Encouragement...It's Free!

When I was a little girl I liked to draw. I wasn't Van Gogh but I was good enough that the kids in my class wanted my drawings. Being entrepreneurial at a young age, I charged about a nickel a picture. I remember feeling such a sense of pride. These weren't adults indulging a little kid, these were other kids like me that wanted to pay hard earned money for something I had created. And then the teacher found out. She made me give back all the money, let the kids keep the pictures and told me I wasn't good enough to charge money for what I did.

Maybe I shouldn't have been selling the drawings in class, but I was 5 what did I know?


Luckily she was the exception and not the rule. Once I figured out that jewelry design was what I wanted to do I was blessed to have people encourage me and help me along the way. From my parents and step parents to Elizabeth Spahr of Wagoner's Jewelers who gave me the my first paid internship when I was just a  30 year old with a dream. Not to mention all the fabulous people who have paid good money for my designs for the past ten years or so.


Now I make a living doing what I love to do which is an amazing gift that I am thankful for every single day! Imagine what would've happened if I had been encouraged at 5!

Pinsperation!

My morning ritual consists of coffee, breakfast bar and Pinterest. I love looking at all the pretty pictures and this morning I was going through my Inspiration board and thought I'd share a a few of my favorites.

Breathtaking! Vintage paris 1800's

Obviously blues and greens and seaglass! 

This picture makes when want to pillage my stash for deep reds and turquoise immediately! Don't be too surprised if there is a picture up tomorrow inspired by this picture!

Ring by Armenta. I love the mix of metals and the medieval vibe.

Victorian hair jewelry was meant to keep your loved one in your memory. There are some amazing examples of this practice. Love the little key and lock.

Ugh. The absolute beauty of the deep blues and greens with the touch of weather wood.

Thank you Ryan. I appreciate you appreciating me;)

Feel free to follow me on Pinterest:http://pinterest.com/kshonkdesigns/

Earrings Without Partners Support Group

You pull off your sweater, take off your scarf or come home from vacation one earring shy of a pair. It's happened to me more times than I can count. If you are lucky you find it hiding under your bed or still stuck to the scarf. If you are not, you call me. (if I made it that is;)

If I have the components to make a  new one I am more than happy to do so, however, I spend a lot of time finding beads, trinkets and baubles to use in creating small batches of  unique jewelry and a lot of the times when I run out of the goods I can't replicate the exact earring that is missing. (especially if a couple of years has passed)  Sometimes we can put the remaining earring on a chain and make a necklace. Sometimes I have to make a brand new pair. I am happy to help with either outcome!

In an effort to avoid the lost earring sads these little goodies are your best friends:


Clear, plastic earring backs. There are you first defense in keeping you earrings together. Here are a few links to where you can find them:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79604470/50-earnut-safety-sleeves-clear?utm_source=googleproduct&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=GPS&gclid=CLWluPSwgbUCFU-d4AodAQcAFg

http://compare.ebay.com/like/200652283955?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar

Thanks for your reading and fight the good fight! Let's keep our earrings together!

A Sunday Surprise!

I was a little under the weather this weekend and sadly had to reschedule my Sunday studio appointments and dinner with my mom in law. To my surprise (and delight) my friend Karen did not receive my message and showed up on my doorstep excited to get her leather cuff bracelet. She got me with messy bed head and full of cold medicine but it was such a nice break in the day. Here she is modeling the leather cuff AND a pair of bullet casing earrings she had to have:

She wears them well and looks very angelic doing so!

Karen's bracelet

This multi layered necklace was inspired by the view from a restaurant in Honolulu. I was trying to capture the fire and ocean. I had just finished it and had time to snap this picture before another customer popped in and snatched it up! I know I should be resting but there is so much more I want to make!

Rainy Days And Mondays (Plus Leather Cuffs!)

All this rain has made it hard to get working but I seem to have managed to churn out some new cuffs. It's easy to find inspiration from a table full of vintage finds (there is only so much napping I can do!) Behold! A new batch of recycled leather cuff bracelets with hand soldered plates and vintage pieces. Like KShonk Designs on Facebook for more images.

Loving the emerald green and gold on this one!

More to follow tomorrow. I am going to get a cup of cocoa  and enjoy the snow!

Blue (and green!) Hawaii.....

I can't imagine a better day for a post about Hawaii! Eric and I were lucky enough to spend time in Hawaii over New Year's. I realized going in it was going to be an amazing adventure but what I didn't realize is all the inspiration and buying I would be able to do. While taking a helicopter ride over Oahu I snapped some pics:

I took about 20 pictures of this basin. I am so in love with the mixes of vibrant shades of aqua, navy and turquoise against the earthy green.

I have no idea what this is but I only saw one hanging from a tree while hiking Waimea Falls.

The scalloped edge of this vintage rhinestone necklace reminds me of the sun sparkling on the waves.

The greenish blue turquoise and heavenly green pearls were bought at a bead shop in Maui. It was this little place tucked in behind a bunch of other shops and it was a gold mine!

I am always hunting for this shade of recycled glass beads and found a couple of strands in a shop on the North Shore.

The greens were outrageous! You will be seeing them in my work come springtime!

Happy New Year (with rhinestones)!

After being on the road for almost 3 weeks I am finally at home, cuddled up on the couch with the poodle and a cup of coffee. We were lucky enough to spend Christmas with my mom in Phoenix, AZ which means we also hit up one of my favorite places to find rhinestone goodies The Brass Armadillo!

This place is just freaking huge and chock full of cases and cases of treasures. I went once with my mom and went back with Eric and found a TON of sparkling goodies.

Oodles of Rhinestone Goodness!

Eric was pretty indulgent but drew the line at one of the huge, sparkly crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

This happy fellow greets you out front!

All that happy rhinestone buying was just in Arizona! Hawaii is a WHOLE different story....coming up! Happy New Year from my thrift hunting side kick  and I!