Spring Art and Cleaning

Bit by bit I'm getting organized again in the aftermath of the crafts fair, Rico's short stay and somewhat hurried departure from Maputo, and weeks of too little time and a lack of motivation to clean/organize/arrange/deal with clutter.

Yesterday I embarked on a massive spring clean. I'm about 40% done, though I still haven't even touched on the office. I'm leaving the worst for last, as I can't deal with all the papers and jewelry supplies scattered about at the moment. Somehow the bathroom cabinet and my closet were easier to tackle, and I'm proud to say they are now nice and orderly, expired meds thrown out, forgotten items donated, and summer clothes moved into my main closet.

Part of spring cleaning means unloading the photos from my 2 cameras. Here is a small preview of the creations I sold at the fair.

The first several designs are made with a mix of 300-year-old trade beads from Ilha de Moçambique, semi-precious stones, pearls and sterling silver wire. The last photo is a necklace with blackwood discs (that I sourced through an artisan in Nampula Province), all wire-wrapped in silver with lilac pearls.

I'm going to be quite busy this next week producing yet another collection, as I've been invited to show my work at the new shop that is opening at the Franco-Mozambican Cultural Center. More on this later, but I am bursting with excitement over this opportunity. I will be only 1 of 2 (fine) jewelry artists featured!