Kristin Malotte

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-26T16:19:00.001-08:00

Look at what I got for Christmas!!

Her name is Finley and she's an angel.

Merry Christmas!
Love,
Santa Paws

I (Heart) Paris!

2011-07-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorite things about Paris...

...the architecture and amazing old buildings....

...having a treat at one of the patisseries...

...the many beautiful parks...

and exploring the city at night!

xoxo

Throw away the key?

2011-07-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

A new trend in Paris since I was here last is placing a lock on the fencing that lines some of the bridges. Bring your own lock or buy one from the many curbside vendors who are endorsing this trend. I wonder if people save their key and plan on coming back to unlock it one day? I saw a young man work tirelessly at breaking the code on one of the combination locks. Hmmm, not how I'm going to spend my time in Paris!

Bonjour!

2011-07-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

I'm in Paris for a month...yes, a whole month! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world! I'm dog/house sitting for a family friend. She has a beautiful apartment in Le Marais, about 5 minutes from Notre Dame.

My bedroom in Paree!

One of the first things I wanted to share with you is an amazing craft shop I found in Les Halles. It's what you'd think a craft shop would look like if a stylist from Belle Armoire were setting one up for a photo shoot...except this one actually serves Parisians and tourists alike every day! It's called La Droguerie.

The name doesn't exactly say "craft store!" At least not in English...in French in means hardware store. I guess in a way it is. Don't let the small store front deceive you, as is the case with many old buildings you walk into a narrow corridor which promptly expands once you've gone about 20 feet.

As you can see, the entrance is full of colorful skeins of yarn, knitting patterns and kits. The kits come in cute little tins with the pattern and yarn. Being a jewelry artist, the fun really started when I got to the right side of the shop...

The walls are lined with jar upon jar of bead, bauble and button! I was like a kid in a candy store! They have the most unusual findings and cords too. I especially liked this rubber cord that came in many thicknesses. Here's a necklace I saw in a boutique by the apartment that uses this cord...

I love the huge, fabulous ceramic beads that have an old world feel in contrast to the modern rubber cord...it's solid by the way and very light. So awesome!

I plan on posting some more while I'm here in the City of Lights so for now I will simply say,
Adieu!

My work is in Trios Gallery!!

2011-03-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to announce that my work is now being carried in Trios Gallery in Solana Beach, CA!! The gallery is wonderful and I feel so lucky to be a part of it. If you are ever in the area the gallery is located on Cedros Ave, which is a prominant design district...a great place for shopping, finding yummy eateries (check out Claire's on Cedros), or just taking a stroll!

Horsin' around in my younger years...

2011-03-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

My mom is moving her art studio and I have been enlisted with the dubious task of helping her pack...sigh...most recently we went through family photos and I came across some of my equestrian days. Looking at these photos it felt like I was looking at another life, it's been so long since we had horses. Still, I thought I'd share a tid bit from my past...well, more like what I did for over 1/3 of my life. Here I am at a show with my horse, V.S.O.P. (Spanky was his barn name, and he truly was a little rascal ;).

New in the shop...

2011-03-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

Just listed today, an original pendant inspired by one of my favorite spiritual teachers and authors...check out the etsy listing here to read more about this piece.

Hope you are having wonderful day!

Kristin

A new year...

2011-01-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

To kick off my new year I made a small wish board of things I hope to experience/accomplish this year. I cut out pictures and words/phrases, then glued them to a board that can be in my studio as a sort of motivational reminder. :)

One thing that I'm VERY excited about this year is being able to work with metal clay! I received an amazing gift from my parents this year...a metal clay kiln which can also fire enamels! I'm so excited to try it out, and have to say I'm almost overwhelmed by all the possibilities this medium has! Here is a picture of my new kiln...

I'll be sure and post pictures once I've made a few pieces!

Cheers!
Kristin

It pays to stay in school!

2010-10-20T15:07:00.001-07:00

I recently signed up for a jewelry class at the UCSD Crafts Center and last week the teacher introduced this ring project. It's sooo up my alley, being copper, free form, and adjustable! I'm really happy with how the first one came out. I'm hoping to add this ring to the shop soon, just going to experiment with some different patinas first. If you'd like it in a specific color, send me a message and I'll see what I can come up with!

