Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Betoj Designs: Vanessa Parker's Art Jewelry

In a bit of shameless spousal promotion, I want to write a short bit about my wife, Vanessa. In 2000, she quit the daily rat-race most of us still run to focus her attention on her own business, Betoj Designs. From her humble beginnings as a beader, she has evolved into a fantastic art jewelry silversmith, if I do say so myself. She has attended classes and honed her skills. Her art jewelry pieces are unique, hand-crafted, and one-of-a-kind. The best thing about owning one of her pieces of art is the knowledge that you own the only one of its kind in the world. Sure, she can make one that resembles your piece, but no one will ever have *your* piece of jewelry. In this age of mass-produced consumables that *everyone* can own, her work is a breath of fresh air.

Vanessa has recently joined forces with a fellow artist, Jan Locander, a glass artist. The finished pieces are beautiful. In June, Vanessa was the featured artist at our old church here in Houston. And, sometime this year, she will be on HGTV's "That's Clever" show. Check out her website for some great jewelry and, of course, the definition of the word "Betoj." You'll laugh. Believe me.

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