My blog is moving. Bags are packed and ready to go.

Come join me over at my new blog. Today I have launched my brand spankin' new website along with a shiny new blog. I hope you will come for a visit and see all of the exciting things I have been up to. This blog will no longer be used but has provided me with some great memories. And what fun is a celebration without a little prize. Visit ChocolateandSteel.com now to find out what it is. Now, let's go. Here's a little sneak peak at what you can find there:

I have been very busy making new jewelry lately. I have two new collaborations that I'm launching. The first one is with the world famous illustrator of adorable animals - Susie Ghahremani of Boygirlparty®. Susie and I have been working together for a couple years now and I've never been more proud of a collection.

Peacock necklace with 11 sapphires

MORE PICTURES ON THE NEW BLOG. GO NOW.

The second collaboration is with the incredibly funny Gemma Correll. You must follow her on Facebook because the comics she draws will make you laugh out loud every day.

MORE PICTURES ON THE NEW BLOG. GO NOW.

I am grateful for the opportunity to work with both of these artists. I'm sure you'll agree that these new pieces are pretty special.

So, don't forget to bookmark the new site and blog. A special discount awaits you:)

looking alike

My son started Kindergarten today. He was so brave and pretty excited to start at his new school. We took a couple pictures this morning before leaving. I love seeing all of the old photos of my sister and I in front of our house every year. The changing hairstyles, fashions, and paint/landscape of our home.

In the process of documenting this special day I discovered that my husband and I are starting to look alike. Not identical but definitely getting closer. Here is a picture that my son took of us this morning. What do you think? By the way, I'm 8 months pregnant here. You can't tell because the bottom half is cut off, but my face eludes to it:)



I came across the funniest website tonight. The photographer Jon Huck did an installation and book based on this very thing. Couples. I'm amazed at how some of these couples look so similar to each other. I wonder how this happens.

Summer has officially begun

Summer's here, although by looking outside today you wouldn't know it. A bit of June gloom, but that won't last long. School year is officially over and the games can begin:) My son graduated preschool last Friday. Seriously the cutest thing ever is seeing little 4 and 5 year old's walking up to get their "diploma". James took it so seriously as you can see in this picture. He was planning his outfit for weeks.



Yesterday I sold my collection at Long Beach Patchwork Show. It was so much fun! I can't believe how many people were there. I had a fantastic spot too - first table at the entrance. Thank you, thank you Patchwork people. It was super overcast for most of the day and felt lovely... until I got home and realize - oops, that sun was there it was just hiding. I got so burnt which is shocking because I do not typically burn. I feel like I can finally sympathize with my cousin who also got fried at the beach when we were kids. It hurts.

Now I'm prepping for The California Gift Show. It's a wholesale show here in Downtown LA. I'm working on new stuff which is always fun. Wish I could do this more often. I love just drawing and getting inspired. I will be part of a collaborative group at this show. There are 10 of us showing under the name "Handmade Galleries". We are all featured at the Handmade Galleries in Sherman Oaks. Getting 10 people all on the same page and organized is no easy feat but I think it will result in a really great presentation.

Just a head's up. You MUST come to Renegade Craft Show in Los Angeles this year. I was just reading up about the event and all of the special workshops, music and food. It's going to be awesome. I will tell more about it later:)

Enjoy your day.

Happy Memorial Day!

Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day today! I had such a fun day. The weather in Los Angeles was ideal for a BBQ so we couldn't resist. My dad and stepmom came up for the day to bask in the sun and gorge ourselves on bbq chicken. We moved back in March and are still so grateful for the outdoor space that we have inherited. Our last place was an apartment so no BBQing there. My dogs are probably the MOST grateful. They love just laying outside in the shade with the breeze. I must admit, I do too:)

(photo courtesy of On A Whim Photography)

Well, tomorrow is another exciting day....hopefully. I have an ultrasound scheduled and they "should" be able to tell if we are having a boy or a girl. Can't wait to find out. I'm happy regardless of the gender but I just want to start planning. Plus deciding on a name is such a big deal. I want to be able to focus my energy on one gender:)

So Much Fun!

