Ensō jewelry

Oh , Yeah....(features at Modish and HeySusy)

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:03:00 +0000

Modish. I'm in it today.

What can I say, I read it religiously, I do.

Also in the press clippings:

Clean, modern and totally full of great picks there's Hey Susy . The business end, Susyjack is verra verra nice too, chock full of the cute, fresh look that I love so much for paper. When I clean up properly I'm treating myself to the studio clips.

Feature - Kath Inglis

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:55:00 +0000

Holy cow, is this stuff cool. It renders me pretty inarticulate actually, other than to be in love with the simplicity of this idea, and the execution. They're actually flexible bands of PVC - carved carefully into these elaborate patterns and wired together with sterling.

So here's another.

Clicking on either will take you to her etsy shop - wearnoevil.etsy.com.
Kath's work can also be seen on her personal site, split with studio mate Naomi Schwartz.
www.sodaandrhyme.com

Featured

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:15:00 +0000

I'm so thrilled. Pravina Studio (who makes lovely bags, BTW) has picked me for a feature on her lovely, sophisticated, dream of a blog Heartland.

It's always nice to be featured, but it's *especially* nice to be featured on one of the few blogs you were following the feed of pretty religiously. If you haven't checked her out, do - not simply because I'm there, it's got tons of its own merit.

It's basically a serious answer to anyone who thinks that flyover land is, well, flyover.

Since it's inspiring to try and stay on top of culture instead of just being a beading shut-in, I've got to get to the Richard Prince show at the Walker before it's over. I'd hate to miss this one.

I've been doing a lot of non-wovens lately, they're kind of freeing and spontaneous. But I've got a great woven piece in the works today, glass and pearl, too!

Silver Pinch

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:44:00 +0000

Live Spot Silver

Ouch. I just wanted to say that. Just got some wire and 1000 new little seamless sterling rounds.

I also wanted to complain, in public, about the difficulty in finding seamless 2mm 14/20 gf. I won't bother with 12/20, and all the 14/20 I find, just about, other than one place in Canada (argh!) has "nearly undetectable seams"

well that's great, except the wirework I do tends to bear down on them enough to squish them into little donuts that slide off the beadwork. One can imagine how pleased I am if this happens not at the start of a row of weaving, but as I'm wrapping one up.

Also 30ga DS wire in 14/20 gf. Nonexistant. The Yeti of wire. And I'm a pretty savvy shopper.

That said, it's almost Music Friday again. Comments or no comments I'm pressing on!

Sweeney Bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:54:00 +0000

It's so hard to "get" garnets in a photo - I'm not sure this does, really.

Fully woven, plus size (8.5in) bracelet in sterling and amazing smooth garnet drops.

I have the most amazing strand of pearls to play with - they're "druzy" pearls, very round with a blistered, druzy-like texture - they look kind of like sugar beads, but they're pearls. I have no idea what will become of them - frankly I bought them with the intent of making very demure simple earrings on blackened sterling with these little 8 mm dangles. They're SO pretty.

Music Friday

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:03:00 +0000

Ok, time for a new blog feature here - there's only so much staring at my jewelry I can do. I'm a huge music dork and I find these little playlist tools insane amounts of fun. I'm pleased that there's some non-crappy songs to pick from. Some people shoot lots of pics of their work space to get you to know a little more about them - picture a messy desk and you've got mine. If you really want to know more about what my work environment is like, I invite you to hang out in my auditory environment on Fridays.

Trivia extra - can anyone else find the MIS LABELED track here? Hint: it's one of the older songs. Find it, comment here with some way of emailing you, and I'll email you a fifteen percent off code for EITHER of my etsy shops (enso.etsy.com or bombalurina.etsy.com)

The Blame Game - and new earrings.

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:03:00 +0000

steely2
Originally uploaded by ensojewelry

I love using these vintage lucite beads as a base rather than the customary painted wood - where there is some show-through you can really get interesting color effects.

I'm getting testy about the tendency of people on etsy to be so much more worried about what everyone else is doing and trying to find some locus for blame whenever they're not selling.

If I'm not selling it's because there's so much vintage and supplies, or because someone has a lower price point, or because of foreign resellers, or batman, or bananas or the government --- enough already.

Take a look at your own shop and do something about it. Put a tenth of that energy into refining your work, your marketing, your promotion, and you won't have to blame anyone but yourself.

That's a good theme, actually. I did a craft fair where I really tanked lately - I did not do what I expected.

