Thursday, September 24, 2009

Friday Finds - 09 Sep 25

Wow, can't believe fall is actually here. Just earlier this week marked the First Day of Autumn. Leaves are starting to turn colors. I can just smell the apple cider brewing. My friend Dianna's better half is already back from the wine grape harvests. The other day, I even saw a little kid with a black cap on his shoulders, test driving his costume.

Here are some treasures I found that just suits the occasion:

Clockwise from top left:
1. Autum Equinox by SusanClarkeOriginals
2. Autumn Neckwarmer by Ebruk
3. Cats Cats & More Cats Wallet by zaibboo
4. Handmade Journal with Wine Cork by BBesigns
5. Build A Flower Card by tigerlilyol
6. Pumpkin Inspired Earrings by BelladonnasJoy

Monday, September 21, 2009

Raised Bead Setting

This is my latest commission piece - a 14K gold pendant with a 4mm round faceted ruby. Due to the high cost of gold (eeek!!! $1,004 per oz as of this very moment), I sweat solder a piece of 14K with a piece of 10K, to achieve a .006 inch (1.5 mm) thickness of this pendant. Hey, you skimp where you can , right? The rest of the necklace is all 14K.

The ruby was set with bead prongs that were raised from adjacent materials. This technique is the basis of pave stone setting, which is one of the most challenging of all stone setting techniques.
After setting the stone, I put a sandblasted texture on the front and back. Edges are brought to a high polish. Finally touches are the quality stamps and then I signed on one of the edges. Ah yes, I still need to design and have a hallmark stamp made. Soon!

The group of photos below are my progress pictures.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Friday Finds - 09 18 09

Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown today. This will conclude my series of features for this High Holiday. Each year, we get together with some friends and have lunch together after the morning service. Happy and sweet New Year to everyone! Shalom!



Clockwise from top left:

1. Sacred, watercolor print and verse by mishmishmarket

2. Kiddush Cup with Pierced Blessing by agru

3. Magic Bird Town Hamsa Print by doodlage

4. Fused Glass Menorah by toocraftyladies

5. Shalom Floral Wall Hanging by sieberdesigns

6. Ahava is Love (in Hebrew) by inbarbareket

7. (Sale) Rosh Hashanah Cards by tamarhammer

8. Petite Copper Star of David by oakgeorgia

9. Happy New Year Cards by karmabee

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Friday Finds - 11 Sep 09

Our Etsy Chai team is growing by the leaps and bound. Today, I am continuing with the Rosh Hashanah theme featured by more members. It's amazing how much artwork are inspired by this one holiday. Follow the links to see more photos and related products.
Clockwise from top left:
1. Chai Wire Kippah by lindab142
2. Silver Menorah Earrings by beadsofparadiseshop
4. Kiddish Cup by ceramicsbymarcelle
5. Nisan Mezuzah Case by hautefelt
6. Pools on Mars Hair Barrette by claybeadsandmore
7. Judaic Greeting Card by anjalicreations
8. Days of Awe by downtoearthcreations

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Friday Finds - 04 Sep 09

Hard to believe that Rosh Hashanah is only two weeks away, and it is Year 5770 on the Jewish calendar. I am featuring many handmade items that will get you in the mood for the High Holidays. They are all created by my fellow team members of Team Etsy Chai.Clockwise from top left:
1. Blue Lace Agate Necklace by fleurdeirk
2. Forever Stripes Lampwork Beads by dorsethillbeads
4. Rosh Hashanah Cards by handmadeinisrael
5. Bird on a Wire Tallis by kippahmitzvah
7. Blue Dove Cards by anothercreation
8. Knit Shabbat Challah Cover by blazingneedles
9. Yad and Scroll by lbolter
There are more goodies than what I can show here, so don't forget to peruse their stores.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Friday Finds - 28 Aug 09

If you have a little one at home, you'll like the pink and cute theme for this Friday's Finds. Aren't they just adorable? If you are crafty, you can even make the little Petunia Piglet yourself. The links to these items are just below the pictures.


