October is breast cancer awareness month and The Ellen DeGeneres Show is raising money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Being that I support Komen and have created several pieces in the past for breast cancer awareness I felt compelled to write Ellen with a proposal.

Dear Ellen,

I am not a breast cancer survivor. I am however a woman with a mother and two daughters of my own. I have friends and family members who have survived breast cancer. I have close friends who have lost their spouses to cancer and I have seen first hand how it's ravages affect families.

I am a metalsmith and jewelry designer in the Los Angeles area and would like to donate a piece of jewelry to your show that can be auctioned off to raise money for your cause. The item I currently have in mind is a necklace valued at over $600.

I am also interested in providing a piece for The Ellen Show every year.

I hope that your viewers will see your show this month and see that they too can create change and make a difference.

Sincerely,
Heather

Here is the piece I would like to donate this year (I would have liked to have a piece using rose quartz):

 

(originally posted here: http://hpalleikodesigns.blogspot.com/2008/10/ellen-degeneres-i-want-to-help-you.html )

I've been working with wool for about 2 months now (wet felting and needle felting) creating felted necklaces and bracelets to add to my collection of contemporary craft skills. (metalsmith by education and trade)

I am really enjoying this process as it is more forgiving and I am less likely to saw off a finger, get metal dust in my eyes or chemicals, or go broke from material costs. With needle felting stabbing a finger with a three inch long felting needle doesn't usually invite a trip to the ER. It is portable and I can pack all my tools in a reusable canvas tote bag and work anywhere I want (great when balancing full-time parenting aka domestic production coordinator and work).

The first piece I made I wore out to see what kind of response it received from the general public. (I do this with all my new pieces, metal or fiber, to determine if any changes need to be made (or the whole idea scrapped completely) and if they can withstand a day of elementary school aged children. If the piece makes it through the day in one piece, and receives positive feedback, then it passes.) Within 30 minutes of wearing the piece I had a special order for another one. This definitely helped me feel like I was going in the right direction.

Since then I have been dreaming up new ideas and have about 6 pieces I am working on. These pictures are of one of the more simple pieces which is almost finished:



And the creative process continues...

About the tote bag linked above:

Brand: Janine King Designs
Style: Market Tote
Price: $28
To purchase click here

I came across Janine King's amazing shop on Etsy.com and covet almost every bag she makes. If you are looking for something contemporary and fun to spice up that trip to the Farmer's Market definitely check out her bags.

If you are interested in purchasing a fibers piece please contact me through my website http://www.palleikodesigns.com