Taming the Tangle

Chicago: One Day Only!

Join me and 35 other women artists for a one-day only pop-up shopping event on Chicago's North side. It will be a fun and lively event with so much beautiful art, all handmade by local women. This is my only Chicago show this year, so I hope to see you!

Saturday, May 12, 11am - 5pm
Chicago Art Girls Pop-Up Shop
http://www.chicagoartgirls.com

Preview more work on our Facebook page

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I am in town until May 17 and still have several private appointments available if you are not able to make the event, I can come to you! Contact me directly at info [at!] kathyfrey [dot] com to arrange a time... I have several one of a kind pieces under $400... a great price point for a totally unique and wearable piece of art jewelry.

Hope to see you soon, and Happy Mother's Day!

Springtime at Artful Home

Even though I knew the Spring Artful Home catalog would feature some of my jewelry, it's still a wonderful surprise when the catalog actually shows up. It's so much fun to flip through and oooh and aaah over all the beautiful art, lamps, and clothing as well as stunning jewelry. I always feel in such good company!

Artful Home is one of my favorite catalogs!

My newest nests are featured in the catalog... perfect for spring! The Extra Large Gradient Nest Pendant is on a 36" chain and can be switched to any other chain you own for added versatility. The Black Silver Long Nest Vine Hook Earrings have a dramatic new length and asymmetrical handmade hooks.

The Riverstone Bangles are stunning with all of the artisinal clothing offered in the catalog... although, honestly, they make any outfit artsy! These are still custom made to fit your hand.

It was fun to flip through and find an image of several art pieces grouped together, including my Riverstone Bangles.

If you don't receive the Artful Home catalog, you can join the mailing list via the website and see expanded offerings from each artist online.

Spiky seedpod sculpture: my new fave!

A couple weeks ago at the Historic Shaw Art Fair, I had the luck to be next to ceramic sculpture artist Andy Rogers. We have been neighbors before, but it had been a few years. As synchronicity would have it, I had just been thinking about his work the week before when hanging out in Hannibal. Somehow a group of us were trying to remember various ceramic artists who create cool spiky seedpod sculptures... Andy was the one that popped into my mind (although not his name, so it was extra exciting to be next to him to stop my mind wheel from spinning).

One of the fun special treats about being an artist is that if you like a fellow artist's work, you can always suggest the idea of a trade. It's especially great if you both are already familiar with each other's work and are mutually excited by each other's work. We have all made the mistake of doing a one-sided trade, and all I can say is only do a trade if you would also be willing to buy the work outright... this goes for if the work is for your own collection or for a gift.

 

So when Andy mentioned the idea of a possible trade, I jumped at the idea. His wife loves interesting art jewelry, and I love adding to my art collection (and it had been more than a year since I'd done so, way overdue in my book). On day one of the show, I walked through his booth just to see what types of pieces caught my eye and to make sure price points seemed compatible. He did the same at my booth and then we waited till the end of day Sunday to finalize our decisions. He came to me first and picked out a necklace and earrings... some of my favorite pod/leaf pieces that are oxidized with white pearls. It felt right to trade pods for pods.

 

Oxidized Half Wrap Pod Earrings with interior pearl, photo by Larry Sanders, ©2011 Kathy Frey

 

Oxidized Leaf Pendant with Pearl Drop, photo by Grant Boyle, ©2011 Kathy Frey

 

I didn't even walk back into his booth... I asked him if he still had one piece that we had discussed and if he would be willing to trade it since it was his newest exploration. I couldn't get this piece out of my mind once I saw it, and I wasn't being too exact about price point since it was a trade I was happy to make (the difference was minimal in my mind).

 

Ceramic sculpture with crystals growing inside, ©2011 Andy Rogers

 

Isn't it fantastic? Andy was excited for his newest piece to go to a good home, and I told him to be sure to not forget about this exploration... I love the crystals growing inside, the raw crackly glaze, and the details of the little red tips. Everything about this piece makes me excited to explore and break out of the box more. Who says a ceramic artist can't grow crystals!! Kudos to Andy!

 

For the moment I have it displayed on a shelf next to my Gradient Anemone Branches brooch... maybe I will start an abstract sea creatures collection! I love how the spikes of each piece contrast with each other.

 

Gradient Anemone Branches brooch, photo by Larry Sanders, ©2011 Kathy Frey

Style: Fun dots for Fall from Boden

For fun style, Boden is one of my favorite catalogs. The designers have a penchant for mixing patterns and unexpected colors, and many of their pieces have ribbon trims and other lovely details.