Clockwise from top left:

1. Petunia Piglet, Pattern by funkyfriendsfactory

2. Baby Poodle Hound Dog, Friday by raewadolly

3. Bella Octopus Pin by lizzieboo

4. Piper, Creature Toy by adoptanalien

5. Annie, Sock Creature by beezmiller

6. Sadie by sereneonion

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Friday Finds - 21 Aug 09

It's a sad day for me, I just sent my son off to college today. There ought to be some support groups for emptynesters. Anyway, I'm so proud of him because the acceptance rate to this awesome public university is only about 26%. And there is no brownie points for me being an alumni. Anyway, in honor of the occasion, my theme for this Friday's finds is "Berkeley".

Clockwise from top left:
1. Berkeley Sunset by streambound
2. Berkeley Telegraphy by laselle2
3. Berkeley, CA Road Trip Badge by minorthread
4. Berkeley Steel by jbpainting
5. Peace Crane Origami by localcolorist
6. I Love Golden Bear Football Onesie/T-shirt by flyduds

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Friday Finds - 14 Aug 09

Last Friday, I was out of town so I wasn't able to post any handmade favorites. Here are some fun treasures of varied media that I hope you will enjoy. Clockwise from top left:
1. Vintage Brown Telephone by kingsroad
2. Maple Cutting Board by ripperarts
3. Bridge Over River, China by designbyhelen
4. Labradorite Chunks on Brass by kizzdesigns
5. Iolite Nugget and Sterling Earrings by blackhorsedesigns
6. Andalusia Mod Flower and Dots Bag by bizzielizzie

Friday, July 31, 2009

Latest Work

Here are a couple pieces that I worked on these past few days - a ring and a neck piece. Each flower is raised from flat sheets of bronze. They are mere studies and practices, which means they are just for me. So please excuse the lousy photography.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Friday Finds - 31 Jul 09

This Friday, I'd like to thank some of my blog readers for following my ramblings. I really appreciate your continuing support. :) Below are some favorites I find in their Etsy shops.Clockwise from top left:
1. Blue Carambolas Necklace by danugs
2. Tire Swing Earrings by mikicatdesigns
4. Crochet Purse in Periwinkle by peanutscreations
6. Bluebird Scrabble Tile Pendant by prettywhimsical
Be sure to check out all the other goodies in their stores.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Friday Finds - 24 Jul 09

Do you like green? Then this weeks featured items are just for you. You can take a closer look at each item by clicking on the link below these photos.Clockwise from top left:
1. Chalcedony Shades of Aqua Necklace by unicorngem1994
2. Green Clusters Bracelet by snowbell
3. Faceted Natural Crystal & Green Amethyst Necklace by southpawstudios
4. Mermaid's Heirloom Necklace by mermaidencreations
5. Angela Earrings by nightskyjewelry
6. Island Cooler Bracelet by realisationcreations

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Temple of Herod

Now, here's a model of biblical proportions. A retired farmer has spent more than 30 years building an enormous scale model of Herod's temple - and it is still not finished. Alec Garrard, 78, has dedicated a massive 33,000 hours to constructing the ancient temple, which measures a whopping 20ft by 12 ft.The pensioner has hand-baked and painted every clay brick and tile and even sculpted 4,000 tiny human figures to populate the courtyards. But Mr. Garrard, who started the epic project in his 40s, says his masterpiece will not be finished in his lifetime. "I have an interest in buildings and religion. I thought maybe I could combine the two and came up with the idea of doing the temple. I'd see one or two examples of it in Biblical exhibitions, but I thought they were rubbish and I knew I could do better."
"I have sculpted and painted 4,000 figures, each measuring just half an inch and they all wear their correct costumes. Each one takes about three hours to make and there are 32 versions of Jesus, although no one can ever spot him no matter how religious they are." Visitors come from all over the world to see the model, and Mr. Garrard provides binoculars so they can see all the details. "I personally know all the top archaeologists from Jerusalem and I've had experts from the British Museum visit," he says.
But he chases the money-changers out of the temple: I've had a lot of offers from people to buy it, but it's not for sale." He says his wife Kathleen thinks he is mad. He adds: "She wishes she'd married a normal person." Mr. Garrard, from Norfolk, spent more than three years researching the temple, which was destroyed by the Romans 2,000 years ago and deemed to be one of the most remarkable buildings of ancient times. He then started to construct the amazing 1:100 scale model, which is now housed in a huge building in his back garden. "Everything is made by hand. I cut plywood frames for the walls and buildings and all the clay bricks and tiles were baked in the oven then stuck together," he says. In its heyday the temple complex covered 36 acres - four times the area of Windsor Castle. The Temple was probably located on the site of today's Temple Mount, and it is also the location of the Islamic mosque, Dome of the Rock.

