also at my request.

What…?! it was free and perfect for the studio!

I'm so spoiled.

So… what do you all think about the new header?!

Oh brother!

My online Get Organized class is going really well so far. The class is held entirely through a private blog, which I check a few times daily to retrieve our "lessons" and participate in class discussions regarding the information.

In the week since class began I've already cleaned out and re-organized my entire filing cabinet, as well as got a jump on cleaning out my e-files. The funny thing is: more important than the lessons we're learning from Alyson, -as fantastic as she is- it's about feeling encouraged and motivated. To have a teacher saying "OK, do this now" makes me feel held accountable, even if it is only in a 'virtual' sense (I'm such a student really.)

I've been enjoying the filing process. Those who know me, know I thrive on organization anyway, no big shocker there. However, the "fun" involved can really only be attributed to one very important factor: my new Best Friend.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like you to meet my brother:

Wow. I don't know how I lived my life without him prior to this week! This little tool makes me want to label my ENTIRE house, no joke. I've used a label-maker plenty of times before, (in fact we use this exact model at my part-time job) and I've always wanted to buy one for myself, but couldn't justify the cost because I didn't think I really needed one. Man oh man, was I ever wrong to hesitate. Alyson suggested buying one to properly label all my files and I promptly made my way to the nearest Staples. At last …I finally had an excuse!

I am in love with this machine. I cannot recommend it enough. My files now look so beautiful and organized that I know I will actually want to use them regularly instead of letting piles build.

My brother might need a friend soon though, and I think I found just the thing to keep him company on my desk:

A mini filing cabinet that holds up to 800 business cards!
So much cuter than a rolodex!
(available via think geek)

What can I say? I'm a sucker for life in miniature.

Stop Motion Spaghetti

A good friend of mine sent this to me… I think it's so clever and well done, just had to share! Oh, make sure you have the sound on.

Credits:
"Western Spaghetti" 1:44
Written and Directed by PES
Animated by PES and Javan Ivey
Edited by Sam Welch
Produced by Sarah Phelps
Special Thanks: Mike Judge, Robert May, Rebecca Moline

Completed custom work

This weekend I finished up the custom POP smile necklace I've been working on and am pleased with how it turned out. Hopefully my customer will be too! She requested an adjustable extender chain for the cast hand clasp which worked out great. I decided to embellish the end of the necklace with a blood coral drop to tie in the red resin and complete the chain:

A custom grouping… all for my Biggest Fan in Texas!

And last but not least, a custom Have a Heart Bust pendant for a woman who designs for Mattel (!!) and also happens to do burlesque on the side - too fun and appropriate!

Boy oh Boy

Sometimes eBay persistence pays off! It's not always easy to find Ken dolls, particularly in big batches. I just won these two huge lots of Kens. I'm so excited… all those six pack abs! oooh-la-la ;-)

My love/hate relationship with eBay

eBay is just not what it used to be. I remember way back when (circa 2001) a gal could bid, say, $10 on a Barbie doll lot of 25 and end up winning the auction, no problem. Nowadays, it's like a major combat mission. I have to fight tooth and nail to win, and usually end up paying waaaay more money than I intended to.

Competition is the culprit in over-budget spending on an ebay lot. A nasty, addictive, little habit born of rage. I can totally set my limit and decide how much I want to spend on a particular item and then the second my bid is topped by another buyer, all that budgeting and rationale goes out the window and the anger of getting outbid compels me to bid again! …and again, and again.

And so it's true, the cost of discarded Barbie dolls has risen, quite dramatically. What is the world coming to? And why are so many other people buying used, out of the box, ratty-haired Barbie dolls far from vintage collector items? We all know why I am… but why are they damnit?!

Sorry, just a little frustrated at the moment.

I miss living in a town where my Saturday routine involved garage sale-ing all morning and coming home with huge loads of Barbie dolls - often at less than 50 cents a doll! Alas, life is just all around more expensive when you live in nyc.

I love this commercial so much:

Friday From the Bench

A messy overview of my epoxy table - custom works in progress.

Custom Shedding Tears necklace for a client, drying resin: first round.

Custom POP Smile necklace in progress, drying resin: first round.

This is a new POP smile necklace I started a while back, but the shape just isn't working yet. I need to play around with it some more this weekend and get it to look more "organic" (for lack of a better word.)

And I saved the best for last folks… I'm super excited about this little piece of plastic, can you tell what it is…?

…Ken's 6 Pack Abs! I have lots of ideas for designs using this body part, but first and foremost, a 6 Pack Cocktail Ring is definitely in order. Stay tuned :-)

T-shirt Art

I subscribe to an e-newsletter called brooklynbased highlighting all things hip-happenin' in the borough, and one of this week's features was about t-shirts:

"It’s difficult to pinpoint when t-shirts became a platform for art. But nowadays, a shirt can convey an artist’s statement, a political message, or an ironic image that takes the time a painting does to create."

My web designer boyfriend's daily work uniform consists of a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, so we're both usually on the lookout for unique, interesting designs for him to sport. Perhaps t-shirts really are just another form of "wearable art," at times just as expressive and thought-provoking as art jewelry. There's a lot of really great websites out there that feature t-shirts designed by artists…

via rumplo

This shirt available through rumplo was designed by Eduardo Recife, (I think? I couldn't actually find his name on the site…) He's a collage artist and typographer I'm a huge fan of. I had been coveting his dream print (the collage this t-shirt was based off of) for months until finally breaking down and buying it (via blue flip art):

San Francisco based Poketo is another fab company to check out. They produce limited editions of all sort of artist-designed goodies, including tees:

via poketo by artist betsy walton

Shirts have proven to be a practical, fun, and inexpensive way to support artists/designers. Of course buying directly from the artist themselves rules, and indie craft shows always have an over-abundance of art tees to choose from.

Threadless is also a really cool online venue for great tees. Designers send in submissions and viewers get to score the designs they like best. After the votes are tallied, threadless will print the most popular t-shirts:

Le Romantique by Matheus Lopes via threadless

I want to be friends by Steven Bonner via threadless

If humor/ironic shirts are your speed, these sites are always good for a laugh:
snorg
and
busted tees