My Holiday Sale

You are invited to my Holiday Sale this coming weekend, Saturday, December 12th from 3:30 - 8:30 and Sunday, December 13th, from 11:00 - 5:00 at 1189 Euclid Ave., Berkeley
I am showing my jewelry together with 2 other artisans : Pam Woodbridge - ceramics and Elizabeth Kavaler - etchings.

My December classes at Kozo Arts

A guide to elegant gift wrapping Wednesday, December 16th, 6:30 - 9:30 pm, at Kozo Arts, 1969A Union street, San Francisco

This class gives you the perfect overview on how to wrap gifts in style. We will demonstrate the basic wrapping technique, then layer different papers and top it off with a beautiful bow. We show you the secret of creating a pom pom bow, a wave bow and a fabulous star bow made from strips of Japanese Chiyogami paper. Last but not least you will learn to carve a stamp in the shape of a Japanese family crest out of buttery soft rubber, which prints up handsome gift tags. This class is suitable for beginners.

Price $ 80.00 (All materials included), sign up here





Artful Paper Ornaments
Tuesday, December 15th, 6:30 - 9:30pm, at Kozo Arts, 1969A Union Street, San Francisco

Tired of the same old ornaments? Create holiday ornaments that express a festive sentiment by combining elegant Japanese Chiyogami papers, vintage imagery and words. Learn tips and tricks on how to cut and layer elements. Then embellish them with lots of glitter. Hang them from branches or decorate your tree with them. Give them as gifts or place them in an envelope instead of a holiday card. This decoupage class is great for beginners as well as seasoned crafters.

Price $ 80.00 (All materials included), sign up here


I like to float my ornaments from a tree branche that seems to be suspended in mid air.

The words express qualities that I want to invoke for the year ahead.

Beautiful wrapped gifts become decorative objects.


I used sparkly embossing powder on the gift tags.



Printing On Fabric - creating a custom table-setting
coming in January

We will hand carve buttery-soft rubber stamps with a leaf motive and use them to print on a set of cotton napkins. You will learn about fabric paints, their application and how to mix colors. The same stamps then can be used to print on paper. We'll create a paper wardrobe to decorate your table: from the dinner-invitation, napkin rings to place-cards and more.

Record your dreams

Kozo Arts is selling now this blank accordion book that I designed. I went into production for christmas and make every book by hand. It's size is 5x7 and it has 8 blank panels onto which you could affix some photographs, draw your newest inspirations or record your dreams. The book cost $ 45.00. And once you visit Kozo Arts, you can also stock up on beautiful giftwrap papers and notecards.

Amazing Moth Marblers

Notara from Kozo Arts introduced me to the amazing art of Ingrid Butler of Moth Marblers. Her marbled papers are without a doubt works of art. I have seen my share of beautiful Italien marbeled papers, but Moth Marblers papers stand out for their gorgeous gem-like colors and modern interpretation of this vintage craft.

A world full of inspirations

Sometimes something as simple as a beautiful rock can spark our imagination. Nature and its shapes and colors are the most immediate experience of beauty. But then the added human touch can bring us into a realm of whimsy and poetry. Proof are these beautiful images of crochet rocks by Resurrection Fern that I stumbled across.

Artful Greeting Cards at Kozo

I am absolutely delighted about my newest collaboration! I am teaching a variety of art classes for Kozo Arts, a gorgeous Japanese paper store and bookbindery in San Francisco. The first class
took place last Wednesday, October 21st. It was called "Artful Greeting Cards". I had the pleasure of crafting with 3 lovely ladies, who produced gorgeous greeting cards , incorporating the artful Japanese Chiyogami papers that Kozo Arts sells. This class is a lot of fun, because the cards comprise of different elements: beautiful patterned papers, decoupaged images and stamping techniques. I brought lots of different stamps, cutter and punches and we had papers galore. The class is suited for beginners as well as seasoned crafters. It is always fascinating for me to see the different interpretations my students come up. Check out their beautiful results :



My students busy at work, creating artful greeting cards:

Something my daughter drew

Here is a drawing my daughter made. I am so proud of her, because I think she is an amazing artist. I love this visual story she created. This is my favorite kind of art, that sparks my imagination and makes me wonder: What is going on with the two towers in the background? Is the girl wondering which one is hiding a treasure of gems? Or are they both hints in a puzzle that tells us where the girl is from? And isn't her bunny absolutely adorable? Is he real or a stuffed toy? What do you think? Do we really need to know the answers to enjoy the drawing? I don't think so. It is exactly this sense of wondering and the excitement and inspiration it creates that makes it so worth while.

