Final Orders of 2011

The final orders of 2011: Two pairs of India Paisley Drop earrings and two pairs of Spring Flower earrings. They went to a friend which makes a fitting end to a good year.

Best wishes for a creative and energized 2012. I'll write about a creative challenge that I've signed up for soon. Do everything you can to stay healthy and happy and infused with art and music.

Copper Bird Ornaments

I am super pleased to be shipping custom ornaments already! Here is the debut of the new package!

Order yours here!

Experiment - October 2011

Fiddling around at the bench. I'm kind of digging these. Happened upon great light to photograph these (that always helps.)

Charming

A couple of sets of custom wine charms for a customer who order a bunch of sets of custom charms that I can't show (but they are along these lines with different words.)

Charming

International wine charms back in stock at Pairings in Winchester!  Lori & Ray have an amazing gem of a store - terrific wines, extensive cheese case (and all the things you need to make a last minute supper for people you like!) They also have a display of Moda di Magno jewelry. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by on Saturday nights from 4-7 for one of the most fun and informative wine tastings you'll ever attend. They are also hosting a fantastic Italian wine dinner on June 14th with Steven Chevalier of Ideal wines (my favorite wine guide!)  

Everybody likes to see their gems

At the request of more than one beloved customer I went into bead mode and everyone likes their gems on the blog - so here are four beaded necklaces of Amazonite and other delicious gems.  One more is in the works for a customer in Italy!  As I prepare for summer shows there will be additional beaded goodies - I'd forgotten how zen (and satisfying) it can be to arrange stones on a design board.

    

Heading to Original Souls!

Two special Lakshmi necklaces are headed to delightful gallery, Original Souls, in Ellicott City, Maryland. Good luck to Sheila Morrison & Company on their grand re-opening!

The Lakshmi-Jeni with vintage rosary beads, red aventurine, turquoise with sterling bali beads, Lakshmi - the goddess of beauty and prosperity in fine silver, red coral and white coral from Florida.

Lakshmi Bow

Garnet, amazonite, carnelian, Lakshmi with vintage carved wooden bead, red coral, citrine and turquoise.

The Wave Bezel Ring

The wave bezel ring with giant Turquoise cab that I thought would be easy to make. It was not, this was my fourth attempt - but I am really pleased with the final piece and I learned a lot. (Also I drank a lot of wine...) I'm going to work on a wave bezel pendant next.

Another view.

Custom Work

Am super pleased with this special mother's bracelet and coordinating earrings (we do not do matchy-match.)  More photos of another custom order tomorrow.

Serendipity

Serendipity is a propensity for making fortunate discoveries while looking for something unrelated. It's also what I'm wearing today. I'm gonna road test it and decide if it will be added to the line-up. Thoughts?

Lakshmi Clutch

Fine silver, bronze, Garnet, antique rosary bead & sterling silver.  India Elephant, Om, Lakshmi with a side of Lakshmi.

Celebrating 1000 posts on the other blog (and thanking a friend!)

The original Moda di Magno blog is 1000 posts old - and I celebrated with this post:

My friend and fellow jewelry designer Joanna has graciously consented to model a few pieces for me. It definitely helps people understand the length of certain pieces, but for me it provides design inspiration and a whole lot of laughs when we shoot. I'm so grateful to celebrate 1000 posts by saying THANK YOU to Jo!

Found: An object of awesome

So I was walking to the Post Office on Saturday to mail a pair of these to my Etsy Metal Clay teammate Judy when I noticed this piece of something in the gutter. My inside "declutter" voice said walk away, you don't need it. "OhmyGoditcouldbecool" voice said take a second look.  And I did. And I slipped it into my pocket and completed my task. I think it was an architectural detail from a dresser or other piece of furniture, it still has a nail in it as well as several nail holes. I knew in an instant I would use it to make a piece of jewelry. Below is the Gilda necklace. The first of its kind. I'm digging it.

Sterling chain and fine silver designs: The Gilda necklace (pron. Jill-dah not Gill-dah.)

Super talented friend Joanna modeling the Gilda necklace for me. Must remember to clean off Blackberry camera lens before taking pix!

One of the new goodies

Entitled 'Along Came Mary' - please know that I call this piece Hairy Tyler Moore to drive my husband nuts.  She'll be available soon on LoriMagno.com.  I'm just back from the Buyers Market of American Craft, entering orders (yay!) and updating the website with new retail locations (yay!) and playing catch up on a week away, but have no fear stylish people - fabulousness shall be upon you soon!

Who can turn the world on with her smile?