I feel like I should make an entire collection of gimmel rings for friendship and love. Here is more info on the gimmel ring. This one is in the permanent collection and V&A Museum in London. German circa 1600.

If you’re a fan or friend of mine, then you are into fictional characters. That’s right, you like to see these characters develop, and sometimes you wish they could grow right off the page or screen! So, I’m suggesting you should! Just take two of your favorite fictional heros and pair them. Throw in a story if you want and let’s vote! This is Skål 2.o! The one with the most votes wins.

Here is my lovely fictional couple: Spike from Buffy + Gogo Yubari from Kill Bill

He’s insane. She’s insane. What fun they’ll have hunting

CONTEST STARTS ON THE NEW MOON MONDAY, AUGUST 9TH  @ 6PM EST.

ENDS ON THE FULL MOON AUGUST 24TH @6PM

I SUGGEST YOU POST YOUR COUPLES ON MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN VOTE. IF YOU’RE NOT ON FACEBOOK. YOU CAN POST IT HERE. THE ONE WITH THE MOST VOTES WINS THIS:

Red/Pink Garnet Earrings. They are 2" long in gold plated sterling silver.

RAQUEL IS THE WINNER OF THE ROCK& BONES STUDS!!!

here’s what inspired me:

It’s the new moon and solar eclipse, which means another jewelry giveaway!

I’ve decided to unite my Twitter and FB friends here for contests! Hope you don’t mind. Here is what you can win:

Turquoise and Green Quartz Necklace with gold plated silver.

Here’s the contest: I’m calling it Instant Inspiration! Even I need inspiration from time to time! EVERYONE has a chance to win. All you need to do is find your favorite vintage piece of jewelry or just your favorite piece *ever*. That’s it! I will have random.org pick out a winner on the full moon, Sunday, July 25, 2010 at 6pm EST. You can post up to 5 links separately. Thanks for playing and feel free to tell me why you like the piece! I love to hear people talk about design.

¡ALERT!

The person who sends me the piece that inspires me the most wins this:

Bones Studs in 100% recycled sterling silver

GOOD LUCK!

This is an enlarged version of the swine flu virus made in glass. This virus is death and destruction. It multiplies and lives off its host and then jumps on to another fertile body. I have to ask myself, are humans any different? We are killing this earth, consuming and sucking the life out of it. Who will survive? Humans or the earth?

I have been to Hell and back and let me tell you it was wonderful. – Louise Bourgeois

I apologize for ignoring you. As I have mentioned before, there are people who have a lot to say and express. I have a lot to express but it mostly comes out as jewelry. This month I have been very busy expressing myself in metal and for a change, I would like to share it with you.

Recently, I made two pieces that I just adore. For those who know me, they know how bored I get of my own creations. These two pieces are welcome to stay in my permanent jewelry box collection. The first piece above is a cuff of bones. Yes, bones! It’s very sexy and ghoulish – and that’s what makes it fascinating to me. As with many pieces, the idea was inspired by a character or a story. In this case, it was kindled by a very sexy vampire names Bones who was created by New York times best selling author, Jeaniene Frost. When I look at it now, all I see is an a-symmetrical cuff that is edgy and unique.

The second piece I made this month is a ring called the Ring of Fire. I’ve always loved Johnny Cash and June Carter. I can hear the Mariachi band playing right now. This ring is anything but Mariachi or Country/Western. It is literally a ring of fire in pink brass or as I made for myself, pink gold. I like it because no matter how many times I wear it, it always looks different to me – just like a flame. I have Ilona and Gordon Andrews to thank for this. They are authors and their fantastic book called Magic Bleeds recently released. I made a ring inspired by the heroine and hero.

Ranunculi blooming = Spring Flower Porn! Enjoy the show.

My friends inspired me to blog about this. Some people like talking about their lives. I don’t. It’s not that I don’t want you to know about me, but perhaps I think my ideas are more interesting than my mundane life; HOWEVER, on the topic of the messy desk – of which I have many, I will gladly elaborate. I just cannot stand a desk that is clean. It almost makes me physically ill. I don’t have terribly messy desks, but the desk always represents what I am currently working on, ideas or people. And, most importantly, it comforts me to see that it is cluttered. It feels spontaneous and on the edge of discovery.

When I lived in Germany, a messy desk was a indicator of a messy mind. I was told over and over that messiness was just not “Korrekt”. Well, five years in Germany didn’t influence my messiness and I have to say, I felt like Harry Potter living at the Dursleys for a while. Anyway, there are theories and theories about the messy desk but I have to side with one article I read:

“It expands a person’s capacity to think,” Brand said. “You’re using the environment to think as well.”

I love this idea. My environment is an extension of my brain thinking.

Ray Caesar, “The Power and the Glory,” Giclee Print on Premier Art Hotpress Paper, 18 x 24 inches, 2005, Edition of 20

I love abstract expressionist paintings because the bold strokes express the secret power of the painter. It makes me, at least, become a participant in the painting instead of an observer. That is why I was shocked at how taken I was with Ray Ceasar’s work. And, I decided that, for me, his work depicts the secret power within a person and not the artist, the soul of a soul.