I could easily have blamed the fact that I was next to someone with lower priced merch and blame the shoppers, but no - I wasn't prepared, my stuff was not presented NEARLY as nicely as the seller next to me, I didn't go in with as much stock as I should have . It was me, all me, and an object lesson rather than something to beat myself up over! When I told my mother her first instinct was to ask "oh what was her work like" about the person next to me who was rocking - I told her no, that's not the issue, it was nice and it was all beautifully carded and displayed - I had fallen down on my job of making my stuff look its best and I was paying for it.

That's the only blame game I'm interested in, the one which makes me do better next time.

Ohm charm and chalcedony

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:14:00 +0000

ohm cu
Originally uploaded by ensojewelry

Looks like I made the etsy FP again today! (thanks for your vigilance, Carol Dean!) Orders have been coming in fairly consistently on top of the madness in my other shop. I think I'm going to shift focus to this line - I'm just enjoying making it more lately. I love old things and kitsch, but I feel like I'm just getting saturated on that.

I'm really excited for the next etsy beadweavers' challenge, which is basically just to show off as much as we're capable of doing. :) I have a whole mess of smooth garnet drops coming in, which weren't specifically for that, but I think they're going to be used in that capacity.

Re-photography pays off

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:36:00 +0000

I see a ton of "why am I not selling" posts on Etsy, and I have to say that 9 times in 10 the answer is clear. When you look at the shop, there's nothing compelling about the photos that says "buy me! buy me now! you MUST"

think about it. Every car ad, every fashion spread, every ad for frozen pizza - makes the product look sexy, huge, in-your-face and triggers desire. Are your photos triggering desire?

Here's a re-shoot of the ring from two posts down. Which would you want?

Notice it's not centered. You get a tiny tiny thumbnail on Etsy - if you can't make that thumbnail say "click me" you are wasting valuable opportunity. Centering is sometimes, not always, but sometimes, a visual snooze - where off-centering is dynamic and can create a sense of curiosity.

It doesn't have to be accurate representation of the whole - that's what the next photos are for, they add up to give the buyer a sense of the product. The first photo has one job and one only

"click me!"

I've been re-photographing everything and it's been paying off. Here's a photo of a pair of wrapped chalcedony earrings I've already sold out of and had to get more stones for, to make more. It's partly pricing, they're 24 bucks, it's partly simplicity and wearability - but I'd say MOSTLY it's this photo:

It's very backlit - it's kind of mysterious, and it hooks you in. Honestly they're pretty, but they're not the most exciting earrings I've ever made, however they are selling like they are. I think the photo really is the reason.

So, I guess if you're having a standstill, I'd say diversifying prices and promoting are good, compelling photos are better - retaking them every so often to combat visual fatigue is a really helpful selling tool, and cheap!

here is an update to "re photography pays off" - proof as I typed the entry - top line, right side.

synchronicity, indeed, but had I not changed my shots to something more compelling, I doubt it would have been there.

David Yurman, Eat This

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 19:06:00 +0000

It's beyond hectic here. I am gearing up for the No Coast Craft O Rama with my other line, and I've been selling heavily on that side of things, so I haven't had as much weaving time as I'd like with that going on.

However, I did finish up this major piece today. Ondine is just kyanite and sterling. The beads are wireworked. This is my new thing, as I've been struggling with the idea of cleaning/maintaining sterling jewelry on thread or fiber in the long term. It's not the the thread doesn't work at all, I just wanted the integrity of a piece which is just metal and stone. Yes they take forever and yes, they are priced as high quality bridge jewelry.

David Yurman eat this. Ha.

a new ring

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 03:55:00 +0000

Just a quick peek at my latest ring - green gold quartz and sterling.

Have you voted on the--- Etsy Beadweavers October Challenge

Fandom and first day on the job

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 05:34:00 +0000

I just found the YUMMIEST beadwork, by an Aussie artist. One of those enjoyable I love the internet moments when you find an aesthetic twin halfway around the world - her work and mine are in some ways frighteningly similar, especially some of the pieces I'm working up now in glass:

Slave to the Beads

First day on the job was very pleasant.

Sad part is that I completely SPACED a meeting with some people who want bombalurina stuff wholesale (scream)

I hate double booking. I hate being a flake. I try not to be, but sometimes I scare myself. I used to be very on the ball in school, I just feel like living so long without a fixed schedule is turning me into an idiot. I was very on-time for this job though. It's like I can only be on top of one game or two at most at once. *sigh*

Huge bank of blogs

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 17:32:00 +0000

It's amazing how many Etsy sellers are keeping blogs. This is a giant repository of links.

