Poppytalk Handmade Market

Thanks to Jan over at Poppytalk for including me in this month's Poppytalk Handmade Market!

It is the month long Holiday Madness & Boxing Sale Marketplace! Dec 15 - Jan 09/09

Stop by to see some of the beautiful work she has chosen this month...I may have to get myself some treats for the new year!

ohio love

Exclusively available at Tigertree in the Short North.... my signature Ohio pendants, now in satin finish sterling AND a beautiful oxidized sterling silver. Give your loved ones some Ohio love this Christmas!

Drive By Collection

Over the course of the past several years in looking through atlases on a daily basis, I've become aware of the sheer number of towns with funny names... some even have an interesting history to go along with them. One that sticks out in my memory is Utopia, Ohio...now a ghost town after the Ohio river flooded and wiped out a majority of the population in 1847.

In all my traveling this summer, I began to take notice of interesting road signs and started a collection... here are some of the highlights.

Hungry Mother State Park, Virginia
Maybe a good spot for a camping trip? Why do I imagine wild starved mother bears?

Bloody Basin Rd in Mayer, Arizona... a road I think I'll avoid.

I'll avoid the Horsethief as well...

Bumble Bee, Arizona (now a ghost town) and Crown King, Arizona a 'living' ghost town where over $2,000,000 in gold was extracted from the Crowned King mine back in the gold rush era, and the saloon was carried in by mule back from a neighboring mining town. What...no services?

And my favorite... Bland, Virginia.

For some reason, taking this exit didn't seem all that appealing.

Recent Sounds in my Studio...

Some recent favorites frequently heard in my studio... some are new albums this year, and some are old favorites that were rediscovered over the past several months.

I saw the Swell Season show in September and was completely blown away.... it is comprised of members of the Irish band the Frames and features Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard (the couple in the movie Once). It was just awesome... Glen is passionate like no other musician I have ever seen perform. The above poster was screen printed by local artist Clinton Reno.

Camera Obscura "Let's Get Out of This Country"

Always a favorite... Neil Young's "Harvest"

Bell Orchestre "Recording a Tape the Color of Light"
I saw them play a couple years ago at the Wexner, and this album is always one that I go back to.

Fleet Foxes [self titled album]
I am still kicking myself for not going to see them play when they came to town. One of my favorite moments this summer was driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina when their song "Blue Ridge Mountains" came on the radio. It was no less than perfect.
Here's a photo I took on that drive to put it into context.

MGMT "Oracular Spectacular"

Wendy Sutter and Philip Glass "Songs and Poems for Solo Cello"

I've always been a huge fan of Philip Glass, so I am always on the look out for new recordings. My love for his music was reignited this spring when I was in Ann Arbor, Michigan on a trip to see the Dalai Lama speak. Philip Glass was a participant in a panel discussing Buddhism, philosophy, and how it influences creativity and art. I was pleased to find this album released this year. His compositions performed on cello...it doesn't get much better than this.

Mr Postman...

Yesterday's packages before they went out to the post office...

Holiday Essentials for the Gentleman

Thanks to everyone who came out to the North Market yesterday in spite of the snow storm and terrible road conditions! It was a great time as always!

I was pleased to find that I've received some recent press for my Antique Map Cufflinks!

The cufflinks were mentioned as one of the items in Yahoo Canada Lifestyle's Holiday Essentials Guide for the Gentlemen.... you can read the article here.


And... there was a feature in Out Magazine's StyleList! Check it out here!

I am completely floored by the press... time to get in the studio and start cutting and soldering cuff links!
I recently received a note from some fantastic customers, Adka and Ivan in Prague, thanking me for the cufflinks I made for their wedding. Included in their online wedding album was this photo of Ivan wearing his new cufflinks!

Holiday Sale!

My last sale of the winter holiday season is tomorrow, Saturday 8am - 5pm, at the historic North Market in downtown Columbus Ohio! Come on out for the holiday festivities...live music, free holiday samples from the delicious food vendors, xmas trees, and MANY handmade goodies!

