Patsy Kay Kolesar Design

Artist Residencies

2012-02-18T10:50:00.013-08:00

I'm preparing to go on my first Artist Residency this spring. Since deciding to go, I've had lots of questions from people about the why, what, who, and how of of it. So, I'm going to tell you all more about it here and hopefully inspire some of you to start looking for your own residency experience.

I first really learned about Artist residencies last spring when I attended my first Society of North American Goldsmith's conference in Seattle. We heard an artist named Heidi Schwegler speak. She talked about her experience of doing 4 residencies in 1 year. I remember feeling inspired. How blissful it sounded to travel to another country to make art. She said she wasn't sure how she would be able to do the residencies financially and work wise, but she just started applying. When she got accepted to 4 in a 1 year period, she said everything just started coming together for her. This got my mind ticking a little.....

When I got home from that conference I started to look into residencies. Being a Jewelry Artist, I have always had some trouble calling myself an "Artist"........ I didn't go to Emily Carr, I don't have my Masters in Fine Arts....... I went to VCC a local community college and earned a Diploma in Jewelry Art and Design, I've taken numerous art and jewelry classes from other local artists, I've participated in national and international exhibitions......but still I have some trouble calling myself an Artist, weird yes. So to even look into artist residencies I felt somehow like an impostor. I found some really great websites, (listed below) that had tons of information on them. I was excited to see that there are residency opportunities all over the world and that they all have different requirements. For some you might need your masters in fine art, while others really want to offer space to emerging artists. Some are communal experiences, some are more solo driven. Some you can go for a couple of weeks, others can be months or a year.

After finding a handful of residencies that interested me I asked my beau if he would be interested in applying too and going together to one if possible. His response was, "But I'm not an artist, only you are", hmmm, interesting. My response to him, "But you've made a movie, and you have played and toured in bands nationally and internationally, and you haven't worked for anyone but yourself in over 15 years"............So.......we started applying...... two "non artists" started to apply to artist residencies, submitting proposals of work we wanted to create while on the residencies. And we started to get accepted.

We are now getting ready to go to Renkum, a small town in The Netherlands. Where I will create 30 (gasp) new one of a kind pieces of wearable art, using various types of metal wire, fabric, and found objects and he will write a script for a new movie. You know non artist type stuff!
This amazing opportunity is through an arts organization called OBRAS. They have residency opportunities in both The Netherlands and in Portugal.

The most comprehensive list of artist residencies that I found was this:

www.resartis.org
You have to just start looking through them to see if you want them and if they might want you. Some of them do require a lot of experience, and some prefer that you are emerging.

Here is a video that Heidi Schwegler made during one of her residencies. It was really this video and hearing her speak that inspired it all for me.

Wrest 01 from heidi schwegler on Vimeo.

And........There's still time to help me make the most of this experience. I have a little crowd funding project going on Rocket Hub right now. $20 of support gets you a hand written post card from Holland, and who doesn't want that?

An Incredible Opportunity

2012-02-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

I am constantly humbled by how quickly life can change.

How suddenly we can lose someone we love.

How much time can pass before we realize we've forgot about our dreams.

Which is why when offered the the opportunity to do a 2 month artist residency in Holland I said yes, even though I had no idea if or how I could make it happen. So here I am launching a fundraising project on Rocket Hub to help me raise some money to make this incredible opportunity a reality.

For those of you not familiar with Rocket Hub it is a platform for Crowd funding. The idea is that a bunch of people give small amounts of money to help someone reach their dream. A beautiful concept! In exchange for your support I am offering some really great thank-you gifts like post cards from Holland, and of course jewelry.

Please check out my project through the link below and if you can offer any support I will be very appreciative, even the smallest amount helps greatly.

Alchemy Exhibition

2012-01-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a couple of my favourite pieces that are currently in the exhibition "Alchemy - Transformation in Contemporary Enamels". I received the exhibition catalogue in the mail a couple of months back and danced around with excitement while looking through it. My Wedding Cake Ring is included in this exhibit and is in the company of some amazing enamelists!

The Alchemy Exhibition is put on by The Enamelist Society. Averill B. Shepps the President of the Enamelist Society opens the catalogue stating "The exhibitions are integral to the Society's principal purpose to promote and encourage enameling because they represent much of the best work that was done in the medium in the last two years. The Board recognizes the importance of producing the catalog because it represents a permanent record of current work in enameling in any given year."

Alicia Boswell - USA
Ossify
Brooch
Champleve. copper, enamel, sapphire, paint, stainless steel

Jessica Calderwood - USA
Conceal
Wall Panel
Limoges. enamel, copper, laser-cut steel, brass, resin

The Alchemy Exhibition Schedule:

September 9 - October 29, 2011 at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN.
November 14, 2011 to January 13, 2012 at the Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN
March 9 to June 3, 2012 at the Metals Museum, Memphis, TN

You can feel the past in precious metal......

2012-01-23T22:05:00.000-08:00

Jewelry has a history. It has a past. It has experienced love and hope. It has experienced heartbreak and painful endings.

I often have people asking me if I can make something old into something new. I get it. We have jewelry that once was and now is not. We have jewelry that just sits somewhere dusty.

I appreciate the desire to turn it into something we actually want to wear. But I also appreciate the history of a piece of jewelry. You can feel the past in precious metal, it has an energy. Even the pieces that ended in heartbreak once experienced the energy of great love. And heartbreak also has a painful honest pure energy that is beautiful.

So, I'm mixed about turning our history in jewels into new pieces.......

Here are two pieces of my history in jewels. These are my two earliest memories of jewelry. They were both given to me by my Nana and Grandpa, who lived in Australia. The brooch was the first piece of jewelry I ever got. It is hand engraved. It is not perfect, which makes me love it that much more. The bird necklace is enameled, some of the blue enamel in the middle of the bird has chipped off, but I would never try to fix it because that chip is part of my history.

If you have something to say.........

2012-01-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

I've been playing this song on repeat these days. that's what I do when i don't know what to do. i find a song that reaches me and play it over and over again. there is something soothing about it, like rocking in a rocking chair.

A Ring A Week Exhibition This Weekend!!!!!!!

2011-11-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

5 Artists
28 Weeks
140 One of a Kind Rings

The Onion Studio Building 1103 Union Street

On exhibit and for sale at this weekend's Eastside Culture Crawl.

Friday November 18th 5-10
Saturday November 19th 11-6
Sunday November 20th 11-6

Crackerjack and Eastside Culture Crawl

2011-10-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year where I put my head down and get ready for my shows and for the Christmas season. So much to do.....so little time. I was talking to my Mom on the the phone the other night telling her how much work I had to do and she said, "You'll get it all done, you always do"....I said "No, Mother you don't understand, this might just be the year where I don't get it all done!!!!"

So - You are all invited to my shows to find out if I do manage to get it all done! If you come to these and don't see me it means I'm hiding in my bed under my covers until the end of the season and you should probably call my Mother and let her know.

One of Those Days

2011-09-29T15:44:00.001-07:00

It's just one of those days.

I've been listening to this song over and over again.......

Moving Me Forward in The Right Direction - Two Collaborative One of a Kind Necklaces

2011-09-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes things enter your life when you need them. Part of getting ready for September Shop was doing some collaboration projects with the other artist's involved. Out of this experience bloomed some pretty amazing things for me.

In the spring I started twisting wire. I had a roll of thin steel wire sitting on a table in my apartment for months. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it. One day I picked it up and started to look at it differently. I started twisting it. I twisted through the loss I’ve experienced in this past year of my life……and I twisted into what was blooming around me……

For me art often takes me out of someplace in my head or my heart where I've been stuck. Being stuck isn't very fun. But sometimes I need to tread water in a murky place for a while before I know how to get out of it. Many of my pieces are connected to a bigger story and they often take me from one place in my life to the next. Artistic expression has a way of doing this for me. Writing, drawing, moving metal - creating something that connects itself to my heart has the ability to pull me out of something, to show me what is next, to open my eyes, to dig deeper, to love stronger, to not miss out on something amazing.

Not long after I started twisting wire, Jen Pleadwell of twofolds textiles gave me a handful of her sweet feminine silk flowers in stunning bright colours. I sat with my roll of dark steel wire and these soft vibrant flowers and something incredible started to bloom. Two One of a Kind Necklaces that are completely new for me, completely different, completely unexpected.

A beautiful surprise that moves me forward in the right direction..........

Both of these one of a kind pieces are available at September Shop. September Shop is a pop up shop for the month of September and will close on September 28th, so get there soon.

September Shop is located at 196 Kingsway, the corner of Kingsway and 10th.

Silent Auction for ArtStarts

2011-09-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

ArtStarts envisions a society where the arts are regarded as an essential part of educating young people and a catalyst for creating innovative, engaged and contributing members of society. ArtStarts in Schools has a leadership role in transforming the way children and youth are engaged, in and through the arts, and in promoting the value of the arts in young lives.

At September Shop - Our one month pop-up shop we have done 3 collaborative projects. We are auctioning these items off in a Silent Auction for the month that we are open. 100% of the proceeds from these items will be donated to ArtStarts.

I grew up in a small town in a working class family. Although my family was filled with creativity, I didn't know that being an artist for a living was an option. I think that giving kids the opportunity to meet all types of artists and to make art is integral to making them into kind, compassionate, interesting human beings.

I would like to invite you to bid on our auction items - you can publicly bid on our facebook page, you can come into the store and bid, or you can email me your bid.

One of a Kind Silk Flowers & Blackened Steel Necklace by twofolds textiles and Patsy Kay Kolesar Design. The current bid is at $50

One of a Kind Journal and Pocket Mirror by Laura Bucci Handmade and Patsy Kay Kolesar Design. The current bid is at $45

One of a Kind Leather Neck Collar by Flightpath Designs & Bronsino. The current bid is at $50

You can come in and see these items at September Shop Tuesdays-Sundays 11-5 until September 28th. 196 Kingsway @ 10th ave.

Working in Collaboration - September Shop

2011-09-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

I am an independent artist and business owner. I work inside my own head, I make my own decisions, I create based on what moves me.

However, for the past couple of months I have been working in collaboration with other artists. Working in collaboration has it's challenges. I have seen who I don't want to be and I have seen who I strive to be. Working in collaboration also has it's connected amazing moments. For the past few months myself and 4 other artists have been preparing for the opening of September Shop. We have faced thousands of back and forth emails, last minute curve balls and the sudden drop out of one of the artists, but what we have created is an amazing beautiful shop that I am so proud to be part of.

I am inspired by all of the hard work that each of us has put into this 1 month venture. These women are talented, dedicated, and delightfully creative. I have learned a lot from my experience working with them and I am excited to finally share the opening of September Shop with all of you. If you are in Vancouver you must come and see the beautiful space that we have created. September Shop is only open from Saturday September 3rd until Wednesday September 28th Tuesdays-Sundays 11-5. Many of the pieces that we have created for September Shop are one of a kind. You don't want to miss this one! Trust me.

September Shop Address:
196 Kingsway Vancouver BC.

September Shop features the work of:

Flight Path Designs – graphic inspired leather accessories

Laura Bucci Handmade – image/text compositions transferred to functional fabric-based personal accessories and housewares

Nana Fro Textile Art – textile hand dyed items for the body and the home

Patsy Kay Kolesar Design – art jewelry combining ancient techniques in metalsmithing with contemporary techniques in enameling

twofolds textiles – textile artist producing clothing and fashion accessories employing weaving, piece-dyeing, embroidery, and ceramics

Tiny Finery - Making every piece by hand

2011-08-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

Enameling isn't easy. It can be challenging. Each enamel fires at a different temperature, it is easy to over fire and under fire, colours look different on each different type of metal, and your metal has to be perfectly clean before you enamel it or it could chip off or crack. But I LOVE it. I love the process of watching the powder turn into a glassy vibrant colour. I love that I make every piece by hand. I love sawing the metal, filing, bending, hammering, soldering, adding stones, adding enamel, adding pearls. I love turning stories into metal.

The beautiful details of hand made work is what made me so excited when I had the opportunity to create Tiny Finery with Jade Pellerin and Stephanie Menard. I am invested in keeping my work hand made. I love the energy that a handmade piece carries. I love to create and I am inspired by other talented artists creating. I am excited to make Tiny Finery a place that showcases amazing, talented, creative, innovative, highly skilled Jeweller's, Artists, and Makers.

We now carry the beautiful work of the following designers:

Simone Richmond
M arni Burton
Su Foster
Minori Takagi
Laura Bucci
Patrice Cake

We are having our Opening Party Next Wednesday August 17th from 7-10pm. I would love for you to join us. www.tinyfinery.ca/party Please RSVP if you can make it and I will put you on the list.

September Shop - Popping up!!!!!!

2011-08-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

A Pop-up Shop for the month of September! How exciting. When I tell people that I am part of September Shop, which is a 1 month pop-up shop, the typical reaction is...."what's a pop-up shop?" Essentially a pop-up shop is a short term retail venture. A business pops up and opens for a short period of time - draws in a crowd, creates some buzz, sells some stuff and then closes down leaving no trace of being there behind.

When I was about 9 years old my family spent a couple of years moving into different houses while we figured out where exactly we wanted to live. Each time we would move out of a house I would find a tiny corner of my bedroom and carve into the wall "Patsy and Biscuit Kolesar lived here" (Biscuit was my childhood cat, who I found when I was 6 and brought him home, but that's another story)

There is something about the concept of a pop-up shop that reminds me of moving around when I was a kid. You take over a space, make it beautiful, make it your own, invite people into it and then you tear it down, move out and hope that you leave positive energy there for the next inhabitants. There is something warm and welcoming in the fluidity of it. It's only 1 month - You can take risks with it, try something new, and push your creative boundaries.