This past weekend was Unique LA and it was so much fun. Overall the show was pretty good minus a slow start to the weekend. Now I have to quickly get back to work to restock for Bazaar Bizarre . I'm really looking forward to that show because we are going to make a little vacation of it and spend a couple extra days going hiking. Can't wait!

I wanted to share some favorites from Unique LA. I didn't get too much time to walk around and take pics but here are the few that I did.One of my favorite vendors is Dust and Co. She's just so cool:) Loved her booth setup and of course her jewelry is so very unique.I was very lucky to have two great neighbors. Amanda K Lockrow is a very skilled metalsmith. Her button rings are my favorite and I just love to hear her say button. It's a very proper pronunciation.My other neighbor was new to this venue, and fairly new to her business. Khana Skin had some wonderful bath products that smelled so good.

I also met another very sweet jeweler. While Fruition Jewelry had really beautiful jewelry one of things I loved most was her custom labels for booze. Who wouldn't love to have a liquor cabinet that looks so classy?
And of course, I have revamped my display...again! Someday I'll stick to something, maybe. I used lentils to create the decorative elements in the bottom layer of the table. It is still a work in progress though.
Have a wonderful weekend! I'll be working on setting up our raised bed vegetable garden. My husband, son, and I are also going to join up with FoodForward.org to go pick fruit out in the valley that is donated to local food pantries. It feels good to help out and I'm looking forward to a family day:)

Feeling Inspired

Do you ever come across something that resonates so deep in your soul that you can't help but be excited? Etsy has a featured seller every few days and while most of them sell/make things that are cute enough today's is above and beyond. Today's featured seller is Cart Before the Horse. I just LOVE their dolls. They are so original and come from a very beautiful corner of the artists' mind and soul.

To be honest I really am struggling with my creative process. The majority of my business now is selling to stores and I have a good idea of what they want. Sometimes knowing what is commercially viable is such a kill to my creativity. I feel so inspired after reading the interview with Dylan and Jo and pouring over their entire collection. I am vowing to spend some more time making pieces that are just for me, just for fun. While I am SO VERY grateful for all of my success I really need to give attention to the muse that got me here.

DANG! What a lucky month I am having:)

So excited to share that I will be showing at Unique LA (April 24th and 25th) ,Bazaar Bizarre Maker Faire in San Mateo/ San Francisco area (May 22nd and 23rd), and Renegade Brooklyn (June 5th and 6th). What fantastic shows and I am so honored to be a part of them. Especially because as they get more popular the competition gets tougher. Hope you guys can stop by if you are in those parts of the country.

Then to top it off my son was chosen for one of the best charter schools in LA. It's a lottery and they literally pull a name out of a hat. Apparently they had over a thousand applications and chose 60 names and he was one of them. And to top it off we were contacted yesterday by another charter school that he won the lottery there too! My husband told me that I need to quick go out and buy an actual lottery ticket. What a relief it is to finally have elementary school figured out. And the best part is that the school we chose goes up through middle school. Whew! I am done with the school search for a while.

Now, back to focusing on getting these orders out. Lots of new stores to find Chocolate and Steel in. Like this little darling that was very popular this season:

Ready for Easter?

I'm not ready for Easter but I certainly am inspired by these little beauties.

A good reason to get in touch with dear friends by Invita Paper Studio.

Everyone needs a little music during an Easter egg hunt and this Avocado Guitar by Celentano Woodworks would be the perfect way to launch Spring into song.

Celebrate bunnies with my Bunny Hopping necklace. Illustration by boygirlparty.

And to top it all off the perfect brooch by WhimsyandCharm for your Easter dress. Easter bonnet not needed.

HAPPY SPRING!