Hope everyone is having a great week!
xoxo,
Kristin

New leather purse in the works...

2010-10-15T22:14:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share something I've been working on for the past couple of weeks. I'm really in love with it. Everything has been done by hand, the cutting, carving, tooling, dyeing, stone setting, etc. I'm hoping to finish it next week, I'll post pictures when I do!

Hope you have a great weekend!

xoxo,
Kristin

Metal Arts Contest!

2010-10-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

So I happened upon this contest at Industrial Metal, which is where I buy a lot of the metal I use in my jewelry. I've decided to submit a new favorite, a pendant that I've lovingly deemed "Quake."

I'll keep you posted on the contest...ta ta for now!

Our first tomato!

2010-09-14T02:12:00.001-07:00

Our very first tomato! Grown in our balcony garden! Yes, you heard that right...balcony garden. My clever husband and my crafty father-in-law installed planter boxes all around the outside of our balcony!

The planter boxes actually serve two purposes...

1) a place to grow tasty tomatoes, herbs, and flowers

2) a reference point for our clumsy cat, Jacques, as to where the balcony ends...
so he won't fall overboard a THIRD time.
*note that is Flower in the picture, not Jacques :)*

Right now the herbs I have growing are thyme, basil, parsley, and lemon balm. I must say that using fresh herbs really does make a difference in a meal. I harvest the parsley about every two weeks and keep it in the freezer until I need it, a helpful tip from my mother-in-law who lives in Sweden and is not used to having fresh parsley available all year long. :P I've been using a few dried lemon balm leaves in my morning tea, which is very yummy.

All in all, I guess life is good as long as you appreciate the little things...

like a shiny red tomato. :)

My birtday present from dad...

2010-09-10T10:36:00.001-07:00

I think everyone needs a special place to store those finished pieces of jewelry that are created with such patience and love. Lucky for me, my dad is a very talented wood worker, disguised as a real estate appraiser! He made this for my birthday this past year...

It's beautifully crafted and I love placing my finished pieces, leather or metal, inside...to be stored safely until they find a loving home.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

~Kristin

My first tooling design!

2010-09-03T10:11:00.001-07:00

I took my first of 8 classes at Tandy leather on Wednesday! In the class we learned how to use a swivel knife to carve our design in the leather. We are using templates that they provide to take the guess work out of where to use the various stamping tools....BUT, I couldn't resist trying my own pattern at home!

As soon as I saw all the little tools and the patterns they make I thought...Seashells! I collect shells and store them in glass vases in my studio. Sometimes I use them in my projects, but mostly I just admire them. I can't wait to add some color to this little beauty! I used to use a wood burning tool, paint, and stamps to create little leather bags...

...I'm so excited to add tooling to my repertoire!

Until next time...
Have a wonderful day!

Kristin

The new recycled packaging is here!

2010-08-31T20:02:00.000-07:00

Now that I've started stone setting and doing more intricate metal smithing, I wanted something special to place the finished pieces in. I ordered recycled, sand colored paper boxes and experimented with three different ways of embellishing them...

I'm not sure which I like the best, so I may mix it up and randomly select one to go with each piece of jewelry I make. I wanted to keep it simple, but make each one a little playful. I have to admit that the simple silver signature is perhaps my favorite, probably because it is so simple yet meaningful.

Speaking of signatures, I always love seeing jewelry artists "sign" their pieces. I've seen several ways of doing it, like engraving, a custom stamp with your logo, but I prefer the more simple approach...stamping your initials onto the back of the jewelry.

Well, I'm off to take Henrik dinner. He has the night shift this week, which is great because we can go surfing during the day, but also means he's in the office until 12am.

Tomorrow is my first leather tooling class! I can't wait!

Adieu~
Kristin

On the table...

2010-08-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

This Sunday Henrik and I decided to start a new family tradition. Monthly we will have a "Swedish Sunday." We'll make fresh orange juice...

...whip up some Swedish Pancakes, which are extra special in our house because my hubby was born and raised in Sweden!

Then we'll enjoy our hard work in the kitchen out on our balcony, with the kitties of course...

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

The New Studio!

