Brown Dog Designs, Pierrette Ashcroft

Washington, DC

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Colorful jewelry that's fun to wear, these pieces are designed and handcrafted by Pierrette Ashcroft in her Washington, DC studio. The beads are made of lightweight polymer clay, the colors blended to create the illusion of texture and to add richness. The surface designs are made in long canes, using a technique known as millefiori. Thin slices of the canes are applied to the surface. Some are left in relief and others are smoothed into a seamless collage; no painting is involved. Beads are combined with rubber, sterling silver and reactive metals such as niobium to create unique contemporary jewelry.

After the polymer clay is fired, it is durable and strong. It can be gently washed with soap and water. Pieces should be stored individually and treated with care to avoid scratching the surface of the beads.

Pierrette Ashcroft studied industrial design and received a degree from Pratt Institute in New York City. After graduation, she worked in several museums in New York and Washington, DC before starting Brown Dog Designs in 1990. In 1997, she co-authored the book Artists At Work: Polymer Clay Comes of Age. After all these years she still loves what she does and continues to study jewelry design, experimenting with various techniques and materials.

When she's not in the studio or motoring around town in her electric blue Mini Cooper, Pierrette spends her time practicing Ashtanga yoga and flying on the trapeze.

Earrings and Company has more of Brown Dog Designs' jewelry available at our Freeport Maine jewelry store.