Q Evon Jewelry

North Carolina jeweler Susanne Q Evon - or Q as she is known - was a top model in NYC and traveled the world for photo shoots. When she retired from that business at age 40 she began to pursue her passion for creating jewelry.

Q’s interest in jewelry began at a young age. “I was the kid who went to garage sales and bought beads to cut up,” she says.

The oddest thing is she spent 2 years at Siena Heights College in Adrian, Michigan - the same tiny college I went to - she was in the business department and I was in the art department - at the same time - what's that they say about six degrees of separation?!!

She transfered to UNC and one day someone asked if she had ever modeled, the next thing she knew she was. During her modeling years, she lived near the Parsons School of Design, where she took classes in jewelry design.

After retiring from modeling, she moved back to North Carolina, where she found a mentor in master metalsmith Bill Churlik of Earthspeak Arts.

Wonderful whimsy from our Justine

Justine flying mermaid

Justine Mermaid

Justine Nativity

Justine Crab

Gold skirted dangle lady by Justine

Turquoise dangle lady by Justine

Blonde flying lady by Justine

We always love it when Justine shows up with new work!
See more by clicking here!

Glass demonstration by Kay Coburn Rice

We are having a lampworking demonstration during the March ArtWalk in Downtown New Bern March 11 from 5-8 pm.

Glass artist Kay Coburn Rice of New Bern will be working with her torch demonstrating how she makes her glass sculptures and beads.

A New Bern native Kay has recently returned to her hometown after spending many years in Texas.

Kay has been working with glass for 11 years and torch worked glass for 7 years. She started out doing fused glass jewelry in a kiln while living in Texas. She studied metal work for three years then found her true calling when she started working with a torch. She took classes with Kip Maley at  the Craft Guild of Dallas and developed her still at making glass beads.

Most recently through her study with Josh Mazet over the past 3 years she has developed her skill with torch worked sculptural Borosilicate glass. She has also studied with Corina Tettinger, Deb Crowley, Gail Crosman Moore and other accomplished glass artists.

Kay enjoys recreating things found in nature, especially flowers and fish and making jewelry with her fused glass and her lamp worked beads.

Lamp working is a type of glasswork that uses a gas fueled torch to melt rods and tubes of clear and colored glass. Once in a molten state, the glass is formed by blowing and shaping with tools and hand movements. It is also known as flameworking or torchworking.

Lamp working has been done since ancient times but it came into prominence in Murano, Italy in the 14th century. Lamp working differs from glassblowing in that glassblowing uses a blowpipe to inflate a glass blob known as a gob or gather, inflating it by blowing air into the blowpipe, whereas lampworking manipulates glass either by the use of tools, gravity, or by blowing directly into the end of a glass tube.

Meet the artist during ArtWalk and enjoy some refreshments, for more information call the gallery at 252-633-4369, or email us by clicking here!.

Carolina Creations Bags Travel the World

For years our customer have been toting our bags all over the world - here are a few of the latest photos we've been sent!

Daisy says "I'm anxious to get back to Carolina Creations to fill up my bag again!"

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse both LOVE shopping at Carolina Creations!

Turn left for Cuba, Right for Carolina Creations!

New glass artist Wes Hunting

When talking about his work Wes says that he did not have an early interest in glass in particular but always had an interest in creativity.

Wes started his creative journey at Ken State University where he majored in painting. He had a part time job at Hale Farm, and early American historical village just outside of Kent, Ohio.

Hale Farm has a small glass shop along with other craft areas for visitors to walk around and ponder. One afternoon, the head gaffer at the glass shop walked off the job after getting into a tiff with the grounds manager. The manager looked at Wes and said, “Hunting, get over to the glass studio and give the guy a hand.” The next thing  Wes knew, he was gathering hot, molten glass out of a replica of a historic furnace.

The next semester he signed up for classes in glass blowing at KSU. In the late 70's there weren't many universities that offered glass as an art medium, Henry Halem ran the program at that time.

Henry was good friends with most of the well-known glass artists, and he brought in many of them for workshops. Between 1977 and 1979,  Wes attended workshops and worked with the likes of Fritz Dreisbach, Dick Marquis, Steve Weinberg, Bert van Loo, Marvin Lipofsky, Dale Chihuly (with William Morris as gaffer), Joel Myers, and the late Bud Hurlstone. KSU was a place of great creative energy that produced many talented artists in their own right.

Wes attended Penland School of Crafts right here in North Carolina where he was an assistant to North Carolina glass blower Richard Ritter.  In addition Wes was inspired by his travels in Italy to Venice and Murano.

He has had his own hot shop since 1982. To see sizes and prices click here.


We LOVE glass!


Jan Francoeur
Carolina Creations

New artists coming soon

Glass by Wes Hunting

Here are some pieces from some of our new artists whose work will be coming over the next few weeks.

We're looking forward to receiving their work!

William Purser Lampworking - don't know what lampworking is? During the March ArtWalk Downtown New Bern, New Bern artist Kay Rice will be demonstrating at Carolina Creations.