September Shop will feature 5 local designers - I am honored to be included in this very talented and smart group of women.

Patsy Kay Kolesar Design, Laura Bucci Handmade, twofold textiles, Flightpath Designs,and Nana Fro Textile Art.

One of the most exciting parts of this 1 month venture is that we are teaming up to do some one of a kind collaborative projects. There will be a silent auction for these pieces and you can come and bid on them throughout the month. The proceeds for them will be donated to a local charity.

I will also be launching some new designs at September Shop!!!!!!!

To stay in the know you will want to join our facebook page or you can visit our blog and sign up for our newsletter.

A Slice of Artistic Sanity

2011-07-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

The Ring a Week project has turned into a little slice of artistic sanity for me. I have to make a ring a week regardless of how chaotic and busy my life gets. I have to sit down and stay still long enough to think of a new idea. I have to stay still long enough to connect with what I'm feeling, which isn't always easy. But my jewelry designs have always been inspired by a story - by lasting love, by painful heartache, by hopeful change.

So, what have I been feeling?...........Honestly my life has become a little chaotic. I have recently opened up a new store with two other artists. We have been thrown into a fire of change and we have to figure things out. It is craziness! For all of you who have opened retail stores on your own, my deepest respect for you! Our space is only 200 square feet and there is 3 of us to share the workload.....and it really has taken over our lives. Hopefully things will smooth out a little and become calmer for us once we get all of the start up tasks figured out.......I imagine those of you who own retail stores are chuckling right now as maybe things never get calmer once you have a store - and if this is true please lie to me, as I need to think that things will be tranquil in my life once again. ;)

My rings for the past few weeks have been twisty- like my mind, with glimmers of hopeful pink pearls - like my heart.

Week 8 Ring

Week 9 Ring

Week 10 Ring

Introducing Tiny Finery........

2011-07-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post I shared my experience from my first Society of North American Goldsmith's conference that I attended in Seattle at the end of May. Coming back from the conference I knew that my life would change I just didn't know exactly how.....until something big and exciting presented itself to me.

In a whirlwind of a few weeks I have formed a business partnership with two other artists, Stephanie Menard and Jade Pellerin and we will very soon be taking over a retail space called Tiny in River Market located in the New Westminster Quay. River Market has recently been completely renovated and has a new vision and new energy. It looks beautiful. It's vision is about offering the community a way to connect - with local organic food, with local artists and artisans and with enriching events.

The space we are taking over isn't just about retail. Essentially we are the artist's in residence.

Mark Shieh, the Director of River Market describes Tiny by saying "We believe small is beautiful. We believe an ecosystem buzzing with a large number of small ventures at the local human scale is more interesting and more enriching than one with only a small number of giant companies. In TINY’s 200sf space, we support the creative energy and entrepreneurial projects of local artisans, crafters, and designers."

This is where we come in - Three local artists painting the space with our own brush and own creative vision.
What we are creating is: Tiny Finery

Tiny Finery will sell local BC made art with a focus on jewellery. We will introduce our customers to new work, to new artists and to the stories that drive us to create. We will make some of our pieces from a work bench in the store, showing customers that our work is truly handmade. We will offer lower mainland jewellery artists an opportunity to showcase one of a kind art pieces in some upcoming exhibition style shows.

Little Details, Little Moments......

2011-06-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

If you know my work a little, you will know that I like lots of lovely details.

I like swirls and twists........

I like colour, texture, pearls, and patterns.............

I also like the little moments in life.........

I like the little glances, the small kisses, the fluttering feelings.

I like getting distracted while walking down the street by the deep fuchsia colour of a blooming peony.

I like the heady scent of the freshly watered marigolds that stops me in my tracks and keeps me from getting where I'm going on time.

I like to stop to pet the purring cat on the sidewalk.

I like to take a break from my run to watch 12 baby Canadian geese fall all over each other.

I take comfort in the little details and the little moments.

I have a lot of change going on in my life right now. Good change, great change, exciting change, change that scares the bejeezus out of me. So for my Week 7 ring a week I went back to what is comforting for me. This ring has lots of lovely little details. A silver ring shank that is hammer textured. I've added 24k yellow gold bits to the ring shank. Set in the tubing is a little pink felt "petal" and then stemming from the petal is silver wire dotted with pretty pink pearls.

Honey Bees, Flower Petals, and My Week 6 Ring...

2011-06-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

There is a honey bee found in Turkey who builds a beautiful nest of flower petals to keep it's larvae nourished and protected for the winter. She flies in petals one by one from nearby fields and glues the layers together with mud, overlapping them in an exquisite loveliness. This process for the solo female honey bee can take days to complete. The result is not only a perfect protective home for it's offspring, but it is also an intricate, beautiful, colourful, magical work of art.

Ever since seeing the photo of these nests and reading about them I have been playing with flower petals. For my Week 6 Ring for the Ring a Week project I have made a little bead using pressed tulip petals and I have strung it on a square silver wire which I've then twisted and shaped to make into the ring.

Steel Wire, A Ring A Week...and What Happens Next.

2011-06-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

What comes Next?

As an artist and business owner I never quite know what will come Next. I can write business plans and goals but they can change in an instant. Opportunities come up that I have to grab onto. Inspiration hits and a new idea and new direction unfolds. I've accepted this constant flux that my world works in and I'm always in awe of the new places that my art and business take me to.

For the past couple of weeks I have been playing with steel wire.

This is Next for me.

It is different. It is not what I expected.
It sat on my table for months.
I looked at it each day thinking about it, but not quite sure what to do with it. Then one day a few weeks ago I picked it up, I unraveled some of it and I started to see it differently. I have been twisting it, looping it, playing with it in my hands and with my pliers. I've been getting to know it. I've been letting it get to know me. I'm not sure what will come out of it exactly. But it feels right for this moment of my life and I'm willing to lean into it and see what happens Next.

Here's whats happened so far:

Week 4 Ring for my Ring A Week project.

Week 4 Ring Version 2.

Week 5 Ring for The Ring A Week Project.

I've fallen for these little wire wheels and I keep making them in different sizes. I'm going to try enameling some of them and turning them into a neck piece.

What is also happening Next for me is September Shop. September Shop is a Pop-up Retail venture for the month of September. It will feature my jewelry and the work of 5 other local female artists. You can join our Facebook page if you would like to stay in the know. I would love to see you at our opening Gala, it's going to be an exciting and playful September!

A Big YES

2011-06-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is my Wedding Cake Ring. This ring was recently chosen for The 13th Biennial International Juried Enamel Exhibition.

This is a pretty big deal to me. The exhibition starts September 9th at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg TN. November 14th the exhibit travels to the Knoxville Museum of Art and then February 6th until March 23rd 2012 it will be at The Metal Museum in Memphis TN. I have always lustfully longed over the classes offered by the Arrowmont School and going to The Metal Museum in Memphis is right up there in my top 5 fantasies. I don't think I will be able to travel to all of the places that my ring will get to go to. (I can't believe that my ring will travel without me, how will it look after itself?, I think I just acquired a bit more empathy for what my Mom went through when I went to Barbados for a month when I was 19- sorry Mom) But I am hoping to go and meet up with it when it gets to Memphis next winter.

I made this ring when I was contemplating the meaning of connection. I was thinking about what it meant to connect with another person for a lifetime. I was thinking about doing it. I was thinking about weddings, and delicately decorated wedding cakes. I was thinking about all of the traditional elements of a wedding that make my skin crawl. I was thinking about all of the traditional elements of a wedding that make me cry in an instant.

Here are the links for you to check out the amazing places that my ring will visit, If anyone wants to come meet me in Memphis next February let me know. :)

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts

Knoxville Museum of Art

The Metals Museum

Inspired. Connected. Nourished. Creative Spirit.

2011-05-30T00:14:00.000-07:00

Inspired. Connected. Nourished. Creative Spirit.

These are my words.

These are the words that hang taped to my hallway wall above the painting that my 2 year old nephew and I created together.

These are the words that represent the way I want to feel EVERYDAY of my life which came to me via Danielle Laporte's Spark Kit.

My past 4 days were spent in Seattle at the the SNAG conference and I felt these words fill me up and take me to a place of enthralling enjoyment that I don't get to very often.

Inspired. Well, hello Lola Brooks. We listened to her speak on the first day of the conference and this really set the tone for me. She was engaging, intelligent, incredibly witty, and desperately inspiring. She also was wearing a denim pant suit and after she spoke I had to resist the urge to run up to her, tell her that I loved her and that I too own a denim pant suit.

Connected. I took the train down with 3 other jewelers. Simone Richmond, Stephanie Menard, and Brendalynn Avender. We shared a room together and we shared the experience. I don't remember the last time I giggled so much, had so much fun and so little sleep. We talked art, jewelry, geeked out on tool and stone shopping, shared our passions and dreams, analysed love and boys, and helped each other to navigate the twisted path of being an artist.

Nourished. Sharon Massey took one of my cards and told me she really liked my work. Deb Stoner took one of my cards and told me I had great images. The fact that I'm even near their radar makes me believe in possibilities and confirms that I'm moving in the right direction.

Creative Spirit. Everywhere you looked at this conference people were wearing art. Amazing, beautiful, creative, interesting, innovative, hand made art jewelry. I was submerged for 4 days with a thousand other people who all share my passion for taking risks, and trying new things.

Lola Brooks. Image taken from the American Craft Magazine article about her.

Here we are. Stephanie ($27 dollar Sandwich) Menard, Patsy (what happens at SNAG stays at SNAG) Kolesar, Simone (we love drunk Simone) Richmond, and Brenda Lynn (WTFBL?) Avender.

This ring was my favourite ring from the many amazing pieces at the Ring A Day show at the Punch Gallery. It's created by Victoria Takahashi, made of wood, mixed metals, polymer clay, dyed leather, and acorn cap.

A very sweet girl gave me this hand made patch. (I don't have her name, so if anyone knows who she was please let me know and I will give her the credit and link on my blog) I love this. This captures the feeling of my whole conference experience.

Metalsmithing IS for Lovers.

Thank-you to everyone who made my first ever SNAG conference one of the most Inspiring, Connecting, Nourishing, and Creative weekends of my life. xo -patsy.

SNAG conference Pins

2011-05-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

When I first started Jewelry Design school attending one of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) conference's was put on my list of life goals. Thursday morning at 6:40am I will take a train down to Seattle with 3 jeweler friends to go to my first ever conference. I'm sort of freaking out. I'm so excited. I'm so nervous. I'm so grateful that I get to go and that I get to spend 4 days talking, thinking, and breathing all things jewelry and metal arts.

On the first night of the conference there is a meet and great "jewelers style". Which means everyone makes around 30 pins and exchanges them with each other as we meet and mingle. These are the pins that I made.....

A Ring A Week - Week 2

2011-05-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Week 2 of our Ring A Week project.

Something fun and playful.

A lot of my time in my studio is now spent "producing" - making pieces to fill orders and get into more stores. I still love the process of making every piece, but I don't just get to "play" that often anymore. This Ring a Week project is giving me space to play and rekindle for me the magic that I feel when I am in a space with no creative limits.

This ring is made from sterling silver square wire, which I have blackened. I've soldered a piece of copper tubing to the ring shank and in the copper tubing is a flower that I've created using paper and pressed flower petals.

A Ring A Week

2011-05-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited about a new little jewelry project that I am a part of!

Starting this week until the Culture Crawl in November I will making "A Ring A Week". Myself and 4 other jewelry artists at The Onion Studio will be participating in this project. Our rules are:

We each have to make one new ring every week starting May 1st until the week of the Culture Crawl - all designs have to be one of a kind and something that we've never made before.
They can be made out of any materials - not just metal. They crazy, bizarre, experimental, functional or non-functional- As long as they go around your finger.
They all must be for sale during the Culture Crawl - This is the exciting part for all of you! I have to warn you though - that I will likely be making all of mine in my ring size, which is a 5.5 - 6.5 depending on the finger. I know this is slightly unfair, but getting to wear a new ring each week will make this project even more exciting for me. People think that I have a huge stock of personal jewelry, but I am always making jewelry for other people, so I really only keep a few pieces to wear myself. If you are my same ring size then come early to the crawl this year, cause there will be lots of pretty rings made just for you, tehehe.

The other participating jewelry artists at my studio are, Simone Richmond, Linda Read, Heather Matwe, and Jessica Taylor.

And now the unveiling of my Week 1 Ring:

"Finding Balance" - A quirky fun little ring made as a reminder that "Finding Balance" isn't as important as being able to laugh at yourself and know that you are real - flaws, neurosis, bleeding heart and all - accept it, laugh at your not so cool moments, and move on.

Embracing Change

2011-04-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

Timing is everything........

When I display my jewelry for shows I like to share the stories behind the pieces. This past Culture Crawl I had my Love Story Necklace displayed on one of my mannequins. Pinned to her torso I had my favourite quote by Mary Oliver,

"To live in this world, you need to be able to do three things:
to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones
like your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go, to let go."

People stop and they read it, and for some people it resonates. I had one woman come up to me and say "it's nice to see a designer who gets that jewelry is all about love"

It sounds so simple, but it means so much to me. Jewelry is about love.

This afternoon when the sun was shining I took my sketchbook to the park up my street and I started sketching new jewelry designs. I just started moving the pencil and drawing what ever was hitting me....but nothing brilliant was hitting me. Then I started writing....."It's always about the emotion for me, the thought, the moment, the feeling that inspires the piece.......So where am I at today? What am I feeling?.......I'm embracing change......I'm waiting with great respect for the Cherry Blossom trees on my street to bloom........I'm being open to the possibilities......and I'm letting a little bit of hope back into my life."

After connecting with where I was at, I started sketching again....and the designs came to me.

Timing is everything......

