Saturday, August 4, 2012

Studio Saturday with Earthenwood Studio

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.
 
This weeks winner is Regina! Congratulations! You have won a Take Time message stick pendant.
Send Erin an e-mail with your address and she will get it right out to you.
This week we visit the studio of Melanie Brooks at Earthenwood Studio.
 
 I have had some changes at Earthenwood Studio in the past year.  This is not surprising, as a small business owner, especially one in the arts, has to constantly change and evolve.  This year has brought a change of sales venue for me, one that has changed to include new types of buyers.  I started selling most weekends at a very cool, artsy type of market called Rust Belt Market in the fashionable Metro Detroit city of Ferndale.  I found my work to be a good fit, but I also found myself adapting to the more urban and youthful customers who come to my booth to create their own jewelry.
 Jewelry and pendants with words on them have always been very popular for me.  I wanted to create a new line of jewelry with words that my new customers would like.  I became inspired by the urban landscape around me, particularly the textures and colors and style of graffiti on brick walls.  I thought this would be the perfect inspiration for my new word pendants.  I sell them at the Rust Belt and I also just started a new Etsy shop called Earthen Alternative to showcase them.
 Some words speak to us and affirm our beliefs and remind us of the things we treasure. I designed some pendants as amulets to remind us of some of those things.  Words like Peace, Home, Love, and Change.

 I have also been inspired by words that are sometimes used as insults or are derogatory, but which people are working to reclaim, to give them new meaning (or to take away their negative power by owning them). This has been the main focus of this line of pendants so far. I have chosen to work with some words that have more or an edge to them, words that can shock or unnerve or make you think.  I am not including any of "those" words here in today's post, to keep Art Bead Scene family friendly, but if you are curious you can click on over to my new shop to see them.
 This week, I have one Graffiti Tag pendant to give away. Leave a comment on this post and next week one random person will be chosen to win. The winner will be able to choose one pendant from the items available in the shop!

To enter to win, tell me about a piece of jewelry that you have or would like that features a favorite word.

16 comments:

cindy said...

Nice new work! Change is good!

KayzKreationz said...

I actually don't have any jewelry yet that features a favorite word (or two) but I'd love to have a pendant that says 'Be Me', because I seem to have such different likes and preferences than most of my friends. Sometimes I don't wear/show them, because even after all my years, I get tired of people saying I'm really different or unusual. This would be a great win.

Gaea said...

Great colors and feel!

Lynn said...

Naturally, we all have to keep changing but sometimes we have a choice about the direction of that change. Wondering if you've had comments re. the CENSORED Earthenwood Alternative tags, as they're called by some of the urban youth. it seems that words like S*UT, F*CK & B*TCH have become a common part of the language some young people use to address each other and even adults who are strangers. At a yard sale recently, when i declined to sell something for 90% less than the already low price, i was told: "F*uck you, b*tch!" by young man i've never seen. What was your thinking when you chose to add the CENSORED words to your shop?

Respectfully,
Lynn Duvall
www.Etsy.com/shop/artemisiasattic

lamplight crafts said...

I love my metalwork pendant made by Becky Brown of Becklinbeaddesigns.com. It is a round silver pendant with a strip of copper rivited to the silver. The word "FAITH" is stamped in the copper.

Elizabeth said...

I, too, love words in jewelry. My favorite piece is an industrial looking bracelet I made for myself with a peace word charm attached. When we wear word jewelry I think it encourages us to focus some time on what we feel or want to be. Your pieces are amazing.

Erin S said...

these are really cool--I clicked on your shop, curious to see your "censored" work--I have to admit, there are definitely times when those would totally fit my mood. My current favorite word necklace says "namaste." But some days, a "bad ass" alternative would be a welcome change.

Elaine said...

I have a necklace, given by a friend during a hard time in my life with my favourite beads on it. It wasn't until years later, after we'd lost contact, that I saw, carefully engraved into the edge of one bead is:

Have Faith

Whole Sale Jewelry said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JeannieK said...

I made a polymer clay pendant for a friend with a metal insert that said, "cripes" on it. She loves it and has it on her keychain.
I made a whole series of them, all with inappropriate words.

Susan said...

I have several necklaces with words. I stamp discs with whatever strikes my fancy. Funny thing is before I started stamping I always loved bracelets, pendants and rings with words. I have a lot of jewelry with my name on them. I have a really large blinged out pendant with QUEEN. I bought it as a key chain and instead hung it from a rubber cord!! Love it!

Unknown said...

Great color pendants! Hugs, Doris

Cynthia said...

I was also curious to see your shop - Boy, some of them are edgy, alright! I'm glad you've found a cool new venue, and can adapt to it. I do like the idea of grafitti on a bead. If I were to win, I'd likely pick a gentler word, though. I have a necklace I made using a Diane Hawkey "joy" bead.

Samsmama said...

I created a custom order necklace for someone who was having surgery. i had purchased a sterling word pendant from the "goddess" with the word faith. my customer wanted somethign that would help and inspire her during her surgery. she loved it. i hope i win!

jinxxxygirl said...

These are really nice! Great job!

Ann said...

I love the brick texture! I once saw a pendant with the word "oui" on it. I still regret that I didn't snatch it up!