Sometimes, when I'm making orders I work on something just for fun during the minutes while I'm waiting for a piece to cool, or soak or ..well..whatever.

So, this is the latest "fun" piece I just finished yesterday.

The two strips of blue enamel hold a secret inside. Look in this picture and you will see the top two strips are etched with the words DISCOVER and JOURNEY. I love those two words. Life is a journey and every journey is the opportunity to discover. Wear these earrings and you'll be ready for the journey, ready to discover your one of a kind life.

I covered the words with several layers of Prussian Blue enamel. It's so rich and deep, like a night sky or the Atlantic waters. The natural shells have a mystical swirl pattern. They dangle from sterling silver posts that I made by hammering for texture. I couldn't resist engraving a little star to top it off.

These are long statement earrings. They measure 3 inches long!

I think they would be a perfect birthday or graduation gift.

I put them on the Etsy store this morning. I'm not sure if I'll make anymore. What do you think? Should I add them to the Metal Sky Collection? Or maybe they fit into Pirate Tides? I'd love to know what you think.

I just wanted to share a few peeks at my new collection today. It's not quite done, but it's getting closer. Actually, I have a few items already in the Etsy store. But soon, the whole collection will be available here at Pirate Tides Collection.

What a Ship Is.. Pendant - "Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs, but what a ship is..what the Black Pearl really is...is freedom."
-Captain Jack Sparrow

Double sided pendant made of sterling silver and a blue agate.

Pirate's Freedom Ring - I used an antique design to figure the placement and technique to cut facets right on the silver for this ring. It looks like it's hammered - a very rugged look. I stamped the word FREEDOM inside the band. I think of this as a pirate's wedding band.

Someone asked me when I first realized I was an artist. I think it started when I realized I have an artist eye. Like some people can hear music and know if the key is off, I can look at a painting and know if it’s working. I’m not bragging. I worked hard to be able to see this way. I honed this skill when I was making my living selling art and antiques in NYC. Since I didn’t have a lot of capital, I had to buy the best art for the lowest price. This meant mostly, buying unknowns and unsigned works. Many dealers rely on the artist signature. They look it up to see the value of the artist’s previous sold works. If the artist is not listed, or there is no signature, they pass on the work.

I couldn’t afford to do that. I had to buy the work based solely on itself. Not the history, not the name, just the work before me. But only, of course, if it appealed to me. If it was looked “right”.

I would see a painting at an auction and know it was right. I was always surprised when there was light bidding – sometimes no bidding at all against me. I remember once the auctioneer even making a joke about the painting. No one would dare bid on it then, except me. I knew it was good. I sold it a few days later for 10x what I paid.

This  happened so often that I finally realized, some people see it and some people don’t.

That’s the way it is with all art. Good paintings aren’t made to  match the sofa. And art jewelry isn’t made to  match the dress. Some people can see that and some people just don’t.

That’s just the way it is. We all see the world a little different. Isn’t that a great thing? I think it is a wonderful thing!