A HAPPY PLACE celebrates First Friday with Jewelry by Artist and Designer Laurie Flannery

Can jewelry express a love of place? Do you enjoy pieces made with treasures found in nature? Are you inspired by the beauty of metal embellished with stones and gems?

September at A Happy Place boutique helps answer these questions, with a wide array of hand crafted jewelry by artist and designer Laurie Flannery.

Always interested in the art of adornment, Flannery uses silver, copper and bronze as her primary materials when handcrafting each piece in her Baltimore studio. Additional materials may include steel, shells, pearls, semi-precious stones, and found objects. A variety of fabrication techniques are used.

“I have always loved jewelry, and as a child was scolded for taking the fake gems out of my mother’s costume jewelry. I just loved holding the sparkly glass in my hands. Presently, I am working on small, limited edition collections using regional elements. I spend a lot of time beachcombing and like incorporating the objects from nature with my metalsmithing knowledge. I consider primitive materials such as shell, stone and bone to be as beautiful as pearls and semi-precious stones, all of which are included in my creations. I take interest in the special meaning of all materials, which can be worn for protection, power, or just for the simple beauty of them. The jewelry is intended to be elegant and timeless and while it is meant to adorn, it is always wonderful to have an emotional connection as well.

“Other art forms also fascinate me. More than a decade ago I fell in love with the old-school darkroom process of making black and white photographs, and recently I began oil painting. A selection of my oil paintings and hand-printed photographs will also be available at A Happy Place for the month of September.”

Boutique owner Beth Hickman invites the public to A Happy Place on First Friday, September 4, from 3 to 7 p.m., to meet Flannery and shop her newest works. “Our shop is spacious with plenty of room for social distancing,” Hickman said. “I am pleased to have Laurie’s work in my grouping of artists. I love the bohemian, eclectic, earthy look of her jewelry. Especially the beautiful way she combines metals with things found at the beach, like copper with shells. It makes me happy.”

A Happy Place is at 12 N Washington St. in Easton, and it is open Tuesday through Friday, 1 to 6, Saturday 10-6, and Sunday 11-3 p.m.

For more information, call 410-200-3867, email ahappyplace@goeaston.net or find the shop on Facebook.