Blogger's Favorites -- Jennifer of Odette New York + A Winner

I am a big, big fan of Jennifer Sarkilahti...huge even.

Her gorgeous jewelry is consistently interesting and unique. (Her arrow ring literally never leaves my right ring finger...it is among my most favorite possessions.) But what I really love is the fact that she works alongside other creative women.

I think powerful things happen when artists and designers work alongside each other to make beautiful things, sharing inspirations and ideas. I tend to think all the collaborative, supportive energy happening as they create sort of imbues their end products with a bit of magic... But that's just me ;-)

Along with that arrow ring, Jennifer's blog is also a part of my daily routine. It's a dreamy peek into her world that makes wearing her jewelry even more compelling. So I'm thrilled to have Jennifer sharing her favorites with us here this week.

But first, the winner of last week's We Never Sleep Shriner's Fez necklace giveaway. Congrats Chelsea!

Ok now, without further ado, herewith Jennifer's favorites. Enjoy and have a splendid weekend friends.


My Studio -- I work out of a beautiful studio space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The structure was originally a horse stable built in the 1880s and surrounds a garden courtyard with a fig tree. I share the studio with a perfumer, Anne of MCMC Fragrances and two jewelers, Emily of Talon NYC and Addie of Honey & White. Our neighbors are also artists and designers including a photographer, a jeweler, a textile designer and a floral designer. The environment is creative and lively and such a cool place to work in everyday.


My Dealtry Scarf -- I live in my Dealtry Jenny scarf. The designer, Helen Dealtry works across the hall from our studio and designs beautiful textiles; sometimes digitally and sometimes by painting on silk by hand.


Istanbul -- Our last big trip was to Greece and Turkey. It was a visual feast, from the unusual architecture and the colorful textiles at the markets to the rough Mediterranean terrain. Here I am on the rooftop of our hotel in Istanbul, watching the sun set over the Hagia Sophia.


Henna -- I just came back from a mehndi to celebrate the wedding of a dear friend where henna was applied to all of the guests hands. I’ll be sad when mine finally fades away.


Traveling -- As much as I love New York, it’s so nice to get away from it for awhile to get some perspective and inspiration. This old map was on the wall of a lodge where we stayed in New Zealand. Each visitor placed a tiny map pin on the place where they were visiting from.


New Jewels -- Making new jewelry is an absolute favorite thing of mine. Here are a few pieces from the new collection Eye of Ra, inspired by my recent trip to Greece and Turkey. From left, the Ojos Cuff, the Kronos Bracelet, and the Slim Hera Cuff.

I make my jewelry by carving the original piece in wax. It’s a little more complex than it sounds but basically molds are made from the wax and metal is cast from the molds. I am completely in love with the carving process and enjoy considering how every mark I make in the wax will look in the final piece.


Textiles -- A favorite textile that I brought back from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul was this antique suzani. If you turn it around, you can see that the entire thing is made of hundreds of tiny hand stitches.


Making Things -- I make my jewelry by carving the original piece in wax. It’s a little more complex than it sounds but basically molds are made from the wax and metal is cast from the molds. I am completely in love with the carving process and enjoy considering how every mark I make in the wax will look in the final piece.


Black sand beaches -- This one was in Lombok, Indonesia and the sand contains tiny fragments of lava from a nearby volcano. It sparkles!