Holiday Spirit

lots of bonbons

the wild unknown

sesame letterpress

sovereign beck

porcelain skulls by beetle and flor

tamika rivera and patrick weder

The Gift Local sale at Flatbush Farm yesterday was a beautiful one. The light streaming in, the old bar and brick and ivory walls created a warm organic backdrop. The goods were so thoughtful, beautiful, sophisticated from handcarved walnut-wood rings, muslin scarves dyed with tea and saffron, porcelain skulls with 14K gold-glazed teeth to leather bags, and of course lovely jewelry ;) it was one of the prettiest sales of the year I think. I love the designers and artists that I have gotten to know over the years and new ones as well. So happy to have been able to show with them in this new setting. It was especially nice to see people coming out to see us instead of heading to the mall. Sweet Tamika, the event's organizer, says it best.

When Vanessa called me from the Gifted event (which is also quite nice and I'm back there today through next Sunday), I was on my fourth mulled cider with calvados and had just eaten a lunch of duck confit over lentils with frisee and organic sunnyside-up eggs.
Flatbush Farm is my new favorite place, hands down.

(Read here about the Brooklyn Rescue Mission which this event was created to benefit!)

Gift Local at Flatbush Farm

I will be (proudly) at the Flatbush Farm Gift Local event today while Vanessa will be holding down the fort at Gifted in Manhattan.

Click here to see what's on the menu at the farm!
In other news, I am awed at how fast people have found my new "pop-up shop" and just how much and how often we are working--nearing the holidays, these are the season's best sellers (below). Pretty romantic I'd say, as this is the time of year I get inside the minds of nervous "other halves". We'll have some of these at Gifted next week and a few today at Gift Local.

Sweet little gold dipped lockets and
charms , an old nickel with antique glass
and other assorted fun stuff.

and Happy Hannukah!

Taking a Moment (now with kittens)

It's been a busy month, some days too busy to take a breath. En route to the Post Office the other day, in a morning of lists a mile long, I turned up Oak Street and noticed a kitten. And then another. And then a swarm of kittens. The list fell away. There's always time for a swarm of curious baby kittens. Another 15 minutes and all of those would be mine. Thank you kittens. You know why.

We are here today

(beautiful) photo by Karen Mordechai

Surprise! What's a jewelry designer like me doing over on Sunday Suppers? Please be sure to check it out...something special brewing...

We are here in NYC at Gifted starting tomorrow through the 20th.

And proud to be here (while Vanessa (wo)man's the table over at Gifted!) at Flatbush Farm, a an event hosted by my wonderful friend Tamika Rivera on Saturday, the 12th created with the hopes to raise awareness and funds for the Brooklyn Rescue Mission.

Hope to see you at there if you can pop in and say hello. So many incredible artists and designers all in one place. I love this time of year because even though it is exhausting, I get so much out of these experiences, to be surrounded by so much talent. I always seem to make a few new friends, learn something new and meet so many wonderful customers and people who I might not get to, cloistered away as I normally am most of the year, in my the studio.

A big THANK YOU to you who came out this weekend to see us and left with so many goodies! We had a packed house and so much fun, (especially after Sandy started adding whiskey to the hot cider.) More on those as soon as I come up for air.
xox, deb

P.S. Thanks especially to P. who not only lit up the room with her smile (kind of like Mary Tyler Moore), but was so absolutely kind to donate in the name of Bonbon Oiseau to the Food Bank for New York City. I am speechless P. Really.

Today's the Day!

Hope you can join us!

I am

Here today. So cool that the sale made top billing on Refinery 29...please come!

Little Stories

"BREATHE"

"REMEMBER"

"CREATE"

"GO FORWARD"

"BE"

Once upon a time, I found an old Peruvian Milagro. It looked like a plump little torso, was made of tin and I really loved it. I wore it on a chain, way before I started designing jewelry and wore it not just because it was beautiful aesthetically, but because I thought it would protect me. I attached all kinds of meaning to it, that it would protect my heart (from breaking) and my health (which was fragile at the time) and make me stronger. It was my shield. It was my talisman. And everyone would stop me to figure out what it was and they'd smile because I guess it was kind of quirky. I would examine it all the time and finally tacked it on my wall so I could just look at it.

I found it in a little shop in Arizona and was told they were Milagros, or in English "little miracles". They're used throughout the Spanish speaking world as little visual prayers, to offer the wearer hope or protection, to carry their desires or intentions. Their meanings can be both literal and traditional. When I found more of the little vintage Peruvian pieces last year, I took them back to the studio and cast them in silver. We tried some different finishes, brushing the silver, oxidizing some and dipping some in 18k gold. It was a really wonderful process, focusing on these funny little powerful stories, and we talked about new meanings each time we picked them up. I decided to pair each with these little antique silver sequins I found in Paris to imbue each with a feeling of history and depth. Especially within the intensity and glare of the holiday season, I hope they will help to remember to keep breathing, remembering, creating, moving forward, or just to be for a few moments.

They'll premiere this weekend at my first markets and there are a few up already in my new little pop-up shop here. What stories do you see?

A Little Holiday Market

you are invited...

Sesame Letterpress

Therapy

Sovereign BeckHortensia Handmade

Toys by Patrick Weder

For the past three Decembers, I've thrown this little Studio Holiday Market Soirée to kick off the Bonbon Holiday season and celebrate our fabulous customers, friends and families. And then I invite some of my other favorite artists & designers so I can kick back and share a cocktail with them too. I love a chance for you to get to meet the designers and artists and create a new space in here. It becomes an intimate little market. I love it.

It is the "Night before Christmas" all through the house week here. We are excited for Sunday. The studio is getting a scrub down. The back of the house is gathering wine and chocolates, possibly a few new sparkles. Visions of sugar plums, the whole nine yards...We have a few new designers this time around and some of the old as well and a few additional surprises...

Sovereign Beck (silk, wool and cotton ties)
Hortensia Handmade (Alpaca Knits)
Therapy (organic essential oil blends, bath salts and candles)
Patrick Weder (hand-made toys!)
Sesame Letterpress (holiday cards, gift tags, coasters, calenders, notepads and more)
and more...

We'll have our annual raffle for the Food Bank for New York City filled with some of the above designers goodies as well and then some which I'll open to all next week! If you're in NYC, I so hope you'll pop by!~If you live very far away, I'll miss you but you know all of the above are available to you on-line, but please be sure to mix a little cocktail for the full experience while you shop.
oxdeb

OK--I realized something today

Photo: Danielle Levitt for New York Magazine

I am in a work frenzy. I am riding a wave of all work and very little play. Life's a little out of balance. It's not you, it's me. I haven't had too much time to find anything very interesting lately let alone to share it with you, my favorite dumplings ever...except this..I LOVE Todd Oldham and now I love him even more. His eloquence, openness and humor are like a drug for me. Just one article free'ed up some of the crust holding down my brain. I don't feel so cornered by one creative outlet. He just makes me feel very free to see what's next, to play while I work this month. Thank you Todd Oldham.

And, in the spirit of making stuff, my Cyber Monday sale is keeping the studio buzzing much louder than I had even expected--you should hear it! And thank you. The elves are really happy too so I'm extending it until 6pm tonight. Get in there babies! Forward to your loved ones so you can get what you want...and you know this sale not only goes for my vast ole' website but for my new pop-up shop as well!

(Don't forget it's only 5 days til my first event of the season and 6 until our Open Studio Holiday Soirée! Get in mah belly!)