Moving Day! (and 22 random bookmark pluckings)

I won't be posting again until Monday (assuming my move goes smoothly!). In the meantime, here are 22 random pluckings from my bookmarks:

An old lady and a cat by the UK's Vicky Willmer (left) and Japan's Gimmel Garden.

Insect wing patterns by Italy's Paolo Mazzeschi (left) and Australia's Studio Schmookie (Sylvia Nevistic).

Green enamel by (L-R) Denmark's Trine Wilkens, Argentina's Jimena Rios and Trail, BC's Andes Cruz.

Lace-like metal by Kerstin Kavalirek (top) and Cilmara de Oliveira (bottom), both of Germany.

Floral bands by (clockwise from top left) Einstein of Denmark; Pashmük, Pippa Small and Alex Monroe, all from London; New York's Helen Ficalora and Mexico's Tanya Moss.

Buddhas and skulls by Germany's Rohstoff (top) and Japan's Lovecraft (bottom).

Darkened ridges by (clockwise from top left) New York's Alan Mautino, Switzerland's Elsbeth Bollag, Seattle's Jessi Taylor and Australia's Wade Taranto.

Ballchain rings by Germany's Tanja Friedrichs.

Enjoy your weekend!

Jane-Marie Ovanin / Nick Dong

In her words, Rhode Island's Jane-Marie Ovanin creates forms that "stimulate and soothe, reducing the chaos of thoughts and emotions." With her "intent to calm, she searches for simple smooth form," making pieces that "encourage handling and benefit those interacting." It's therapy in a ring. Pictured above are her polymer clay series for wearing between fingers. More samples below:

Bonus link: for similarly tactile and chunky white rings, see these pieces made of Kerrock by Taiwan's Nick Dong.

Even more jewellery:

• Niu (Spain) - ceramic & ribbon


• Aaron Barr (Seattle) - chunky wood


• Joy Jewellery (Netherlands) - beads & charms

Pfutze (Ayako Kaku and Yasutaka Kita) / Jenny Kim

Plants made of silver don't grow but you can pretend they do if you own this entire collection by Japan's Pfutze (Ayako Kaku and Yasutaka Kita).

Bonus link: for more sculptural, botanical metal, check out San Francisco's Jenny Kim; pictured is her "Dahlia #3" ring.

Even more jewellery:

• David Neale (Australia) - modern & botanical


• Lisa Williams (Chicago) - cut-out leaves


• Sandra Murray (Scotland) - silver daisies

Brech / Patricia Thomazo / Christofle

When Hallmark invents Sarcasm Day, this ring could be a top seller. Until then, this "you're/your brilliant" ring would make a sincerely nice gift for your favourite English teacher. By Dutch designer Brech, €95.

Here's another flat-packed, assemble-yourself, diamond-shaped ring. This one's by Patricia Thomazo, also from the Netherlands (€5).

Bonus link: for more diamond-cut rings in silver, see Paris jeweller Christofle; this piece is from their "Pierres D'argent" collection.

Even more jewellery:

• ALLAXO (Germany) - felt & silver


• Rachel Emmerson (UK) - champlevé enamel


• Shand Stamper (Greenville, NC) - metal art

Clunky Design

Weekend quickie: go to PingMag and read about these "Plarings" from Japan's Clunky Design.

Barbara MacLeod / Lynne MacLachlan / Margit Hart

If I ruled the planet, my first order of business would be "more plique-à-jour" (sorry, world peace, you'll just have to wait). With its resemblance to stained glass, plique-à-jour enamel has a bright and delicate quality that I just love. Pictured above are rings by Scotland's Barbara MacLeod, who was inspired by vintage patterns and old architecture.

Above, more plique-à-jour rings from jeweller Lynne MacLachlan, who also happens to be from Scotland. So... maybe, instead of the entire planet, I could get away with ruling just the northern part of Great Britain. Probably easier.

Bonus link: Austrian jeweller Margit Hart uses a different enamelling technique but her results are just as pretty.

Even more jewellery:

• Elke Hackner (Germany) - playful enamel


• Double K Jewelry (California) - vintage style


• Mariano (Slovakia) - contemporary gems

Minus / Elvira López del Prado

Looking for a way to celebrate Hallowe'en that doesn't include cat ears or a Twix-induced coma? This ring with its subtle mask logo helps keep things playful but understated. Also shown are super matte stud and parasol rings from the designers, Japan's minus.

Bonus link: if you don't think Hallowe'en calls for "subtle," there's this bright pumpkin-like ring (actually a tomato) from the studio of Spanish jeweller Elvira López del Prado.

Even more jewellery:

• Anne Bulmer Brewer (Plano, TX) - gold on black


• Anne Rose Regenboog (Netherlands) - modern geometry


• Donna Purves (UK) - enamel houses

NME Jewelry (Annemee Struijk) / Álida Joyas

Fact: Natalya Lisovskaya, representing the Soviet Union, set the women's world record for shot put on June 7, 1987 with a distance of 22.63 metres. That's right — this ring made me care about shot put for about as long as it took me to wiki "shot put." That's the power of jewellery. Draping chain ring/bracelet by Amsterdam's Annemee Struijk, aka NME Jewelry.

Bonus link: for balls a bit smaller and lighter than a shot, check out this ring by Peru's Álida Joyas. Just don't throw it anywhere.

Even more jewellery:

• NovasMetal (Massachusetts) - ball bearings


• Pieter Stockmans (Belgium) - minimal porcelain


• Stacey Maddock (Calgary) - discs & granules

Yuyen Chang / Toon / Sabine Hellmann / Mattijs van Bergen

These chunky rings and their pleasing folds go from innocuous to uncomfortable when you learn that they're from Taiwanese metalsmith Yuyen Chang's "orifice" series.