When the current catalog showed up, I could've written about almost every piece offered. It's a good one! The photography is so charming, and little Q&As with the model accompanies each pic allowing us to see that models are people too.

Today I'm giving a thumbs up to the Cecily Dress because polka dots are fun but not always sophisticated, and I think this dress does it just right.

Cecily Dress $218, ©2011 Boden

This dress has a beautiful neckline which seems perfect for a necklace, yet with such a strong print I'd opt more for a bold earring/bracelet combo that doesn't compete. My suggestion would be some big silver earrings like my Scribble Loops which walk the same playfully sophisticated line as the dress.

Scribble Loop Earrings $118, photo by Audrey Keller, ©2011 Kathy Frey

To complete the look, stack up some Riverstone Bangles. To keep with the circular theme, they could be all irregular rounded shapes. All silver would look lovely or some oxidized mixed in works as well.

Riverstone Bangles $495 each, photo by Audrey Keller, ©2011 Kathy Frey

An outfit is not complete without great shoes... I love the ones suggested for this dress online. The eggplant/black combo is sumptuous for fall and winter.

Ribbon Trim Mary Janes $164, ©2011 Boden

I'll share more fun fall style when time allows... I'm just home from my last big road trip and have many things to write about, so stay tuned. One sneak peek: You may have noticed some new images above... I'm now working with Chicago photographer Audrey Keller in a first step towards a new online look and will be unveiling more new images in the coming weeks.

Monkey Love from Eva May

After traveling for a show over the weekend, I picked up my mail on Monday and was pleasantly surprised by packages and checks rather than the usual pile of bills and junk mail. One of the special treats was a birthday present from Chicago Art Girl, Swedish Diva, and Scrabble player extraordinaire Eva May. She is a multi-talented woman, and her professional pursuits center on fabric. She makes fabulous hats, t-shirts and bags in addition to non-wearable art pieces. Check out this awesome purse that is my very special birthday gift.

Grab and go purse, ©2011 Eva May

She sent it with a card that reminds us both of our first Burningman experience... I'm still hoping she will come again someday. This bag is perfect for a few essentials. Today I carried it to the pool because I could stash cash, phone, keys, ID, and sunblock in it without being burdened by a large handbag of stuff.

I don't want to ruin the surprise for Eva, but a Kathy Frey piece is in her future. I officially have 3 Eva pieces, so am feeling guilty that I have not shared the love. I feel like I need to make something special for her that captures her fun artsy style! Some color might be in order... which is perfect since I've been working on limited edition pieces from my gem stone collection. So that's a hint without giving anything away.

You can find Eva May's pieces at various art shows as well as on Etsy.

Happy Birthday from Darbeads!

Personally I love it when birthdays drag on for a week, which happens naturally when I'm traveling. It was fun to come home to cards and packages waiting for me. And last night Janien and Darby from Darbeads took me out for a birthday drink. Look at this beautiful glass ring holder they gave me (with a personal inscription on the bottom)... totally my colors! A great piece to kick off my Darbeads collection :) 

Ring Holder, ©2011 Darbeads, photo by Kathy Frey shown with a few big fun blossom rings in her collection.

Janien and I have become fast friends. We can talk about art, fitness, and healthy eating and just about any topic under the sun. We try to get together 1 or 2 times a week for a walk, so we are walking and talking... although it all depends on what our busy schedules allow. We are toying with the idea of starting and Artist Group, reminiscient of the Art Girls group I belonged to in Chicago. There are so many artists here, and in general we all work alone in our studios... I personally miss the creative energy, support, criticism, and ideas that can come from meeting with other artists.

The truly funny thing about our friendship is that Janien, Darby and I all lived within 2 blocks of each other in Chicago... which means shopping at the same grocery store, eating at the same favorite Thai restaurant, drinking at the local watering holes, having some friends in common... and we never met until we all moved to Nevada City where we now live about a mile apart. What a small and unusual world!

Online you can find Darbeads on Facebook and Etsy (see the links on their website), and they have a wonderful shop on Spring St. here in Nevada City, California, where walk-in visitors can purchase beads, marbles, ring holders, vases, and original jewelry crafted from their lampworked beads. Their glass studio is in the back room, and there's plenty of room for classes and private lessons, so if you live in the area or are planning a vacation here, it's a great way to have a hands-on artistic experience in an area that is bursting with art and natural inspiration. And you couldn't learn from two more wonderful people who are truly enthusiastic about glass. They are getting close to convincing me to try my hand at it again... my attempts in the mid-90s are what helped to push me towards wire but it's always good to try a new art form.