Getting Ready for the SNAG Conference

2011-04-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

At the end of May I will be attending my first ever SNAG (Society of North American Goldsmith's) Conference. To say that I'm excited doesn't even start to describe how I'm feeling about doing this. I live, breathe, sleep, inhale, think about, talk about, love - making jewelry. To be surrounded by my peers and mentors for 4 days talking about all things jewelry art and business is going to feel incredible.

I will be a part of the trunk show which features emerging artists, which is a little scary for me but so very very exciting.

How The Rise In Silver Prices Will Effect My Business

2011-04-06T10:59:00.000-07:00

I've talked a lot about fear on my blog and about trying to move beyond fear.......

Lately I have been stuck in a pretty deep swamp of fear.

You see my industry is changing. When I started out in my jewelry career only 3 short years ago the cost of silver, my metal of choice, was around $18 an ounce. Today silver is at an all time high of $38 an ounce and it is only expected to continue rising in price. They are anticipating that it could get as high as $60 an ounce by the end of this year and in the next couple of years could rise as high as $250 an ounce.

I use sterling silver in every single piece of jewelry I make. Sterling silver chain, clasps, earring hooks, posts, wire, and sheet. It's all silver. Which means that every single component of my pieces has more then doubled in cost and is going to continue to rise. Which is really freaking scary.

When I talk about this in my circle,the average response is always "why don't you just raise your prices?" and yes, I will have to raise my prices. But this is a bigger issue then just raising my prices. Raising my prices to the extent that I will have to if silver prices get as high as predicted could completely change the market that I'm selling to. It could mean that my current market, my amazing customers that I have been selling to for the past number of years might no longer be able to buy my work, or will at least have to buy less often, or really think before buying. I really value my customers and my stores so thinking about them no longer being my target market is scary. I worry that this rise in silver prices will push out some of the businesses at my level in the industry if we don't prepare for it.

I feel like I need to get out of my frozen in fear state of mind and be proactive and protective of my business that I've built. So I've come up with some options and would love some feedback and thoughts from my customers, my fellow jewelers, my peers, other business owners, mentors, smart people, and Donald Trump (because I'm pretty sure he reads my blog).

Here are the options:

1. Continue growing my line as it is and increase my prices as needed.

2. Change to plated silver components in my jewelry, possibly even silver plated enameled pieces to keep my prices in the same price range they are in.

3. Explore alternative materials......base metals, fabrics..etc to try to keep costs down and prices low.

4. Create a gold line. Move higher end with my work and embrace a higher end market.

5. Move to Argentina, find a husband named Pablo and drink wine all day and all night.

If you want to share some feedback, ideas, tips, or just have a conversation with me please comment below or send me an email to info@pkkdesign.com

What If The Cherry Blossom's Didn't Fully Bloom This Year?

2011-04-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

The Cherry Blossom's on my street are about to burst into bloom. Bringing spring, new growth, and new opportunities with them. I crave this time of year. When February gets so dark and gloomy I dream of the pink cherry blossoms that will soon be on my doorstep. Other streets are already blooming. I wait with patience and respect for my street to catch up with the rest............Then I started thinking.......The cherry blossoms only get to bloom in their full pink loveliness for such a short time and then they are gone. Then their tree endures our fall, and winter. Hard months for all of us. Especially hard for me. So what if the blossoms on these trees are reluctant to bloom again to their fullest? What if they just can't do it again knowing that the winds will blow them down, some people will walk past without even looking at them, and they will all fall down again leaving the branches bare to endure the pains of winter? What if they needed more time to heal from what our extra grey winter threw at them this year? What if they just didn't feel like fully blooming again? What if they needed a little longer to protect themselves from being so open, exposed and vulnerable?

New Cherry Blossom Necklaces......made with hope.

Rejection Sucks

2011-03-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

As a jewelry artist I face rejection regularly.

For my career I apply to shows, exhibitions, galleries, magazines, books....they all have a fee to apply ranging from $15 - $50 dollars, sometimes I email them them photos, sometimes I send them actual jewelry pieces. Then they look.............and then I wait.

I wait with the mind frame that, "It would be great......I would be so excited......I feel like this is going to happen.....I'm going to get in, accepted, loved, adored......This is the right place for me....It would be great....my family would be so proud of me.....I would be so proud of me......I'm going to get accepted.......but if it doesn't happen I'll still be proud of me.....things will still be great......really they will...." All of these thoughts swirl inside my mind each time I send off an application for something.

And sometimes they do say Yes....which is such a high....so fun......so exciting......so lifts me up and continues to propel me higher.

You can see some of my proudest Yes moments here on my new media page.

But sometimes they say no.......you're not ready......it's not the right fit.....its so pretty but not right for us......try again next year......best of luck.....it's not you it's us....well okay they don't say that one, I say that one.

Hearing No......feels devastating.....like a punch in the stomach.....like a big doubt snowball thrown my way......No matter how many times I tell myself you need to have a thicker skin, it's not a big deal, it's all a part of learning and growing, you will try again and get in, you're amazing and talented and great things will come your way.....no matter how many of these mantras I tell myself....rejection still sucks. It really really sucks.

But everyone who has ever had a passion will understand..........The rejection isn't enough to stop me. I try something else, I try again.....I rise each time I fall.

Here is one of my favourite things to do when I hear No.....

I play this song really loud and sing along. "A Better Son or Daughter" by Rilo Kiley.

I would love to know what other people do when they hear a No and need to be uplifted.
Please feel free to share with me in my comments section or on my facebook page.

New One of a Kind Jewelry

2011-03-12T20:17:00.000-08:00

New Pieces on route to Revelstoke's Suzanne Spisani Designs.

Nothing Will Ever Be Perfect

2011-02-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

I have always been drawn to imperfection.

When I was six years old I was at my sisters highland dance competition and my Mom treated me to a toy from the vendors to keep me content for the day. I chose a little stuffed koala bear (why a koala bear was at a highland dance competition, I'm not sure). When i brought the koala back to my seat with me I noticed that he wasn't perfect. He was missing two of his little felted black paw pads. I showed my Mom and she took me to exchange him for a perfect one. When I got back to my seat with my now perfect koala bear, instead of being content I was sad. I felt bad for the imperfect one. I worried that he wouldn't ever find a home. I told my Mom about my worries and she sweetly took me to exchange the koala again for my original imperfect one.

I have always been drawn to the imperfect. If something is twisted, crinkled, rusted, ripped or slightly off center and it finds it's way to me then it has likely found a home. I think the imperfectness of a hand made object is magical. I think that loving someone who knows the truth of their flaws is enlightening. Imperfection has so much more truth in it then perfection. At the end of the day I want to know that my day was real, raw, honest, and authentic. I don't care if it was perfect. Nothing will ever be perfect. One of my favourite writers Kelly Diels talks about how the conditions for creativity will never be ideal. I think this translates to all aspects of life - the conditions for falling in love will never be perfect, the conditions for taking risk will never be perfect.

I create objects with my two hands in a small studio space shared with 3 other jewelers, in a windowless old warehouse in east Vancouver. But when I sit at my bench and start to hammer metal I'm in the most beautiful, serene place and I create things that mean something.

When I was six years old and that little koala with the missing felted paw pads was in my arms again, I was finally content. I knew that the imperfect koala was meant to be mine. I knew that for my heart to love something it didn't have to be perfect.....It just had to feel right.

ps. This post was inspired by my online friend and fellow maker of jewelry with meaning, Amy Ambroult, you can check out her beautiful blogpost that inspired me here and you can see her authentic jewelry here. Thanks Amy.

pps. If you enjoy reading my blog, lets keep in touch.
You can tweet with me on twitter @patsykaykolesar
or join my facebook page www.facebook.com/pkkdesign

My Unconventional Business Tips

2011-02-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

I have a one page Jewelry business plan for 2011.

This goes against everything that I learned in every business class I've ever taken. But i don't like business plans, They're like turtle necks to me - I see the usefulness, but i don't like the way they feel on my body.

My 2011 business plan is hand written on one page ripped out of my sketchbook. I've pinned it up on my bulletin board and it has 12 things on it.

I've researched the shit out of things in the past, I've written marketing plans, competitive analysis, SWOT's, financial plans....blah blah blah. I'm glad that I've done this, but the thought of opening up my plan on my computer and updating it makes me cringe. So for 2011, i decided to do things a little differently. I decided that 2011 is my year for no mucking around. I know what i want to do, now I need to do it. 12 things.....so far I've already started 4 of them...and things are rolling.

I haven't ended up with my deviant business planning ways overnight. Here's a little list of resources that I've found useful this far in my business:

The Women's Enterprise Society - I was a part of a peer mentoring group this time last year which was well worth it.

Tara Gentile - I've taken one of her e-courses and learned a lot.

Danielle LaPorte - I am loving my Fire Starter Sessions - which I won from a little contest Danielle offered. Yup, that's right I won.

Kerri Smith's Artist Survival Kit -Whenever i feel like I can't keep doing this Kerri Smith's hilarious Artist Survival Kit helps me to continue.

Alyson B Stanfield Art Biz Coach

Stayin' Alive: Survival Tactics for the Visual Artist

Black Diamond Engagement Ring

2011-02-15T20:37:00.000-08:00

Making a One of a Kind Engagement Ring.....

In December I got a phone call from a friend, Mitch asking me if I could make an engagement ring. He wanted to propose to his lovely girlfriend Amanda on their 3 year anniversary.......which was two weeks away!

Mitch and Amanda are two very unique people, so I had a feeling it wasn't going to be a traditional solitaire diamond ring - which is great, because I'm not really a traditional gal myself. I met with Mitch and he had some big ideas - he wanted a ring that was scroll like in design and he wanted a black diamond. His scroll like design was inspired by a key........Mitch's Dad had given him three beautiful vintage keys from the 1920's. Mitch's Dad had passed away 3 years ago, so these keys were very sentimental to him. For Mitch and Amanda's last anniversary he had given Amanda one of the keys. I swooned a little after hearing the story behind it and I knew that I wanted to make the ring from the key. I suggested that we make a rubber mold of the key and cast the key into metal and I would cut it apart, play with it and make it into a one of a kind engagement ring.....lofty goals for a two week timeline......but life is all about love and taking risks so I was up for the challenge.

Being a metalsmith is an interesting art.....I have now worked with metal for over 5 years.....Everything should work out just perfectly all the time........but not so much......Each new one of a kind project brings with it new challenges. I couldn't figure out some important things about this ring....It was cast from a key......it had beautiful swirls, lovely curves, soft round edges.....this made it tricky to figure out how to construct a ring shank that worked with it. I tried a number of methods.....things fell apart in the ninth hour....I called my friend and fellow jeweller Simone....she came and looked at my challenge. She said some calm encouraging words and convinced me to go home and come back to it in the morning with fresh eyes, which I did.

The next day in the very early hours of the morning with my fresh eyes and fresh cup of coffee I saw things differently. Things went smoothly, everything started to work and flow and fit together. I made the shank a double shank and it still looked feminine and soft. The black diamond fit the bezel perfectly.....Everything turned out and the ring looked beautiful, unique, vintage, truly one of a kind.

Making this engagement ring was an incredible project. Just like in a marriage I hit some challenging moments, but I didn't give up because being involved in that kind of love is soul stirring.

The original key

Mitch and Amanda's One of a Kind Black Diamond Engagement Ring

Pulled from the blog of my always favourite inspiring writer Danielle Laporte, some words on Marriage.....

Marriage is not a love affair,
it's an ordeal.
It is a religious exercise, a sacrament,
the grace of participating in another life.

If you go into marriage with a program,
you will find that it won't work.

Successful marriage
is leading innovative lives together,
being open, non-programmed.
It's a free fall: how you handle each new thing as it comes along.

As a drop of oil on the sea,
you must float,
using intellect and compassion
to ride the waves.

- Joseph Campbell

***A little side note.....Mitch is an amazing artist and tattoo artist.....I may even have some recent personal experience with how amazing his skills are.....(future blog post) - you can check out his blog here www.tattoosbymitch.blogspot.com

Jewellery Sample Sale

2011-02-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

Jewellery Sample Sale

Patsy Kay Kolesar Design &
Simone Richmond Jewellery

Sample Sale, Cookies, and Tea

We're having a SAMPLE SALE, baking some cookies and brewing some tea........

For those of you who came to our studio during the Culture Crawl on the day we had our seconds table.....you know what incredible deals we had there. Our seconds table was HOT and everything on it sold out in less then a day.

We will be offering seconds, samples, and lines from times past at some amazing prices. This is our first ever SAMPLE SALE and if you're a sample sale junkie like myself then you know that the first one is always the best.....

Join us this Sunday
February 13th from 1pm - 4pm:
Please email me info@pkkdesign.com and I will email you the address of the sale.

The Love Story Necklace Gets Married

2011-01-28T23:02:00.000-08:00

Last Spring I launched a little competition. I asked brides-to-be to tell me their love story. The winner would receive a custom made Love Story Necklace - inspired by their personal love story, made just for them to wear on their wedding day.

I ended up picking two winning love stories.

Gracie - who fell in love with Steve, two years after she experienced an incredible heartbreak when her fiance called off their wedding just 3 weeks before the day. How do you bounce back from that and risk your heart again?......I'm not sure. I have such great admiration for Gracie's ability to trust and open her heart completely again. Love although amazing, is such a risk.

This past year I have been healing a broken heart myself.......our ending was mutual....but only because of something that couldn't be solved while staying together........ so we fell apart. I know I'm through the worst of it, but it is still hard to not look back. I have moments where I just feel stuck. A friend of mine told me that it is okay to feel stuck and that one day when I'm ready I will just take a step because it feels right, and something inside of me will change. I know I've taken lots of little steps, and even some incredible crane like swoops. I think there is a secret beauty that sits in heartbreak and only those of us who have sat deeply in the pain get to know that beauty.