As originally posted by mothtoflame - thanks for those who organized this info in one spot.

1aeon

1aeon - myspace

2 much stuff 2day

3 sister's beads

9 coaches waiting

925 studio

the 13th rabbit

a clever resource

a cozy life

a crafters reality

a lil bit of spice

a little hut

a karabu creation

a katsai view

a little something by dawn

a moment in time

a planet named janet

a pretty rock

a rose by name

a. nieman crochet

a.r. treasurefield :: back & forth between paper & polymer ::

abbey 753 :: glass art beads ::

abigail percy

accezozorize

ACETSY :: ACEO Street Team for Etsy ::

acoustic dryad

acrobatio

adamson studio

the adventures of an easily distracted girl

the adventures of an urban kampung girl

ADD poster child

adorn jewelry

airstream diva

alexandras jewelry

alice mullen

alice's pastryland

alicia bock photography :: bloom, grow, love . . . ::

alicia mae 8

alicub cards

alisadorables

all about the buttons

all things etsy

all things littleput :: the paper coated world of littleput books ::

all those threes

allison strine

almond tree

alpaca granny

altered art

altered events

alycnwonderland

ambient design

ambrosia delights

amie hartman designs

Amy L. Burns

amy keith

an aura of romance

analiese designs

AncaNY

andrea evans design

andricon girl

andrus garden's quilts

angie greene

anodyne design

another country beadwork

antelucan daisy

april and angus

aorta design :: hello, my name is jessica ::

ari designs

art 4 milkbones

art and ghosts

art and oddities of tangerined

art and start

art by wes

art challenge blog :: art daily 2007

art created by ahna

art jewelry collective

the art of craft

artgirlx studio

artisan jewelry

artistic jen's place

artzfolk

artsy clay

arty all sorts

arty 4ever

ascender rises above

asil art W.I.P.s

asilomar works

ask sister mary martha

at knit's end

athena's armoury

aussie patches

autumn daisy studio :: the blog ::

autumnomatopoeia

B. B. Bellezza

bc gurl 70

bcyr jewelry

baba studio

baby banana fish

baby let's shop

backwoods creations

bags 2 impress

bailey bowls

bamboo village press

banana head pancake

barter sauce

basteldren

bead bugs boutique

the bead circle blog

bead gal designs

bead jewelry shop girl

beaded imagery

beadiful things

beadoodles

beads deep

beakee

beautiful brush stroke

beautiful designs by tian

beccas bowtique

beedangled

beelicious handbags

beetle lady

belinda del pesco

bella rose creations

belle noelle online

bellis :: modern letterpress stationery and invitations ::

below 14th designs

ben can dance :: the life of Ben, a polymer man ::

beth blogs :: socks that fit

beth robinson

bette jo's bead creations

better than a sample sale

bev's huggables plus

the big pink studio

biscuit of doom

black star jewelry

blended colors

blind cavefish

blissful by quenna

block party press :: bright colors, bold textures & unique original designs

the blog diggity dog blog

blog full of jelly

blogue fonetik blog

blooming lily

blue marmalade and red sky

blue moon studio

bogg's blog

bohemian closet

bombus :: the art of craft

bombus :: re-create

bonny jewelry

boudoir betty

boxc jewelry

bracelet a day

brain fizz by jelene

bramblestitches

brand vita

brandy wine boutique

bree lee d

breeding fancy

broken teepee

bubbledog

buckets of love

bugs and fishes

bully beads

bumpkin bears

burtonwood studios

button makers ball

buttons and bows

by cin

by cole

cg studio

caffeinated crafts

cajun bag lady :: talk it up ::

calico daydreams

calobee

Calyx Ann

camano made

camera obscura :: other people, other places, other times ::

canale

canale creations

cancemc

cari's design

carried away

cat bishop :: recycling fine junk into so-so art ::

catno 1

celtic harp and drum

chatnoir studios

chel dodge

chelle

chez michelle

chickadee beads

the chicks with sticks

child of hope

cinderelish

clare little

clinkscales arts

coco popsicle

coco popsicle - myspace

colby lane designs

cold shoes

colorfunky

coloring outside the lines

cornerstone's pyrography and pop-ups

cosy makes

cracked moon

craft therapy

the crafters journal

craftily ever after

crafts from the heart linda

craftwork with lilyriver

crafty alien

crafty maneuvers

crafty moose crafts

crafty red head

the crafty wino

crawler covers :: member of etsy kids and etsy mom ::