2010-08-21T09:50:00.001-07:00

I've finally set up my studio in our guest bedroom and can I just say, "WOOOOOHOOOOO!" Before we moved I had set up my "studio" in the kitchen/dining area of our 1 bedroom apartment, which seemed like such a step up from my working arrangements before, but now....I am so thankful to have a space of my own where I can let the creative juices flow!

So, without further adieu, I present to you, the K. Malotte Studio...ta-dah!

It was Henrik's idea to put my table and bench under the window...which I have to say was a stellar idea! Notice my faithful little helper on the chair :)

Yesterday I reorganized my bookshelves so that leather goods and metalsmithing supplies are in the most easy-to-reach places. I spent a couple of weeks just working in my studio to get a feel for how I would use the space...

And last but not least, a picture of the bathroom/soldering station! I decided to keep my torch in the bathroom just in case I need put out any fires with the shower hose :)

Well, it is a beeeeutiful day so I'm signing off for now so I can play in the ocean...until next time!

xoxo,
Kristin

The Little Black Skirt

2010-06-12T18:40:00.000-07:00

I was reading a magazine article about Salma Hayek the other day and loved her idea of a little black skirt rather than a little black dress! You can dress it up or down, and people are less likely to remember that you've recently worn it! Although this skirt from Free People is so darn cute that it probably will be remembered...oh well, a price I'm willing to pay - and did! Purchased it this morning. I can't wait to dress it up with one of my "statement" necklaces...stay tuned to see some of my latest necklace designs!

Practice, Practice, Practice!

2010-02-27T01:12:00.001-08:00

I think it's official...I'm in love with my torch! The Blazer. It is the perfect name for my new friend, as he's off in a flash, lights up any room, and is guaranteed to make those around him melt! Ok, I forgot what I was talking about for a second. Ah yes, my torch...

He knows how to treat me right
A glowing flame in the night
A beacon
Fueling my heart, not my mind
A hot ball of melted wire
Oh how I love to play with FIRE!

I've been practicing and playing every day, resulting in some experimentation with silver plated wire (an artist has to watch her pennies!) Here is my most recent creation, an earring and necklace set that I'd like to recreate in fine silver.

Fun With Fire!!

2010-02-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

I took my first soldering class today at The Bouncing Bead! It was sooo much fun, and now I am addicted to playing with fire. We used a small, hand held butane torch that was very easy to work with. The class was from 10-4pm, but I ended up staying late to try out the instructors new tumbler. That is now one of the items on my wish list, as it makes polishing metal so easy! I can't wait to try incorporating my copper pieces with my new found love for silver and soldering!

Upcoming Jewelry Show!

2010-02-09T00:32:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, also known as the day after my birthday :), I will be participating in a jewelry show in La Mesa! It's being hosted by The Bouncing Bead, a great bead store that also has lots of cool classes - check out their website for more information on their classes and schedule. If you are going to be in the area and don't already have plans, this should be a fun event with some very talented local jewelry artists...I know I'm excited to see what everyone has created! Hope to see you there!

Show your love...

2010-01-30T12:16:00.000-08:00

New Red Patina Pendant!

2010-01-20T16:44:00.000-08:00

This is my most recent finished piece! I etched a floral design onto a copper pendant, then applied a red patina. I added a lavender swarovski crystal and a green faceted bead to the top of the pendant, just for a little more interest. The chain has been up-cycled from another piece of jewelry.

Learning to Patina!

2010-01-17T14:58:00.000-08:00

I took a short break from blogging during the holidays, but I'd like to share what I've been working on lately. My mom, Deborah Malotte, is an incredible artist and is in galleries all over the U.S. She works with my "other mother," her business partner, Pamela Rae to create pieces out of copper and bronze.

My mom specializes in copper patinas and I have been fortunate enough to receive some private lessons as of late! We have also been experimenting with copper etching, which is what created the texture on the pendant you see in the photograph.

This piece is in it's final finishing stage, and was inspired by the ocean water as it washes up onto the shore. I feel so fortunate to live by the sea, it's hard not to incorporate it into my art! This particular patina is a dye oxide, which means I have to apply many layers and use heat to get the full effect. It truly produces an amazing color! I hope to have some of these one-of-a-kind mini works of art in my etsy shop soon!

