The Bargain Box

This past Saturday, Star and I attended a wonderful event to support The Bargain Box of Wilmington. I have often heard of The Bargain Box, but never seemed to find the time to visit this unique thrift store located at 4213 Princess Place Drive, Wilmington, NC 28405. The fashion show and luncheon was held at St James Episcopal Church and an incredible variety of clothing and accessories were brought over for purchase by the attendees. Many pieces of designer clothing, some with the tags still on them, beautiful shoes and boots, fashion jewelry, hats....and on and on...it was a sight to behold.

I was amazed at the list of local charities that The Bargain Box supports with donations from their sales. Good Shepherd Ministries, American Red Cross, Food Bank of Coastal Carolina, Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, Association of Retarded Citizens and Zimmer Cancer Center are just some of the charities that benefit.

They carry clothing for men, women and children, household items, toys, sports equipment, furniture and collectibles. Stop by at your next opportunity to see all that they have to offer. Consider The Bargain Box when you are cleaning out your closet or your home. Isn't nice to support a local charity that in turns helps many charities in our hometown.

Store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11-6, Saturday 10-5 and Monday - Donations Only

With the holidays coming soon, what better time to reflect upon all the gifts we are given and to choose to live a life of gratitude. I love the ending line on The Bargain Box's card - "If we share what we have, we will all have enough."

Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Nancy Noel May


The Bargain box

The Bargain Box is a ministry of Church of the Servant, Episcopal

WHAT ARE YOUR DREAMS?

DREAMS OF WILMINGTON is near and dear to our hearts here at Spectrum. We have sponsored several fund raisers for them, having lots of fun in the process. They offer a rare opportunity for many young people who may not otherwise have the chance to participate in classes in the literary, visual and performing arts. For over a decade Dreams has educated and enriched the lives of so many children, we are fortunate to have them in our community. I'm enclosing a link to their website and would encourage everyone to take a look at the program, it's very impressive. Children are our future, and investing in them is a major key to that future.

Our Paint Around event in November will be another fund raising event for Dreams. On the 6th five of our artists, Phil Meade, Nancy Noel May, Ann Hair, Kristin Gibson and Jane Faudree will be working on a colloborative project where in the artist will rotate around five easels. The end result will be five unique paintings bearing the touch of all five artists. These paintings will be raffled off to benefit Dreams. Raffle tickets will be on sale starting on the sixth, and it will be the perfect day to stop by and cheer the artists on. It's an ideal time to visit with your favorite artists and see how they each work! Put the date on your calendar!

UNDER THE BIG TENT...

If you happened to drive by the Forum on Saturday you saw a tent in front of Spectrum. No, the circus wasn't in town, but the same excitement was in the air!

Kristin Gibson, our favorite Carolina Beach artist, was here showing how she hand paints her silk scarves, and helping many participants make their own silk ornaments using a less complex technique. Everyone expressed how much fun they had and how amazed they were at using simple techniques to create some wonderful masterpieces! It didn't matter how old your were (we even had a 3 year old) or how much artistic skill you possess, each piece was fantastic! Thanks to everyone who attended, we collected one hundred and fifty dollars for DREAMS OF WILMINGTON!

American Craft Week at Spectrum

American Craft Week is October 1 - 10.

Here are events happening here at Spectrum that week:

Friday, October 8, from 6pm - 8pm:
Open House featuring Gallery Craft Artists


We will be featuring North Carolina craft artists: Metal artist, Anne Cunningham; bead maker and jewelry designer, Sarah James; painter and textile artist, Kristin Gibson, sculptor, Tripp Gregson and jeweler designers, Star Sosa & Nancy Noel May. Enjoy refreshments and wine while ...checking out all the new creations. Learn what makes the "Art of Craft" so special.

Saturday, October 9, from 10am - 2pm:
Silk Painting Workshop with Kristin Gibson
This workshop benefits Dreams of Wilmington. Kristin's Textile Design background and love for color make for a winning combination as a visual artist and painter of fabrics. She has kindly agreed to do a workshop to demonstrate her technique on silk. A $5.00 materials fee lets you create your own piece of art to take home. Each participant will complete a 6x6 silk ornament. It will be such fun!


Jane

Spectrum Art & Jewelry goes to the dogs.

Sadie Says:

I was lucky enough to be selected by Monty's Home - Pawsitive Prison Partners Program. I learned how to be sociable and obey simple commands. Then I got adopted! Yea, best day of my life! I get to come to work with Mom and play with lots of nice people - I love hearing how cute I am, but Mom tells me to just smile and offer a paw.

Can you help out with your spare change to assist Monty's Home to save more dogs like me? The shelters are full and trying to save as many dogs as possible is very expensive. Vet bills, food, medicine and toys really add up quickly.

My new family at Spectrum Art & Jewelry has offered to give a $10 coupon for every $10 you give to my favorite charity - Monty's Home. You can spend your coupon on anything in the gallery and there is no expiration date.

Please come by to visit me at Spectrum Art & Jewelry. I'm on duty here Monday - Thursday or come anytime to drop off your spare change - some lucky dog will thank you for it.

