Studio Graffiti - Colorway Additions

The hand painted Studio Graffiti collection launched last year and was an instant hit. It’s the perfect combination of one-of-a-kind abstract brushstrokes and easy-to-wear styles. Plus, all items are $32 and under, so it’s easy to treat yourself or give as gifts.

This is the first time since the initial launch where I’ve added so many new colorways. What can I say? I was truly inspired! Introducing something bold & bright, something crisp & neutral, and something toned-down and easy to incorporate into your wardrobe.

All pendants and earrings are original paintings on acrylic, laser cut into bold shapes. No two are ever identical, even if they were cutout right next to each other. The material is lightweight, so the larger-scale earrings are still very comfortable to wear (and the wear wire is hypoallergenic). Choose from 3 different pendant styles and 7 earring options.

FRUIT PUNCH: a vibrant combo featuring coral, hot pink, orange, black, and yellow

Shop the new colorway

PEN PAL: inspired by ink on paper, this classic black & white color combo has blue and gold accents

Shop the new colorway

GARDEN SAGE: my personal favorite, all the warm neutrals from your herb garden including that blueish green sage, mustard seed, and olive greens

Shop the new colorway

Enjoy the new collection!

Artist-in-Residence: Cheraw State Park

Time in the woods, by a lake, or anywhere out in nature is what restores me the most. Making things with my hands is what gives me energy and joy. Put the two together and I’m one happy adventuring artist! My week as Artist-in-Residence at Cheraw State Park in South Carolina was such a wonderful experience. This was my fourth consecutive residency through the Parks program and as before, each experience is totally unique and always exceeds my hopes and aspirations. I feel so lucky to be invited to these parks each time, and it’s definitely one of the highlights of my year.

Cheraw is a small town near the Great Pee Dee river in northeastern South Carolina. I’ve lived in SC since 2010 had never been to this part of the state, so I was eager to get out and explore. The park sits on 7,000 acres of lake and woodlands, and is home to a huge variety of birds and other creatures.

Each day during my stay, I watched the sun rise at the lake, then went off for several hours of hiking either around the park or within a 30-40 drive. The afternoons were spent back at the cabin, creating needle felted landscapes, jewelry designs, and paintings inspired by what I’d seen earlier that day. Then I’d head back over to the lake for the sunset and a quiet stroll before a little more creative time back at the cabin in the evening. I love this schedule - explore, create, explore some more!

Favorite Things: about Cheraw:

Hiking Trail: The Cheraw State Park Trail

Sunrise Viewing & Birdwatching Spot: The Eureka Lake Boardwalk

Park Wildlife: Fox squirrels, woodpeckers, and deer!

Plant Life: Cypress trees growing in the water and the carnivorous flowers by the beach

Daytrip Destination: Carolina Sandhills Wildlife Refuge (Tate’s Trail)

The new collection created while at the park is now available on my website. I hope you’ll enjoy this short recap video of my art-cation experience!

A huge thank you to the South Carolina Parks program for hosting these residency’s and a special thanks to the Park Rangers at Cheraw for making me feel so welcome.

If you’re interested in hearing about my past residency’s with the South Carolina Parks Department, you can find them here:

2020 Devil’s Fork

2019 Edisto Beach

2018 Poinsett

Modern Matte Materials

Leather was the very first material I ever used to make jewelry. It was what started Once Again Sam back in 2009. I loved the material because I could cut by hand, it was lightweight, and you can get in any & all colors. Wood entered my handmade jewelry scene in about 2012, when invested in my first laser cutter. I’ve certainly combined leather and wood many many times over the years, but it’s been awhile since I added anything new to the collection. Time to freshen up my earring offerings!

You may recognize a few of these bold modern shapes from the hand painted acrylic series - the dewdrop and ozone styles both came from that collection, but then there’s some brand new shapes and designs as well, such as my personal favorite, “moondrop”. I had a really hard time narrowing the style and color options down - I truly loved all of my prototypes this time around!

For summer, I’m loving the lighter leather and wood color combos, but as soon as we get into Autumn I’m definitely switching over to the darker cocobolo & black. All 3 color pallets are neutral enough to go with everything, and there’s something beautiful about the natural wood as a color.