creations with heart

cre8ive juice

creative apples

creative art and soul

creative musings

creative rants from nerissa

crochet in chains

crochet roo

crocheted treasure :: all handmade crocheted items ::

crooked halo designs

crushed ferret

crystal j. :: hand painted silk accessories ::

cubist literature

cupcakes for clara

curbside treasure

cyn contemporary

cynthia j. guardo's art journal

dd pool- blogspot

dd pool - vox

dm rice art

dabble with crafts

daibe beads

daisy moon tree

damselfly creations

dandilion designs

dark temptations :: bath and beauty products ::

dashery jewelry

daughter of luxury

debra lane designs

decho's designs

deciduous soul

delicious stitches

denise culberson

design by stamp

designs and desires

designs by jamie

designs by jenean

designs by lisa

designs by lulu belle

the devils wallpaper

devon stitching

diane clancy's blog

diane meriam

dichroic glass jewelry :: by lis kidder ::

didigal decor

dillon designs

discards

discards stationery - myspace

diva beads

diva dea

domestic rebus

donovan beeson

dos dulces

dottot boutique

dragon in knots

dragonfly gems

DreamWoven

dream spiral art

the dreamy giraffe

dust and clay something pretty

e & e reflections

e cubed arts

earth n elements pottery :: meddling in the mud ::

ebb and flo

eclectic discoveries

the eclectic studio

eggman studios

electric bluebird

electrikolor world

elemental stitches

elizabeth gwen originals

elizabeth williams

ellebee studio

ellyzee

embellished home

enso jewelry

enthral enthral

envy and octopus

etsians say the darndest things

etsy beads

etsy eclectic jewelry artisans

etsy for charity

etsy garden

etsy glass artists

etsy greetings

etsy journal :: track the collaborative journals 1 through 4 ::

etsy kids

etsy lucky thirteen club

etsy moms

etsy mud team

etsy pick of the day

etsy presents : VAST :: visual artists street team ::

etsy sellers who blog v2

etsy selling tips :: from little put books ::

etsy trashion

etsy u.k.

etsy veg :: unique goods handcrafted by vegans and vegetarians ::

etsy's most wonderful things

everything ok! blogstuff (and vampires)

eye pop art

the fab miss b

faded willow

faerie window

faerwear

failli

the fairie's nest

the fantail

fantasy artists of etsy

fatchic diana rajchel

fearless fibers

feeding the bobbin

feisty diva

feltland

fenrina

fiberlines

fiddle stitches

filed fingers

fine art by mattos

fire chick tick

firefly glass studio :: janet crosby ::

first born studio

flamestitch

fluffy flowers

flutterby blue

focus on

for the love of birds

for your good life

fraske designs

the fray

fujiiro fae

gg's exclusives :: what's happening ::

gallerialinda showcase

garden painter art

gardenia's miscellany

gavin and lily

gemini knits

gemini moon mosaics

gems by jules

georganne's baby

gerrijo

get carried away

get rl

gigglejelly

gigi

gilfling's designs

girls can tell

girl with yarn

glaceyeux

glass beach

the glass fairy

glass hedge

glass house jewelry

glass primitif

glitter works studio

gold school

gosh darn knit

grasshopper handmade

gray animal

great river road destination

green bee studio

green zebra

greenthumb designs

grizzly mountain arts

groovy glass girl

gwinna

gwynn's gifts

haiku bird :: seventeen syllables alight ::

hand crafted gifts on etsy :: your complete guide to etsy ::

handmade books

happy house quilts

happy whosits

hear me roar

heartasharoar

heloise jewellery

hippofabulous

hobbyzu

hobo camp crafts

hojpoj : the daily grind

holarubia

holly's designs

home grown skinny

homemade originals

hot off the sales rack

how to make art

huddle

hugs and kisses baby boutique

humble beads

hush mouse

i dye roving

i like sea monsters

i make fish

i sew blog

ideas inc.