Please help, XO, Sadie (arf!)

Spectrum Art & Jewelry
1125 - H Military Cutoff Road
Wilmington, NC 28405
910-256-2323
www.spectrumartandjewelry.com

Spectrum Nominated for 7 Awards!

Spectrum is pleased to announce that we have been nominated for in 7 categories for the American Style Top Retailer Award. Having been nominated in the past, and a former winner, we understand that the competition is tough! We have been nominated for:

• Top Retailer
• Best Visual Merchandising
• Best Customer Newsletter
• Best Community Outreach
• Best Advertising/Direct Mail Campaign
• Best Website
• Best In-Store Event: First Fridays Wine Tasting

Learn more about these awards at www.nichemag.com

Spectrum Teaches at Domestic Violence Center~

The women of Spectrum Art & Jewelry recently made their 2nd trip back to the Domestic Violence Shelter. Bringing, beads, clasps, supplies and encouragement, the Spectrum staff taught the women how to make beaded jewelry. This not only allowed them to feel beautiful in their new adornment, but also a sense of empowerment. Learning a new skill can release tensions and allow new hobbies and outlets to flourish!

We encourage all of you to volunteer in your local community. The more you give, the more you get!

Save the Date: Holiday Open House

Our Holiday Open House is scheduled for Friday, December 12th from 6pm - 8pm. The folks from the Brigade Boys & Girls Club will be our guests that evening and will be on hand with information about their wonderful mentoring programs. Our neighbors: La Bella Forma, Beauty Bar & Corporate Skirts will also be open that evening wtih special treats and offers available.

Spectrum Supports The Pink Ribbon Campaign

by Nicole Wilkinson

As many of you may already know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Wilmington hosts the annual Pink Ribbon Event each year and is on its 11th year of successful giving. Gallery owner, Star Sosa, made a conscious decision to support the campaign as a Retailer for the Ribbon.

A portion of all proceeds earned from the one-of-a-kind Akeso necklaces, designed at Spectrum, will be donated to the cause. Star, Nancy, Jane, Joyce, and Nicole, all welcomed the kickoff of the monthly event at a special breakfast that took place at the Holiday Inn Sunspree. We learned that since its inception in 1998, the Pink Ribbon event has raised more than $850,000 and provided over 4,000 "Comfort Bags" to area women as they undergo treatment for cancer. Distributed by the Zimmer Cancer Center, these bags are to bring comfort to women as they go throughout their cancer journey, from diagnosis through treatment.

In addition to the Pink Ribbon Comfort Bags, the proceeds from Pink Ribbon events also provide funding for uninsured women receiving mammography through the Coastal Care Van- the region's only mobile cancer screening van. Last year, the Pink Ribbon funds provided over 400 women with mammography screenings and fourteen women with biopsies after a suspect screening mammography.

To support your local Pink Ribbon efforts, stop into Spectrum and purchase an Akeso necklace or bracelet. Named for Akeso, the Greek goddess of healing & curing, this gemstone talisman incorporated Rose Quartz for healing and self-love, Moonstone for understanding and pearls for wisdom. The dragonfly and butterfly charms remind us to take joy in the dance of life and the ever-constant process of change. Every Akeso is one-of-a-kind. Share the essence of healing.

Click HERE to see an example of our Akeso jewelry designs.

Glass Artist Raises Money to Preserve American Wetlands

New Orleans glassblower, Mark Rosenbaum, has created these gorgeous new vases entitled "Reeds and Rushes". The vivid colors and graceful details evoke the blowing grasses of our coastal wetlands.



South Louisiana and the other gulf coast states have been experiencing a dramatic decline in these vital ecosystems due to a variety of environmental impacts, not the least of which was Katrina.



A portion of the proceeds of these vases will be contributed to the Voices of the Wetlands for the purpose of perserving this valuable resourse.



We have the green/amber version of Reeds and Rushes currently here in the gallery. Stop by to see. Other colors available by special order. Click here to see art glass by Mark.

Support Breast Cancer Research & Enjoy a Gorgeous, Meaningful Necklace ~ Sundari is here!

Sundari is the Hindu goddess of beauty and grace. Jewelry designer Mauri Pioppo was inspired by Sheryl Crow's courage in the face of her personal experience with breast cancer to create this Sundari necklace. This piece allows one to embrace their own compassionate nature and connect with their spirit.

There is beauty in this gift of life. Jewelry designer, Mauri Pioppo, creates a beautiful talisman style Sundari necklace and a portion of the proceeds are donated to breast cancer research. The simple and elegant design will become one of your favorite pieces. And a thoughtful gift for anyone who has been touched by this disease. Made of 14k gold, rose quartz for healing and white topaz for mental clarity. Click HERE to see more of Mauri's work!

Art Sale - Benefit Fundraiser for Artist, Anne Boysen

By Nicole Wilkinson

Art with a Heart
Party, Art Sale & Benefit for Painter, Anne Boysen

Spectrum Art & Jewelry will be hosting a unique event to benefit one of our
beloved artists. Anne Boysen, known for her exuberant and exciting
abstracted floral artworks, is battling ovarian cancer and needs our help.