I can only imagine how tough it would have been for Gracie to take that blind step, to let herself move out of the heartbreak and trust enough to fall completely in love. She's incredible and I was so honored to make her Love Story Necklace. She looked beautiful in it.......

Then there was Amanda - who fell in love with Matt and he was right by her side when she faced the fear of finding a lump in her breast. Life is incredible - the highs are heady and delicious....the lows are crushing and cold. I've had some complicated health issues myself for the past few months.....our careers, our travels, our fun, our connections are all very important to a balanced life....but having someone there who will stick by your side when you're scared and at your lowest is magic. I was moved by Amanda and Matt's strength as a couple and I was thrilled to have The Love Story Necklace be a part of their amazing day. Amanda looked perfect in it........

Gracie's photos www.selectphotography.com
Amanda's photos www.johndudak.com

Pretty Things.....

2011-01-22T17:57:00.000-08:00

In January I get to look at pretty things. I have time to catch up on fashion shows, read magazines, and start pinning up all of the pretty things that will inspire me to design for the next year.
Here are some of the oh so prettiest.......

Marchesa Spring 2011 Ready to Wear - amazing and sculptural...they are so incredible that I sort of forget to keep breathing when I look at them. If I had one I would wear it freaking everywhere.

Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2011 Ready to Wear - soft, white, lacy, very girly - I love.

All photos from www.style.com

The Sketchbook Project - What I've learned

2011-01-10T18:23:00.000-08:00

Many Months ago I wrote a post on the Sketchbook Project. I was very excited when I found out about the project. I chose my theme of "Facing Forward" and my enthusiasm spread to many of my friends in my creative community. We all jumped on board and started sketching......well sort of....You see the deadline to send in the sketchbook is approaching. It needs to be postmarked by Jan 15th. I'm going to be very honest with you here....I finished 2 pages in 2010 and there is a whole lot of pages.

It was a struggle for me. I'm a perfectionist. The jewelry that I make has to be just right before I send it out my studio door. I doodle, I sketch, I make a thousand mistakes but no one sees those. As an extra kick in the pants I was asked to blog about my sketchbook process on the Doodleheads blog. I did one post about my fear of just letting go and starting the sketchbook. Then I let go...........or so I thought. I sketched two pages and then the little book stared at me for months and months. I continued to sketch in other books, but not my sketchbook project book.

2011 hit, I had 15 days to finish about.........60 pages. I called my good friend Simone Richmond and told her I didn't know if I could do it. She gave me a pep talk, told me I could do it and that I could also glue some of the pages together so there would be fewer pages.....both brilliant pieces of advice.

So, Jan 3rd I sat down in front of my sketchbook and I didn't stop until It was finished. I sketched, I glued, I used my fun new Japanese masking tape, I got creative and let go. The results.......well........It is not perfect, far far from it. Some pages I like, others I cringe at, but I reached my goal and I'm mailing it back to them this week.

By the end of the book I had learned something really valuable. In my sketchbook quest of "facing forward" and trying to answer the question "Can you face forward while being self reflective at the same time?" I realized something big. On the very last page of the book I wrote this:

Be Today.
Call someone and tell them you love them today.
Get out of self reflection,
Move beyond facing forward
and
Be content;
where you are,

who you are,
because you are.
xoxo pkk

What the Avro Arrow Has To Do With Love and Jewelry Design

2011-01-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

Recently a friend of mine poked a little fun at me for not knowing what the Avro Arrow was........Yup I had no idea. I'm also sort of guessing that there are many people like me who don't know. Well.....for those who are interested it's an aircraft designed by the Canadian company Avro and it was pretty fancy. It was designed and prototypes were built, in the 1950's and aircraft enthusiast's were pretty darn excited about it. Unfortunately for them our very conservative government at the time pulled the plug on the whole operation. For financial, and political reasons they ended up cancelling the whole project, many jobs were lost, and many aircraft fans hearts were broken.

Knowing nothing about an aircraft is not surprising to me. I would never pretend that I was well read on the subject. Or well read on many other subjects...there are lots of things that don't hold my interest and I don't know about and that is okay. But I do know a thing or two about design and I like to think I know a little teensy bit about love.

I was reading an article in the New York Times written by Tara Parker-Pope on "Sustainable Love" The article suggests that we are looking for partners who make us more interesting people. They talk about the " “Michelangelo effect,” referring to the manner in which close partners “sculpt” each other in ways that help each of them attain valued goals." We want relationships where we teach each other new things, share new ideas, expose each other to new thoughts, friends, and adventures. "People have a fundamental motivation to improve the self and add to who they are as a person,” Dr. Lewandowski says. “If your partner is helping you become a better person, you become happier and more satisfied in the relationship.”

Which brings me back to the Avro Arrow. I will never know a lot about aviation, or war aircrafts, but I can look at the Arrow and see beautiful lines in in. I see shapes that move, I see metal that flows, I see something different. I take what I know and I make the arrow work in my world.

New Earring design inspired by the shapes of the windows.

New necklace design inspired by the shape of the tail.

So, although I will likely never be able to teach someone on the history of the Avro CF-105 Arrow, I will be able to teach someone how to spend a day playing. How to put away the "I shoulds" and dip your toes into your creativity. How to push your imagination, how to find that piece of your soul that makes you swirl, and how to feel incredibly alive.

image credits
1 www.airliners.net
2 www.flickriver.com

Okay, for a much more accurate history of the Avro CF-105 Arrow you can check out wikipedia here or just google it and zillion sites will come up.

To read the very interesting article on Sustainable Love "The Happy Marriage is the Me Marriage" from the New York Times click Here.

Patsy Kay Kolesar Design In the Media

2011-01-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

Patsy Kay Kolesar Design - Some of my more famous moments........

I was chosen as 1 of the 5 cool Culture Crawl finds......such an honor! You can click on the picture to link to the full article or you can scroll below to read the lovely write up about Patsy Kay Kolesar Design.

Patsy Kay Kolesar Design (The Onion Studio [1103 Union Street])
This Vancouver Community College jewellery-art-and-design grad indulges her love of colour and pattern in a unique mix of enamelwork and metalsmithing. She sifts enamels through silkscreens to achieve the scrolling patterns on the discs and ovals that typify her artful pieces, which somehow end up looking ancient and contemporary at the same time. What’s new: As well as her ready-to-wear pendants and earrings, look for stunning one-of-a-kind pieces, like the She Said Yes necklace, replete with twisting sterling silver, damasklike enamel, and pearls in pink, white, and chocolate brown. “They’re all exploring love and the complications of love stories,” Kolesar explains of her pieces. Price range: $45 up to $450 for the most elaborate one-off creations.

My beautiful photo used in this article was taken by Abbye Dahl.

September 2009 - One of my images was chosen for the Vancouver One of a Kind Show's marketing campaign. It was used on billboards and buses. This photo was taken by the very talented Fashion Photographer Mike Lewis.

This is a close-up of my name on a billboard.....no big deal....really, just my name on a billboard, whateves.

The She Said Yes Necklace was chosen to be part of a national exhibition in Toronto, at the Zilberschmuck Art Jewellery Gallery. The exhibition was entitled "Connection". Jewellery Artist's were asked to create a piece reflecting on the word "Connection". I created the "She Said Yes Necklace" Jewellery Magazine did a little write up about the exhibition.

A New Year A New Journal

2010-12-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas I went to one of my favourite book stores and bought myself a few presents. I have never done that before - buy myself Christmas gifts. It felt fantastic and I am so thankful that I did it. One of the gifts I gave myself was a new journal. It is made by one of my favourite artists Sabrina Ward Harrison. It is called The True and the Questions. It is a beautiful combination of her drawings, collage, and writing. It gives insightful and soulful prompts so I am not left staring at a blank white page wondering which neurotic thought I should start writing about. The pages are thick, colourful and silky. I have been writing and sketching, adding my own thoughts and dreams to hers, taking her prompts and letting my own messy life flow into it.

Here are some highlights.....

I love the last line...."and trip holding your hand because I am listening so closely".

I'm not sharing my top kisses with my darling readers....but I am looking forward to flipping back through the kisses of my life so far, and filling this page in.

I changed this one to "I Want to Show The World...in 2011", I thought it was fitting since we are nearing the new year.

And one of her many beautiful drawings.

Sabrina has many other beautiful art books that she has published. You can find them all on her website www.sabrinawardharrison.com

2011......Lets do it. xoxo

Keeping Jewelry Secrets......

2010-12-13T16:23:00.001-08:00

Something that I never realized when scheming to become a jeweller is that I would get to be involved in so many secrets and surprises. I LOVE it - I feel honored to do it......... but it is a little hard for me.........I'm just not that good at hiding things.....I bought tickets to go and see Mumford and Sons for my good friend Sheila's birthday and I almost told her twice before her birthday. She actually had to stop me from telling her once. I just get sooo excited that I can't wait and I spill over with delight and ruin the surprise.

I obviously have to keep it together for the sake of my business integrity when it comes to jewelry surprises.......and so far so good.

In the past few weeks I have been in on some amazing, sweet, loving surprises. I just can't tell you about any of them just yet.....hehehe.....sorry. You know I want to.

Until I can tell you I thought that I would show you some of my new pieces that I still have for sale....there is still time to pass this blog post onto someone who loves you and hope that you too will be one of the lucky recipients of a PKK design surprise this holiday season.

If you've read my blog before you will have figured out that I like to talk about love......This year has been a very tough one for my heart.....It has broken.....it has opened up......it has looked at the truth......it has taken back some of the pieces that got lost in the chaos. These two Love Heart Necklaces are made from sterling silver, that has been blackened and scratched up with a really gritty texture. "The Cracks In Your Heart Let The Sun Shine Through" The small one hangs on a 16" inch chain and is $50. The big one hangs on a 24" inch chain and is $75.

And of course.....the Love Heart Necklace with a little colour and pattern. This one has a rich dark purple enamel. It hangs on a 30"inch chain and is $98.

Please email me if you are interested and we will work out the details.
info@pkkdesign.com

Enjoy,
Patsy.

Eastside Culture Crawl - What it means to invite you in

2010-11-19T18:11:00.000-08:00

In the spring I moved my studio to the Eastside. Along with moving into a space shared with some of my best friends I was also moving into a space that was a part of the Eastside Culture Crawl.

The Eastside Culture Crawl has been happening for 14 years in Vancouver. It officially began in 1997 with 45 artists in 3 Strathcona studio buildings, The Onion building (my studio) being one of the 3 originals. The first event was attended by a few hundred people. Now 14 years later there are over 300 artists in 60 studio buildings and the event is attended by over 10,000 people.

The Culture Crawl has to be one of my most favourite events that happens in Vancouver. It is such an incredible honor to be participating in it. For this weekend only we will all be opening up our studios to the public. Usually our studios are private. The days I go to my studio I will wake up at around 6am, roll out of bed, make coffee and head straight there. I will stay there for hours.....sometimes taking a break, walking down to the Union Street Market to get more coffee. I will chat with the other artists in my studio, inspired by the creative energy in the building. My creative process is mostly solitary, it's inside my head, it's inside my soul. My creative space, my studio is also mostly solitary, it is small, it is filled with things that I love -tools, metal, and things that inspire me -a picture of my baby nephew, rough pieces of sky blue larimar and royal blue lapis lazuli.

When we open the doors to our studios we are saying something bigger then come and buy our art. We are letting you into our creative space, the place where we explore, take risks, make mistakes, and some moments create things that are exceptional. We are asking you to feel something, the creative energy that moves us to keep going back into our studios. We are asking you to experience art, and to get to know the artists. We are even hoping to inspire you a little and inviting you to come over to our side, to draw, paint, stitch, move metal...............join us......

Prepare to be Amazed

The Eastside Culture Crawl
Friday, November 26th 5pm-10pm
Saturday, November 27th 11am-6pm
Sunday, November 28th 11am-6pm
The Onion Studio 1103 Union Street
Vancouver, BC
www.eastsideculturecrawl.com

2011 Show Dates

2010-11-01T23:06:00.000-07:00

Please sign up for my newsletter to receive details on upcoming shows.

Crackerjack Christmas Show 2011
November 11th-13th
The Music Box
1564 Argyle Avenue
West Vancouver, BC

The Eastside Culture Crawl 2011
November 18th-20th
The Onion Studio 1103 Union Street
Vancouver, BC
www.eastsideculturecrawl.com

Beautiful Innovative Gift Ideas

2010-10-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Innovative Gift Ideas. Enjoy!

How much would you love to come home each day to a fresh flower with a little hand written love note from your sweetie on one of these very creative chalkboard vases? Designed by Ricardo Saint-Clair and available online at the MoMa Store.

I am in love with this. It is masking tape made from washi, which is handmade Japanese paper. How much prettier would wrapped gifts look with these beautiful colours? Also available at MoMa.

This is the Boskke Sky Planter. It is a planter that you can hang from your ceiling. I think this is perfect for a small cozy place. I also think that this just might be the answer in getting my cat to stop eating my plants, although knowing my trouble maker cat, she would likely just figure out a way to hang from my ceiling.... These are available at Walrus in Vancouver.

UPPERCASE Magazine. I adore this magazine. Every issue is beautiful, inspiring, and playful. My perfect day would involve leafing through a pile of luxe magazines while sipping tea and UPPERCASE would definitely be in that pile. Find our more on their website.

I would love to hear about your beautiful gift ideas so please feel free to share!

xo patsy.

Love Match Contest - Fire Starter Sessions

2010-10-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

The past week in my jewelry filled life has been quite the ride.