New Stores

I am back from Buyers Market in Philadelphia. It was a good show, all things considered. And those things? A BLIZZARD! Many buyers did not attend the show due to the blizzard. How dare they:) So the aisles were a little quiet but I was very fortunate to be picked up by some awesome stores. And to top it all off, came home to the sweetest thing (picture at the bottom)

Please pay my new stores a visit:
California
ARTISANS GALLERY
1368 Pacific Ave
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Iowa
IOWA ARTISANS GALLERY
207 E. Washington St
Iowa City, IA 52240

Maryland
RED ORCHARD
10253 Old Georgetown Rd
Bethesda, MD 20814

RED TREE
921 36th St.
Baltimore, MD 21211

Massachusetts
THE ARTISAN GALLERY
162 Main
Northampton, MA 01060

WOMENCRAFTS
376 Commercial Street
Provincetown, MA 02657

North Carolina
MADDI'S GALLERY
1530 East Boulevard
Charlotte, North Carolina 28203

TIN ROOF STUDIO
1990 Dillard Rd (HWY 106)
Highlands, NC 28741

ZOLA CRAFT GALLERY
626 B Ninth Street
Durham, NC 27705

New York
THE CLAY POT
162 7th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215

Pennsylvania
TSELAINE
1927 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

South Dakota
STICKS AND STEEL
401 E. 8th Street
Suite 118
Sioux Falls, SD 57103

and a Happy Valentine's Day to you and to me:)

Off

I am off in Philadelphia for Buyers Market of American Craft. What an inspiring show! You should see the mass amounts of talent in this room. I am here with Lori of Moda di Magno.

So Philadelphia is cold.... really cold. My flight was canceled on Monday (supposed to leave Tuesday night) so I hopped on an early flight and landed just in time. Picture is of all of the canceled flights.
The storm arrived with my plane. I made it to my hotel, left to get dinner and by the time I left the restaurant the whole city was covered in white. Thank goodness my friend insisted I borrow her super warm coat. It's like walking around in a sleeping bag.

Something odd has taken over

Something odd has taken me over. Here are some drawings that I've been working on. I have no explanation.

Retired Meerkat

Owl D'coy

I have been to the Great Wall

I received the best picture in my email the other day.... my little birdie ring in front of The Great Wall of China! I love this picture! It is so fun to think that things that I make are going to all different parts of this planet.
The woman behind the ring and fabulous picture is Allie of Alliebeans. I met Allie at Bazaar Bizarre and immediately fell in love with her creations. Her craftsmanship is impeccable. I bought myself a little iPhone pocket with hedgehogs on it. It's adorable. This is a picture of another great one - Le Cactus Francais.


I made some other purchases too! A great coat rack from Tiny Sparks Design. This isn't exactly the one I bought. Mine had little red houses with shadows on it. I LOVE it! Can't wait to move into our new place so I can hang it up. You really have to see his work in person. The quality is flawless.


And finally I bought my Christmas present for me (from Dave). This sculpture that you may remember me writing about many months ago by Double Parlour. What a surprise to walk down the aisle and see the sculpture that I have been obsessing over for so long. I totally made a fool of myself to the artist telling her how she's like a celebrity to me.



I will be sharing some more great purchases later, in case you are interested.

I hear wedding bells.....

I'm so excited to share this with everyone. I worked with the MOST lovely couple to design and make a wedding ring. This was a big deal for me because it was in platinum and used 4.6 carats of diamonds. Holy smokes!! I can't tell you how nervous I was carrying around this amazing ring (if I do say so myself).

So congrats to Richard and Alison. Did I mention how sweet they are? I even got a Christmas card from them.

and a happy new year....

It kind of cracks me up that my last post was on Black Friday and never to be seen again. What a crazy 6 weeks! I am so happy and feel so lucky that this holiday was busy for Chocolate and Steel. Thanks to you all!

I am really looking forward to this year. We are moving in a couple weeks to a larger apartment - woohoo!!!! For you that really know me (like in person) know how small my apartment has gotten since the arrival of a child and another dog (which makes 2). I'm excited to get my new work space set up too (another factor to my shrinking apartment).

I wish you all much love and happiness in the new year.

BLACK FRIDAY SALE & FREE SHIPPING

::BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND SALE (11/26-11/30)::
All purchases receive FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE and.....
FREE PAIR of stud earrings ($18 value) with every purchase over $75!
Choose either ::Bird Studs:: or ::Simply Love Studs::

*Remember to leave your earring selection in the notes section during checkout*

Hello friends. Hope you are all enjoying some time off and some good food. My husband and I are not totally fond of the traditional Thanksgiving meal so we are doing an Italian take on it. Listen to this menu that he devised:
starters: sausage stuffed fried green olives
sides: potato gnocchi with turkey bolonese, and sauteed green beans with marcona almonds
main dish: mortadella stuffed pork loin (mmmmmm....)

friends are bringing by some fancy cheese, desert and a lot of booze. Can't wait. It's going to be a great time.

