Earrings Inspired By Summer And The Sea

I have been working to create inventory for my next craft show in June. The one thing my customers love, especially in the summer, are earrings! So with that in mind, I created several pair all inspired by the colors and textures of summer; aqua, turquoise, sunset hued copper, ocean waves, sand, pebbles.

Marsha Neal Studio small ceramic pendants

bamboo 

brass

ceramic

copper

turquoise magnesite

copper

copper

Greek ceramic spikes

Greek ceramic discs

dyed rhodonite

brass

Next on my list are bangles and dangle style bracelets. What are you currently working on and how is summer influencing your designs? 

Aquatic Inspiration

Several weeks ago, I spent the day with my best friend and her family at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. It was quite a treat as I had never been there before. As always I brought my camera along! I finally got a chance recently to edit the photos (oh how I wish I had an assistant).

My friend's daughter Evelynne in awe of the neon fish swimming in one of the many aquarium tanks.

Some very unusual sea creatures...

 Evelynne was mesmerized by the jellyfish. I love the contrast of the aqua and orange.

Great summer color combination!

   These jellyfish looked as though they were floating in space!

Our aquarium adventure has brought inspiration of the sea, filled with color and texture!

Bead Star 2012 - Vote For Your favorites!

My necklace titled Woodland Path has made it into the top 20 for the Metals category of the Bead Star 2012 competition! I am so excited, this my first year entering the contest and I am honored to be part of some very talented company!

Materials:  brass leaves, antiqued brass leaf, organic shaped silver spacers, carved wood beads, 8mm agate beads, faceted tiger eye pattern Czech crystals, silver plated copper wire, aluminum wire.

 There are seven different categories that you can vote in:

Ceramics - Crystals - Glass - Metals - Pearls - Plastics - Stones

You can vote for your favorite at Bead Star.com between May 11th and May 28th. You will need to sign in/create an account with Beading Daily to vote. Beading Daily is a wonderful resource for jewelry artists and enthusiasts! Have fun!

First Craft Show Of The Season: Reston Craft Market

I participated in my first craft show of the season, the Reston Craft Market at Lake Anne Plaza. There are over 60 talented artists signed up for the market this year! I was thrilled to be included with these wonderful artisans. Within minutes of the market opening, people started coming into my booth. From that point on, I had a steady stream of visitors throughout the day! I met some really wonderful people and sold over half of my inventory, doubling the goal I had hoped to reach!

My awesome husband once again helped me throughout the entire day! I hope he realizes how much I appreciate and value his help-I couldn't have done it without him! His birthday is this weekend, I'll have to make sure it is extra special!

I didn't get a chance to take many photos, but these will give you an idea of my booth. I like to create a welcoming space for my customers. A few of them commented that it has a very zen like feel to it!

So I will be spending all of my free time creating inventory for my next show in June. Can't think of a better way to spend my time!

Oh, Hello Friend Reader Appreciation Week!

One of the blogs I follow, oh, hello friend is having a reader appreciation week filled with giveaways and awesome deals! If you aren't familiar with the blog, I highly recommend it. Danni covers a variety of topics including packaging, fashion, favorite finds and business cards (these are just some of my favorites). Enjoy!