illustrator sam

imagine that art studio

impybat :: groovy vinyl

in my minds eye

independant designers

indiana etsy

indie finds on etsy

indie fixx

indie home ec

indie/pretty/perfect

indigo blah

indiscretion mara

infinite pink

inklude

inseine creations

insidesign

insomniac scrapbook theater

inspiration is contageous . . . pass it on

isabella smiles

island blossom

island blossom shop - myspace

it's the bag

it is sunny at ebert's

iva art

ivy arts

the ivy leaf

j. nic designs

j pat purses

jc handmade

jd wolfe pottery

jQ jewelry designs

JDStar

jabaro designs

the jade dog

jared ks

javaslublu

jellibat

jems by jb and company

jenna lou designs

jenn maruska design

jessica sharrah

jessie keylon

jessprkle

JETT :: jewelry on etsy team ::

jetricotepourmoi

jewel house rocks

jewel parlour

jewels in wire etsy shop's blog

jewelry by tara

jewelry for all ages

jezzeblog

joanna goldman

jodie loves cupcakes

joey and aleethea

joyful abode :: domesticity by trial and error

jpat purses

julie adore art

julie knoblock

julie*ry jewels

juniper berries

just another day designs

justine's odyssey

jypsea

kae 1 crafts

kali cat designs

karabu creations

karlita shop

karma's kreations

kaskaad handmade jewellery

kastroll kreations

kat krafty

kathryn semolic

kathyy's krafts

katie did designs

kateri morton

katy diddys

kawaiineh singyee

kd made

keepin' up with the tatums

keeshagirl4

kelley accents

kellybot

kelly zarb style

keta banana

keykalou

kezzapalooza

kim's kandid kamera

kimmich design

kiss the frog boutique

kitty grrlz

knit spin

knit steel

knit steel - xanga

knit style

the knitlette

knitology

knits and pieces

knitted gems

knitting ajour :: stitchmarkers and handknitted items from europe ::

knitting like crazy

knitty dirty girl

knot by gran'ma

kooky handbags

kool kooky kreatures

korbel fine arts

kreated by karina

kreativling

kristian's world

kupo kiley

the lp blogs

lair of the silver dragon

langan kuluttaja

lapella art

late fragments

the later parade

lauren rose design

lauriann wakefield

lavender sheep's fiber garden blog

lazy t crochet

lemon cadet

lemons and lollis

less than three designs

liana kabel

life, art, yarn and baby poop

life as i see it

lil fish studios

lil rustler

lilibeth's garden

lilli tutu

lily moon home

lily on the dust bin

lily sky designs

lilly queen jewelry

lipstick dipschitz

lisa call

lisa fu design blog

lisa hammer

little bit wired

the little brown bird

little daisy chains

little lumpkin

little miss meshell

the little stitch

liz a.k.a. hobbledehoy

liz adams

lizard princess beads

lolabee designs

look mom, i'm crafty

lookability

loops designs

loopy 4 ewe

lorenz studio

Lost Mitten

love dynamite

love gemma

loving anvil

lt things

luckman photography :: trevor luckman

lucky duck designs

lulu knits

lunacraft

lunasa designs

lunenburg artist

lure arts ceramics

lush beads

lynn knitter

lynsey hunter

m. lee fine art

m. sessions

mabel mcbee

made by gettig

made by melissa

made by melissa - myspace

made by milla

mafalda's art

maggie sue designs

maggie's crafting adventures

magnolia grace

magprint original prints

making things

mama trep's designs

mandy budan

manoa road

maria elena designs

marimello

marmalady's blog

marmee craft

marshatoh

marshatoh - myspace

mary hanks

mashulu

mayday studio

mayerain

mcfarland designs

mdk jewelry designs

meb designs

mechanical philosopher

meg's lemonade

melissa sue stanley

mellowbeing

memory is art

men of etsy

meri greenleaf

meringue diary

mermaid and friends

merritt's mosaics :: the glass and grout blog! ::

mew paper arts

michele hamby

michele's jewelry box

michelle brusegaard

mill girl

milly and nan's

mine creations

minefull

mini bliss cakes

mira finds

miss evil kitty

miss malaprop

miss mia designs

miss mish mish mish mash

misses kwitty's fancies

the mixed up arts of beth b

mjd boutique

mjy glass

moco cafe

modern card

modern charm

modern dharma

modern plein air

modern reclamation

the mommy and me boutique

monkey blues glass

moo moo

moogan creations

moon dance 279

morgan alexa designs

morrgan's creatures

mossy owls

moth to flame :: irresistible attractions

mrs. dragon's wares :: cards, cats & random bits & bytes of life ::