I was chosen as a finalist in Danielle LaPorte's Love Match Contest. I have been reading Danielle's blog for the past year and I am often profoundly moved by her insight, humor, and honesty. Her Fire Starter Sessions, which she sells for $150 have been something I have longingly looked at but it just hasn't been in my budget. Living the life I do, I make sacrifices. I know many of you do too. I don't work a high paying job, I don't get to take annual vacations. What I do get is to create things with my hands....which feels amazing. What I do get is to nurture my artistic side, hang out with amazing artists, and continually breathe life and love into my business -something that I created.....something that is truly a part of my soul.

So, when Danielle asked aspiring entrepreneurs to vie to win a copy of her Fire Starter Sessions, I was so freaking in! In order to win we had to answer some very thought provoking questions, we had about 24 hours to come up with our answers. I contemplated mine with an amazing friend over wine and Greek food at Stepho's.....and then ended up waking up the next morning at 5am to write out my answers. Here are her questions with my answers:

a) Give us a quote that explains how you see life.

To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal;

to hold it against your bones knowing that your own life depends on it;

and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go. Mary Oliver

b) What's wrong with the world?

That people seek answers outside of themselves.

After much more time to think about this question I would change my answer to McDonald's.....I think that McDonald's really encompasses all that's wrong with the world - corporate greed, environmental destruction, fast food, inhumane treatment of animals, mass consumption. I might also add Ugg boots......I just don't get them.

c) What does the world need more of?

Yoga. Bliss. Strong independent women. - Yup, I'm sticking with this.

d) What's one great businesses idea you wished you thought of?

Ceramic Artist Lori Koop sends out an "Upword of the week" every Sunday to inspire, and make you think. She connects the word to her ceramic work every week. It's brilliant.

e) Name 3 people you admire and 1 word on each of them to describe why.

Pema Chodron - Peace
My Dad - Stability

(and because he still washes my car when I go home to visit, he's my rock)
Kelly Cutrone - Entrepreneur (read her book, "If You Have to Cry go Outside" and you will know why)

f) What's your cocktail line?

I turn stories into metal.

g) What does/will your business bring to the world?

I create beautiful, original, colourful works of art that can be worn, cherished, and adored. I want women to connect with a piece and the story behind it, and when they put it on their body feel bold, passionate, and alive.

h) What problem do you solve for people?

I save amazing women from feeling blah, ho hum, boring.

i) What are your current or intended revenue streams?

Wholesale sales to boutiques
direct sales to customers through shows

j) What did you used to believe that you now think is silly?

That I could save someone from themselves.

k) What's your biggest entrepreneurial obstacle, and how will The FSS help you turn it to ashes?

I tend to get caught in the research and the ideas and have a tough time moving into action. I hope that it will give me more creative focus and the ability to move forward without being blocked, by lack of money, time, fear.

l) What chapter in The FSS do you want to read first?

Module 1: Strength and Desire- I'm a start at the beginning type of gal.

m) For you, what word is interchangeable with "success"?

Independence

n) What's one business question you'd like to ask me?

How do you balance the personal and the public?

They narrowed it down to 4 key questions and they choose 15 finalists who would vie for 7 copies of the Fire Starter Sessions, yours truly being one of them. and then we had to get the votes. I have to say I hustled a little. I am a Capricorn. I am also born in the year of the Dragon. I've got a natural competitive edge to me that I soften with hours of yoga. But I really wanted to win one of her Fire Starter Sessions and I wanted a bit of glory....I was leading the pack in first place for the first couple of voting days, but on the final day Kai Soremekun passed me on the inside and I ended up with 2nd place. Second place is pretty amazing for little me! I'm just a girl living in Vancouver trying to get the world to buy my jewelry. I'm ecstatic to have won the Fire Starter Sessions and I can't wait to dive into them. I'm thrilled to have met a whole bunch more amazing, interesting, talented women through this online world and I'm excited to continue to grow on this incredible journey with all of you.

Thank-you to Danielle, the wonderful generous people for donating a Fire Starter Session for this contest, to the other amazing finalists, and to all of the lovelies in my world who voted for me.

What a fun ride!!!

xoxo pkk.

Perfect Mistakes

2010-10-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

We Move Metal - A collective piece by Jewelers/Metalsmiths in the Onion Studio

We move metal with our hands.

We use techniques that are ancient - practiced throughout centuries to create beautiful objects. We use techniques that are new, contemporary, and innovative – pushing the boundaries of our craft.

Inspired by a project called Nuit Blanche, by the Metal Arts Guild of Canada, I have created this collection that shows you our process. Every new technique we learn we need to practice, experiment, and make mistakes. Every spark of an idea we think we could turn into metal we need to explore, hammer, enamel, bend, push, twist, and turn.

This is our process. A collection of our thoughts, passions, mistakes, ambitions, defeats, struggles, and successes. A collection of metal objects – a collection of our journey to become experts at our craft.

This is a wall piece that I created with the help of the other talented jewelers in my studio. It will be on display at our studio during the Eastside Culture Crawl. It is a collection of all of our practice pieces, our mistakes, & our experiments.

Contributing Artist's:
Patsy Kay Kolesar
Simone Richmond
Cory Bigcharles
Linda Read
Heather Matwe
Jessica Taylor

The Fashion Body

2010-09-28T23:19:00.000-07:00

I have been in conflict with my body lately. It has been feeling things that it usually doesn't....pain....pressure.....uncertainty. I so far have no answers for it, just a series of bruises from multiple blood tests (I bruise easily and I hate needles). Feeling out of touch with ones body is a funny thing. It does something bizarre to your mind. Pain in my body makes it harder for my mind to stay calm, focused, clear, loving. This past year I have felt a connection to my body more then I ever have before. I have had a fairly consistent yoga practice which has the ability to connect my physical body with my mind in such a harmonious way......those who know, know.....it's hard to explain in words.
I have moved my body more, running, hiking, walking, feeling music.......I have felt more loving towards my body then I have ever felt before. It is so easy to be critical of our bodies....I'm too much of this.....I don't have enough of that.....I hate my.......why can't I have her........It is much more of an effort to offer our bodies love, acceptance, & admiration.

I make things to adorn your body with. Most days when I leave my house, I wear a really big ring on my middle finger, I wear earrings that dangle, and a necklace...sometimes two. These pieces make me feel beautiful, ready to take on the world. On days that I need to re charge I wear absolutely no jewelry, It feels risky, like I'm more open and vulnerable.....a day without armour.

I came across information on this very cool project called The Fashion Body on ShowStudio.com. The idea behind it is about how linked fashion is to the physical body. They asked a bunch of different artists to create a short video on a particular body part. The results are all very different and worth checking out. I have posted links to three of my favourites.

http://showstudio.com/project/fashionbody/video/collarbone

http://showstudio.com/project/fashionbody/video/buttocks

http://showstudio.com/project/fashionbody/video/left_forearm

Growing a Jewelry Business

2010-09-13T18:26:00.000-07:00

My business is growing. It is not growing really fast....I tried the fast and furious method when I first started out in business two years ago....lots of stores, big orders.......trust in people to be as honest as I am. I learned that business can be a tough world and when dealing with sharks "niceness" doesn't always get you paid. I learned a hard lesson early on in my career and I am thankful for that.

I now am pleased to be growing my business slower, and smarter. I am not a big flashy company. I am me. My two hands, my passion, my skills, the stories of my life turned into jewelry. I am my most alive self when I am creating...designing, hammering, enameling. I am my most content self when I am surrounded by art, by beauty, by other things that have been created by two hands and a whole lot of passion.

This is why I am delighted to have Patsy Kay Kolesar Design in Tartooful. Tartooful is a stunning little gallery located in Edgemont Village in North Vancouver.

Tartooful, 1.n. an object that is both beautiful and functional. well designed; of lasting value. 2 v. to beautify through simplicity. declutter; find the essence of beauty; surround oneself only with works of art. 3 adj. stylish and whimsical.

Tartooful is indeed filled with beautiful and functional products. It is stunning from the outside and draws you in. Once inside the shop I was in bliss - it is thoughtfully designed like a great art exhibition but also has a welcoming warmth to it that makes you want to engage with each of the carefully selected lines. The owner of the shop Cathy Church, chooses items for her space that she connects with, that tell a story and that offer something a little bit different to the world.

I think that it is a great fit for my jewelry. I am happy to have PKKD a part of this lovely shop. I am happy that my business is growing slowly, carefully, and with integrity.

You can click on these links to follow Patsy Kay Kolesar Design and Tartooful on Facebook. It's a great way not to miss out on new designs and to get updates on events.

What Love is.......

2010-09-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

Some musings about Love.....

I'm often moved by words. Recently while reading one of Danielle Laportes inspiring posts I was struck by this one sentence:
"But at this point, I'm tender and tough enough to know what love is and isn't".

I would like to think that I always know what love is and what love isn't. I think deep down I do know, I should know by now............shouldn't I?

I'm in my early 30's...and I like being here. Pain hurts a bit more, but only because I now have the ability to let it hurt, to feel it, to dive the fuck into it and come out stronger. Joy feels incredible, but only because I know how devastating life can feel without joy, and I make sure to do things that make me smile, laugh, and soar.
I have figured out some big things.....I've done some hard work, I've looked at some of my pretty dark and twisted places, I've accepted things about me that may always be flaws, I've accepted things about me that are amazing, incredible, strength. So, why don't I always know what love is and isn't? Why do I sometimes still allow things into my life that bring me down? Why do I still doubt myself sometimes and not trust the voice that is telling me what love is and what it isn't?

I want to always know what love is. I want love to be truth. I want love to be honesty. I want love to move me, to challenge me, to lift me higher. I want my art to be filled with love and my love to be filled with art.

Here are a few things that I love.....and things that bring me love:

Brooke Castillo's Blog - Personal Coach - her blog posts always seem to come at the exactly right moment in my life.
Yoga in Daily Life - My yoga center - This is pure LOVE.
Kate England - Artist who designs beautiful and functional icons - I love hearing about her design process and I fantasize about being as organized as she must be one day.
Peregrine Honig - Artist who I fell in love with through watching Bravo's Work of Art - there is something about her work that makes me a little breathless.
Kathleen Edwards - Canadian Alt Country signer - LOVE her, her voice moves me.

Facing Forward and Self Relfection

2010-08-21T14:50:00.000-07:00

I have been designing new jewelry pieces inspired by my theme for the sketchbook project, Facing Forward.

For the past while I have been designing jewelry inspired by love stories. I have been in a very self-reflective place. being uncertain. being doubtful. being hopeful. being in awe... of love. I have been meditating,practicing yoga, and figuring some shit out.

I started to wonder if it was possible to still be self reflective while facing forward? and what does self reflective look like? what does facing forward look like? I started sketching ideas for earrings that represented both of these themes........

My design for self reflection had to feel a little twisty, circular, curvy, deep, and beautiful. My design for facing forward had to remind me of birds. birds have made themselves very present in my life the last number of months. My beautiful Papaya art prints around my home have uplifted me every time i look at them. and I have seen eagles, cranes, humming birds and yellow finches all around me. The design had to be soaring, wing like, clean lines, beak like, bold, strong.

Lots of ideas. I spent a day playing in my studio and decided that these two designs are my favourite. I have been wearing them around proudly the last few days.

Facing Forward Earring

Self Reflection Earring

The Sketchbook Project

2010-08-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I came across the Sketchbook Project. "It's like a concert tour but with sketchbooks", how cool is that? Anyone can be a part of it, you just pick your theme, order your sketchbook for $25, fill it and send it back to them by Jan 2011. They take the sketchbooks on a cross country art tour and afterwards all of sketchbooks become property of the Brooklyn Art Library. Pretty much the coolest project ever. It took me two weeks to pick my theme, I know that they say that the theme is "loose", but having a few rules in life has always helped me focus. I finally chose "Facing Forward" whooh, yup, facing forward.........My life has been in the digging deep, reflective, self-discovery stage now for a little while and I'm pretty sure that it's time to face forward.

My sketchbook is gray with lovely white pages.....I have a bit of a thing for sketchbooks, art supply stores, stationary stores.....something about the smell....is that really weird?

I thought I would show you some pics of my other sketchbooks, I rarely have only one on the go.....and when I fill one up I could never throw it away.

They have over 10,000 people who have signed up so far to be a part of the Sketchbook Project. I think that there is something amazing knowing that so many people around the world will be sketching away, filling these little books with a piece of themselves. All with a collective goal in mind. I would love for all of you to be a part of this project too and share your process with me a bit. I will be posting photos from my sketchbook once I start filling it......There is something about taking my pen to that very first page that is a little scary, exciting, bold. I will let you know when I get there!

The What We've Created Brooch

2010-08-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

About a month ago my Dad asked me if I could make a piece of jewelry for him to give to my Mom for their 40th wedding anniversary. My Dad is usually the pots and pans type of gift giver so I was shocked, touched, and delighted to take on such an amazing project. I spent a lot of time thinking about what to make, what was special enough for this moment, what spending 40 years with someone meant........

This is what I ended up making,

"The What We've Created Brooch"

What we've created in 40 years is a home that echoes with laughter long after the Christmas decorations are packed away and the Bar-b-q's are done for the Summer.

What we've created is two strong, compassionate daughters who have never doubted for a moment that they have incredible love and strength to catch them when they stumble and push them gently when they need support.

What we've created is a house filled with love and new giggles of a very special grandchild and another on the way.

What we've created is a love that is true and committed and a friendship that has grown stronger and stronger throughout 40 years.

Their anniversary was yesterday, August 1st. My Mom was overjoyed with the gift, and in shock that it had been my Dad's idea. My Mom gave my Dad a card....My Dad is now gloating that he is "one up" on my Mom in the gift giving department, hehehe. I sure hope to be able to still be laughing with someone after sharing 40 years with them.

