Ruby-in-Fuchsite and the Process of 'Incubation'

I’ve said before, when it comes to jewelry design, I always have the vision -- even though the execution can be problematic.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a new design experience: I had the material – faceted ruby-in-fuchsite* briolettes -- and I was eager to work with it. But alas, no vision. A bit of panic set in. I spent 5-6 frustrating hours playing around with the material and various findings before finally dismantling and putting all the pieces away. Still no vision.

A little more panic. Maybe I was losing ‘it.’

(Opaque ruby is found in two different minerals that can look very much alike one another. One is zoisite, an opaque stone that provides an deep emerald green color while ruby provides the pink and red. The other is fuchsite, a light green variety of muscovite, its color the result of chromium impurities).

Then, several days ago, I woke up, the design dancing in my head; as I started working with the materials, it just flowed. Like normal. Sweet relief. I realized that my experience illustrates a phenomenon known as 'incubation' that I first learned about in psych class in college. It’s the process we experience when we try to think of a person’s name that totally escapes us and hours or days later, voila! there it is. Or we suddenly find a solution to a problem that’s hovering in the back of our minds for days.

So all’s well that ends well.

*A heart chakra stone, fuchsite is said to link the intellect of the mind with the heart, enhancing knowledge and aiding decision making. Considered one of the most powerful gems in the universe, ruby is said to bring contentment and peace.

Jewelry Design: To Trend or Not To Trend

Whoa! That’s an easy one: I pretty much wouldn’t know a trend if it bit me in the butt. Well, I take that back – I’ve recognized a trend from time to time. But that’s usually because its run its course and anything vaguely having to do with it is on sale or at EBay.

So, never having been “cutting-edge” anything, I choose to create by inspiration and intuition, leaving the trends to those who can do them well.

But regardless of whether you are investing in an Elle Schroeder piece or a Glimmerdream piece, all my designs share the same attributes:

• intrinsic beauty: a natural flow and superb color combinations
• originality: non-derivative designs found no where else
• quality: high-end precious and semi-precious gems and high carat precious metals
• value: ageless beauty (not just this year‘s trendy look)
• perfection: exquisite attention to detail
• generosity: longer lengths and lavish use of materials
• versatility: can be dressed up or worn casually
• exclusivity: one-of-a-kind designs & limited editions

Spring Into Summer: 2009 Fashion Colors

Blue & purple lead the top 10 hues for spring '09, rounded out by lush greens which evoke a sense of renewal and a fresh start. Sophisticated neutrals ground the overall palette, providing visual stability in an economic climate that is anything.

"New York's fashion designers encourage hopeful attitudes with lively colors, while sophisticated, grounded hues address the need for stability in times of economic uncertainty,"

explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. 

(To the right: Glimmerdream's 'Royal' drop earrings from the Holiday Collection) Colors tend to evolve from season to season, and the blues which dominated Fall 2008 are now being expressed as spring's Palace Blue, a 

navy with some added sparkle which pairs easily with the entire palette; fall's rich purple has morphed into Lavender...lighter, more summery, and even a touch mystical.

(To the left: Glimmerdream's 'Lemonessence' set) The fun, optimistic characteristics of yellow continue to make it an important hue, especially as tangy & luminous Super Lemon which is not only eyecatching, but cheery. 

Subtle, summery orange'ish  Salmon Rose is not only friendly and approachable, but also flatters most complexions, and blue-toned Fuchsia Red adds classic,

sensual elegance both to clothing and cosmetics - like lipstick and nail polish. (To the right: Glimmerdream's 'You're Hot' set from the Fleur Collection)

Subtle rose tones result in a sexy, dimensional ne

utral in Rose Beige, while cool Slate Gray has bluish-green undertones which creates a nuanced neutral for the other 9 colors.  (To the left: Glimmerdream's 'Dominique' danglers from the Chanteuse Collection)

(To the right: Glimmerdream's Jade Buddha bracelet) Green perpetuates freshness and renewal in the form of Vibrant Green, a quintessential spring shade; calm and somewhat serious Dark Citron; and Reflective Lucite Green for a dash of clean, subtle shimmer.