Style: A cute look for shorts

One of the things I miss about Chicago is window shopping. For years I lived downtown and always loved walking by all the big stores (especially on a quiet night). One of my personal favorite stores is Ann Taylor Loft. I can always find pants that fit and lots of cute versatile basics. They make some of my favorite shirts and tops that I have been wearing for years.

In that spirit, I decided to pop over to the Loft website. They have a great style section called Looks We Love! Here's one of the outfits that caught my eye:

photo and clothes ©2011 Ann Taylor Loft

Racerback Ruffle Tank $44.50 (tops are on sale now, though, so check online for current prices), Bi-color Bloom Shorts $44.50

Ruffles are one of the hot trends I'm loving right now (as you know from my Bring on the Flirty Ruffles post). I love this tank that puts the ruffles in the back, thus avoiding the issue that ruffles can sometimes add some unwanted weight depending where they are placed. I can't quite tell the fit of this shirt, but the color is a great basic! It just pops against the muted shorts without feeling like it only belongs South of the border.

This outfit walks the casual/dressy line yet definitely lands in the casual camp without being "just a tshirt and shorts." I would pump up the dressy just a tad by bringing some of the flirty femininity forward by wearing a pair of long earrings.

Long Delicate Waterfall Strand Posts with Pearl $135, photo by Linda Savitz, ©2011 Kathy Frey

These earrings are lightweight on a warm summer day, and the freshwater pearl works well with the neutral palette of the shorts. These earrings are newly added to my Etsy shop as shown, although don't be shy about making custom requests... I can change the look of them with oxidation techniques or add other stones. An option with sapphires is also available on Etsy.

No outfit is complete without shoes! I've never worn shoes from Loft, but these sure did catch my eye... so cute! I love the contrast of textures and metallic tones... a great versatile basic for summer.

Gina Tulle Flower Sandal $69.50, photo and shoe ©2011 Ann Taylor Loft

Style: Bring on the flirty ruffles

Another Garnet Hill catalog showed up in my mailbox this week, and as you know it's one of my favorites. Here's what I'm lusting over this week:

Ruffled-Bottom Knit Dress, $88, ©2011 Garnet Hill

This dress is so cute and versatile looking and comes in great colors; I particularly love the pewter shade. That neckline would be fabulous with so many of my creations, yet I think the flowy feel and long sensual drop of my Mini Waterfall Y Necklace would be so feminine!

Mini Waterfall Y Necklace, $185, photo by Grant Boyle, ©2011 Kathy Frey

And a girl has got to have her shoes.... these have been favorites of mine (from afar) for 2 seasons... I've got to try them on this year because I'm due for a new pair of Borns.

Born Heeled Flower Sandals, $95, ©2011 Garnet Hill

Style: The Garnet Hill catalog

One of my guilty pleasures is catalog shopping. Granted, I don't often order from catalogs because I can be a tough fit but I do on occasion. One of my all-time favorite catalogs for women's clothing is Garnet Hill. They have great style, great photographs, and a group of clientele that leaves very useful reviews on their website.

The dress that I'm coveting now is the Mirage Knit Dress, shown in this great Miro-inspired print.

Mirage Knit Dress, $98, © 2011 Garnet Hill

 

It would look great with my Suspended Hidden Pearl Pod Necklace!

Suspended Hidden Pearl Pod Necklace, $165, photo by Grant Boyle, © 2011 Kathy Frey

 

I would top it off with simple Hammered Leaf Hooks so the necklace could have center stage.

Large Hammered Leaf Hook Earrings, $56, photo by Katie Lime, © 2011 Kathy Frey

 

Since the dress is sleeveless, I wouldn't be afraid to wear a Floating Pearl Riverstone Bangle to create a unified accessory group.

Floating Pearl Riverstone Bangle, $525, photo by Larry Sanders, © 2011 Kathy Frey

 

And to get ready to walk out the door... these Gentle Souls sandals, also in Garnet Hill, look super stylish as well as comfy!

Gentle Souls Wedge-Hammer Gladiator Sandals, $185, © 2011 Garnet Hill

Etsy Stalker: when online stalking is a good thing!

Have you discovered the Etsy Stalker blog? Now is a great time because I'm the featured artist... this isn't just me being weird, I'm trying to help you win one of my Floating Pearl Riverstone Pendants.

Win! As in FREE! So check out my interview with Curator Violet and play along... on Sunday, November 21 a winner will be selected at random and the pendant shown above will be on its way to that lucky person.