I have much to be thankful for this year. Sometimes I just can't believe this is my life. It is so good. I am thankful for my wonderful family that supports me and believes in me. They make me laugh and love every day (including Roxy and Betty, our chow chows). I am thankful for good health and wonderful friends (and they are so truly wonderful!). I am thankful for the spirit of inspiration flowing in my house. It has been a productive and fulfilling year for both myself and my husband. And I am thankful for my son who loves me, challenges me and totally frustrates me:)

Patchwork tomorrow

Hey guys! I'll be at Patchwork Santa Ana tomorrow from 11a to 5p. You should all come out. This si a great show filled with art, jewelry, clothing, kid's stuff, plush, food, music..... You name it, it's there. Details are on the flyer (click on it for a larger pic).
As a side note, I've watched a couple good movies recently (thanks Netflix). Has anyone seen Elsa and Fred? Oh my gosh! I loved that movie. It's a Spanish flick that has stayed with me all week. Very funny and touching. The acting in it is wonderful.

The second movie that I saw that I really like was "Burn after Reading". A VERY funny performance by Brad Pitt and a good story by the Cohen Brothers.

And a music recommend? Sure! Loving this video by White Stripes. I am a huge Dolly Parton fan (old school Dolly) and they did the best cover of Jolene. Check it out. Have a lovely weekend everyone.


And don't forget to sign up for my email list over there
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I'm sending out a special offer soon. Keep your eyes peeled.

to be a frog on the wall...

This weekend I helped out my friend Lora (yes, "thee" Lora Hart!) at the Contemporary Crafts Market. What an inspiring bunch of artists. Lora had this fantastic tourmaline ring (which is nowhere online to be seen and sold to a very lucky individual) that I loved. Another piece that I feel in love with was this group of owls by Colpitts.

You should see all of their work in person. The expressions are all so unique and realistic. Another favorite was a frog, but unfortunately I can't get the picture to load. They fire all of the pieces twice and up to a temperature of 2350 degrees. The pieces were like stone, completely non-porous. They could be kept outside with very little signs of wear. I'm so impressed.

Giveaway because "It's the most wonderful time of the year...."

Yes, I am singing holiday songs already. I even tuned into the Christmas station on Pandora.

Are you thinking about holiday shopping yet? Well, if so you should check out this cute little website a friend turned me on to. Posh Little has a holiday gift guide that makes finding the perfect gift so easy. Who doesn't need a Password Reminder notebook? I do! With all of the different websites that make you log in it's hard to keep it all straight. How clever indeed!They are also featuring one of my necklaces that can be found at The Kids are Alright.

In case you've been thinking, "Gosh, I'd love to know more about Christine" then go here. Want to know who my biggest inspiration is? I have been stalked and interviewed over at Etsy Stalker. Enter the giveaway to win a tiny heart stacking ring.

Heavy Hitters

Wow, I just noticed that my last post was October 5th. Oh boy does time fly. I've been working on a wedding ring lately that has taken much of my time and energy (and anxiety). I'll post a picture when it's done. Platinum and 4.6 carats of diamonds - oh my....

and I'll be featured in the December issue of Los Angeles Magazine. Very excited about that.

I just updated my show schedule over there. There are some heavy hitters.
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I'll be doing some shows in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Francisco. I've pretty much got California covered. If only I could sneak in a San Diego show. Don't think that will happen. I've got to sneak in my son's birthday party, Thanksgiving with the family, and maybe have some Christmas fun.

ok, back to work. I have a new necklace I'll post next week. It's a sweet one:)

I'll leave you with some Halloween cheer. The Dueling Batmans.....

for the love of photo booths

I love this photo booth that has been made in the spirit of a confessional. Pictures do reveal a lot about us. There is often times an honesty that is captured on film that is not seen by the naked eye.

‘J’adore aglisia’ by architect Rafael Schmidt and Ole Kretschmann

Found via DailyTonic