[This was originally an email sent by a friend. It is such an incredible project that I had to share it. All photos in this post were taken by photographer, Geoff Robinsin, and included with his permission.]

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Friday Finds - 17 Jul 09

A blue and purple collage for this Friday's Finds. I hope you all enjoy browsing their shops.
Clockwise starting from top left:
1. Toddler Messenger Bag by meeabee
2. Hand Painted Silk Scarflette by silkartfrombrazil
3. Lagoon Ring by clevergirl
4. Purple Tranquility by houseofsixcats
5. Map Pieces by madmaggiedesigns
6. Sapphire Swirl by bellissimadesigns

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Friday Finds - 10 Jul 09

This Friday's theme is metal, which is my favorite medium. Aren't these wonderful?Clockwise from top left:
Become Rose Garden Shawl Brooch by meltemsem
Leaf Neckpiece by bullfrogstudios
Cherry Blossom Sakura Ring by studiometalsmith
Simple Swirl on Square Necklace by limegreenmodern
Urban Life 2 - The Salvation of a Smile by canadianrockies
Bond Brooch by freeforged

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Friday Finds - 03 Jul 09

This Friday, I'd like to showcase some fiber arts. If you'd like to check out each item, click on the links below the group of photos. Clockwise from top left:
1. Red Hair Buddy Clip by bagsandbuds
2. Mrs. Carmen Scarflette by warmandsoft
3. Nuns n Roses, the rock star by nunofakind
4. Lateralus Rose by zuppaartista
5. Crocheted Rag Rug by kelleylivingston
6. Cozy Kittens Pillow by rokstudy

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Premio Meme Award #2

Last weeks, besides Julie Magers Soulen, my friend Jodi Bombardier of Jewels-by-Jules also awarded me the Premio Meme Award. Jodi is a wire wizard, making amazing wire jewelry and writing wire wrapping tutorials and books. If you want to get some expert advice, visit her beautiful blog. Her bracelets are some of my favorites, showing the perfectionist side of her. Thanks, Jodi! Jetson – Copper Wire Woven Bracelet

The award rules are simple: I list 7 facts about myself then pass the award to 7 people.
1. Proud mom with a son who will be attending UC Berkeley (my own alma mater) this fall.
2. Never had any interest in jewelry until I started making them.
3. It is not a real vacation unless it is a tropical one.
4. Love being my own boss.
5. Need to join "Diet Coke Anonymous."
6. I’m a shortie – only 5’-3” tall.
7. Got 6-7 scars from ankle surgeries.

I am happily passing the Premio Meme Award to some of favorite artisans:
1. roiaobrien
2. nunofakind
3. prettywhimsical
4. quirkydolls
5. tialeyvintage
6. meeabee
7. ju’screations

Premio Meme Award #1

Couple of weeks ago, Julie Magers Soulen of Julie Magers Soulen Photography awarded me the Premio Meme Award. Julie takes amazing pictures and here’s my all time favorite. As I am posting write-up, she is relaxing here on this porch. Thanks, Julie!

Golden Bliss

The award rules are simple: I list 7 facts about myself then pass the award to 7 people.