Looking for a dress?

Well, It all started with a dress...and Paulette Edition is just something I stumbled upon, when looking for dresses online and found Sunday Brunch Dress Shop. Iris Schwarz sells her beautiful prints by the name of Paulette Edition on etsy . I love how she layers her images, like diaphanous fabric over skin... Which dresss would you wear?

Meanwhile I can picture myself wearing this one I found at the Sunday Brunch Dress Shop:

What I'm working on for fall

Girlie Silhouette Collage




Long Berries and Chain Necklace

It's this time of the year: I need to kick some butt and make new things. i am just getting started I am playing around with different media and hope to develop some art classes (to be taught in the fall) and create jewelry (to be sold soon). I am looking for opportunities to teach in the Bay Area and for some cool and stylish stores that would sell my jewelry. Do you know of any? Ideas and advice is welcome.

Summer trip to Berlin and Frankfurt

Valentina is enjoying this art installation at the Frankfurt Portikus.




Visiting my favorite chocolate and sweets shop Bitter Zart in Frankfurt



Love the Garten Zwerge (Gnomes)!




New Haircut and color at Tony & Guy Hair salon.



And now Berlin:
Kayaking with Maria on the river Spree, that runs through Berlin


Even bathing in the Spree was fun.



Enjoying the outdoors and good weather.

Fun in Berlin

Labradorite Circle Earrings

I just finished a pair of circle earrings for my friend Barbara to match this necklace, she had bought from me. I'll sent them off now, so she can wear them this weekend.

Stepping on Pennies

Found this interesting floor design and find it intriguing.

Red Ruffles

I love this Fendi dress, because a. it is that gorgeous rich red I can't get enough of and b. I somehow need more ruffles in my life. I'd wear it in fall with boots.

A wedding card for Chihuahua lovers

My mom had asked me to design a wedding card with Chihuahuas, because the couple owns one.
I enjoyed the challenge, having to work with a theme. I collaged a lot, but also used Photoshop to get the little Chihuahuas in proportion.

Birthday and Graduation

My daughter turned 14 this month. Every birthday we decorate her place setting at the table and place the presents next to it. When she comes down for breakfast, she gets to unwrap her presents.





This year she also graduated from middle school. Here she is framed by two of her friends. Don't these girls seem to have similar eyes?


They also had a graduation dance at the middle school. I loved seeing the kids all dressed up for this occasion.

Victorian Button Necklace No.2

Here is Victorian Button Necklace No.2 that I sold to a caring husband, who wanted to surprise his wife.

Victorian Button Necklace

I am so thankful to my friend Hasti, who asked me to create a special necklace for her mom's birthday. I am delighted with the result and have to show it of here. Using a cut steel Victorian button as the center piece I added a strand of black onyx beads, a strand of round polished hematite beads and last not least a stand of faceted hematite beads, that have this extra sparkle. I am now in production of more Victorian button necklaces and when done will post them on my brand new etsy store. Stay tuned!

Baroque Pearl Necklace

I am so excited about this new necklace I made as a summer treat for myself. It all started with this gorgeous big baroque teardrop shaped pearl, that I saw at my favorite bead shop Baubles and Beads. In my studio I contemplated long and hard how to hang this gorgeous gem. I looked through my samples and found two bracelets that I had made last year, but never finished. I knew I was looking for something that had an antique air to it. Something delicate, but yet still bold and somewhat archaic. These bracelets are made of fine sterling silver wire that I hand crochet on a spool, which is an age-old metal smith techniques. I joined them together, blackened the silver to give it more definition and drama and voila the perfect necklace to adequately display the gorgeous teardrop from.