ms. belle

mt joy school

much ado about

muddy with milla

mugwort maggies apothecary

musindigo

my art by donna rose

my baby's funky junk

my bella colle

my house is cuter than yours

my little cuddle bugs

my my

my pictures of lily

my silly art life

my sticks and stones

nanjo dogz

natalia designs

natural light images

nature autumn corner

nea jewelry bijoux

neccies

netta's creations

never felt better by jen

news from mccall

nicholas j. fugedi

noemi's projects

nora and will

norahz art

notes from the edge of nowhere

numpty

nutsy coco

nycole rosen

nysidra

oceanic wilderness

odd socks

ode to humanity

oh dear :: by rachel

old but new

once upon a dog blog

one good bumblebee

organic stills

original abbie

oriri draco design

osoazul design

own two hands

the p.m. graham blog

pagano design works catablog

paint floats

the painted tiger

paintings by jude

the paira birds

pamela michelle

pamela quilts

pampering beki

paper cloth

paper flower girl

paper girl productions

paper people planet

patricia's art

patti haskins

pavoreal

peach cake knits

peacock blue

pearly grey

the pebble collection

pedlyn's musings

pelecy pods

pepperina press

persimmons gal

pesky pixies

pet + etsy = PETSY!

picture trail - debiluvssre

pingwen blog

pink bathtub

pink flamingo swizzle stick

pink ice jewels

pink milk design

pink polkadot poodle

the pink samurai

pinkuno Neko

pinky creations

pistol and stigma

pixie blossoms

pixiechick

plastic pumpkin :: cool gifts and original artwork ::

plein air cafe

pm threads

poetic purl

polkadot market

popko

poppycat news

posh sauce

prairie daisy handspun

precious quilts

project wonderland

projects : heather lynn white

pso design

the punkin pie loft

purl boutique

purple hair and puppetry

purple papaya news

purpose design

pursue your art

q branch ltd.

quilt antics

quilted blessings

quirky bags

quirkyn berkeley

r. picard photography

rachael herbert

RachelSent

rae's creations

rain's end

rainy day art

raspberry licorice

raspberry licorice - myspace

re-conceived

re-craft

red cat run

red panda chainmail

the redheads greenthumb

redux designs

rekoj rants

renee designs

retro attic

right as rain creations

right out loud handmades

rmd designs

rocca designs

rock-a-baby clothing co.

rock river stitches

the rocker chic

rodrod scrolled art

royal jewelz

rufus and roxy

run more miles

runz with scissor's snips

rusted designs

sagittarius gallery

sakura fubuki designs:: joy and passion

sakura fubuki designs - myspace

sakuri kitty and katie collide

sand fibers

sandra eileen artisan jewelry

sandy simone

san francisco lauren

sara pretty fun

sarah kat

sarah knits

scarf it up

the school locker

scorpienna

scorpienna - myspace

the scrappy scrapper

scrub me all over

seaside quilts

secret boyfiend

see jayne knit

see katie sew

see tomorrow girl

serendipity fibers

seven-one-one

sew bettie

sewing simple

sewlutions world

shabby cottage studio

shagpiles blog

shandke art journal

shanks art

shanty folk

she brews

she knits

sheeps clothing :: news from the flock

shell mitchell

she's so chic

shine jewelry

ship by rls

shop clementine

shop objects of affection

shunklies

shy violet designs

siansburys

silent goddess ::crazy little metal studio

silk cat design

silverlining designs

silver monk

simone walsh

simple arts planet

simply xs baggage

sixth and elm

skiing weaver

skinny la minx

skinny rabbit

the sky ruby project

slack stitches

slings and sacks

small threads

smile creation's crafts

smug cat designs

snowberrylime

so sherry

sock dogs

soho beads

solamar 7

something beautiful eclectics

sonita's treasures

sparkle me designs

spiglass studio

split yarn

starry designs

stash in half

stella danza

stephana designs

stephanie distler

stephanie gibson jewelry

stiletto heights

stone soup jewelry

string me along

subtle, not gory

such pretty colors

sugar plum baby

summer sea herbs

susan foss

swank show

sweet spice essentials :: botanical body care

sweet stella

sweety prize

swoon retro modern lingerie

sylvia's jewellery

tqb designs

tabitha emma

tahgroen

tamba toys

tangerine sunshine jewelry

tantalizing creativity

tara ross studios

tatsuko craft

teeeeee berry designs

tellean

tempest studios

tepitalk

tethyis dreams

that's headley

that's so twisted

the soulful home

there is art

thick gurl

thirteenth story

thrifting in oblivion

thought bubble

three sisters beads

Tiffany G. Harvey

tiger girl etsy

time2cre8

timeless etsy

tinkering times

tinymeat

titled unnecessarily

to knit perchance to dream

tomate d'epingles blog

tori avig

tracy joy baby creations

tracy's candle creations

trousseaux to treasure

true mirage

twisted stitches blog of blogs

twisted thicket (formerly Artful Visions)

two knotty hempers

u.k etsy sellers

ubercherry

the unique baby

unique expressions

upon the waters

valad bunny

vanini design

the vanities vintage

veraoswim

vicki leigh studios

vintage body spa

vinyl monster

violet's vintage

virtual lori

vuelodepapel

w.b. eckert studio

w.b. eckert studio - xanga

wayward pixie

wayward pixie- myspace

wendi designs

wendi winn

what she said blog

where's my coffee :: scenic artisans ::