1. Proud mom with a son who will be attending UC Berkeley (my own alma mater) this fall.

2. Never had any interest in jewelry until I started making them.

3. It is not a real vacation unless it is a tropical one.
4. Love being my own boss.
5. Need to join "Diet Coke Anonymous."
6. I’m a shortie – only 5’-3” tall.
7. Got 6-7 scars from ankle surgeries.

I am happily passing the Premio Meme Award to some of favorite artisans:
1. purifiedart
2. cindypack
3. melt’m
4. deandymentstudios
5. mandibeads
6. ligiarocha
7. solheart

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Friday Finds - 26 Jun 09

More Friday finds here. If you’d like to take a closer look at each item, the links are below the photo group. Check out other gorgeous pieces in their shops too.


Clockwise from top left:
1. birdie tote - echino fabric by washwhendirty
2. Flower Power Blank Note Cards by madebyswirlygirl
3. Restful Dream original monotype by deandymentstudios
4. Happy Denim Purse by huggermugger
5. Baby Blue - Chalcedony & Pearl Beaded Watch by roseofsharonjewelry
6. Earth Blooms Mosaic Keepsake/Jewelry Box by tkdesigns

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Handcrafted Creations Directory Sign-Up

A shout out to my readers that you can submit your website link to Handcrafted Creations for their blog consideration. They have an impressive directory with different catagories such as handmade jewelry, wedding jewelry and accessories. Check out the featured artisans and their unique crafts.

Victoria Joanne of Custom Wedding Garters makes custom garters in a rainbow of colors. You can select a design by theme, by color or by materials. I've never seen such a huge selection of designs, but then I got married way back, before the internet was born.
So head over to the two sites, take a look, sign up to be featured, and spread the word.


Friday, June 19, 2009

Blog Award - One Lovely Blog

Lori Dean Dyment of DeanDymentStudios bestowed the honor of the "One Lovely Blog Award" to my blog, and I am ecstatic because this is the second time I received this award in the past month.

Lori is a very talented painter and printmaker, living in beautiful British Columbia. Take a moment to check out her Etsy shop and her blog which is filled with great links.

Thanks Lori! Now it's my turn to pass it on...Here are the rules:
Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are my nominees!

AOS Leather
Kathryn Cole Jewelry
Timberwerks Studio
Lietdeco
A Bead A Day
Urban Junkies Artist Lounge
HJM Art
Holly Wilcox
Kim Mitchell
Lost Sentiments
Patricia Wood
Lime Green Modern
Blueberry Cream
Art on Paper
Healthy and Happy

Blog Award - Kreative Blogger

My friend Meltem has given me the Kreative Blogger award. I'm just thrilled and honored because she makes such wonderful silver jewelry. Check out her two shops, Meltemsem, Warmandsoft, and her blog.

Here are the rules of the award:
1. The winner may put the logo on her blog.
2. Put a link to the person you got the award from.
3. List seven things you love.
4. List seven blogs you love.
5. Leave a message for your nominees.

Here are the seven things I love (in no particular order):

-watching my son succeed and maturing

-jewelry making tools

-China

-Chinese martial arts

-hanging out with my friends

-warm summer nights

-traveling

Seven blogs I love and for you to visit:

- jenkiabaphotography

- madebyswirlygirl

- silkartfrombrazil

- bijouxboutique

- kelleylivinston

- juliemagerssoulen

- creativewithclay

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Friday Finds - 19 Jun 09

So Father’s Day is just 2 days away. Here are some of my favorites that will make dads smile. Click on the links below and enjoy. Don’t forget to browse other items that these wonderful artists created.



Clockwise from top left:
1. Arnold - The Gym Rat Robot by reclaim2fame
2. Two Level table by timothyadamdesigns
3. Dark Chocolate Dream Caramel Apple by doubledippedsweets 4.Music in Rome by starrybluesky
5. Beach Chairs by lauratrevey
6. Diving Eagles by aosleather

Lucy in the Sky with Diamond

Scientists found the largest diamond in the universe. Lucy, named after the Beatles’ song, is 2,500 miles across and weighing 5 million trillion trillion carats (34 zeros after the one, or 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 carats). OK, that’s a lot of diamond rings. This rock chunk is virtually crystallized carbon, measuring about 4,000 km in diameter, is approximately 50 light years from Earth in the Constellation Centaurus.