The brooch is made from sterling silver that I have hammered, twisted and blackened. It is, of course embellished with pearls and a bright red enameled disk. The wall piece is made from copper, which I have enameled and made a special little place for the brooch to clip in when it is not being worn.

Amanda's Love Story Necklace

2010-07-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is Amanda's finished Love Story Necklace, for her to wear on her wedding day. Amanda was one of the two winners from my Love Story Necklace Contest, where I asked brides to be to tell me their love story in order to win a custom wedding necklace.

Amanda's beautiful love story filled with pain and strength, twists and turns, and the photo below inspired the design for this Love Story Necklace.

The sweetest moment of a relationship captured.

honesty. playfulness. trust. fun. strength.

I designed Amanda's necklace while reflecting on this moment. I think that a partnership, a marriage is about making life a little easier for each other. I know, I know.....relationships and marriage are not easy, far from it. But I do believe that because of these moments they become worth the work. Having someone there to pick you up when you fall, to make you laugh when you hate the world, to hold your hand when you're getting blood taken is............ kind of nice.

Life is risky. We take risks every day. My generation is skeptical of marriage. We've seen a lot of failed marriages and many of us are unsure if it is worth the risk. I think it is though. I know that love is amazing, falling in love is pretty damn fun, and loving someone with all of your heart and feeling that love in return feels incredible. When we take risks every day of our lives, why wouldn't we take a risk on one of the most amazing feelings we get to experience in this world? Why not take a risk on love?

One of my favourite inspirational life coaches and blogger Stacy Curnow posted this quote by poet Mary Oliver on her blog the other day and I think it is perfect:

To live in this world, you must be able to do three things:
to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones
knowing your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.

-Mary Oliver

Persistence and Designing Jewelry

2010-07-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about persistence lately.

When i design new pieces of jewelry - I sketch. I can sketch the same piece over and over and over again until I get it exactly right. Some design ideas never become just right and they never get built into a piece of jewelry. Sometimes I can go a few weeks of sketching without getting a design that I totally love. But I never stop designing........I try a different sketchbook (I have many), I try a new location - I persist and eventually I get something special, something that excites me, something that moves me a little, something that makes me want to start moving metal.
These are three new sketches that will turn into something more.

Artist Kerry Smith is the creator of the Artist's Survival Kit, which I adore. They are clever and hilarious. Kerry just moved to Vancouver with her family to teach at Emily Carr. I loved reading her newest post on Vancouver - there is something amazing about seeing your city through someone else's eyes.

Designing Amanda's Love Story Necklace

2010-07-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

I design jewelry inspired by love, because that is what it's all about.......isn't it?

My Grandpa, wrote a book about his life story. He gave each of us grand kids a copy of it before he died. I have been reading it lately. In his dedication he wrote "I dedicate this, my life story, to my dear wife Alison, who gave me four lovely children and the happiest years of my life." My grandparents were married for 60 years.

I spent a sunny afternoon recently designing Amanda's Love Story Necklace. Amanda was one of the two winners of my Love Story Necklace contest. I had a photo of Amanda's beautiful dress and lovely wedding venue to inspire my design, but the design kept coming out not quite right. I kept thinking about Amanda and Matt's love story and about this one picture of the two of them that they sent me.
Amanda had wrote underneath this picture. "Here we are, Matt helping me up after I fell down, like he always does." You can tell that they are both laughing. I loved being in on this moment. It is this moment that inspired the design for their necklace. Because isn't this moment what makes a relationship beautiful? You help each other when one of you falls, and you laugh together through all of it. The horrible, the scary, the really fucking painful moments in life, you stick together and make it a little easier for each other.

Amanda's necklace is in the works, almost finished........here is the design.

Amanda's Love Story Necklace, has an elegant strength to it just like Amanda. This necklace symbolizes the ups and downs and twists and turns that Amanda and Matt have already endured in their relationship. But like their relationship it is also happy, beautiful, and forever.

Gracie's Love Story Necklace for her Wedding Day

2010-07-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased to share that Gracie's Love Story Necklace is complete. Gracie was one of the two winners of my Love Story Necklace Contest.

When I emailed Gracie and told her that she was one of the two winners these were her words,
"I am so excited to be chosen! Thank you so so much!!! This really means a lot to me, I am glad my story touched you. I can not wait to see the finished product and wear it for my wedding day! I look forward to the process of creating something truly original. Thank you a million times over! You made my day!" - Gracie

There is just nothing better then the feeling of knowing that you made someones day.

After choosing Gracie and Steve's inspiring Love Story, I gathered more information about their unique wedding day and I designed a Love Story Necklace that was one of a kind and exquisite just like Gracie.

Then I spent about......4 days in my studio constructing the necklace.

Lots of hammering, twisting, turning, bending.......

I use my torch to solder each of the pieces together. Lots of careful positioning, adjusting, and patience.

I solder each wire onto the necklace base which will hold the pearls, the little red dots are felt pen marks to show me where to solder each wire......I like a lot of pearls......

I hand polish the piece, using my flex shaft, a felt wheel and 3 different polishing compounds.

I use a silk screen to sift the powdered enamel in a pattern onto the sterling silver circles. I used a thistle pattern and chocolate brown enamel for Gracie's necklace.

I fire the piece with my torch until the enamel flows and fuses to the silver.

Then there is about a gazillion other little steps that I do to finish the piece and once I have made some changes, tried it on a few lovely necks around my studio, and thoroughly examined every aspect of the piece I can officially say It is finished and AMAZING!

Bold. Colour. Passion.

2010-06-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

My life is filled with bold passionate colour. It is not always pretty colours. Sometimes it's angry reds, some days it's crushing blues, and sometimes it's even head under the covers gray. But it is always interesting, engaging, and colourful.

When I was little I used to draw faces over and over again. I had one of those amazing cases of crayons with every colour imaginable and I would sit in front of a blank stack of crisp white paper and draw women's faces for hours. I would give everyone of them a name and a number, hole punch them and stick them in a binder. Some had dangle earrings, necklaces, bold make-up, and crazy hair. I was enchanted by all of the different colours that I could play with.

Playing with colour is something that I still get to do and is why I am so drawn to enameling jewelry. The colour combination possibilities are endless and I am constantly inspired by my colourful world to try new things.

I saw these photos the other day by photographer and former Heatherette designer Traver Rains.

Bold. Colour. Passion. Incredible......

All photos Traver Rains Photography www.traverrains.com

Living The Creative Life

2010-06-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

I have spent the past three days in my studio making Gracie's Love Story Necklace. It has felt fantastic to be locked up in my creative space, surrounded only by other artists working, amazing art everywhere I look, and my own creative ideas flowing.

I am sooooo close to finishing Gracie's Love Story Necklace. It's turning out fairly amazing. I was hoping to have it finished today, but I figure two more nights of final touches and I will be able to show it off.

Being able to spend the last three days focusing only on my creative passion, making jewelry, has felt incredible. Sometimes it is easy for me to get caught in the tunnel of "I shoulds", I should be blogging more, I should be tweeting more, I should have more facebook fans, I should have more stores, I should be doing what everyone else is doing.........It is an easy place for my mind to get stuck in, but it is a tunnel. It keeps going around in circles and the only way for me to get out is to physically do something about it. Picking myself up and moving my whole body to my studio does it. I start to tap on some metal, I start to play with some stones, sketch some designs and I remember what I am doing. I remember that life is about finding the things that you love to do and to keep doing them over and over again. It is so easy for all of us to get stuck in our "I shoulds", but those things will happen. I will get more facebook fans, I will get more stores, but to get there I need to keep doing what I love, what I'm good at, and what feeds my soul. I need to keep creating.

A fellow artist and blogger, Lori Koop shared this video link on her blog this week and I thought I would pass it along. It is Elizabeth Gilbert speaking about nurturing your creativity. I found it insightful, funny, and honest. Definitely worth the watch.

You Are A Beautiful Freak

2010-06-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

I have had some great conversations with some amazing women in my life this week about risk taking and embracing our unique selves.

I have always felt a little bit like a freak. I have never chosen the easy path in life, the straight road, the road that society feels comfortable around. I have been a vegan for 12 years. I worked for 5 years of my life in feminist women's centres. When I was 28 I took a giant leap and went back to school to pursue a career as a jewelry artist.

There are times when I am at a restaurant trying to devise a vegan meal from a meat and dairy heavy menu, when I will tell the server that I am allergic to dairy. For some reason, I think that I will be taken less seriously as a vegan. In my mind I see the server going back to the kitchen and snickering to the chef that there is a freaky vegan in the restaurant tonight.

I am often told by people that the way to make money as a jeweler is to cast everything. To mass produce. To come up with a simple design, make a mold, and produce it over and over again. Yet, still I continue to make every piece with my own two hands, too make pieces that are one of a kind, and to push myself to continuously come up with unique, original jewelry designs.

What I have learned in the past few months of my life is that I need to trust who I am. I need to embrace my freak, not apologize for it. I need to to trust my instinct. Trust that there is many other people who embrace the unique, who want jewelry that is one of a kind, who will buy jewelry that is authentic, and made by hand. Trust that other people are also embracing what is freakish or different about themselves and honoring it.

On my living room wall I have these two Papaya Art panel prints with a mirror beside them. Every time I look in the mirror, I am reminded that I am a beautiful freak. A big thank you to all of you other beautiful freaks out there! You inspire me!

For some more beautiful and unique inspiration this week check out Papaya Art Designer Anahata Katkin's blog.

Custom Making A Love Story Necklace

2010-06-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

What’s so special about having a custom necklace made for your wedding day?

When I was a little girl my Nana, who lived in Australia used to send my sister and I gifts of jewelry for our birthday every year. We never were given the exact same piece, which caused more then a few sisterly fights. But now I look back on it and so appreciate that each piece was chosen just for me. Because of who my Nana saw that I uniquely was, she chose something that was intended to be special, unique and truly me. I still have all of these jewels and they are beautiful memories that I will always cherish, and one day will hopefully pass on to my future daughter or granddaughter.

For your wedding day jewelry you could easily go out and choose from a gazillion pre-made necklaces that very well could look quite lovely on the big day. But by infusing how unique and special you are into a piece of custom made jewelry, you can make your wedding day even more personal, unique, and memorable. I think that the jewelry you wear on your wedding day is just as important as your wedding dress. I know I’m a little jewelry biased, but maybe it’s even a little more important. The thing is, you really can wear your wedding jewelry again for another special event, say maybe on your 10 year anniversary?. And in the case of the Love Story Necklace, it is also a piece that not only represents who you are, but also symbolizes who you and your partner are as a couple and the road that you traveled to meet each other.

I am in the process of designing Gracie’s Love Story Necklace for her wedding day. Gracie was one of the lucky winners of my Love Story Necklace Contest. The Love Story Necklace is the perfect necklace for a bride like Gracie, a bride who has been through a lot, but who has always believed in love. Gracie’s unique love story, was the initial inspiration for my design for her necklace. I then asked Gracie to send me pictures and details of her wedding. Gracie told me that her wedding is taking place at the Wine & Roses Country Estate in Auburn, WA. The ceremony will take place on the lawn in front of the farmhouse and reception inside the old barn. The theme is woodland/ rustic. Lots of moss, twigs, mason jars, and wild flowers. The color scheme is greens, creams and brown.

Doesn’t that sound just about perfect?! She also sent me a picture of her fun, beautiful wedding dress and to die for shoes. I can’t show you the picture of the wedding dress, since that will, of course be a surprise on the big day, but I can show you the shoes, which are pretty amazing, and of course, I am loving this girl’s tattoos!

So, armed with Gracie’s inspiring love story, and pictures of her unique dress, shoes, and perfectly rustic wedding venue. I sat down and started to design her necklace. This is what the final sketch looked like.

The necklace will be hand constructed in sterling silver. I use a square wire and hammer out the shape of the necklace, twisting and turning it in all the right places as I hammer it. I will use a combination of white and chocolate brown freshwater pearls and then chocolate brown enamel for the pattern on the silver circles.

This necklace will be truly one of a kind. This necklace is Gracie’s Love Story Necklace. It is unique and exquisite just like Gracie. It has been inspired by the highs and lows, twists and turns in Gracie and Steve’s love story and the love and beauty that they have put into planning their unique wedding. They will have this necklace that represents their unique love for each other to cherish forever.

Next week I will be posting pictures of me making the necklace and of the finished piece!

For my other one of a kind custom made necklaces from my wedding collection check out my etsy store and please feel free to contact me with any questions.

To get notified the next time I launch a super great contest like the Love Story Necklace Contest join my facebook fan page.

The Love Story Necklace Contest Winning Stories Part 2

2010-05-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

Today I want to share the second winning story from the Love Story Necklace Contest. I ended up choosing two winning stories for very different reasons. They each in their own way really embodied what the Love Story Necklace is all about.

Amanda's Love Story -
Matt and I weren't supposed to meet, fall in love, or get married. We are 95.7% opposites. We met through MySpace for crying out loud! I met Matt my junior year in college. I wasn't looking for a relationship and he was so I blew him off at first. Then when he wrote to me again asking to get ice cream, I caved and after meeting him, I was done.

We moved in together right after i graduated college and were happy for awhile, then it started to get hard. We were living in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment with no privacy, nowhere to be alone and it was just too much of each other and it really brought out our differences. So I moved out and back home with my parents, thinking that was it, it was over.

We still talked and neither of us were dating other people. We decided to start going out on dates again and doing things together that we both liked instead of being apart. Things got better so I moved back before Christmas. We then started looking for a home together and found one.

