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...
Yellow greens are slowly and surely emerging from the long grey Maine winter, and I too, am having moments of brightness and new life, ideas, excitement. But then, days like this still feel slow. So, I'm about to get ugly real. This is a truth I've agonized over whether to share, it being so raw and personal. My brand is about creating happiness and spreading joy and that is incredibly important to me. I also feel that it's important to share what's really behind it. Depression has been a reality for me for as long as I can remember. The swells of lethargy, sadness and lack of hope or joy. If anyone reading can relate, please consider this a virtual hug. Although I know, empathy...
Some mother's are more about pearls, and some mother's are more edgy. My mother wears my flowers, but I think only because I make them. And she's my mom. But she's not flower-y. She's tough, and an artist, and edgy, sometimes the edges are even kind of sharp. And she loves me. A lot. Moms aren't perfect (no one is) but they make us, and then they have a huge role in making us who we are. Being a mom myself now, I know that you pretty much do anything for your kids. I also know that the best Mother's Day gifts happen year-round, in small moments. And any expression of love and appreciation from your child goes a long...
