erin croft graves jewelery

Open Studio Morning!

2011-12-10T02:54:00.000-08:00

Rise and shine, its 5am. Still have lots of bits and pieces to put together. There are always a bunch of things I cant get to and I am starting to see that it is endemic to this type of event. .. just the sense of it being your one big chance to put your best foot forward. That special someone may just walk in and love all of your work! If you don't have every last thing done you are letting yourself down......great feeling......

Anyhow, we had a great time chatting while setting up. Ruchis husband, Mike P, came to help and our friend Hoay. My husband stayed with my sick son at home so I could get stuff done. We drank a little wine and had a chance to visit while we worked. We are all so busy it was nice to have to be in the same place for a little while with no children.

The shop looks beautiful. Moss seems to be a theme we have both gravitated to this year without prior conference. Our own spin on the woodland creatures and toadstools I suppose.

Well fingers crossed! And wish me luck.

Ready for Christmas!

2011-12-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

Open Studio at 259 Highland Ave, Somerville MA.

December 10th

Preparing Winter Window Display

Early Snow in Melrose

Presents

1030-5p

Inspirations of late

2011-12-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

New Work. You may notice that I have started using copper in my work. I started working with this material because I wanted to play around with my saw and my new torch. The price of silver is so high I felt too nervous to really experiment too much. Using copper has allowed me to play around and try new things. I am pleased with the results as I really like the contrast and using less chemicals to achieve it.

2011-12-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

Suspicious Owl

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Fuerte Squirrel

New Torch

2011-12-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

2011-05-03T17:18:00.001-07:00

shop looked beautiful for open studios

Me and Ruchi

Ruchis succulent cute little planters

new cases worked out beautifully

Open Studios 2011

2011-05-01T04:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day of open studios. Most notably it was the first time that I have had a display to feel proud of. The days of feeling as though my inexperience was a glaring liability, as evidenced by my homemade display set ups, are over. Now I have beautiful cases that were handmade by an family friend. They look beautiful and professional. Thanks to Ruchi I have a beautiful shop to hang them in. I no longer feel quite as embarrassed and silly in this shop with such an accomplished, talented artist and another established, skilled jeweler next door to me.

My work is complemented by the beautiful new cases. Doing these types of events is very difficult on so many levels. But for the first time I am proud of my work and my capacity to show it. I think my skills are finally catching up to my ideas. I am grateful to all the people who support me on my journey off the beaten path. I am sure I will still melt things, and put the wrong size jump ring on a clasp, and get fire scale but I am not so discouraged after this weekend.

We were busy with lots of kind and enthusiastic people stopping in, visiting and shopping. Ruchis work has evolved yet again with a focus on the surprising beauty hidden in the "urban landscape" of her neighborhood in Somerville. I think anyone who lives in a city can relate to the imagery. Her tiny planters of succulents set up in tiered boxes decorated the store like delightful green cake with tiny cute tendrils.

So I am off to get ready for another busy day. I have some last minute soldering and polishing to do and hopefully no disaster comes of my haste.

Ready for Spring! New work and inspirations..

2011-04-20T02:46:00.000-07:00

So happy together

hooded beauties, bowing heads

I have been working hard at juggling my job and my jewelry development over the past few months. I have been practicing new techniques with different materials and tools. It has been a very exciting time and I am excited to show the results. It has been a long winter and I am ready to celebrate into Spring with our participation in Somerville Open Studios, April 30th and May 1st at 259 Highland Ave in Somerville. I have lots of new work, as well as new display cases handbuilt by Joe Cain, an educator and woodworker I have known since I was a child.

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My mom never used a dryer in New England! She would hang out all of our laundry year round. I suppose that is why I have always noticed clotheslines and been struck by the "inside out quality". Once I move to the city the variety of "clotheslines" always made me smile. People use all types of things to dry their laundry. My favorite as always the festive umbrella style. If only they were sturdy enough to hang on and spin!

I am always curious about the tenacity of mushrooms, the surprising colors and structures.

tenacious seedpods

2011-03-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

dragonflies done!

2011-02-16T16:22:00.000-08:00

face off

3 is not a crowd complete w/ diamonds

pieces in process

2011-02-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

Three is Not a Crowd (waiting for diamonds)

oversight

a new project

was ordered as a peace sign....evolved

new project in the rough

exercise in patience

a carving challenge

SUPERSIZE ME

soldering challenge..procrastination

legs or a nest?

Late Worm

New Work- adventures with the jeweler's saw

2011-01-27T09:28:00.000-08:00

I've taken a break from carving wax to explore some fabricated pieces and have been spending a lot of time getting skilled with jeweler's saw and those darn tiny blades. Here are a few of the new pieces I'm showing in the shop