The following January we were laying in bed reading and I had a pain in my chest. I felt around and found a lump the size of a large walnut. I instantly knew something was very wrong and started crying, breast cancer runs in my family and I was only 25. My cousin died at age 26 from cancer, this couldn't be happening to me. Matt held me and told me that no matter what he loved me and would always be there for me. I said even if I lose all my hair? He said he'd shave his head too. At that point I knew I had found the man that would stand beside me no matter what. After tons of appointments and biopsy's the tests thought it was benign but they had to take it out to be sure because of it's size and shape. I had surgery and Matt was there to nurse me back to health, change my bandages and just be there for me. The tests came back 100% benign and we finally breathed easy again.

That August we went hiking to our favorite waterfall, hidden from the general public, we had found it on our third date. We hiked down with our tripod and camera to take some photos. After many shots Matt told me to stand still so he could get one of us together, there in front of the most beautiful spot he asked me to be his wife, through sickness and health, whatever lies ahead. We are now planning our dream fall wedding for October 16, 2010. This Love Story necklace is perfect for me to wear because it symbolizes the twists and turns that we've had in our relationship, but no matter what it's one piece that will stay together forever, like us.
What I loved about Amanda's story was that the two of them have been through so much as a couple. Relationships, although amazing are hard and I think it takes great compassion and great strength for a couple to fall apart and then come back together. A little over a month ago one of my closest friends was diagnosed with a brain tumor, thankfully it also turned out to be benign. Life is scary and short, and it is the people and the love that we choose to have in our life that make it incredible and a little less scary. I would say that Amanda and Matt are a pretty inspiring and courageous couple. I am honoured to be making Amanda a Love Story Necklace to wear on her wedding day.

I wanted to share with you another inspiring and courageous woman and artist, Kerri Smith - I am loving her blog these days www.kerrismith.com

Also for all of my brides-to-be I thought you might like this very pretty blog for a little wedding inspiration www.weddingchicks.com

The Love Story Necklace Contest Winning Stories

2010-05-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

My inspiration for creating my first Love Story Necklace came to me when I was reflecting on why love and life have never been easy for me. Didn’t someone convince me when I was 6 that eventually life would be happily ever after? I decided to do some research on love, so I watched all of my favourite love stories; Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Bed of Roses, Love Story. These were the movies that had taught me what love was and shaped my ideals of love. After spending a weekend watching these and a few other favourites, I realized that all of my favourite love stories were, like my life, complicated. They had amazing highs and devastating lows, but what survived in each of them was the ability to believe in love even when life was at its darkest. I became inspired to create unique pieces of art that honored the curving, unique path that relationships can take us on.

About a month ago I asked brides-to-be to tell me the twists and turns of their love story in order to win a custom made Love Story Necklace to wear on their wedding day. I was amazed with how many women connected with the Love Story Necklace and shared their amazing stories with me. I thank each of you who entered, it was such a hard decision. I fell in love with every story. In the end I picked two winning stories for very different reasons. Today I will share one of the winning stories and I will share the other one tomorrow. Enjoy.

Gracie's Love Story -

I met Steven online. After going through the most traumatic experience of my life 2 years prior, I never thought I would date again, let alone get married. I had been engaged once before and the groom-to-be called it off over the phone just 3 short weeks before the day. I was completely beside myself, as was my family. I was finally able to get over the worst of it and started becoming interested in life again, and along with that came boys. I decided to sign myself up for eHarmony.com.

After a month of first dates that never went anywhere, I was matched with Steve. He was everything I had never dated before. I took a chance, honestly thinking it was probably not going to work out. He was cute, but we didn't seem to have much in common. I soon found out that didn’t matter. Besides feeling like I had known him forever, we had similar up bringing and morals and that was what we would build our relationship on and soon, our future family.We moved in together 7 months later. Merging our tastes and styles together has been a difficult task but we have met each other half way. Which really means, most of Steve's hand me down/bachelor pad decor went to Goodwill and I decorated the house.

The next month Steve and I decided to invite our families and friends over to our house for Steve's Birthday. I was stressing out about how we were going to fit everyone in our place. First to arrive at the house was Steve's dad John & family friend Dave. Steve told me that he was going to take them out to where he works and show them the construction site. I felt overwhelmed with getting everything ready but Steve promised he would be back in time when everyone showed up.

Over an hour later, everyone was at our house and Steve still wasn't back yet. I introduced the family and friends who hadn't met yet and got the show on the road. Finally Steve showed up and we started to BBQ. The food was great and everyone loved our new place. It couldn't have gone any better.(Or so i thought...)During all the mingling and chatting Steve and I barley saw each other. Looking back now... I would guess he was avoiding me. He was hanging out in the garage with the guys and the keg, probably trying to calm his nerves.

I called everyone into the kitchen for cake. We all gathered around Steve and sang happy birthday. Steve blew out the candles and thanked everyone for coming. He then continued to talk about how much everyone meant to him, especially me and the time we have shared together. I thought this seemed like a strange turn of events but it never occurred to me that he was about to pop the question. I stared at my mom and then my sister from across the room, thinking to myself "Where the heck is he going with this? Is it a birthday tradition in his family to make a speech or something?" Then he said something about the last 8 months being the best of his life and then i think my knees started shaking because I realized what was going on. Meanwhile I keep staring at my mom looking for some kind of clue as to if she was thinking the same thing. I turned my focus back to Steve and he was getting down on one knee in front of all our family and friends! Then he asked me to marry him. I honestly don't remember much after this point. According to the photos though, my mouth was hanging wide open and at some point I said yes.

It couldn't have been a more perfect proposal. I always wanted a surprise and for all my family to be there with me and I got exactly that. Turns out 98% of the guests at the party knew that he was going to propose. He bought the ring earlier that week and when he was "showing his dad the job site" they were actually picking up my engagement ring!He also asked my parents for their blessing earlier that week as well, which means the world to me. I can't believe my mom was able to keep it all a secret!

Our wedding is August 28, 2010 in Auburn ,Washington.

I am in the process of designing Gracie's Love Story Necklace and I'm soooo excited about it. I will be posting pictures of the design process and construction of the necklace over the next few weeks. I fell in love with Gracie's story because of her strength and resilience. I don't believe in happily ever after, I believe that life and love is about hard choices. We all get hurt, we all have our hearts broken, but with time, you choose to make your past the past and move forward. You choose to give love, you choose to embrace the incredible.

For more inspiration and the incredible, please enjoy these words by one of my favourite inspirational bloggers Danielle Laporte.

Love Story Contest Results Coming Very Soon....

2010-05-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

Promises...promises. I was supposed to have posted the winning Love Story from my Love Story Necklace Contest by now. However, I am on Vancouver Island for a little mini break from my busy life in the big city. I am dividing my time between my parents place and my sister's beach cottage. My parents have a PC with a painfully slow internet connection, so even writing this "quick" blog post is making me want to poke my eyeballs out. My sister's cottage is perfect for typing away on my laptop, but I of course can't get an internet connection there. So, what I can tell you is that I have chosen two beautiful love stories - yes, that's right my decision making inability lead me to choose two, not one, winning love story. They both won my heart with very different love stories. Both of my brides-to-be have been notified and are excited and willing to be my muses for the next month or so while I create their Love Story Necklace's.

I will be posting their stories as soon as I can find somewhere in this quaint place that has wireless.......In the mean time I will be enjoying my time spent designing new jewelry and watching bald eagles swoop into the ocean.

Alternative Wedding Dresses - a few of my favourites

2010-05-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

Finding alternative wedding dresses and alternative wedding jewelry can be hard. There is so much of the "other" to wade through that it can be a lot of work finding something truly unique. I thought I would share with you some of my favourite alternative wedding dresses of the moment. Enjoy!

This one is my favourite from Elizabeth Dye's 2010 bridal collection "Heroines"
I am actually in love with her whole collection, it was very hard to pick a favourite.

This amazing silk skirt, top, and belt is by the Norwegian designer Oleana. Oleana makes these gorgeous silk pieces in a variety of rich colours that are perfect for a unique wedding day.

This dress is from the 2010 bridal collection of Alabama Chanin. Each of their pieces is made by hand, using a combination of new, organic, and recycled materials. The hand detailing on this dress is incredibly intricate and unusual.

A one of a kind Love Story Necklace (above) or Cherry Blossom Necklace (below) would add the perfect finishing touch to any one of these alternative wedding dresses.

Love Story Necklace Contest Closing

2010-05-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

Friday was the closing date for my Love Story Necklace Contest, originally launched on Offbeat Bride.com - where I asked brides-to-be to tell me their love story to try to win a custom made one of a kind Love Story Necklace. I am excited to pick a winner. I am also a little sad that I won't have beautiful love stories in my inbox every day.
How amazing, how complex, how exciting, how confusing, how incredible love is. I feel so touched that so many women were open and honest and shared their love stories with me. There is such beauty in each of them. Through reading all of the loves stories I have learned that our ability to love surpasses any amount of pain and heartache that we go through. I feel so touched and honored to have read each of the love stories that I received. Now, for the hard part, picking the winner....I'll keep you posted. I will be consulting with my creative team this week, I will be announcing the winner next week.

Weddings and Pretty Things

2010-05-01T09:39:00.001-07:00

Delighted to be featured on the lovely New York blog
Weddings and Pretty Things........

Inspiring Artist - Iviva Olenick

2010-04-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have been writing, creating, reading, dreaming, and breathing about love these days.
My jewelry designs for the past year have all been inspired by some sort of love.
falling in or out of love,
embracing love,
pushing love away,
trying on love,
trying to offer others my most loving self,
remembering to love myself.
The results in my jewelry designs have been big, bold, with twists and curves, lots of intricate details, sudden ups and downs, asymmetry, with a loudness and a subtlety at the same time.
I have been pleased that each one is a story on its own and that each story has so many possibilities.
I decided that I would search on Etsy to see what other artists are doing with the inspiration of love. So I searched love, and love stories, and love letters. You can imagine all of the cliched pieces that I found, lots of hearts, swarovski crystals, and bluebirds. Not my thing.
Then I stumbled upon work by Brooklyn based artist Iviva Olenick and completely fell in love with what she is doing.

Iviva creates narrative embroidery. Each piece she creates is rich with honest passion and has a delicate blend of heartache and hope. She has a blog www.wereisobesotted.blogspot.com where she too talks about love and how it influences her art. If you feel any connection to her work from these pictures that I've posted, be careful on her blog. I got lost for hours reading and connecting with her artfully sewn life.

Here to Stay 2009
"You camped out in my head for months. You'd start to leave and something would tug you in" "It looks like I'm here to stay" "Even now I find myself talking to you on good days and bad days as if you're standing beside me"

What's Missing 2010
"He wants me to fill what's missing in him. I can't. I can't believe I fell for him either."

Mine Again 2009
"He didn't like sweatpants, or my green fleece bathrobe. I got rid of the sweatpants and kept the bathrobe. He liked to make fun of a pair of high-waisted, "grandma" underwear. When he left, I embroidered curlicues on my underwear, and strode around the apartment in it. I had to learn to make everything that had been ours mine again."

(All work credited to the very talented Iviva Olenick)

Trash The Dress

2010-04-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

It is time for some confessing. I love pretty dresses. I really really love them. Sometimes when I am feeling blue I will go into Betsey Johnson or BCBG and hug the dresses. Of course buying one of them would make me feel much better, but hugging them gives me some satisfaction as well. I can spend hours looking at dresses online.....I mean hours. I just get lost in the possibilities. I could also spend hours watching "Say Yes To The Dress". I could watch women trying on wedding dresses all day long if given the chance for such indulgence. I love watching the process. I love seeing how each dress fits them differently, and when the sales consultants wade into that back room and all I can see are rows and rows of pretty white dresses I feel a little bit of bliss. I also will even admit that I get all welled up when they find "the one", and I'm not really a welled up kind of girl.

This past week I had the pleasure of finding out about photographer Jennifer Partington. Jen recently placed 7th in the Trash the Dress international photography contest . I had never heard about Trash the Dress before. I LOVE it! I love that women are bold and daring enough to trash their freaking wedding dress! How very cool is that. I love wedding dresses, I appreciate that we spend big money on them and that we could keep them for years of memories with hopes that our future daughters will happily wear them one day.
But why not trash it and get stunning photos of ourselves being brave, bold, and fierce?
Here are Jen's fantastic photos. I would love to see other great trash the dress photos, so if you know of any send me a link. Enjoy!

Sometimes you just have to let everything fall apart.....

2010-04-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just have to let everything fall apart.

I have been reading Pema Chodron lately.
I can read her words
over
and over
and over again
and still get moved
to stillness by their meaning.
There is beauty in pain.
There is beauty in the most difficult times, our most desperate feelings.
It takes such great strength to sit with these feelings, to own them, to not try to cover them up and to be sober through them.

" Usually we regard loneliness as an enemy. Heartache is not something we choose to invite in. It's restless and pregnant and hot with the desire to escape and find something or someone to keep us company. When we can rest in the middle, we begin to have a nonthreatening relationship with loneliness, a relaxing and cooling loneliness that completely turns our usual fearful patterns upside down."
-Pema Chodron

Falling Apart Ring
Silver, felt, pearls, syn. pink tourmalines
Patsy Kay Kolesar 2007

Filling Me Up

2010-04-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have spent the last 5 days reading your love stories......how divine.
It is filling me up, inspiring me, and and touching me in ways that I couldn't have ever imagined.

From reading all of these beautiful love stories I have learned that there are so many of us who choose to give love even though we have endured heartbreaking sadness.
There is still time to tell me your love story, contest closing date is May 7th.

"Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering". Nicole Krauss - The History of Love.
For details on the Love Story Necklace Contest please read the post below.

The Love Story Necklace Contest

2010-04-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be announcing.....
The Love Story Necklace Contest

The Love Story Necklace, just like any great love story is complicated. It has twists and turns, highs and lows, and has been hammered and polished.
It is the perfect necklace for a bride who has been through a lot but who has always believed in finding her true love.