WhiMSy love

whimzy pinzy

wild sage lampwork blog

willow cat studio

wiremom

Wisconsin Street Team :: the moo crew

wist etsy

wonderful odds and ends

woodnvisions

wrentit

yapps cottage decor

yellow scissors

yes dear :: amanda schulze

yoboseiyo :: dateline . . . my floor ::

you go girl soaps

yumptatious

yvette jewelry designs

zenith jade

Showpieces

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 20:37:00 +0000

I've been throwing myself into making some larger and time consuming necklaces, made from hefty amounts of sterling silver.

I love chain, but I don't like wimpy chain. That said, I also don't like signing my life away for a foot of chain. The silver market is scary. Luckily I found something I like in a good weight that doesn't hurt too much at a local store. It was on sale. I think I'm going to have to hunt down something similar in larger quantities.

I've also taken a JOB at my local bead store. I like this place and it seems they're short so this may be mutually beneficial. It's an odd thing, though. I haven't had to show up to work beyond rolling out of bed and hitting the computer or the bench in well over 2 years, not including the year I was laid up. This will be interesting. Discount is good though, basically wholesale pricing.

Made a mosaic

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 23:40:00 +0000

mosaic9367301
Originally uploaded by ensojewelry

nothing new on the enso side of late to report in detail - yet. But playing with flickr toys is always satisfying.

Happy er...whatever....

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 18:04:00 +0000

http://wondermark.blogspot.com/2007/10/343-in-which-holiday-heralds-dissent.html

Just click that. Really.

The only comic I read religiously these days.

Winners Garnets and Ginger

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:26:00 +0000

The September challenge was fun - I wound up with a pretty good showing, but didn't end up voting for myself - there was some work which really blew me away including this, the winner, from Manek Lady.

Isn't it just amazing?

In local news, I've found the best scone in Minneapolis. It's at Cafe Maude which I just can't say enough great things about. Whether you opt for the buttermilk, or the blueberry ginger, you will find it has a palatable texture, something most scones totally fail, amazing flavor that only actual butter and good ingredients will give, and best of all, an appropriate size, so you can feel momentarily naughty and not like you are indulging in the dietary setback from hell. No overinflated Starbucks sawdust packet - this is a thing of beauty. Get the blueberry ginger (yes ginger, just the right amount, too) and pair it with the chai teabag and go stroll in the southwest metro rain by the creek.

I did.

Now that I'm warm and dry, I've been playing more with those garnet marquise beads:

Rhodolite garnet, 24K plated delicas, a little goldfilled clasp. Something elegant and quasi-ancient looking.

Moon ladder earrings

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:30:00 +0000

Moon ladder earrings
Originally uploaded by ensojewelry

These brios are carved so beautifully that I kept the beadwork minimal. Simply so much fun to make. They are one of those great items that you can take from day to night really effectively.

Ah, kind of makes me almost miss working in an office, having the kind of job that demands thinking through your wardrobe choices. Now I try to match sweater to sweats.

Chartreuse

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:32:00 +0000

Chartreuse
Originally uploaded by ensojewelry

Here's my September Challenge entry. The theme is "show your colors." Well, being someone who works mostly with sterling, showing a color was about as close as I can get, and I picked this vibrant and autumnal Chartreuse.

Did you know it's a drink and not just a color? I didn't till my mid-20's.

It's the kind of drink you fall in love with the wrong person over and sing songs loudly in public for the first time in your life.

This is a little more staid, but not too much.

Teamin' up

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:54:00 +0000

I'm a member of the Etsy Beadweavers street team - between a very active yahoo group, a flickr group to show off our designs and this great blog, there's a lot of great beadweaving unity to go around.

I've been an admirer of Bev Herman from noeasybeads for a long time - Bev is one of the celebrities of the beadweaving world, and it really tickles me to no end that I'm in a group with her. I'm not sure that everyone else in the group is really aware of this fact, and I'm not going to really make that much of a big deal about it, but seriously, I have to suppress squeals of fangirl.

Today I added this to the shop:

I had the most inspiring nugget of chrysophrase to work with, and wanted to make a more slender goldfilled cuff. It's kind of a watchband design. I'm pleased with it.

