JLC Studio Jewerly

Okay, you can see that I have a passion for interior design, but I have also been making jewelry lately and someone suggested that I blog about that (okay, it was my mom-yes, I still take advice from my mother, she's usually right). So here are a few of the pieces that I have created over the past few months--I'll post more later but wanted to put a few up now. (Thanks Mom).


I'm really proud of these Caramello earrings and wear them all the time (I have a pair for myself). They are made from tortishell rings with faceted blue and gold rondelle beads in the center. I like how modern they look.



This was my very first idea for earrings after having seen these little charms in a bead shop my mom "dragged" me too (little did I know I'd become so addicted). They are little chinoiserie Koi Fish dangling from ear-wires featuring saffron yellow gems. They're so cute and their little bodies actually move!.

Brrrr...it's Cold in Here!

Yikes it's cold! Cold enough to burst water mains and freeze the Chicago river...I'm looking for something warm, and while I wish I had a fireplace to curl up in front of, here are some of the next best things (in my opinion):

I'm loving this delicate winter white knit wrap from tricoteuse25. Even though it doesn't look entirely all that warm, it's absolutely gorgeous!



These are the most precious children's hats I've seen in a while (and I've seen a few having a little niece). I couldn't pick just one to share so here are a few of my top picks (it might have something to do with the adorable little model--how did they get her to pose for all those pictures??!!). Check out the huge selection for babies, toddlers, teens, men and women at The Portland Beanie Company.







I have been wanting one of these Missoni throws ever since we purchased one for a client. The bright colored version fits in best with my decor and is cheerful to boot...perfect way to brighten up a gloomy winter day!



How cute is this...a sweater for your water bottle. This is fabulous, keeps your beverage cold and your hand from being frozen!! I saw this one on Knitting Adventure's blog.



This chunky throw looks super-toasty and just makes me want to curl up on my sofa with a cup of hot chocolate. Designed by Mr. Nate Berkus and available through Linens and Things.

Dream Home 2008

So they've already posted the dates for this year's dream home at the Merchandise Mart...mark your calendars for September 12-December 22, 2008. While I can't wait to find out who the designers are for this year's home, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite rooms (and designers) from 2007.

My overall favorite was the kitchen, designed by Jessica LaGrange. This beautiful room featured mostly sustainable materials including recycled walnut cabinetry, resin countertops and ceiling panels, and sustainable abaca wallcovering. The furnishings were a collection of pieces from various Mart showrooms as well as a number of custom pieces and items from the designer's own collection. This was definitely the highlight of the home for me as well as most of the people I overheard while touring.



The entry really set the tone for the whole home and I think designer Tracy Hickman did a fabulous job of introducing one to the overall theme through her use of subtle color and gorgeous accessories. I loved the blue-grey hair on hide leather inset at the floor...a great, unexpected use (especially in an entryway). I also loved the oversized custom console which straddled a parchment covered Asian trunk.



The other room that I thought was incredible was the home office designed by Douglas Levine. This room, more of a study than your typical office, was something I could picture in any chic apartment in Manhattan. The masculine palette, rich woods and luxurious upholstery really enveloped you. It's not hard to imagine a high powered executive kicking off his (or her) shoes and sipping a cocktail while lounging in one of the mohair covered wing chairs in front of the fireplace.



Click here if you would like to check out the rest of the dream home and learn a little bit more about the designers. Hope you enjoy!!

Etsy Main Showcase

Although you have to pay for it and, amazingly, jump on the sale pretty quick, I bought my first spot on the Etsy Main Showcase page for today. I felt the need to post it as it is my first foray into advertising on the actual Etsy site. Yay! I doubt anything will come of it but at least I'm getting out there and trying, right? Oh, my shop is the pic third from the left on the top row...my Arandis Rose Three Strand Bracelet...

Chicago

I love the photos of Chicago this user has posted on flickr. They've managed to capture some of my favorite architectural buildings and sculptures in an incredible, ethereal way. Go sgoralnick!!

yankee hotel foxtrot, originally uploaded by sgoralnick.

This one is of the "corncob" towers at Marina City.

bubblecity, originally uploaded by sgoralnick.