Please join us
Thursday, March 20th from 6:30 - 8:30
For an evening of
good friends, live music with Galen,
great food & drink, an art sale and great door prizes
Local artists have generously donated their original artworks
Spectrum will also be donating a selection of art, craft & jewelry for sale.
Items will be priced from $20 - $300 so everyone can afford to buy!

Tickets are $5 at the door and each comes with a
ticket for the door prize drawing.
Door prizes include a $100 gift basket from Wine Styles,
Anne’s book “The Art of Exuberance” and
an original painting by Anne Boysen, just to name a few.
100% of all proceeds from tickets, donations
and the art sale will go directly to Anne.
Cash or check only please. No credit cards.

The party will be held at
The Clubhouse of The Reserve Apartments at Mayfaire
1411 Parkview Circle, by the pool.
Everyone is welcome, this event is open to the public.
For more info call: 256-2323

Blood Diamonds and Conflict. What does that mean?

By Nicole Wilkinson

By Nicole Wilkinson
The term "blood diamond' refers to money gained from the mining of diamonds that is used to purchase guns and support war. Blood diamonds, often called conflict diamonds, are mined in war torn African countries by rebels to fund their conflict. The rebels grossly abuse human rights, often murdering and enslaving the local populations to mine the diamonds.

Since the production of the movie, "Blood Diamond" starring Leonardo DeCaprio, the awareness of diamonds mined in conflict has increased. There are many ways to insure your diamond is 'conflict free'.

1. Conflict diamonds come with guarantees. Since 2004, any diamond that is conflict free and doesn't aide war is documented and should come with a certificate or a guarantee from your jeweler.

2. Research when purchasing a loose diamond. "A diamond is a girl's best friend", and you want to make sure your purchase was a purposeful one. Canadian diamonds are almost ALL conflict free. If purchasing over the web, go with a reputable Canadian company that has been in business for many years, or work with a local jeweler, not a national chain. They are more likely to be able to trace the source of all of the stones in a piece of jewelry or loose stones purchased.

3. ASK! This is your $$. This is your big purchase. Make sure you make the right choice. If a jeweler cannot guarantee the stone is conflict free, that is ok. They are being honest and want to help you with your purchase. They WILL know the right places where they can find your perfect stone.

Feel free to stop in to Spectrum Art & Jewelry where we can order your conflict free stones today!

Pearls and Global Warming

(Taken from Modern Jeweler Magazine Online)

Thursday, May 31st, 2007
Pearl farmers live in some of the world’s most beautiful places: sheltered lagoons with pristine clean waters and some of the world’s highest biodiversity. But this closeness to nature also means that they are also one of the most vulnerable industries to climate change. At this year’s GIA Gemfest in Basel, which featured leading pearl producers from all over the world, the topic of the threat of global warming to the quantity and quality of pearl production was one of the interesting topics raised. I talked to Jacques Branellec of Jewelmer, the leading producer of South Sea cultured pearls in the Philippines, and Martin Coeroli, the managing director of Perles de Tahiti, about climate change and the possible impact on pearls. As you can see in my video on Pearls and Global Warming, South Sea pearls and Tahitian pearls may be even rarer in the years to come. The threat is most acute in the tropical producing regions near the equator, where even a one or two degree rise in sea temperature can result in oyster mortality. Typhoons, always a threat to pearl farms, may cause additional damage. It really brings home how pearl farming is an amazing organic industry: a clean and sustainable source of employment in some of the world’s most beautiful places that actually improves the habitat for marine life in the surrounding areas.

EASY WAYS TO GIVE!

So today, we all sit at home or our desks, reflecting on the Christmas holiday. Some of us give to charity, some of us donate gifts to boys and girls from angel trees across malls in America but did you ever know that there were ways to give without leaving your home, desk, without costing you a dime???
We now live in a global world where the Internet brings the world into our homes. There are websites that allow you to give without getting up! I have listed 3 of my top favorite sites so that you can become regular fans as well.

1. http://www.live.com/ This site is known to focus on a more affluent crowd, maybe because of the education level involved, but EVERYONE needs to switch to this site to search instead of using google, yahoo, or your current preferred search engine. Every time you search on live.com, you earn a point, after 10 searches, Microsoft gives 1 penny to your charity of choice. You can choose your local elementary school, humane society, or a larger charity. The possibilities are endless. Start searching NOW!

2. http://www.freerice.com/ Do you have an extra 1 min. a day? Go to this site and test out your vocabulary skills. For every correct answer, you get 10 grains of rice that will be donated to a person in a third world country. Does this cost you anything? Nada. It helps you sharpen your vocabulary skills=makes you smarter=better at your job=keeps you from being unemployed=finding yourself homeless=needing rice.... Get the point?!?

3. http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/ Do you know someone affected with breast cancer? Most of us do. Link onto this site daily and at the click of a button (clicking on the pink box in the middle of the screen), you are allowing 1 woman in America to receive a free mammogram. Simple huh?

With these 3 sites you should be on your way to living a better life. Karma is a great thing. The more you give, the more you get. So lets all start off the new year by giving more.