Craft Show Time

2009-10-30T01:44:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, the San Diego North Park Craft Mafia will be having an event at the Ruby Room in North Park. I'll be there with my hubby selling some of my handmade goodies. I've never been to one of the Craft Mafia's events, but I've heard good things from reliable sources so it should be a good time! Whatever you end up doing this upcoming Halloween weekend, be safe and have fun!!

My First Art Show!

2009-10-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

Henrik helping me with my displays...he actually gave good advice! Thanks for all your help honey!

So...this past weekend was my very first art show! Aside from etsy, I haven't ever attempted to sell my work so I was really excited and a bit nervous too. Everything came together in the end, as I knew it would, and the show was a huge success for the K. Malotte brand! It's so cool to think that there are people out there wearing my jewelry, or giving it as gifts. I tried to give everything a handmade feel that was still me, so I made gift bags that said K. Malotte (I signed each bag!) and had an old world type mermaid stamped in metallic ink, I hand wrote all of my tags and cards, I even made my own displays...down to the jewelry tree and bracelet displays made of driftwood and branches I collected at the beach!

The Sawdust Festival

2009-08-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my mom and I went to the Sawdust Festival in Laguna. We had so much fun and were inspired by the many artists and their make-shift summer studios! For those of you who don't know much about the festival, it's held every summer in Laguna Canyon in this amazing space where each artist creates their own gallery/workshop space amongst winding streams, waterfalls, and of course, sawdust!

One of my favorite shops is called Made in Heaven by Missy. The artist, Missy I'm assuming, creates these beautiful fairies that hang from the ceiling, dance up the walls, and sit in curious places. Speaking of sitting in curious places, did I mention that the artist's "studio" area is built in such a way that it appears she's working up in the tree that is growing through the middle of her shop! What a unique space!

Beach treasure necklace!

2009-08-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

My new favorite necklace is this tiny woven pouch with one of my beach finds inside! I loved the woven treasure pouches from Pamela over at Bazketmakr.etsy.com and thought I'd weave a small pouch out of wire that I could put one of my shells in. My mom introduced me to this technique that she has used in her many years of working with metal, and after much practice I think I've finally got it down!

Here's a picture my hubby took of me wearing my new necklace! I used hemp for the cord to give it a natural "beachy" feel, and coral for the ends of the chain tassel.

Make your own wrapping paper...

2009-08-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

I am going to a wedding this weekend for a very good friend of mine which brings up the question of how to wrap the gift (the gift I have yet to buy!). I thought it would be pretty awesome if I could make some personalized wrapping paper for the occasion, and I found this tutorial on Craftzine! I'm not very savvy with Photoshop but I'm going to give this a try - sans snowflakes of course!

Paper Roses

2009-07-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

I recently found a great tutorial on making paper roses...from coffee filters! The very-easy-to-follow instructions can be found here, on Crafster.org.

I made the roses pictured above. They really turned out beautifully and would be a great alternative to the typical bouquet of LIVE roses. I will warn you though, they take forever to make! I currently have three...my goal is to have a dozen by the end of summer! We'll see how it goes.

Beach Treasure

2009-07-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

I taught at a writing camp this summer and was introduced to a book called If You Find A Rock. It talks about a "wishing stone," a rock that has a white ring all the way around it. I had heard of skipping stones, but a wishing stone -- that's special! A friend of mine, who was also teaching at the camp, brought in some wishing stones to show the kids. At that point I really wanted to find a wishing stone of my own. Every time I went to the beach I would look...and look, and look, and look...but I had only ever found one until this past weekend! The hubby and I went to Beacons Beach in Encinitas, one of my favorites. It's kind of a hike to get down to the beach, but there are stairs and it's worth the effort! Just look at my collection! Looks like all my wishes are going to come true -- I hope :)

I was so excited to find these beautiful wishing stones. I ran over to tell my husband the good news! He looked at me, looked at my pile of rocks and said, "You want me to carry those in the beach bag up 5 flights of stairs to the car!?" I suppose you can tell by the photograph that I said yes, and he did! But this brings me to my next topic today...beach treasure pouches!