Enjoy the new collection and be sure to use coupon code EARRINGADDICT (all caps) to get 20% off your entire jewelry order at www.onceagainsam.com (only valid on retail orders on website, not wholesale or Etsy).

Artist-in-Residence: The Reserve at Lake Keowee

I’m just getting back from a fantastic stay at the Reserve at Lake Keowee as Artist-in-Residence. The community was so welcoming, the scenery beautiful, and it was so easy to find inspiration. Not only did I create art on-site, but I also did a workshop, artist's talk, and live plein air demo. I always get so much out of exploring new places, and Lake Keowee had so much to offer!

Lake Keowee in the Round (15” diameter)

Each morning I got up to watch the sunrise and enjoy a walk before the day got too toasty. The Reserve has many walking trails and hiking paths, some in the hilly pine forests, some along the emerald lake. I saw creatures almost every I ventured out, including my first-ever bear sighting in the wild. While distracted by a very busy armadillo who didn’t seem to mind our presence, we followed him down the trail, and suddenly realized there was an adult black bear about 40 yards away. I got one blurry photo and turned around. My husband and I didn’t finish our hike that day!

Black Swallowtail Butterfly in White Frame (6x8)

FAVORITE THINGS:

SIGHTS: Pink sunrises and that glorious color fade from the red clay earth to the emerald green water along the shoreline.

SMELLS: Pine needles in the sun.

SOUNDS: Crows laughing at me and gossiping high up in the trees.

TASTE: The grouper special at the clubhouse the first night of the residency. So so good!

MOMENT: Armadillo/bear sighting on a hike and doing the plein air demo at the pagodas while chatting with a wonderful group of ladies.

Trees at Settlement Village (9x12)

Every day had something to look forward to, whether it was a meal with members of the community, teaching a sold-out workshop full of extremely talented ladies, exhibiting my work and speaking about why I work in so many mediums, or paddling around in a kayak for a few hours. I always made time to work, but I didn’t put too much pressure on myself to stay inside all day and create, as I’ve done on past residencies (and regretted). This was a wonderful balance of scheduled events, adventuring, and creative time.

Flowers by the Green (5x7 oval)

Once Again Sam’s Nature Report:

• Woodpeckers

• Turkeys

• Bunnies

• Deer

• Herons

• Squirrels & chipmunks

• American crows

• Groundhogs

• Black swallowtail & eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies

• Geese

• Lizards

• Snake

• Armadillo

• BLACK BEAR!!!!!

Laurel Pond Pines (13x13): SOLD

Part of the deal with most residency programs is that the artist donates a pieces from the collection inspired by or made during the residency. This piece below is the largest one I made of the Reserve and it was the one I chose to donate to the Community Foundation because it features one of the best views there, in my opinion. This is the view of Pinnacle Mountain from the top of the hill in front of the clubhouse and it looks breathtaking any time of day, even in the rain.

The View from the Clubhouse (14x20): DONATED

I can’t say enough good things about The Reserve. It was an honor to be chosen to be the Aritst-in-Residence for 2021 and it was such a great experience on every level! Enjoy this short video recap of my week and be sure to check www.oneagainsam.com for all available fiber art pieces made during the residency. Many of the pieces found forever-homes with residents which I was still at The Reserve, which is exactly what I had hoped would happen, but several other pieces are up for grabs!

Sparkle is the New Neutral

Introducing the all new sparkle colorway in the laser cut acrylic earring collection! This rainbow of shimmer is cast in clear acrylic and laser cut into modern geometric shapes. All earrings are bold but light weight, my favorite combo!

One of the best things about glitter and rainbows is they put a little smile on your face, even as an adult. The other nice thing is they go with everything in your wardrobe! Who knew sparkle was the new neutral? I couldn’t resist adding this blast of shine & color to my offerings and I hope you enjoy the fun new pieces. Try out a pair of statement earrings or keep things dainty with a pair of tiny studs.

Check out the full series on the website and be sure you’re signed up for my newsletter - a 20% off coupon is coming your way June 1st and it can be used on any jewelry, not just the new sparkle collection!