Here we are in the midst of summer. As much as I thought I was preparing, I now feel unprepared (as usual) and, well, insane. It's a wonderful kind of busy. Seeing all the visitors I met last year and even years before. I'm also sharing my work with so many new people just discovering the shop, continuing the mission to #spreadjoy with happy jewelry, and then there's the constant making, making, making just to keep up. It's wild and crazy fun and I end every day feeling like this... Unfortunately, I have to be the one driving, lol. This summer has me thinking about the rhythm of the seasons. I find myself saying this almost everyday. Living in Maine feels like being...
So, podcasts changed my life. Literally. A little over a year ago, I discovered podcasts (I’m a little slow when it comes to technology). My podcast journey has evolved, and I’ve discovered so many inspirational podcasts that I want to share. In fact people close to me are at the eye rolling stage of hearing me mention yet another thing I learned from a podcast I listen to. But I just love learning this way! Right now my life doesn’t have a lot of sit-down-and-focus reading time. All my sit-down-and-focus time is devoted to making jewelry or writing stuff like this. So getting information and inspiration while driving to work, or doing dishes, fits right in. You might already know that I sometimes...
Happy Solstice! What’s your plan for the longest day of the year? I woke up later than normal, watched my seal friend and a couple seagulls enjoy a huge school of fish in the bay, and came to The Shop, where the power is out. So I’m starting this post using text edit on my laptop, sitting in the man chair, in the dark. But what I WILL do today once the power (and internet) comes back is to add this flower necklace to the website and finish with all the new prices. (done) Do you remember this lily? It’s one of my earlier designs and then I struggled with perfecting it and got frustrated with it then and...
Did you know that your Anne Woodman flower necklace comes with a lifetime warrantee? My accountant might scoff, but I want all of my happy flowers to stay happy. That goes for all of my gold filled jewelry. Here's a story... A while back, I had a heart swelling moment when I opened a package from a customer. She had emailed me saying that she bought her flower necklace 4 or 5 years ago and she wears it every day, but it was a little beat up and she wondered if I could try to fix it for her. This is what her flower looked like: It made me think of a teddy bear with a lost eye and a torn off...
This is a question I am asked often. It's also one of the most important explanations I can give, because 14 karat gold filled wire is my favorite material to work with. Yes, all of my jewelry is also available (and looks great) in sterling silver, but I make it all in gold first. Why? Because I love gold. I love it's warmth. I love it's richness. I love how it catches the light, and I love the smooth feeling of it as I shape in to my pieces. So, what is gold filled? Well, the best explanation I ever got came from Myron Toback, my wholesale supplier in New York City. Having been in business in the jewelry district of Manhattan for over...
