Artists Laura Blacona and Alberto Toscano have been producing beautiful functional art pieces since 1994. Their creations are based on a Venetian glassmaking process called Millefiori, which in Italian means "a thousand flowers." But Alberto and Laura use polymer clay instead of glass, which allows them to create much more intricate and detailed designs. They often mix their own colors as well. The resulting pieces are unique art works, meant to use and enjoy every day.

Frederic Duclos is originally from Southeastern France, where his family has been designing accessories for several generations. His upbringing cultivated an admiration for art and sculpture. Frederic met Karen, his wife and business partner, while studying in California, and they soon decided to pool their talents to establish a line of high-quality, creative sterling jewelry. Their company has now been designing collections that reflect sensuality and femininity with a modern twist for over 25 years. Frederic's goal is to capture the fundamental qualities of a woman's features, and complement them with refined embellishments.

Renowned Sausalito studio Heath Ceramics was founded in the mid-forties by Edith Heath. Her life was dedicated to the craft of ceramics and the skill of the artisan, and her passion has given Heath its unique place in ceramics today. Many of Edith's pieces live in the permanent collections of world-class museums. Today, the company continues to place a strong emphasis on design, handcrafted techniques, and respect for the company's designer-maker legacy. Heath dinnerware is used in the country's top restaurants, and their distinctive surface tiles enhance many architecturally important buildings.

As a graduate of California College of the Arts, Carmen studied metal design, drawing, and sculpture. Working in her studio in Mill Valley, she hand-forms each original piece using traditional goldsmithing techniques. She also designs furniture, lighting, and architectural elements. Carmen's designs can be interpreted as landscapes in metal, with a richness and depth inspired by nature. Carmen's jewelry fuses elegance with everyday wearability, and she hopes to encourage each individual to express her creativity through the ancient tradition of adornment.

When Deborah Jarchow discovered weaving in 1996, it combined her lifelong love for fiber, texture, and color. Best known for her success with handwoven rayon chenille, Deborah makes many different one-of-a kind handwoven and handmade garments and accessories. She finds great satisfaction in creating a coherent and pleasing fabric out of individual threads. Deborah teaches and weaves at the Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo, and has been instrumental in helping to develop the fiber studio there.

Honoring the centuries-old Japanese tradition of kumihimo, Kristina Kada weaves hand-dyed silk thread into fine cord, pairing color with her modern designs in sterling silver and 22k gold. Her classic techniques employ steel stakes, saw piercing and a hydraulic press to meld freehand elements with original castings. Kristina's jewelry is inspired by the vital balance of energy and precision that unite the natural world, and this balance is evident in her organic elements artfully scattered over architectural forms.

After graduating from San Diego State University in 1994 with a degree in Applied Design in Metal, Kathleen Maley moved to San Francisco where she began her career working for an established costume jeweler, and subsequently joined an artist cooperative. Working now in her Mission District studio, she exhibits her jewelry in shows and galleries across the country. Kathleen says, "Currently, I am interested in exploring how jewelry forms relate to the body. I challenge myself to create work that is fresh and unexpected in its relationship to the body, and will delight and engage the wearer."

Mendy Marks has enjoyed being a jeweler for 25 years. She draws inspiration from the multiple dimensions and melding of colors in the landscape around her. Mendy mirrors this effect in her jewelry by layering a variety of shapes, colors, and textures in anodized aluminum, sterling silver, gold, copper, and brass to create sculptural yet fluid designs. Some elements of her work are patinaed or heat-treated to give them a more aged, natural look, or accented with freshwater pearls and beads made of gemstones and minerals. Many of Mendy's pieces have been named after her most loyal customers.

San Francisco jewelry artist Harry Mason has been designing and selling his highly unusual earrings for nearly 30 years. He has a loyal customer base in the Bay Area and has also been very successful with his jewelry line in Asia (made in USA). Harry and his wife/partner Kathryn claim that the best way to discover what women really want is to consult experts: namely, women. "Fashion is a statement about yourself to the world. When you wear our jewelry, you will feel special and different. Our job is to help you look your very best."

