I tend to ponder life quite a bit in my regular day-to-day, especially on the pages of my journal and during my morning beach walks. I was born on the west coast in Washington State and spent most of my life in California and also between the states of Washington, [...]
For me, one of the most important aspects of design is iteration, iteration, iteration. Ideas for new pieces often come to me when I least expect it: while walking on the beach, taking a shower, during a meditation session or while driving. Ideas tend to arrive at rather inconvenient [...]
I’ve been in business for 17+ years and I absolutely love talking shop, especially with other small business owners. I have lots of my own ideas and sometimes (strong) opinions about things I’ve learned along the way. It’s always so interesting and thrilling to hear other people’s perspectives, too. [...]
My mom always says that even as a little tot, I was a perfectionist. I've always been deliberate and intentional – I took my time. When I finally did start walking at 16 months, I cruised clear across the room like I owned the place. As a kid, my space was always neat and organized [...]
If you know me well on a personal level, you’d know that I’m the type of person who likes to “make things happen.” If I’m honest, it’s one of my strongest personality traits and a bit the Aries in me. With that, I’m also a self-proclaimed procrastinator and things often take me longer [...]
I had the idea for this limited edition 'Spread the Love' necklace during a recent product development meeting with Sam. In all the years I’ve been designing jewelry, I’ve never been compelled to design a heart shaped anything. I do love drawing hearts and if you've ever received [...]
When I meet with customers, one question that I consistently get asked is, “Colleen, how do you suggest I clean my jewelry?” I have so many answers to this question but my go-to solution for a quick shine-up for any of my jewelry is to grab the good ole Dawn Dish Soap. You can find this amazing solution at any major [...]
Got CMD Bucks? You do now! Meet the new and improved CMD Bucks Reward program. Create your CMD Bucks account today and receive an extra $23 (+$10 just for signing up!) in your ‘bucks bank by tomorrow. You'll also gain exclusive access to future giveaways, new collections, [...]
Need a last minute gift? Give them some dough to use toward a CMD piece of their choice! Our E-Gift Cards are delivered instantly by email and contain instructions on how to redeem them at checkout. Added bonus: Our gift cards have no additional processing fees, and they never expire! [...]
It’s that time of year again, friends and wow…how the time does fly. Each December, as I bid the year farewell, I like to take some time to reflect and share with you. I also love pondering on previous years and since journaling is a regular part of my routine, it makes it easy to look [...]
One of my favorite holiday traditions is to make handmade ornaments to give to family and friends – and to keep for my own tree! This year, my niece, nephew and I made dehydrated limes and oranges and glitter them to make really festive ornaments. This is the perfect project for kids, too. [..]
Plaid Friday is a "shop local" alternative to Black Friday that began in Oakland, CA in 2009 and since, has successfully spread across the country. We’re so grateful for your support of small businesses like ours, and for sharing CMD with others (or yourself!) this holiday season. Your business helps keep our [...]
It’s November, and the holiday season is practically here – I can’t believe it either! We’re encouraging you to get a little kick-start on your seasonal shopping. At CMD, we handcraft every earring, necklace, bracelet and ring in our Upstate New York production studio [...]
For those of you who don't remember, "Ary" began working with me back in San Francisco. She started as my production assistant after she graduated from California College of the Arts (CCA) in 2012. Ary has a BFA in jewelry and metal arts and she's a true craftswoman [...]
Oxidized silver is a distinctive black surface treatment and a signature detail of the CMD aesthetic. With wear, it will naturally fade to a really beautiful antique-like finish. To bring your oxidized pieces back to black, you can re-oxidize them at home with our DIY Oxidation Kit [..]