For sake of comparison, the largest cut gem in the world is the Cullinan I found in South Africa. This finished stone is 546 carats was cut from a 3,100 carat rough, which was the largest diamond found on Earth. Lucy, if mind and cut into wearable sizes, would deflate the gems market, making diamonds a dime a dozen.

Technically, Lucy is BPM 37093 and is a crystallized white dwarf. The carbon interior of this white dwarf has solidified, resulting in this galaxy’s largest diamond.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Ten Things About Me

studio618 handmade silver jewelry Following several team members' footsteps, here are a few tidbits about me:

1. Proud mom with a son who will be attending UC Berkeley (my own alma mater) this fall.

2. Never had any interest in jewelry until I started making them.

3. Couple of fortune-tellers told me that I lack 2 out of 5 elements (per Chinese astrology) - water and metal. That kind of explains my attraction to metal jewelry, huh!?

4. LEED AP - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Accredited Professional.

5. Avoided being cornered into becoming an interior designer, which happened to a lot of women architects.

6. Total martial arts fanatic - movies and books. Acquired 2 levels of black belt in Chinese kungfu before an accidental landing while doing a spinning jump kick. Competed in local and international tournaments, and would return to the training again in a heartbeat.

7. It is not a real vacation unless it is a tropical one.

8. Love being my own boss.

9. Need to join "Diet Coke Anonymous."

10. Get annoyed when people question me being Jewish.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Friday Finds - 12 Jun 09

It’s Friday again, and I get to bring to you some of my Etsy favorite items. Enjoy these beautiful images and items that these artists created. If you’d like to take a closer look at each item, the links are below the photo group. Check out other gorgeous pieces in their stores too.


Clockwise from top left:
1. Hidden Doorways in a Gothic Church by jenkiabaphotography
2. Golden Bliss by juliemagerssoulen
3. Pearl Moon Necklace by melissamemandesigns
4. Sassy Teapot with Attitude by creativewithclay
5. Southwestern 1, artisan lampwork beads by artfaerie
6. The Original Handbag pdf knitting pattern by bijouxboutique

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Friday Finds - 05 Jun 09

This is the roll-out of Friday Finds here on my blog. Featured items are handmade by artists and artisans that I find on Etsy, Artfire, or other similar venues. For the initial showcase, I picked my favorites from a few of my EtsySecrets teammates' shops. EtsySecrets is a membership-only team created by Tim Adams of Timothy Adam Designs, Handmadeology, and Found Handmade. Tim is a self-taught metal artist and can always be found providing information on social networking and on how to succeed on Etsy.

Take a closer look and read the details on these item by clicking on the links below the photos. Be sure to check out other fantastic creations by these talented artists. Have a fabulous weekend!




Clockwise from top left:
2. Light Blue Atomic Dots Tote by apiarydesigns
3. Hoot Owl Scrabble Tile Pendant by jessejanes
4. Chewbacca Mouse by TheHouseOfMouse

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Blog Award

Mandi of MandiBeads had given me the One Lovely Blog Award. She painstakingly weave each delica beads into a super-cute pen cover. This process typically takes 2-6 hours to complete. I admire her patience and good eye-sight. My favorite is her Hug Me pen.

Thanks Mandi! Now it's my turn to pass it on...Here are the rules:

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

1. sassydlite
2. bycoco
3. dgdesignstx
4. mygemstonebox
5. chezchani
6. jannadu
7. imagesbyjer
8. jewelryelegance
9. ardentdesigns
10. artisanjeweler
11. washwhendirty
12. abeadedaffair
13. perfectlytwistedjewelry
14. sandtcreations
15. kickingbear

These are my eSMArts teammates, and they are the ones who encouraged and supported my blogging endeavors. I hope you enjoy visiting their blogs.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Playtime with Metal

Anticlastic raising is one of the many metal techniques. It is a surface having two curvatures (transverse to each other) that lie in opposite directions - convex in length and concave in breadth, or vice versa.