Lynne Meade has been passionate about her medium since receiving a box of clay when she was eight years old. Soon after, she started her first entrepreneurial endeavor, selling her little animal creations at a local consignment store. Lynne received her BA in Visual Arts from Wesleyan University in 1986 and has operated her own studio since 1989. Her unusual technique involves first outlining a grid onto smooth, flawless clay forms, and then meticulously carving her designs. Lynne is inspired by organic shapes, and her work has a deliberate yet fluid simplicity.

Ami and Marie-Eve are a husband-and-wife team originally from France, now living in Los Angeles. Over 15 years of experience in the jewelry business have enabled them to perfect their techniques for designing bold and unique wearable art. Each handcrafted, limited edition piece is first cast in pewter, then plated with silver or brass, and finally varnished to preserve its color. The pieces contain no nickel or lead. The results are sculptural expressions of ultra-modern international flair.

Husband and wife team Mikio Matsumoto and Cheryl Costantini blend elements of Japanese folk art with a contemporary flair to produce an innovative collection of handmade pottery distinguished by its elegance and precision. Mikio began to focus on clay as his artistic medium in the 1980s. Cheryl, a lifelong potter, spent many years in Japan studying her craft. In 1985 they formed Nichibei, which literally translates to "Japan and America." Their work exhibits a beautiful balance of form and function as well as their commitment to tradition rather than trends.

Nan Rae has been an artist since childhood. Her brush painting combines the grace of the Literati style, which seeks to capture the subject's chi (life force) by using a minimum of brush strokes for maximum effect, with an impressionist approach to color. Her deft, rapid brush strokes are grounded in traditional Asian techniques, yet the results are clearly clean and contemporary in form. Nan has been publishing her art as greeting cards for twelve years. She was honored to have her work selected for the logo for the historic NY Philharmonic trip to China and North Korea in 2008.

Born in South Africa to a jewelry-making family, Philippa was naturally drawn to working with metals and stones. After graduating from Miami University (Ohio) with a BFA in metal design and photography, she moved to San Francisco in 1995 to start her career in jewelry design. The inspiration for her work stems from the nature around her, yet also incorporates lines and patterns that imitate urban architecture. Having started with basic sterling silver and pearls, she has expanded her line by integrating silver and gold with different colored stones, adding texture, shape, and hue to many of her designs.

Silk artist Kavita Singh has perfected her art by studying and practicing silk painting for more than 20 years. She has designed for Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin of Paris, Cannon, Burlington, Wamsutta, Schumacher, and Fieldcrest, and created designs for the White House and Malaysian Royalty. Her versatile styles feature both Eastern and Western themes. Kavita says, "My scarves and jackets are a success when they make the wearer feel beautiful." Her greatest reward is the excitement people show when they see and feel her silk creations in person.

The Stalman family has been creating fine leather goods for 41 years and two generations. Located in Berkeley since 1969, Stalman's leather studio has carried on a tradition of innovative design and impeccable craftsmanship. Founder Sven Stalman says "Our aim is simply to make objects for daily living... objects that by virtue of their use can somehow make one's day a little bit better."

Gary Steinborn's first studio consisted of a homemade potter's wheel on the front porch of his family's California bungalow home. He went on to receive a Masters Degree in Art from UCLA and establish his own Venice Beach studio. Growing up in Los Angeles, Gary was exposed to multicultural influences and all kinds of art. His inspirations range from the American crafts movement to funk and pop art. Gary strives to produce ceramics that are immaculately crafted, intelligent, and humorous, suitable for anything from modernist to craftsman style homes or a personal Zen retreat.

Lyn Swan has been working in clay for over 35 years and is still in love with the material. She received her BFA in ceramics from RIT, School for the American Craftsman in New York, and now lives in Sonoma where she continues her never-ending exploration of clay. Lyn's work is mostly hand-built, and makes use of colorful glazes, sulfates, and gold luster. She is fascinated by the character and personality that emerge from each individual piece. Lyn's designs are not only whimsical and playful but also functional, and her work is meant to be appreciated as much for its usefulness as its beauty.

Marni Turkel has been making pots for a living for almost 40 years. She started out in her own studio where she made everything by hand, and for the past eighteen years, Marni has managed and operated Stony Point Ceramic Design, a small pottery in Santa Rosa. There, she creates plaster molds in which her work is slip cast. After being fired, the vases are painted freehand with brushwork designs in wax, and then dipped in a colored glaze. Marni's process results in resilient stoneware with a subtle beauty.