This is one of the coolest pics I've seen of the "bean" (actually called "Cloudgate" but everyone around here calls it the "bean") at Millennium Park.

structure. sky., originally uploaded by sgoralnick.

This one is of 333 East Wacker which is a curved building of green glass and steel at the bend in the Chicago river. The sky is amazing!

Amazing Artwork!!

Occasionally, in my full-time interior design job, we are asked to advise clients on artwork to purchase for their homes. Of course, each client has their own style and taste in art, which is what makes life so interesting!! Here are a few artists that I have fallen in love with lately while searching for various homes we've been working on (a lot of the artwork was discovered by my boss on his trip to Art Basel in Miami this past December...is he lucky or what!).

We've got a fairly young client with a broad, modern taste that we have been working with on a large condo in the city. The artwork has been the finishing touch on a home that is a study in high-tech, modernism with a slight mid-century twist. We have just installed pieces from these artists throughout his home:

Kim Keever


These are digital photographs of "scenes" created by the artist in a fishtank...yes, a fishtank. Keever meticulously crafts these miniature landscapes using twigs, bonsai trees, sand, resin and other materials and adds water which he then injects with dyes to create surreal clouds and incredible effects. He lights the piece and takes a series of photographs within a time frame of thirty minutes, sometimes only producing one or two usable photos. He then manipulates the image slightly in photoshop and blows it up to a large scale for a finished image size reaching up to 47" x 71" (we could hardly fit one of the pieces in the freight elevator at our client's building). It's really hard to believe that these are pictures of an imaginary landscape rather than an actual one...Amazing!!

Petroc Dragon Sesti


Aside from having an interesting name, Dragon Sesti is known for his avante garde sculptures. The pieces above are his latest creations and we are extremely excited to be able to be installing the spherical sculpture in our client's gallery. These amazing and breathtaking pieces are created using glass bell jars and spheres which are mounted on a pedestal housing a turbine engine. The clear glass pieces are filled with oil and then the turbine is turned on creating a perpetually spinning art installation. These pieces are truly mesmerizing!

These artists and their work (along with many others) can be viewed at Carrie Secrist Gallery.

Kim Dorland


Kim Dorland is a canadian artist whose work has been described as "Dude, skip school and get down here". His recent collection depicts scenes of "Generation Y" participating in acts of everyday life (at least according to one person's definition). His artwork is about the paint more than the defined figure and is marked by crude figures and slashes of color. You can see more of his work at Kasia Kay Art Projects Gallery.

I Got A Modem!!

Okay, so I finally broke down and purchased a modem to feed my internet addiction...I have to say, I never thought I would be the type of person to blog, but after having read so many inspiring blogs about design, I feel like I could add to the mix. With my background in Interior Design and my experience making jewelry and other crafts, I hope that I will be able to open up other avenues that might not have been explored and introduce new sites or artists to those of you who might be interested.

So keep checking back as I add new things that I come across daily!! I already have a ton of ideas about what to add to my page :) Let me know what you think, don't be afraid to comment on my feed...

Handmade Chicago Purchases

The Handmade Chicago event was incredible. I saw lots of great things there and was pleased to see many of the etsy community participating. I met some really cool people and spent a little money (not too much though!!). Here are a few of my favorites:

Button Envy has a great, unique product featuring jewelry made from scrabble pieces and wood puzzle pieces finished with a clear lacquer. I bought a really cute pair of earrings which I am wearing right now :)




I also bought some wonderful soy candles from Something Beautiful which smell amazing! I've been burning them all weekend and I can't get enough! I met Marcie and her husband and chatted with them about their product and the Chicago art community in general. They couldn't have been nicer! And how cute are these teacup candles?

Baby Time!!

I'm in love with all the baby things on etsy and am so happy that my cousin just had a baby girl!!  I'm trying to decide what to get them...so many choices:

Handmade Chicago

I'm really excited about the Handmade Chicago show this weekend and looking forward to checking out what people are going to have on display. Looking at some of the websites of the creative types that will be showing there, I'm thinking that I will have to be careful not to buy too much!

Hopefully I will be showing my things in the next show which I believe happens in February. I'm slowly but surely getting things together so I will be ready. My business cards are arriving next week...I'm soooo excited!!!