Jewelry Spotter: Glimmerdream Review

A friend recently steered me to a Marjorie Miller blog (Jewelry Spotter) reviewing Glimmerdream. Marjorie and I have never spoken or exchanged email (although I left her a BIG ‘thank you’ when I discovered the review). Her blog starts with:

“I am always on the lookout for the next great thing in jewelry. It could be yours. (Actually, it should be mine, but you know me….)

I hang out at Land of Odds and you can reach me there anytime. Point my nose in the right direction — jewelry on-line that people will want to talk about. And, darling, you better believe this is my real nose. The jewelry ain’t fake either.

Let me take your hand, and guide your eye to see the treasures I have found below….”

Her review in part:

“Lin White-Schroeder’s [Elle's] website is perfect. She designs her perfect “playfully opulent” jewelry with all the perfect gemstones and perfect pearls etc. Lin’s[Elle's] perfect philosophy plays perfectly with her perfect presentation of the history, mythology and other associations of gemstones. My g*d Lin [Elle] is the perfect jewelry designer. I thought that was my job. Yikes Lin [Elle] borrowed my ambition.”

You can read the entire review at Jewelry Spotter.

Design - More Than a Bump in the Road

Every jewelry designer has their own way of expressing the creative process with regard to design. I really like what jewelry designer Warren S. Feld has to say about design in his posting DESIGN – MORE THAN A BUMP IN THE ROAD. Warren is a featured blogger (Rogue Elephant and Tips and Tricks) at Land of Odds, an on-line store where I purchase some of my non-gem components. Here’s an excerpt:

“Design doesn’t suddenly drape itself around you because you’ve visited every bead store between here and there. It doesn’t become a part of you because you’ve attended X-number of bead shows and taken Y-number of jewelry making workshops. Design is something more.

Design means having some intention in life (italics mine). It means screaming Here I Am without having to scream. It means interpreting the inner you for the outer them. To Design with Beads makes this process wondrous. It means capturing light and shifting shadows within colors and shapes and sizes and materials, front, left, center, curve and crevice, inside-out and outside-in. Design doesn’t get any better than designing with beads.

But there is a self-awareness factor. As an artist. A creator. Someone who esteems themselves. With courage. And direction. And meaning. With curiosity. Attention.   And detail.”

Amen.

My Life as a Screenwriter

Nearly every morning, my husband tells me I should "go to Hollywood and be a screenwriter." Why? Because I've just relayed my latest dream, many of which are movie-like with a beginning, middle and end, a plot line and interesting characters. So I sometimes Tweet the best ones.

So, for those of you who don't Tweet...

For those of us who do, Twitter is a very interesting medium as one is allowed only 140 characters with which to say something meaningful (or not), so it's sort of haiku-like. Here's my favorite:

"I am newly married, a sister-wife, one of eighteen. We live in North Dakota and have Early American furniture. I can’ stop weeping."

Am I watching too much Big Love?

The ‘Career Path’ Myth

One of the things I disliked most in my 20 off-and-on years of corporate life was the dreaded Interview Question: where do you see yourself in 2 years? In 5 years? 

How to answer a question like that when the world today is not what it was yesterday…or what it will be tomorrow? 

“Not answering stupid questions like this” is what I longed to say. Or, “Doing something wildly interesting whose job description probably doesn’t even exist today.” Or, “working for myself.” (Even if at the time I had no vision of what that would be; I knew I would one day.)

But no, one had to play the game. If, for instance, you were looking for a marketing-related job, you had to act like you had thoughtfully mapped out the appropriate zigzags throughout the marketing functions from entry level to some management pinnacle -- even when you had no designs on ever being a manager. (Some might think a good description of hell is being a first line manager, squeezed between the people you are charged with leading and developing -- and your manager who follows the commands of those who are now so far removed from where the rubber hits the road that they have lost any semblance of real world understanding.)

I once had a manager’s manager say in front of a large group of people that I (yes, the “I” refers to me) was a manager’s worst nightmare: someone who had been known to just ‘up and leave’ one day, to pursue my own interests. 

So now do I know what I’ll be doing 5 years from now? Hell, I don’t even know what I’m doing today sometimes – until an errant muse hits and I’m off and running…