 

Susan Fullenbaum

 

 Susan Bradshaw Glass

Wall hanging by Andrew Madvin

These are just a few of our new artists!

We'll keep you posted as they come in.

Jan Francoeur

Spring Historic Homes and Gardens Tour poster and other things

 

I just finished this poster for the Spring Historic Homes & Gardens Tour. The drop shadow on my painting isn't that big (don't know why it's showing up that way here), but you get the idea.

As we have done for the past four or five years we will have a reception for the public and the tour ticket holders at Carolina Creations on Friday evening, April 8th from 4-7 pm. 

I always do tiles of all the homes on the tour and try to have a few new paintings of town for the tour as well. Haven't had any time to paint this year yet (other than to do the painting for this poster), but will soon.

We just got back from a show in Orlando where I sat on a panel about social media and gave a table talk about blogging for our Craft Retailers Association, will go to NY soon, will talk about blogging there too (for the LAST TIME - I AM RESIGNING FROM THAT DUTY!!!), did a talk at the Main Street Conference representing New Bern, have a follow up meeting about Christmas and hope to put plans in place for others to take on more of the responsibility for the Dickens of a Christmas in Downtown New Bern. Off to Philly for another show then HOME!!

Then I am going to paint and do some sculpture. I have a one person show at the NC Crafts Gallery in Carrboro in May and of course want to do new work for our own gallery. I've got lots of ideas, so need to get busy.

My goal for this year is to disengage from some of the things that take time away from my own business and artwork. Wish me luck!

We do have a  vacation coming up in the keys where I plan to get a lot of ideas on paper and maybe even get a few paintings finished.

We walk a tightrope between running our business and creating. We love both, wish there were more hours in the day.

Looking forward to a great year with more time to create.

Janet Francoeur

Carolina Creations

Downtown New Bern, NC

Orlando Trip

We just got back from a business trip to Orlando. Didn't have too much time to look around but did stay at a great hotel and had a little bit of fun.

We went to a show at the Orlando Convention Center, it is HUGE.

We stayed at the Hilton, it is said to be connected to the Center, and it is by a long walkway, but it's a hike.

That being said the hotel is one year old and it beautiful. The lighting, the artwork, all the appointments were outstanding. The pool area is huge, and even had one of those lazy rivers I always wanted to float on.

The weather wasn't hot but it was warm enough that we each got some sun and I got to float on that river.

The other thing we did that was a lot of fun was to go to a Greek restaurant called Taverna Opa. The food was great and they made fresh humus at your table. A belly dancer entertained, thousands of napkins flew through the air, there was dancing on the tables and half the restaurant got up and danced around the room. I don't usually like that kind of thing but I actually had a good time!

 

The other great thing we did was to meet some great new artists whose work I'll be posting over the next few weeks.

- Janet Francoeur

Carolina Creations

Mismatched socks

We've been selling cotton mismatched socks for years and their popularity does not waver! All of us at Carolina Creations have at least one pair and most of us several. They wear well (I'm still wearing socks I purchased 5 years ago) and I get lots of comments on them.



Why I'm writing about them today is to fill you in on how environmentally friendly the manufacturing process is.

The socks are knit right here in North Carolina with recycled cotton yarn. Even the nylon core is made from recycled soda bottles so the socks are made with 100% recycled content.

Not only are the socks made entirely from recycled materials but nothing gets wasted. The sock seconds are used to make hats. If a sock isn't able to be made into a hat it is sent to a weaver who makes them into beautiful rugs!. Waste that can't be used by the hat maker or the weaver is donated to humane societies who stuff pillow cases with the scraps to make extra comfy pet beds for their boarders.

You can see some of the wonderful colors and patterns and purchase socks online on our website.

Check them out by clicking here!

Janet Francoeur

Upcoming Events at Carolina Creations 2011

We have some some great events coming up this year.

Here is a quick list, more details to come!

January ArtWalk - Friday, January 14 from 5-8 pm featuring the Valentine Benefit and bowls for the "Empty Bowl Project"

Valentine Card Benefit Opening - Thursday, January 20 4-7 pm - Valentine cards from school children from 25 Craven County schools! Cards sell for $3 each and all the money is donated back to the Craven County Schools art programs.

March ArtWalk - Friday, March 11 from 5-8 pm Lampworking (glass) demonstration by Kay Rice and booksinging by Karen Dodd and her new book

Home Tour Reception - Friday, April 8 from 5-8 pm - Janet Francoeur will feature tiles of all the homes on the tour.

May ArtWalk - Friday, May 13 from 5-8 pm. Paintings by Jude Lobe, Mebane, NC.

Totem Workshop with Justine Ferreri - Date to be announced.

July ArtWalk - Friday, July 9 from 5-8 pm."Waterways" by gallery artists.


September ArtWalk - Friday, September 9 from 5-8 pm "Contemporary Still Life" by gallery artists.

American Craft Week - October 7 - 16, 2011

November ArtWalk - Friday, November 11 from 5-8 pm

November 25 through December 24 - A Dickens of a Christmas in Downtown New Bern!

We'll update you as the date draws nearer!