The idea for the Love Story Necklace came to me when I realized that my favorite love stories are often complex and drawn out. I spent a weekend doing research. I watched all of my favorite romantic movies, the ones that have shaped my ideals of love, and I became inspired to create unique pieces of art that honored the curving, unique path that relationships can take us on.

The pieces that resulted were intricate, bold and highly original. Constructed from sterling silver, colourful enamel, and freshwater pearls, each Love Story Necklace, just like the story it was inspired by is truly one of a kind.

If you think that a Love Story Necklace is perfect for you, and you want to wear one on your wedding day, here’s your chance – all you have to do is tell me your love story in a maximum of 800 words.

My creative team and I will read the submissions and choose the one we feel most inspired by, and I will create a Love Story necklace based on it. The winning love story will receive a custom-made Love Story Necklace valued at $450, and the story will be posted on my blog. Good luck!

Contest details:

To enter please tell me:
1. Your love story in up to 800 words
2. Your wedding date
3. Please include a photo of you and your fiance

Submissions will be accepted until May 7th 2010.
Winner will be notified by May 21st 2010

Please send submissions to info@pkkdesign.com

Jewelry - Patsy Kay Kolesar Design
Photography - Abbye Dahl
Model - Jen Ryley JK Models
Hair Stylist - Natalia Pectu
Make-up Artist - Meagan Davidson

The Love Story Necklace........

2010-04-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

The Love Story Necklace contest will be announced tomorrow.......................
Please sign up for my newsletter on the side if you would like to be the first to know about it.

Jewelry - Patsy Kay Kolesar
Photography - Abbye Dahl
Model - Natalie Standke
Hair Stylist - Natalia Pectu
Make-up Artist - Meagan Davidson
Dress - Oleana

Take The Plunge Necklace

2010-04-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

The Take The Plunge Necklace was made for a plunging neckline or a plunging lifestyle. My inspiration for this necklace came to me on a day when I was feeling bold, alive, and certain. I knew what I wanted and I was ready to dive right in. It is the perfect necklace for a bride who has no hesitation and knows with all of her heart that she is ready to take the plunge.

Jewelry - Patsy Kay Kolesar
Photography - Abbye Dahl
Model - Lauren Sundstrom
Hair Stylist - Natalia Pectu
Make-up Artist - Meagan Davidson
Dress - Urbanity

Wedding Cake Ring

2010-04-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

This is my Wedding Cake Ring. I made this ring when I was contemplating the meaning of connection. I was thinking about what it meant to connect with another person for a lifetime. I was thinking about doing it. I was thinking about weddings, and delicately decorated wedding cakes. I was thinking about all of the traditional elements of a wedding that make my skin crawl. I was thinking about all of the traditional elements of a wedding that make me cry in an instant. The Wedding Cake Ring is made of two layers of enameled copper. I silk-screened the enamel to achieve the delicate patterns. I have riveted the enameled disks onto a textured band of sterling silver.

Grassroots Wedding Fair - Video Clip

2010-04-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

This is a short video from the Grassroots Wedding Fair, that took place in January. There is a neat little bit that shows me putting a She Said Yes necklace on a lovely bride. It is very sweet. I didn't even know I was being filmed!

The Grassroots Wedding Fair from Michael Rendulic on Vimeo.

The Things That Really Matter

2010-04-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone is having a lovely Easter weekend, shared with people that you love.

I am very thoughtful this weekend about the things that really matter. My family and my friends and the deep connections which I share with them are what fuels everything in my life. They are ultimately my inspiration for every piece I create. I create out of love and passion. I have the ability to feel love and passion because of the amazing people who surround me. I feel so honored to be sharing a life time with such beautiful people.

My Carrot & Beet Brooches were inspired by the summers I spent in the garden with my Dad when I was growing up. He would always grow these big amazing vegetable gardens. I loved to help him pick the carrots and pull up the potatoes. Being with him in our backyard garden on a hot summers day is one of my most cherished childhood memories.

Carrot & Beet Brooches
sterling silver, 14k gold, freshwater pearls
Patsy Kay Kolesar 2008

Fabulous Wedding Shoes

2010-03-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

What you walk down the isle in is important. It's sort of a big moment. You are walking towards the person you love, who you will spend a lifetime with. You are announcing to your friends, family, and the world that yes you believe in love, you believe in commitment, you believe in family. It should be an amazing moment and you should be wearing amazing shoes! Here are a few of my favourites......
For more wedding inspiration check out We Scout Wednesdays: Weddings at Scoutie Girl.

Fabulous Shoes by:
1. Jimmy Choo 2. Bourne 3. Bettye Muller
All from www.footcandyshoes.com

Photo Shoot Day

2010-03-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

Holy Shit! It is not too many blog posts that i start out by cussing, but i think the excitement of today deserves it. What a fun, inspiring, interesting, creative day! I have just finished a full day of shooting photos for some of the pieces in my wedding collection. The team and the day couldn't have been any more perfect. Not a drop of rain fell on rainy Vancouver today, making it possible for us to shoot in some fantastic locations. One of the the girls commented that because of this the universe must be on my side. With everything falling into place perfectly for this shoot and the day gliding by with creative energy and a team of divine talent, I truly believe that yes, the universe is working with me. Here is a sneak peak from the photo shoot.........I can't wait to share with you the final shots.

Photo Shoot

2010-03-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning I am doing a photo shoot for some of my new jewelry designs. I have 3 lovely models, a hair stylist, a make-up artist and a great photographer all coming to my little apartment downtown Vancouver. We will style the models here and then take to the streets of the west end to shoot the photos. I am sooooooo excited. I can't wait to share the photos with everyone.

About a year ago I did my first photo shoot, with my friend and amazing photographer Mike Lewis. Our team consisted of Natalia Pectu -hair stylist, Sarah Boissonault -make-up artist, and Danielle Elisabeth and Natalie Standke were the beautiful models. These are the stunning results.

Making Life Pretty

2010-03-11T23:35:00.000-08:00

Life is challenging. We all know this. We all have our days where we wonder what we are doing, and why we are doing it. Some days I create jewelry pieces with great meaning, other days I create just to add something pretty to a world that doesn't always seem so pretty.

Here are some very romantic dresses to add a little pretty to your life today.

(Image #1 www.costumersguide.com from The Young Victoria, costume designer Sandy Powell)
(Images #2-4 www.style.com designer Elie Saab)

It's all secretly perfect.....

2010-02-27T01:02:00.000-08:00

I am taking great strength from words these days.

I have a chalkboard on my bathroom wall where I have written, "The cracks in your heart let the sun shine through". I feel slightly sheepish telling you that I read the quote in Oprah's magazine in an interview that she did with Ellen DeGeneres, and Ellen actually was quoting something that Diane Sawyer said to her. All three very strong successful women, so i'm not sure why the sheepishness is there.

On my bulletin board beside my computer I have written the words, "GO. Where will you leave your footprints?, What marks are important?, Make the targets clear." These words came to me from Lori Koop's upword of the week email, which i gleefully open every Sunday morning.

In my bedroom I have some new Papaya Art with the words "You can fly if you want to" and "fly". If I could own one of everything from Papaya Art I think I would know what bliss felt like. I am also madly in love with a sketchbook they do with the words "It's All Secretly Perfect" written on it.

I believe that It's all secretly perfect....It has to be doesn't it?

Images from www.papayaart.com.

Front page of Etsy-well almost.

2010-02-17T13:14:00.000-08:00

A little success on a day I really needed the boost. My She Said Yes Necklace was short listed for the front page of Etsy.

Love

2010-02-14T13:27:00.000-08:00

This year,
I want love to be bold.
I want love to be strong.
I want love to be honest.
I want love to be passionate.
I want love to be gentle.
I want love to be safe.

I want to be my most loving self.

On this Valentine's Day I have given myself a little love.
I went to an amazing yoga class, with a long meditation where I was visualizing myself under a cherry tree in the mountains.

I visited my favourite art supply store and bought a giant new sketchbook, which later today I will fill with ideas about love...

RIP Lee Alexander McQueen 1969-2010
photos from www.style.com

Little Things That Make Me Happy

2010-02-07T16:16:00.001-08:00

I have been more aware then usual of the little things that make me happy. Things that when life is great and grand I may not notice so much. But when life starts to get bumpy thoughts of these things help to get me out of bed in the morning.

My lovely new bowl that a good friend gave me for my birthday. I smile every time I reach for it. The bowl is by Stephanie Kao.

What is it about cute shoes that makes us so happy? These ones are a favourite new addition to my shoe wardrobe. I just got them at a sample sale at Fluvog. I look forward to wearing them on a sunny spring day soon.

Short wedding dresses with pockets. There is just something sweet and romantic about the idea of wearing a short wedding dress.
Wedding dress by Jenny Yoo.

The Grassroots Wedding Fair

2010-02-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

Thought I would quickly share some amazing photographs
from the Grassroots Wedding Fair, taken by Shona of
www.sweetearthphotographics.com

The gorgeous wedding dress the model is wearing is by
Caroline Calvert Couture and is hand crafted in Vancouver using sustainable fabrics.

The Wedding Collection

2010-01-26T22:20:00.000-08:00

I have never been very traditional. I have always made bold moves in both my career choices and my personal life. I know that I have given my dear parents many sleepless nights worrying if I would ever become more normal. I don't see normal in my future. I see something a little bit different...........

I would like to introduce you to my new Wedding Collection. The Wedding Collection is a small collection of one of a kind necklaces and rings that are perfect for a bold bride who chooses something a little bit different.

"She Said Yes Necklace"

The She Said Yes Necklace is the perfect necklace for a bold bride who has no hesitation saying Yes to exactly what she desires.
"Take The Plunge Necklace"

The Take The Plunge Necklace is made for a plunging neckline or a plunging lifestyle. It is the perfect necklace for the bride who knows what she wants and jumps right in.

"Love Story Necklace"

The Love Story Necklace, like any great Love Story is complicated. It has twists and turns, highs and lows, and has been hammered and polished.
It is the perfect necklace for a bride who has been through a lot but who has always believed in finding her true love.

I will be showing my Wedding Collection at The Grassroots Wedding Fair this Saturday January 30th at Heritage Hall on Main Street in Vancouver.

Flowers in January

2010-01-23T19:53:00.000-08:00

In the ally behind my apartment building the crocuses are starting to peek through the earth and I found this lovely pink flower, boldly blossoming in January.
I was also delighted when I went by the Vancouver Art Gallery the other day and saw this amazing installation by Michael Lin. I am absolutely in love with it.

Blue & Red

2010-01-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I finished making myself a new "It's All About Me" ring to embrace the new year with. I chose a pale sky blue colour for the enamel, which makes me think of lying on the beach in the summertime, not thinking about anything except the warmth of the sun on my face and the perfect blue sky above me. I added a small red garnet, my January birthstone, for the added bling.

I want 2010 to be a year of bold steps, vibrant colours and for getting what you desire.

Designing 2010

2010-01-03T01:24:00.000-08:00

I am deep in design mode. Designing what I want the year to look like for PKK Design and what new designs I will add to my collection. I am building inspiration from many different places in my world. One of them is Alexander McQueen's Spring 2010 line. The colours are rich tones of turquoise, sea green, orange, golds, and royal purples. The textures are fantastic and reptile like. Many of the pieces look like they are made up of lovely bits of gemstones and metal. And those shoes!

In the Jewelers Studio...

2009-12-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I had the opportunity to teach my dear friend Greg some jewelry making skills.
Greg bought some lovely little pearls when he was on a beach in Africa a few years ago, with the intention of getting them made into jewelry for his Mom and Sister one day. I suggested that he join me in my studio to make them himself. I thought that Greg would find moving metal pretty fun. We started by hammering out two circles with a disk cutter and
then doming them in a dapping block.

Then Greg textured the metal with a ball bur at my bench.

We had two perfectly textured silver domes.

Then Greg's partner Dave and our beautiful friend Becky came by with Hanukkah Cookies.
Happy Hanukkah!

I let Greg take a short cookie break and then I made him get right back to work.
Like any good teacher I made sure to always look sternly over his shoulder while he worked.

Of course, no jewelry would be complete without a little bit of colour.

So, i sifted some transparent purple enamel over the textured silver
and then torch fired the piece.

Here are the finished pendants. Nice Job Greg! It was so much fun having you work in my studio with me!

New York in the Winter?

2009-12-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

I have been fantasizing about going to New York for a while now. Lately I fluctuate between talking myself out of it and talking myself into it.

Reasons to go:
"From The Village to Vogue"
An exhibition of Art Smith's modernist jewelry at the Brooklyn Museum.

His work is amazing. I, of course have only seen it in pictures.
Getting to see it up close, I think, would make my knees weak.

Another reason is the Guggenheim.
If I walk into the Guggenheim,
I'm not certain that I will ever want to walk out.
Right now they have an exhibition of Kandinsky.
Kandinsky is my favourite artist.
There is something about his paintings
that give me a physical reaction.
Something inside of me stirs and I want to wrap
my whole body around his art.

I love the colours. I love the intricate pattern. I love the boldness.
I have visions of being at the Museum
surrounded by only his paintings and wanting to
just lie down and let the amazing energy of his work fill me up.
I'm not sure how lying down on the floor
will go over at the Guggenheim.....

It's All About Me Ring

2009-12-02T22:18:00.000-08:00

I have a thing for rings. I remember when I was little I had a board game called "Rings on your Fingers". I think it was like memory, only you had to match these little plastic rings and when you made a match you could wear the rings on your fingers. I loved it. It is one of those toys I wish my parents never threw out.

This is the "It's All About Me" ring. Sometimes we all need to be bold. We need to ask for exactly what we want. We need to stand up for ourselves. We need to be noticed.

For more amazing rings check out one of my favourite blogs ever
The Carrotbox.com. She also has a thing for rings.