Above, some more pleasing curls and folds — of a non-orificial ilk — from Dutch duo Maartje and Maarten van Grinsven of Toon.

Bonus link: for rings with accordion-style pleats rather than fluid folds, see Switzerland's Sabine Hellmann.

Bonus link #2: one more bonus, while I'm at it: crisply crimped metal from Dutch fashion designer Mattijs van Bergen.

Even more jewellery:

• Karin Carmeliet (Belgium) - metal petals


• Susan McMurray (Greenville, NC) - art brooches


• Enfant Terrible (UK) - mirrored acrylic

Huiyi Tan / Jenna Garner

Like liver, nuts and oysters, Virginia's Huiyi Tan is a rich source of copper.

Bonus link: for more copper, check out England's Jenna Garner and her boxy, oxidized pieces with enamel.

Even more jewellery:

• Binglabà (Italy) - futuristic acrylic


• Froukje van de Avoird (Netherlands) - loopy metal


• Susan Weir (UK) - simple silver

Andi Velgos / Cecilia Afonso Esteves

Okay.

I know that every once in a while, I come flailing in here, gushing about my latest "new favourite."

But this time?

I really...

...really...

...really mean it. Rings above by Colorado's Andi Velgos.

Bonus link: I especially love the gauzy pieces above so here's another ring with gauze — this one by Argentina's Cecilia Afonso Esteves.

p.s. - Thanks to Sandi at the Wearable Art Blog for inviting me to answer a few questions about my blog and rings in general!

Even more jewellery:

• Aletta Teunen (Netherlands) - landscapes & buildings


• Natalie Vardey (UK) - modern silver


• Susan Hoge (Michigan) - bead clusters

Emmy Möller / Mademoiselle Ninon

Who says you can't engage in manual labour and maintain a perfect manicure at the same time?

Edible, knotable or flammable, they're all wearable in the hands of Dutch designer Emmy Möller.

Bonus link: also displaying her rings like little bonbons is Paris jeweller Nathalie Delhaye, aka Mademoiselle Ninon.

Even more jewellery:

• Gary Schott (Milwaukee, WI) - dessert brooches


• Meg Drinkwater (Portland, OR) - crystal & pearls


• Boguslaw Grazdanow (Germany) - gold & gemstones

Breit-Band Design / Ring of Artist

Though made of plastic, these rings remind me more of geological cross-sections. From Mars. Rings by Kathleen Taplick and Peter Krause of Germany's Breit-Band Design.

Bonus link: for more earthly but equally spectacular geological specimens, check out New Jersey's Ring of Artist.

Even more jewellery:

• Courtney Starrett (Rock Hill, SC) - colourful organisms


• Tricia Lachowiec (Fall River, MA) - skin brooches


• Drum & Dran (Switzerland) - felt necklaces

Wanted Jewellery / Jonathan Wahl

With these wolf and panther rings, Jiska Hartog & Michiel Henneman explore an oft-overlooked side of nature: the backside.

Above, more from the Dutch jewellers, who work together as Wanted Jewellery.

Bonus link: for whole animals in silhouette, check out these gold rings with black champlevé enamel by New York's Jonathan Wahl.

Even more jewellery:

• Cat Priem (Netherlands) - trophy mice


• Thomas Heinz (Germany) - gold & steel


• Aya Azrielant (New York) - gems & pearls

Demi Thomloudis / Todd Clark

Armies, pills and sugar bowls may make for strange fashion statements but they do serve as excellent political statements for Pennsylvania's Demi Thomloudis. Visit her site to read the concepts behind the rings.

Bonus link: while those soldiers above shoot flags, you may want to load up with this bullet ring (actually a 9mm casing) by Connecticut's Todd Clark.

Even more jewellery:

• Stone & Honey (Portland, OR) - agate & gold


• Wee Gem Jo (Scotland) - silver & resin


• Jürgen Glaser (Germany) - etched steel

Kirsten Grünebaum / Cynthia Lewis / Metamorphosis Metals / Torz Cartwright

The neighbour's cat "played" with something and left me a mangled "gift" on the deck — can you guess what it was?

No, it wasn't a ring. Feather rings above by Germany's Kirsten Grünebaum.

Above, more plumes from Texas artist Cynthia Lewis (left) and Raleigh, NC jeweller Sonya Coulson Rook of Metamorphosis Metals (right).

Bonus link: this oxidized silver "flight" band is one of many nature-inspired styles by English jeweller Torz Cartwright.

Even more jewellery:

• Anne Mersmann (Germany) - cuffs & collars


• Simon Muscat (Vancouver) - sculptural metal


• Gracie J Designs (Scotland) - geometric beads

WrecordsByMonkey / Chinnychinchin / Gemma Lister / Samantha Tiara

Rings for your neck! (Why should your hands have all the fun?) Clockwise from top left: double-finger rings, dog-tag style, made from recycled vinyl records (one of which has been gold-plated) by Brooklyn's WrecordsByMonkey (Patrick Chirico and Brian Farrell); a ring from a real racing pigeon, strung on a chain, by the UK's Chinnychinchin; diamond ring pendant by London's Gemma Lister; and double band necklace designed by Korean actor Byunghun Lee for Japanese jewellery brand Samantha Tiara.

Bonus link: here's a ring-shaped charm/pendant with birthstone from the "charme et charme" collection of Japan's Lemontree.

Even more jewellery:

• Roger Morris (Scotland) - bold neckpieces


• Oroverde (Switzerland) - metal & gems


• Rebecca Zelis (Brandon, VT) - silver & stones

If this page is missing posts from the first few days of this month, it's because I've reached my Blogger page limit! To read all posts, see the full monthly archives at TheCarrotbox.com