Below is a sequence of pictures to show my progression.


eSMArts Team & Shop

Today, I'd like to talk about an Etsy street team, eSMArts and our team shop. We are a support team within the awesome artisan community. Our team has global members who work in a variety of media, and our common bond is social networking, online marketing and online promotions to increase exposure of our artwork. Team members are super talented, encouraging, helpful and fun.

Monday, April 27, 2009

The Contest Winning Quote Is...

Three weeks ago, I introduced my Giveaway Contest for a new bookmark design. The deadline was last night and I received some excellent and inspiring quotes. As promised, I've selected the winners by popular votes and by generated numbers on Random.org. Here's the results.

There is actually tie between "When words fail, Music speaks." by Hans Christian Andersen and "We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams..." -Arthur O'Shaughnessy. These two entries received one vote each by other readers. To break the tie, I get to choose one out of the two quotes to be used as my new design. It was a tough decision but I selected Andersen's (posted by Evelyn) since I'm a minimalist person when it comes to design concepts. The other winner, (quote posted by Victoria), will receive a bookmark with O'Shaughnessy's quote on it instead.

The winners are:
  • Evelyn (hotmail address)

  • Victoria of wigglejewellery in UK
  • Emilie of Grocery Price Blog (#26 as generated by Random.org)
  • Valerie B (#9 as generated by Random.org)

Congratulations, and I will contact the winners soon. Thanks everyone for participating. Until the next contest, I hope you all have a wonderful spring.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Shaolin Temple Day T-Shirt

In case anyone missed the breath-taking performances at the Shaolin Temple Day 2009 (March 21) in the San Francisco Bay Area, here's a chance to snap up a commemorative T-shirt at 20% off, while supplies last.
According to Gene Ching, Associate Publisher of Kung Fu Magazine & http://www.kungfumagazine.com/, "A portion of the proceeds of these limited-edition commemorative shirts goes to the Friends of Shaolin, a special committee of the Tiger Claw Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to promoting martial artists and assisting martial artists in achieving their goals."

For good karma, get your T-shirt already before they are all gone.

check out the Kung Fu Magazine forum posts for additional blog and video links.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Passover Haggadah + Jews in Shanghai

A friend of mine, Julie, sent me this link where you can get a newly published copy of Passover Haggadah – China. It is a traditional haggadah mostly written in Hebrew and English. There is an introduction of the Passover holiday written in Chinese by Professor Xu Xin of Nanjing University. Artwork includes traditional Chinese paper cuttings and historical photos in the Chinese Diaspora.

Shanghai Jewish life began as far back as early 19th century. The first settler arrived in 1848, and the first wave of Jewish immigrants to Shanghai was Sephardic Jews from Baghdad and Bombay. They included the successful families of Sassoon and Hardoon, who built many of the city’s landmarks. In the 1870s, the community from Baghdad rented their worship spaces. In 1887, they organized the Beth El Synagogue. Established in 1920, the Ohel Rachel Synagogue opened its doors on Seymour Road (now 500 North Shaanxi Road). In the same complex were the Shanghai Jewish School, a playground, library and mikveh. The Ohel Rachel Synagogue was the first of seven synagogues built in Shanghai, and it is still standing today.

The second wave of Jewish immigrants (1920-1937) came via Sibera to the northeastern Chinese cities of Harbin, Tianjin and Dalian. When Japan occupied Manchuria in 1931, the Russian Jews move to Shanghai, numbering to 4,500 in the 1930s. The Serphardic/Baghdad Jews were substantially wealthier than the newly arrived counterparts, but they extended charitable help to these Ashkenazi/Russian Jews.
The third wave (1938-1952) comprised of fleeing European Jews during WW II. This time, the Sephardi and Ashkenazi communities worked together to help these European refugees. At the time, Shanghai was the only place that did not require entry visas. Up to 20,000 refugees came from Germany, Austria, and Poland. When the Japanese occupied the area around Shanghai, these Jews were relocated to the Hongkou district known as the Shanghai Jewish Ghetto. By 1945 (the end of the war), there were about 24,000 Shanghai Jews. The community dwindled after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, when many Jews emigrated to Israel, the United States, Australia and Hong Kong.

