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Category Archives: My Creations
2012 PMC Conference in my rear view mirror
This weekend I attended the final PMC Conference. The reasons for the PMC Guild closing down shop and taking our beloved conference with it are too confusing and fraught with mixed emotions for me to process just yet, so I’ll keep those thoughts to myself. My feelings about the people I’ve met and the amazing…
Learn to make this beautiful bead!
If you live in Orlando, and you’ve ever considered trying metal clay, you can sign up for my class on June 26th. In just three hours, you’ll walk out the door with a beautiful, one-of-a-kind lace filigree bead. The bead is solid silver and the technique is really easy. I promise I can get you from total…
From humble beginnings
I still get excited to see how these bits and pieces… …come together to make the birdhouses that seem to make everyone smile. After years of working with this material, I still get excited with the process of shaping and sculpting the wet clay. I still appreciate every new mark of the carving tools I…
Just in time..
…for Valentine’s Day shopping, Artique Gallery in Lexington Green is carrying handmade jewelry from Studio McManus. The collection includes some beautiful leaf pendants and earrings, pieces from my coral collection, and of course, a sweet little hand-carved birdhouse. Each of these pieces are fine silver with shimmering, iridescent patinas that highlight the intricate textures. Artique is a…
ACRE is ON!!
Not much time to blog right now. The American Craft Retailers Expo (ACRE) started this morning and runs through Monday afternoon. This is my first wholesale show and the launching pad for my wholesale business. Here’s a quick shot of my booth. Wish me luck. I need all the positive energy and happy thoughts y’all…
Winter Bloom
The gorgeous African Irisis are blooming in my front yard right now. These spiky green grass-like clumps have been none too impressive since they were planted last July when we updated our landscaping. Apparently, winter is the big payoff for these guys. From a distance, they just look like white flowers, but closer inspection reveals…
So impressed by the USPS!
I had postcards printed to promote my jewelry business. I’m mailing some out to potential galleries in advance of the American Craft Retailers Expo (ACRE) where I’m exhibiting next weekend. I addressed a couple of them to myself, just to see how fast they would arrive and in what condition they would arrive. I dropped…
Personal recipe for happiness
I’m now in my second week of this newest phase of my life. At the end of the year I made a major change by re-arranging my priorities to better fit my personal recipe for happiness. I had been in my job as Director of Marketing for the National Mango Board (NMB) for five years.…
Big World Studio is now Studio McManus
These past few months have left me breathless. The pace has been non-stop and the energy is moving so quickly I can almost feel the breeze. I’ve got lots to share and it will take several posts to fully catch up. Today’s big news is that I am re-branding my jewelry business. Big World Studio…
Enameling Demystified
There’s just no substitute for a good teacher and a hands-on learning opportunity. This was true when I took my introductory week-long metal clay class from Pam East in 2009, and it was certainly true of this weekend’s enameling workshop. I’ve read enameling books cover to cover, but I just haven’t had the confidence to…