I saw these on Etsy yesterday and thought they were a great idea! What better place for your beach treasures than a beautifully woven, handmade pouch! The artist, Pamela Zimmerman, uses an ancient weaving technique originally used by vikings!

The Healing Power of Kyanite

2009-07-26T11:12:00.001-07:00

I was doing my usual morning surf on the web this morning and found some interesting information about the stone kyanite. I use semi-precious stones in my designs and was hoping to find some information about their metaphysical properties. For example, I found an article about kyanite on HealingCrystals.com. It explains that green kyanite, which I used in the Superwoman Wears Kyanite Earrings, is connected to the heart chakra and can help the person wearing it to align with their spiritual path in this lifetime. It can also help alleviate depression by offering hope and support to the wearer.

I can think of several people in my life who could benefit from this stone, myself included!

Etsy store is up and running!

2009-07-25T11:10:00.001-07:00

After much anticipation I've finally posted my first few items on Etsy! The pair of earrings on the left were inspired by Dieffenbachia leaves. Dieffenbachia are also known as "dumb cane" because it is said to make you go temporarily mute if you eat it! So far, no one I know has been willing to test that theory.

I have a large Dieffenbachia in my home...which almost died because my mom "forgot" to water my plants when I was in Sweden two summers ago! In her defense, I do live 45 minutes away and wasn't entirely clear about asking her to take care of my place :) But anyhow, the plant nearly died and my husband had to cut it back until there was nothing left but a stumpy stem! I was sure it was done for, but the plant grew back and is now taking over part of our living room! AND-we took some of the stem that we cut down and planted it in another pot...it also took off and now we have 3 baby Dieffenbachia!

In many ways, my experience in the art world has been like that Dieffenbachia. Just when I'm about to throw in the towel, something happens to fuel my creativity and I return to the art scene. In college, I went to great lengths to have art included on my diploma. Even though I have a B.A. in Human Development from UCSD and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, I also studied visual and performing art in London and petioned to have those courses count towards a minor in Art. So now I can say I have "formal" training in art...whatever that means!

The real training comes from life in general; growing up with a mother who is a successful artist, helping in her gallery and at various shows, spending hours in her art studio just playing, dreaming, talking, creating, and sipping on some vino!

Art lessons are good, life is better!

Lazy days...for Jacques that is!

2009-07-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this picture I took of my cat, Jacques, today. We adopted our cats, Jacques and Flower, from an animal shelter in Coronado last October. We just celebrated their first birthday this past July 16th! As a treat for them, Henrik and I took them out on our balcony at night with the twinkle lights on and sat with them while they had a feast of salmon flavored Greenies! Pets are truly therapeutic...I smile just looking at them!

My very own light box!

2009-07-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made a light box using this online tutorial How to Make an Inexpensive Light Tent DIY. I must say that even though I saw all the great pictures people were taking using a light box, I didn't quite believe mine would work as well as it did! Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm not the greatest at taking photos. I LOVE to take pictures, and good thing I take a lot because half are indistinguishable! Ok, I'm not THAT bad, but this little tool is going to be a godsend. Special thanks to The Storque on etsy for having so many great articles on the "art of taking good pictures." I particularly enjoyed the article How-To: Brighten Your Photos with Paperama. It talks about a site called Picnik, which I had never heard of until now, that allows you to brighten up your photos for free and with NO registration! It's an amazing little site. Here is a photo of the same earrings I put in my first post. What a difference!

Cable Chain

2009-07-20T11:34:00.001-07:00

Cable Chain, originally uploaded by Kristin Malotte.

Even though I was relaxing at the beach this weekend with my husband, I still couldn't stop thinking about the jewelry I wanted to make when I got home! Just for fun I grabbed a long piece of seaweed and attempted to make my own cable chain!

Finally started a blog!

2009-07-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it! And now that I've done it I don't know why I didn't do it sooner! The deciding factor for starting this blog was that I have started creating jewelry that I really believe in and love. My pieces are made with beautiful materials and I am very meticulous when it comes to the execution of each design. I was at Barnes and Noble the other day with my little sister and bought a small sketchbook along with a book I ordered called Rascal. I haven't been able to stop sketching designs since I brought it home! Here is one of the first designs to see full fruition...