Today, there is an active and growing Jewish community in Shanghai. They came from many different countries, living and working in Shanghai. They regularly hold Shabbat services, educational and b’nai mitzvah classes, and even enjoy kosher meals. In 1998, Shanghai’s mayor pledge over $60,000 to help restore the Ohel Rachel Synagogue. In a 1998 visit, then First Lady Hillary Clinton commented, “So, for [the Ohel Rachel Synagogue] to be restored, I think, is a very good example of respect for religious differences and an appreciation for the importance of faith in one's life."

Some Shanghai Ghetto survivors:
-Dr. Jakob Rosenfeld, who spent nine years overseeing health care for the Communist army.
-Michael Medavoy, a Hollywood executive at Columbia, Orion and TriStar Pictures.
-Peter Max, American pop artist.
-W. Michael Blumenthal, served as the U.S. Treasury Secretary.
-Eric Halpern, a cofounder of the Far Eastern Economic Review and its first editor.
-Shaul Eisenberg, who founded and ran the Eisenberg Group of Companies in Israel.
-Charles K. Bliss, whose Chinese experience inspired him to create Blissymbols.
-Rene Rivkin, Australian financier.
-Laurence Tribe, professor, Harvard Law School, Carl M. Loeb University Professor
-Gunther Gassenheimer, Rabbi, Temple Israel, Alameda, CA

Monday, April 6, 2009

FREE - Giveaway - Contest

In order to show my appreciation to my friends/supporters and new friends/supporters, I’m having a contest for my next bookmark design. My bookmarks have been my most popular online sales. There are so many inspiring quotes in the literary world that I always have a hard time deciding which one(s) to use. Instead of guessing what text to engrave next, I thought it would be more fun to pick the brains of all you lovely people.Rules of this Contest:

· For examples of my finished bookmarks, you can peruse my store.
· The inspiration will be the charm pictured above with musical notes.
· Only one quotation entry per person.
· The engraveable space is 3-7/8” long. As a guide, I can fit as much text as one typed line in Word document, using 10pt arial font. This includes the author’s last name. I like to give credit where it is due. Please don’t send me your dissertation. :)
· Copyright-free materials only.
· Enter your quote and author’s name by posting a comment below. Include your contact information, like your email, so I can contact you if you win.
· Contest deadline will be 11:59pm, April 26, 2009.

To earn 4 additional drawing entries, you can leave separate comments with your email address below:

· After you tweet about this contest and follow me on Twitter. Leave me a link to your Twitter.
· After you blog about this contest and follow me.
· Join my Facebook Page
· Visit this post before the deadline to vote on your favorite submitted quotes.

Contest Winners will:

· Receive notification by email and with an announcement/blog post here.
· If I use your selected quote for this charm, you will receive a bookmark of this new design.
· I will also pick two winners by random number drawing by Random.org.
· Of course there will not be any S+H charges to you, or I won’t call it FREE.

In summary, you can have up to 5 entries, and there will be at least 3 winners, maybe more there are more participants. Bookmarks will be shipped 1 – 2 weeks after the contest. Have fun! I can’t wait to see all the different ideas.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Hammered Rings

Haven't quite finish all of them yet, but here's a sneak peak of the rings I've been working on. I'm really excited about how they all turn out.
I started off with very heavy gauge, uniform straight sterling wire. Each of the wire piece was then hammered into these different shapes. Due to the designs, you can make slight adjustments to these rings when needed.

I can leave the hammered texture, which has it's own appeal, or I can sand it smooth and give it a matte finish, or I can bring it to a high polish finish. The high polish finished interior gives these rings a luxurious feel when slipping them onto the fingers.
Each is made to order. More designs to come - watch for them as I post them to my store.