Okay, the server is healthy and my website is back online.

I'm working on plenty of updates - the look and function, and lots of new jewelry, of course!

site down

My site is temporarily down.

something to do with the server, and something to do with me.

aaarrgh.

When the smoke clears, I'll have some new pieces to share!

gem show excursion

For the last two months I've worked on more custom/commissioned pieces than anything else. I did get to go to my favorite gem show and pick up some wonderful strands. This show is an invitation to the trade only - one day a year affair, and I was determined to attend, after missing it two years in a row.

The first part of my gem/bead buying preparation involves going through my current stash, er, I mean inventory, and determine what I need to replenish. My "assistants" always get sidetracked putting together fabulous earring and necklace combinations, for themselves of course. Then I start on my wish list, which gets whittled down to a workable balance of gems and colors I really want to work with.

On most buying excursions, I only get a step or two inside the door before I stuff my well thought out list into the depths of my purse and turn into a kid in a candy shop. This time I was calm, cool and collected. I got most of what I wanted, and found a few treasure strands of unusual gems. Time to create!

here's a warm-up doodle

Top 200 Moms in Business Competition results

Your votes made it happen!!

With support from your votes, I have been chosen as a winner in Startup Nation's Top 200 Moms in Business Competition.   This turned out to be a very tough competition with several thousand women from all over the United States entering, and over 620,000 votes cast.  Here's the entire list of the 200 Leading Moms.   I truly appreciate the effort everyone put into voting (I really wanted to set that meter on fire!) and the lovely comments several of you left on my profile page.   Keep an eye out for more from S7J - I'll have some new treats coming soon!

S7J in "Gospel Hill"

  

  



Here are some of my pieces that made it into the movie.

On the big screen

My children and I were cast as extras in "Gospel Hill", Giancarlo Esposito's directorial debut.  The film stars Angela Bassett, Danny Glover, Julia Stiles, Taylor Kitsch, Nia Long, RZA as well as Giancarlo and others.

Anyway, we were called for two scenes.  It was great for them to experience working on a set and to participate in something that felt important.  As it turns out, Gospel Hill has won numerous film festival awards and was shown at the Democratic National Convention, the Republican National Convention, and during the Inaugural Celebration.

I was really proud of our children because they were more interested in learning about the inner workings of the film industry than they were in star gazing, although Danny Glover chatted a few of them up during a camera adjustment.

I brought several pieces of my jewelry to the shoots and got them approved by the costume designer, so Sirius7 Jewelry made it to the big screen!

sparked by design or doodle

I just cracked the spine on my latest design journal.  I've been keeping a design journal for at least 6 years - after I finally decided that the scraps of paper method just wasn't working for me.  I usually fill two or 3 books a year with sketches of course,  but I also use it for business to-do lists, supply lists, an occasional grocery list, and doodles.  I doodle when I'm on the phone (taking notes) and especially doodle when I get stuck and need something to spark my creativity.

This is a design sketch that ultimately became two watermelon tourmaline pendants.

         

This is a doodle that helped me resolve the focal point of one of my vintage Mardi Gras bead necklaces.

  

Can't see how this helped?  It's in the eyes:  on all of the strands of Mardi Gras beads I have, there was only one eye bead, and it fit nicely inside of a frosted glass donut bead.