Monday, January 29, 2007

this is why i'm here!

okay... i'm here, looking for inspiration... and this is why! you don't come across work like this all too often at home!!!

this is from the area place vendome... it's the center of banking and high end jewelry. OOOOO. now, this is the area where you FEAR going in store. but, lucky me, i found somebody who has found pity on me! i think he's making me his personal project. he works at boucheron, and is trying to see who he can find for me to talk to! yay!

well, this is just a small sampling of things i came across... tons of other pictures!



Friday, January 26, 2007

in my neighborhood... in my neighborhood

So, I decided to do a little walking around my neighborhood yesterday. I crossed the river (I live a couple blocks from it) and headed towards St Cloud. Hiking my butt straight up a hill (good good, walk off some pastry!) to head to the cathedral that I keep seeing on the hill top. Well, it was closer than I thought... and way bigger!!!!!

In this day and age, nobody would put something like in the burbs! But, oh those Catholics! Back in the day you would put all of the towns money into building the BIGGEST MOST GI-NORMOUS church possible... because the bigger your church, to more you love god... and the more you love god, the more god loves you! And basically, it would keep invaders from attacking your town, because god loves you more! hehehe

Well, when walking up to it... it looks pretty normal...
Then... BAM... there it is! It's huge!Look at this inside! It's insane!
The Pulpit is this massave, wooden carved... thing! On the bottom it has life sized people carved out of wood... but hanging over head, it has (maybe ) something that looks like the Angel of Death! You know, just to keep scaring you into behaving. (I'm sure it's some other angel... but we'll pretend it's death... more interesting that way! hehehe)

More to come!!!!!!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

a day at the orsay!

This is the Musee d'Orsay. It was a train station that they turned into a museum in 1986 (almost 50 years after it closed.) I spent a day there sketching (they had a wonderful Art Nouveau show.)
This is an area that they refer to as the Reception room. It houses Acedemic Arts (sculptures, murals, etc.)
Now, as you may know, I am amazed by the marble/stone sculptures. Taking a hard medium and making it look soft. The next two photos are two marble sculptures that really caught my eye that day.

How the hell did they do it??????

Monday, January 22, 2007

jardin

So, here it is... the enterance to 30 Rue de Bellevue. We have a sweet little garden (jardin) out front. I'm surprised that we have any flowers... but it's been oddly warm , so we have a Rosemary plant the size of a shrub and a few Iris left.This is the bird's eye view from the bedroom window.
And this is our happy littls Iris.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

outside the digs...

Here it is... my home for the next few months...

This is the view of the courtyard in back from the living room...
And finally... the view from the front window...
Today is our first sunny day, so I'll take some nice photos of the garden out front (we still have iris growing! Insanity!) And a few of the inside.

More to come!

Friday, January 19, 2007

ahhhhh... france!

As you may already know, I decided to take a working sabbatical in France for a couple of months. I'll be posting photos of my designs I'm working on, but also my random little happenings and adventures!

I decided to start with this... the long awaited answer to that age old question... why are Europeans so skinny and stinky??? This is the answer...



THE EUROPEAN SHOWER!!!!!

Look at this! I hope you can grasp how itsy-bitsy-teenie-tiny this sucker is!!! Every time I attempt to turn around I either have the curtain stuck to my, well, back side or I manage to hit the insanely sensitive shower control and have scorching or freezing water rain down on me. And do you see the crazy metal spider looking shower curtain hanger... this would give any child nightmares and scar them permanently!

So, I brave it every morning... string of profanities streaming like the freezing water running all over the floor (because I flood the bathroom every time I shower)... and at least I don't stink!

But shower or no shower... I'm enjoying myself a great deal! I really do love it here!

Ahhh... stay tuned for more to come!!! Also, remember to peek at my cohort's blog, KELLY "COLDCUTS" MURPHY!

...explanation of "Coldcuts" to come... hehehe... stay tuned!

Friday, January 12, 2007

wedding jewelry

So, the client wanted to make jewelry out of her great grandmothers pearls, but make them a bit more modern. So, the pearls are separated in 3 strands, with sterling silver chain between each pearl. Then the clasp is a sterling silver cast tropical flower with more pearls strung in the center as the staimen. There is a matching flower for her hair and one to attach to her dress.




Wednesday, January 10, 2007

engagement ring!!!

Handed off the engagement ring last night. And, not to have a huge head, I think it's pretty sweet!!!

It's 14K Palladium White gold, 1/2 carat VS2 F colored center Diamond and a bunch of small VS diamonds set all around.

These are quick photos, and I haven't had a chance to clean them up yet. But it gives an idea!





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