Rebecca Karas, Artist and Jeweler

Peyton's Place in The Plains, VA

2009-05-11T21:28:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone! I just wanted to let everyone know that you can now find my jewelry at Peyton's Place in The Plains, VA. I found the place by accident as I was roaming through the countryside after visiting a co-worker's house. He suggested The Plains for shopping, and I stopped by Peyton's Place intending to shop. When Kenny (one of the owners) asked why I was out that way, I mentioned I had been in WV dropping off some jewelry. Well, one thing led to another, and......

Anyway, it is a great design boutique. It has a great selection of furniture, curios, and all sorts of interesting stuff for your home. And, they have pet birds in the store to listen to as you shop!

I had never been to the quaint little downtown of The Plains before. It is definitely like a step back in time. You can get to the Peyton's Place website here: http://www.peytonsplacefurniture.com/

LRAC is open + Some new earrings!

2009-04-19T12:59:00.011-04:00

Yesterday, I drove out to the LRAC barn to see how everything was going on the first day. There were several groups of customers there just during the time I was there. There is lots of really great stuff there this year. You can check out their blog post (with some of my photos of opening day) here: http://www.lostriverartisans.blogspot.com/

Today, I made up some of my .925 sterling silver earrings, as I hadn't posted any of that line on my blog yet. Here are some photos. They all range from $18-$38.

The ones on the left are freshwater pearls with leopard jasper, and those on the right are with freshwater pearls.

The top earrings are with garnets, and the bottom ones are with mother of pearl and orissa garnets.

The ones on the left were made with swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls, and the ones on the right are tri-color freshwater pearls.
The ones on the left have carnelian, and the ones on the right are freshwater pearls and garnets.

The ones on the left are made with African capuccino jasper, and those on the right have leopard jasper.

Both of these are made with garnets and freshwater pearls.

The ones on the top are freshwater pearls with malachite, and the ones on the bottom have rainbow fluorite.

The ones on the left are made with swarovski crystal and hydrabadi garnet, and the ones on the right are made with amethyst.

So all of these above will be coming soon to one of my craft store locations, or I will bring them to Basketmaker for his Memorial Day weekend (Saturday) craft fair in Hedgesville, WV. Stay tuned!

Monterey Aquarium Photos

2009-04-13T21:06:00.004-04:00

Just got back from Monterey, CA, and wanted to share a few photos from the aquarium. It's really challenging shooting in an aquarium. Besides dodging small children, lighting is always difficult, especially with quickly moving fish, tentacles, etc. Enjoy!

LRAC Barn Cleanup and New Inventory

2009-04-04T20:54:00.005-04:00

Today, I participated in the annual spring barn cleanup at Lost River. This is one of the places where I consign my art and jewelry. The coop is run by a bunch of hard-working and amazingly talented artists. It relies on volunteers to do all of the work and keep the coop running. There is also a museum in the downstairs portion of the barn that shows how mountain life was back when the area was first settled.

So, today, I got to help paint a portion of the barn display areas (yes, even though I'm an artist, I still can't help getting paint on my hands, hair, clothing, etc, when I paint!). After helping clean up, I brought in my new items to consign for this season. A few of the jewelry items are shown below.

Above are some of the earrings I make, ranging from about $8-$16. I also make sterling silver earrings, priced from $18 and up.

Above are my beer cap earrings! (Yes, you read it correctly - earrings made out of beer caps). Boy, does my husband like this part of my jewelry-making!

Above are 2 of the necklace and earring sets on display. They are crafted from sterling silver, and feature natural freshwater pearls, south sea shell pearls, and black agate.

This year, I also made clip bookmarks with glass beads. I'm planning to make some other types of bookmarks soon, so check back!

Below are some views of the inside of the barn. It looks much better when it's fully organized, though! It officially opens on April 18 this year.

Spring is Here!

2009-04-03T22:03:00.006-04:00

I have been very busy creating art and jewellry this past winter. Below are some examples of my creations. All may be purchased at the Lost River Artisan's Cooperative. See link at end of blog:

These earrings were created in sterling silver, featuring 6.45 carats of genuine citrine, 0.25 carats of peridot, and natural freshwater pearls. There are many others on display at the Lost River Artisans Cooperative and Basketmaker.

"Galactic Giselle" is one of many art dolls on exhibit for purchase at the Lost River Artisans Cooperative and Basketmaker.

"Alchemy", a photograph of a restored country doctor's workshop in Appalachia. Available at the Lost River Artisans Cooperative.

"Elton Frog", a photograph of my pet frog. What a ham!!