Stop on by my table upstairs for some great deals!

I'll be offering a special on all earrings in stock. Get $5 off your purchase of any 2 pair, or $8 off when you purchase 3 pair. A great deal for those last minute stocking stuffers.

I will also be offering free shipping for any custom orders of my sterling silver map jewelry placed at the market. A truly unique and personalized gift for those on your holiday list.

Custom map jewelry available to order in time for the holidays:

Pendants $60
Cufflinks $105
Lapel Pins $60

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I am sitting here watching the Macy's parade with Tristan, as is tradition before the rest of a weekend of Thanksgiving festivities begins. There is so much to be thankful for this year...

... one being a huge thanks to all of my customers and supporters over the past couple of years who have made my jewelry business possible!
I just posted some new items in my Etsy shop in honor of the day, and am offering a Thanksgiving weekend special. If you mention my Thanksgiving blog post in the 'notes to seller' on your Etsy order, I will give you 10% off your entire order.

Please wait for a revised Paypal invoice pior to submitting your payment. This is valid until Sunday 11/30 at midnight EST. This offer can be used one time and is not valid with any other specials in my shop.


Thanks again for a great year and enjoy the weekend spending time with your friends and family! Warm wishes! :) Anne

TINY CANARY this weekend!

Can you tell I've been busy getting ready for Tiny Canary? I haven't posted anything here for a month ago when the planning was seriously getting underway!...

Well, let the countdown begin... Tiny Canary is tomorrow! YES tomorrow!!! Hope to see you there!

For 2 days, Junctionview Studios in Grandview will be transformed into a temporary marketplace where you will have the opportunity to buy directly from local and regional artists and designers.
Skip the mall, buy handmade, and start your holiday shopping early! You are sure to find original, high quality handmade gifts for all those on your list!

Be one of the first 100 guests in the door each day and you will receive an organic cotton tote bag filled with samples, coupons and other goodies from our vendors and sponsors.

Food and refreshments will be available from Rad Dog, Pattycake Bakery and Kevin's Espresso Cart. Admission and parking are FREE!

Visit the Tiny Canary website for directions and a preview of the participating vendors.
Inquiries? Contact thebird@tinycanary.com.

Tiny Canary Preview

I can't believe it has already been a year since the first Tiny Canary event! Aline and I have been working tirelessly to get the 2nd annual event organized, marketed and promoted... and it's going to be a good one!

I am fortunate to have such an awesome friend to work with who shares such similar views in just about everything. Between political rantings and having a sounding board for frazzled nerves, we seem to find this balance that allows us to be super productive. Somehow while managing our individual businesses, checking out the latest political news, teasing each other to no end, and being moms to two energetic boys... at the end of the day, we actually have accomplished quite a bit.

The vendor list is just about finalized and the beautiful posters and postcards are being delivered today... ready to spread around the city.

Plan to save some of your holiday budget to stop by November 15-16, there will be some perfect gifts to give, and they are all handmade!

Here is a little preview...

For the Fashionable Man...

Customized cufflinks as seen on Uncrate.com

Supermarket HQ... feature of the day!

Everyone is crazy about the map jewelry!

Check it out here!

Every location on Earth...

...well almost! You can now have a custom heirloom made with five of your favorite locations!

Now available in my Supermarket shop, a enviable custom vintage map bracelet. You have your option of oxidized sterling (as pictured) or a lovely mirror polished sterling silver.

Entirely hand fabricated, and each link individually soldered; this bracelet is extremely durable and will last for years and years to come.

Weekend Event!

Well, I can now say I survived my first hurricane... I never thought I'd say that living in Ohio. After 75-80 mph winds rushed through last Sunday, losing some of the largest and most beautiful trees in the neighborhood, days of power outages, canceled school and cleaning up the mess left behind... we are about back to normal again.

School starts again tomorrow for Tristan after 4 days off and I'm heading downtown to the riverfront to set up for the By Hand Riverfront Arts Festival at Genoa Park.

This will be my last major outdoor show for this year, and I have hopes for beautiful weather!

