There is Nothing Like Her Spike Earrings

I am excited to introduce others to the artisan work of Houston local, Vandi Hodges.


I will be at TOOTSIES this Saturday, April 3rd doing a Trunk Show with Vandi and her collection known as Via Vandi.


Here is what is unique about Vandi's work . . . almost everything is available in both Sterling Silver and 24 Karat Gold Vermeil. What is Gold Vermeil? It is a process where you start with a silver base and put at least 2.5 microns of Gold over the Sterling base. And most people use 14 Karat Gold or 18 Karat Gold. Not Vandi. She uses a 24 KARAT Vermeil that is 3 microns thick and this makes the gold more durable and also a much richer color.


Her SPIKE earrings are the first two pictures. Want to see how they work? Well, put on your imagination cap. The front of the earring is the small piece, and it has a post behind it . . . this post goes thru the ear. The spike fits into the back of the post (sort of magically I might add). It's an earring in reverse.


This design is the PRIMARY reason I wanted to represent Vandi. I love good design and incredibly unique, in addition, is getting very difficult to find in the jewelry industry. Better to see these on an ear. Hopefully, you're own.






You can see more of Vandi's collections at the following retailers:

• The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
• The Houston Museum of Natural Science
• Kuhl-Linscomb
• www.viavandi.com

Now Finishing Book Number 8......and Loving it!

I was so busy this weekend. Who isn't busy on the weekend...this is not a unique statement, I am aware.


Here are some bookmarks that I whipped out this weekend on my....
SINGER
SEWING
MACHINE








And I worked on this book -
Known now as Book Number 8 - A Travel Journal for Paris. . . . I am a bit discouraged by my photography. I just cannot seem to get the idea for how to photograph books and the pages.
I love the Hermes ribbon on the bottom of the book.

I also got surprised with 5 bags of stuff from friends. My friend Katie gave me tons of the things below - 3 LARGE bags full. My mom gave me a whole bag of old cards, and my sister, Tara, gave me a ton of old millinery items.





One of the things I did was cover some egg cartons with paper, so they could hold a lot of "the bit and pieces," as my organizer Denise would say.


When you are on a tight budget and really need to organize, you try to use anything you can to make ends meet .


I did not even buy my new sewing machine, I traded it by putting a couch on CraigsList for a client.


Feeling positively thrifty these days, and that makes me feel good.


I am also saving like a mad person to
be in my expanded studio by April 1st.


Cross fingers, say the sign of the cross, and whatever else you can do!
See you soon!