So, I had a lovely surprise today in my studio. This is the amazing texture I happened upon at the bottom of a pyrex dish I use in my soldering station. I always mix a little baking soda with water to neutralize metal pieces I’ve torched and then pickled for cleanup. The water had evaporated and left the baking soda dried into this ethereal pattern.

I love it when I find beauty while working or really whenever. I’ve decided to use it as a background for an invitation to a trunk show I’m doing for the holiday season. It’s just perfect.

Latest custom project with repurposed gold and diamonds provided by client. This pendant was designed with a lily motif. The client’s daughter is named Lily.

Chain attaches seamlessly to pendant and to petal detail with diamonds.

I’ve been working on a custom design project for a client that wants me to create cremation pendant necklaces. I went to the cemetery for some motif ideas. Here are some beautiful textures and lovely quotes I found while on my outing. Stay tuned for the cremation pendants in a future post.

I love this quote so much. I feel it down to my bones…

From the same grave stone. It’s a sweet heart and fleur motif.

I should re-post this one for Valentine’s Day.

Another image from the same gravestone. I’m not usually into stars except the ones in the sky, but this one is beautiful with the leaf wreath.

A leaf shadow. Lovely.

As a metalsmith, I’m all about how surfaces change with age and weather conditions. Amazing.

So, I’ve been told this wood goes by the name of Burl.

Hello, Burl you are so cool. I think I love you!

I took this picture in Central Park’s Ravine. It’s from a fallen log. I love the texture and will be doing some pieces with a similar pattern.

These are beautiful examples of textures I’ve collected to inspire me in the studio. Of course, in metal it won’t have the milky pale porcelain look of these lovelies, but decaying textures- absolutely!

Dotted Swiss

Aging Nautilus

Abalone’s Weathered Skin

Prickly Corals

Shelled Glacier

Sea Sponge Bouquet

Porous Rock

I actually took this picture a couple of days ago thinking it would be a nice post for Mother’s Day, but I’m a little late in posting this.

It’s a succulent called Mother of Thousands. I gave some cuttings of this plant to my mother last year and wonder how it’s doing in her kitchen window. I wasn’t able to go visit her for Mother’s Day this year. So, this picture makes me think of my mom and the thousands of mothers out there. Happy Mother’s Day!

Detail of the lacy edges of the leaves that form and then drop into the soil to produce more leaves. Hence the name, Mother Of Thousands. Such a sweet little house plant.

In the background, horses at play. I love this photo of the one horse biting the other one.

In the foreground, a bas relief style horse head ring.

The horse head is from a white plastic whole horse that came with a bottle of whiskey. Someone gave it to me after they finished the bottle. I don’t know the brand of whiskey, nor did I have the satisfaction of enjoying the mystery whiskey. I did however, live behind the famous White Horse Tavern several years ago during my first stint in NYC. I’ve always adored horses. They are such beautiful and amazing creatures.

Ring shown in 14 karat yellow gold. Custom design for an equestrian client. All materials/metals used in the process were from the client’s old gold.

Happy Winter Wonderland!

There was a dusting of snow last night in NYC. I was in winter wonderland mode this morning with my porcelain animal figurines from my childhood, sharing space with a honeycomb pattern soldering block from my jewelry bench. I’m not much for holiday decorating, so here’s my minimalist attempt at holiday decor.

In time for the gift season, I have launched my shop on the website. I just had a wonderful photoshoot to include products from the Manlier Collection- a new line for the rough and tumble man or edgy woman.

http://shop.allthingsbec.com/Manlier-Collection_c6.htm

Holiday Cheer!  -bec

To document my latest work, I recently had a wonderful photoshoot with a very talented photographer, Alex Minkin- www.alexminkin.com

Here’s a few images of some chunky new rings I’m making for men and/or women.

It wasn’t so easy getting these rings to stack up like a totem pole, but I love the resulting image.

Gouged Wood Ring is what I’m calling this style. I’m making a few pieces with this same texture that is inspired by my daily walks in the woods of Central Park with my dog, Ramona.

Glacier Ring is the name for this texture and shape that is inspired by elements found in both ice, rock and also wood. I’ve designed some other pieces with this same texture. The shape of this new ring is similar to an older design I used to fabricate in metal called the Pinch Ring.

Relic Ring with embedded shark tooth and anchor.  I was thinking about fossils and how shells have hitchhikers of other shells that have attached themselves. I also wanted to use my shark tooth in a chunky ring that a man would want to wear, but I knew my original shark tooth was too delicate. This ring is certainly not delicate. The anchor found it’s way into the design in the later stage of the wax carving process.

I went on a trip to southern California and was blown away by all of the unique botany that grows there. They have had a unseasonably cool summer and the plants must of loved it. I took some pictures and am very inspired to design some jewelry now. I wish I had noted the names of these flowers and plants during my time in California- that would have really taken it up a notch. If any of these translate into some designs, I’ll do some research to figure out the technical name.

Gorgeous Blackish Purple Flower- the petals are like that of an artichoke.

Thorny Succulent I spotted at the San Diego Zoo.

This palm has eyes all over it. Something about it reminds me of Picasso. I’m calling it Eye Bark.

Sweet little plant all decked out like a Christmas Tree. I love seeing the different phases of buds to blooms so compacted together.

Thorny Leaf- super cool. This is my favorite California Botany find.

This little puffy plant reminds me of varicose veins, but way cuter.