Revival

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 22:10:00 +0000

It's been a shameful interval since I started this up. Hopefully that will change.

Beadweaving is not fast. That can't be overstated.

I needed a break from metal and stone, I suppose, and wanted to go back to glass. A simple afternoon spent learning dimensional right angle weave from my beading mate Lisa had me excited all over again with the potential of this stitch. I think a lot of people shy away from it because it is a little harder to master than other stitches, and you can have many more thread-tugging accidents than with other stitches, but it's so -- plastic. Geometric, logical.

"Modern Thought" is inspired by listening to lots and lots of Shins, and denim, and Iolite chunks, and ancient Rome and Greece. I'm going to do another iteration, as well, because I have enough iolite and blue beads to do so.

Hippies eat your heart out

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Mon, 28 May 2007 20:05:00 +0000

Today I made these using citrine, goldfill, vermeil hoops and garnets.

And the technique?

Brick stitch!

That sound is the sound of a million horrid pairs of fringey hippie earrings screaming.

I hope I've redeemed the stitch a little from its usual fate.

The Milky Way

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Fri, 25 May 2007 15:11:00 +0000

So I dragged a very dear friend to a bead shop the other day. I think he surprised the bead store people because he's
1. not my husband
2. totally not the bead store demographic - start off with the male factor and go from there...
3. could tell me what not to buy so fast it'd make your head spin (I need eyes other than my not so great ones to say "yes that's eye clean")

"Bead Shops? Hasn't this girl heard of wholesale?"

Yes, but there are times you do not or cannot do a 240 dollar strand of beautiful tourmaline droplets, even though it would be ideal and it's what you and all your customers would love.
I was out of clasps and I needed a one-off stone.

What I re-learned the other day is just how beautiful the highly underrated can be. While I was looking at chalcedony - admittedly pretty in its soft blue color, but just somehow not totally exciting, my friend found this banded agate.

"Did you know the vast majority of those are from Minnesota? Some from Russia, but most are local."

I'm terrible about the opaque stones. I find myself overlooking them often in favor of something sparkly, but often not as high a quality as I could get for the same price if I paid more attention to agates, better jasper, carnelian in its best form.

I loved this stone and knew it would be much more at home in my designs than a mediocre chalcedony. I loved it more because he told me about picking these up as a kid, his parents polishing stones for him in a rock tumbler when he was really little, the fact that this stone may possibly have been found, cut, and polished in Northern MN.

I think the top banding looks like a faint galaxy in the night sky. I added the ring for just a little fussy extra interest. And I re-photographed it this morning and added it to etsy. I wish I could drag him along every time I look at stones.

I've got my eye on these green garnets next, they'll look incredible with gold filled beads.

About Ensō

noreply@blogger.com (enso) — Fri, 25 May 2007 03:22:00 +0000

So I'm probably better known for my costume jewelry line, Bombalurina. It's a fun, vibrant, and fabulous romp through design history, but it's not where I started and it's not all I do.

Beadweaving was my first introduction to jewelry, and my first love.

I spent the better part of a year doing nothing but beadweaving - learning and mastering the major stitches, making huge meandering freeform items, losing myself in the cheerful and eccentric color palettes of seed beads. I still love that kind of work.

Only I don't wear that kind of work.

I have infinite appreciation for intensive elaborate beadwork, and I've made my share of outsized collar necklaces. Even won at the Minnesota State fair - second place - not bad for a relative neophyte up against the likes of various people who have written many a book on how to bead. (Minnesota has a freakish claim to many of the major artists in the bead world - Nancy Eha, Diane Fitzgerald, Bonnie Voelker, need I go on?)

But I don't wear this type of jewelry.

I don't know what exactly motivated me to start weaving with small, expensive, little bits of metal on silk, and I strongly doubt that this was something no one else had thought to do, but if they have I don't know about it. Maybe it was the realization that my 2mm crimps are about the size of a delica bead. Maybe it was fretting over the fact that those plated delicas are going to rub free of plating if you wear those pieces every day (not that you would, but what if you could?)

My goal with Ensō is to create something modernist, minimal, elegant and more upscale, in complete contrast to my enjoyment of inexpensive and vintage materials as expressed in my costume line. Something modernist, minimal,timelessly chic, something I would wear without irony, to my best outings or my serious dinners.

This is jewelry I wear.

I never could reconcile the latent modernist in me with the junkhound. So I'm not going to try. This line has a wonderful specificity to it and I'm proud to put my name on it. This is my art.