The preview event starts Friday from 5pm-10pm. Then continues Saturday from 10am-10pm, and Sunday 10am-5pm.

For more details you can visit the website here.

Many thanks!

It's been quite the whirlwind of a summer, I am working consistently trying to keep up between biweekly traveling out of town to sell my work at art festivals and filling all my internet orders.

June has been, to date, my best sales month ever thanks to all the recent interest, press and new shops selling my work! I appreciate everyone's enthusiasm about my work more than I can even express.

I will say, that at times I feel completely overwhelmed, but in reality, all the endless hours of work in my studio are some of the most satisfactory moments! I feel I need to pause from my hectic schedule to make a public note of appreciation.

I finally am doing what I have wanted to do my entire life and have been supporting my little family for well over a year now on my jewelry sales alone. I feel humbled by the recent attention, but rather proud to have been able to achieve what I have over the past 8 years struggling to keep my goals a priority while navigating through the challenges of single parenthood.

I don't know that I would have believed that making my living by doing this was even possible it if you told me 6 years ago, as I was balancing a full load of classes, two jobs, and putting together a thesis show while being a full time single parent of an active and curious 2 year old.
My persistence and focus have seemed to have worked to my benefit, always telling myself to never give up or compromise any of my goals.

I am so gracious to all who have been purchasing my work, and flattered to be making objects with such a personal significance that will be a conversation piece for years to come. Thank you to everyone who has helped to make my aspirations come to a reality.

Maps Featured in the Storque

Thanks to Etsy for selecting my Custom made Map Pendants as the Etsy Find of the Day in the Storque today!

Three Rivers

Come find me this weekend Friday through Sunday in Downtown Pittsburgh at the Three Rivers Arts Festival. I am at Booth #67.

In Remembrance

Today, I completed my piece for the Anti-War Medals exhibit at the Shaw Contemporary Jewelry Gallery in Northeast Harbor, Maine.

The Anti-War Medals exhibition was first shown in November 2003 at Velvet da Vinci in San Francisco as a response to the War in Iraq. The exhibition then toured during 2004 and 2005, adding new pieces in each country where the show appeared. The expanded exhibition with 200 artists from 16 countries returned to Velvet da Vinci in November 2005, as a response to the continuing war and occupation in Iraq.

The exhibition revived in October 2007 at Thomas Mann Gallery I/O in New Orleans, with some of the original pieces and many new ones, will continue to travel for as long as there is interest.

The next stop is Northeast Harbor, Maine at Shaw Jewelry, with an opening date of July 17, 2008.

I wanted to create something that recognizes the lives lost during times of war, most of which are deaths of innocent civilians, as well as honor those who lost their lives in the service. This is such a potent subject, it is difficult to create a piece to represent my feelings about war in general and the current conflict. I sat on this for a few months trying to find the best way to portray these feelings as a war medal.

I researched the total casualties since the beginning of the Iraq war... which unfortunately are increasing each day that the war goes on... these are the total deaths by country as of June 5, 2008.

Sounds in the Studio

Besides the massive thunderstorms and rain beating on the roof of the warehouse, the sound of the keys clicking on my laptop as I am returning emails and ordering supplies, and the scanner doing it's scanning thing. Today is the business and paper work side of things.. hopefully later this afternoon I'll be back to hammers and fire. The noisy and more dangerous parts of my day! :)

I am currently listening to these albums on repeat.. they seem to fit my mood well this week...

Fionn Regan : The End of History



Death Cab for Cutie : Narrow Stairs


Rupa and the April Fishes : Extraordinary Rendition

New Retail Shop : Rare Device San Francisco

I am so pleased to bring the news today that I have a retail venue on the West Coast!

Check out Rare Device at 1845 Market Street in San Francisco. My custom map jewelry is also available for purchase on the Rare Device online shop.


It is quite an honor to be selling here amongst so many talented designers. It is a lovely store... where I had absolutely no will power last time I visited the city and picked up some amazing items for my home!

Including these beautiful prints by Camilla Engman. (one of these days I'll actually find the time to get them properly hung on my wall.)