what a difference a year makes, the saying goes. it's true. today marks one year, the first year of this blog. i've learned so much more than i could have ever imagined when i started this project. wonderful people (you!) have come into my life. and if you leave regular comments on the blog, or are a regular reader who is still shyly lurking - i do feel you all out there, cheering me on in this creative adventure of mine. thank-you from the bottom of my heart for returning again and again to found object. it has truly been a year of amazing!

speaking of commenting on the blog, please do. if i have never mentioned it, i love comments. i read them all and knowing who is reading gives me this wondrous, warm feeling of being connected to the whole world. so, drop me a little line here and there, it's very encouraging!

2008 is before us, laying lightly on the horizon, just waiting to be plunged into like a shimmering lake. i'm sure it's full of beautiful objects, rich conversation and creative adventures. whatever amazing things i find, wherever i go, you can be sure i will share it all here with you.

keep coming back to found object, and do send your friends as well.

come on in, the water is fine. 

when i was growing up, my mom was a weaver, a fiber artist. our home was bursting with luscious colored wool yarns, and a massive teak wood loom rubbed shoulders with danish modern furniture and earth-toned shag carpet. every wall held an art piece that was hours of loving labor by my mother. my whole life i've loved natural fibers -wool especially, with a curious kind of ancient knowing, a love left over from some other lifetime in some other place. raised by artists, with a deep appreciation for nature, i have always been a tactile person.

i must touch things to know them, it's always been this way.

recently, in a long wandering around the exceptional universe which is etsy.com, i found this shop. oh, my! i am besotted with this artist's work. i love the vibrant mix of textures. i love her sense of color. i love how she takes a little vintage gem of an object and uses it as the centerpiece of a new creation. it's wonderful and refreshing that each piece is always one-of-a-kind, that she numbers them. in short, i give you my latest etsy crush.

you may still be full of holiday dinner, my dears, but feast your eyes on this.

can a tape measure be elegant? it can when transformed by the skilled hands of the talented scottish designer at lima jewellery. you will be amazed when you check out the whole collection here.

merry christmas, my dear readers. i'm snuggled up this week with books and movies and food deliveries from good friends, while i recover from surgery. but i promise that before you know it, more jewelry offerings from my studio will be shown here to delight you. i even have some lovely pairs of new earrings made for my studio sale, but alas, not photographed so i i can't put them in the bread + butter shop just yet.

i remind myself as well, soon it all will be different. this week is just a mere pause. 

check out the smashing found object jewelry of marion vancruchten. she re-uses old coupons to great effect. i love the large, ruffled statement the rings make. the brooch on the bottom is just the quirky-yet-elegant statement to make on a sharp winter coat. and the bracelet is just plain fun! this collection is called re-value and you can view it right here.

what a wonderful day yesterday was! the holiday sale in my studio was a smashing success. i want to thank everyone who came out during this busy season and supported me. i feel very good about the sales and delighted to meet so many of you who read this blog and are following my story, day by day. by your purchases, i am sustained.

thank-you, thank-you, thank-you! 

if anyone who was not able to make the sale is still wishing for a jewelry treat, please do consider shopping in my web stores. there are treasures to be had and if you are thinking of gifts for christmas, the time is ticking! today is actually the last day i will ship before christmas, as i am having surgery again, tomorrow. if you've just landed on found object and have no idea what that is all about, read the story here. 

any orders placed by 3pm, PST will be shipped today. otherwise, you can shop to your heart's content and i will resume shipping again around december 26.

the lovely pair of earrings above features a 1920's ruby glass button and is still available, right here.